In "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis posits that God utilizes a form of "pretense" not as deception, but as a powerful tool for transforming individuals. The Triune God observes humanity, recognizing our current state as flawed and self-centered. However, God chooses to "pretend that this is not a mere creature, but our Son," seeing our inherent likeness to Christ as humans and our potential for spiritual resemblance.

This divine "pretense" is an active process aimed at bringing about a new reality. God treats us "as if it were what in fact it is not," with the intention of making the "pretense into a reality" – that is, transforming us into His children. Christ plays a central role in this transformation, standing beside us to facilitate this change and "injecting His kind of life and thought" into us.

Lewis uses compelling analogies to illustrate this concept. Just as a mother speaks to her baby as if it understands, fostering language development, and we treat dogs as almost human, encouraging their social integration, God treats us as the beings we are meant to become in Christ, nurturing our growth into that image. This divine perspective and action align with the human practice of "good pretending," where our conscious efforts to act virtuously and Christ-like create an opening for Christ to "turn your pretence into a reality." Thus, God’s “pretense” is a loving and purposeful act of envisioning and actively working towards our ultimate transformation into the likeness of Christ.

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