This first lesson explores God’s original intention for humanity to dwell in intimate relationship with Him. The Mountain of Eden was a place of divine presence and relationship. In Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God. They perfectly reflected their identity as God’s image-bearers, designed for communion and dominion over creation. Their fall introduced separation and distortion of this identity. However, through Christ, the true image of God, we are invited back into this relationship. Jesus restores our identity by inviting us to dwell once again in God’s presence, to walk in the fullness of His grace and truth, and to reclaim our purpose as children of God who are meant to live in harmony with Him.

Objectives

This lesson aims to equip you to:

1. Understand the nature and attributes of God in order to understand who we are and the position we live from.
2. Capture a vision for God’s continued presence in your life and the wonderful grace that it entails.

Reading

As you prepare to proceed through this lesson, we encourage you to read Chapter 1, “Identity,” in Paul Bergin’s, The Path of Presence: A Discipleship of Dwelling with Jesus (Slingshot, 2024).