How God Sees Christians
Spiritual persons have the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ. Those who are not spiritual cannot properly evaluate them. For that matter, Christians who are not directed by the Spirit will often not accurately assess spiritual persons and matters. This is because a correct analysis of believers does not compare them to others but relies on how the Lord sees them.
How, then, does the Lord view believers? We are His garden (1 Cor 3:9, Barclay), His valued possession (Dt 7:6, NBV), His honored guest (Ps 23:5, TEV), His work of art (Eph 2:10, JB), His poem (Eph 2:10, Montgomery note), and His masterpiece (Eph 2:10, NLT). In addition, we are God’s jeweled crown (Isa 62:3, CW), His most prized possession (Mal 3:17, NJB), and His inheritance (Eph 1:11). The Lord says we are His dear one (SS 1:9, Moffatt), His true love (SS 5:2, GW), His beloved (Rom 9:25, NAB), His darling (SS 2:10), His faultless dove (SS 5:2, Tanakh), His delightful one (SS 2:13, GW), His exceedingly beautiful one (Isa 62:3, AB-1st), His undefiled one (SS 6:9, NBV), His perfect one (SS 5:2, ESV), His fiancée (2 Cor 11L2), His bride (SS 5:1), His royal spouse (SS 1:2, NLT), and His friend (Jn 15:14-15).
We have royal status (Rev 1:9) and are the objects of His special affection (TNT note on 1 Pet 2:9). Angels are assigned to us (Mt 18:10) because we are His people, His renown, His praise, His beauty (Jer 13:11). He values us greatly. When we think as the Lord does, we will greatly value others and ourselves.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, God dwells in us.