God gave him a mind that he might know God, and a heart that he might love God, and a will that he might obey God. Adam disobeyed, and Adam's race was cursed and cut off from fellowship with God. Adam's sons still possessed personality, but the intellect was darkened, their emotions degraded, and their will deadened. As a result, there was no fellowship between the sinner and God. But God has made believers in Christ members of a new creation. He has given us a new mind, that we might know Him, and a new heart that we might love Him, and a new will that we might obey Him. When you, child of God, exercise your mind Godward to know Him, and you exercise your heart Godward to love Him, and you exercise your will Godward to obey Him, then you are in fellowship with God. But if any area of your personality is not in harmony with the Person of God, then you are not enjoying the fellowship which is the purpose for which you were created and for which you were re-created in His image. You cannot glorify God apart from that fellowship.
In this fellowship with God there must be growth. Believers must grow in the area of knowledge. That is why Peter said in 2 Peter 3:18, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . " They must grow, or increase, in love. That is why Paul's prayer for the believers at Philippi included this request: "that your love may abound yet more and more." Believers must choose the way of complete obedience to God's will. In John 14:21, 23, the Lord emphasized the necessity of obedience when He said, "He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he is it that loves me. . . If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Believers glorify God by their growth and fruitfulness as they abide in Christ, as their mind and the heart and the will of the Redeemer. This is God's purpose in creation and in your recreation in Christ (Designed to Be Like Him, p. 32).
