– When the divine grace comes within him.
– Then he has joy inside?
– He has inside not only joy, but also much love, humbleness, comfort, safety. He has the attributes of God and that is why the divine grace comes within himself.
– Abba, what does it mean God of Gods?
– David doesn’t he say `You are Gods and all of you sons of God?`
The man is created in the image of God, therefore God is God of Gods, namely of men. The man has to sanctify himself. We all are in the image of God, but how many of us are on the path that leads to the condition of being in the likeness of God? The more we estrange ourselves from God, the less we resemble Him, meaning that we go far from being in the likeness of God.
The man must live in accordance with the commandments of God, having an inner work in order to be like God. In this way he will get rid of passions and gain virtues and then he is not only in the image of God, but he reaches also the condition of being in the likeness of God, because the grace of God works within himself.
Source: Pious Paissios the Athonite, Passions and Virtues, Evanghelismos Publishing, p. 151.
