The serpent said, if you eat of this tree you will become like God. But they were already like God. The tree was… do good and avoid evil and you will become like God… that is the essence of all religion.
You ARE created in Christ Jesus for good works, not because of good works. Like Adam we are made in the likeness of God… nothing we do makes us like him. It is surrendering to who we already are, yielding to the fact that we are righteous, accepted, holy, blessed, and forgiven.
~ Chuck Crisco