Many Christians struggle with the question of whether God actually likes them, not just loves them out of divine obligation. This insecurity often stems from misinterpreting passages like Isaiah 64:6, which describes our righteous deeds as 'filthy rags.' However, this verse addresses those under the law trying to earn salvation, not believers who are under grace. For Christians, there's a crucial distinction between our pre-salvation and post-salvation identity.

In Christ, believers receive a completely new identity. We are no longer fundamentally sinners but righteous people who occasionally sin. Ephesians 2:10 describes us as God's 'workmanship,' created for good works that God prepared beforehand. Our righteous deeds aren't filthy rags but expressions of our new nature as saints. Like a good tree that naturally produces good fruit, our new identity in Christ naturally produces the fruit of the Spirit. God performed radical heart surgery, replacing our heart of stone with a heart that desires the things of God. This transformation means God doesn't just love us out of obligation—He genuinely likes us. He enjoys our personality, interests, and quirks. As Zephaniah 3:17 reveals, He rejoices over us with gladness and exults over us with loud singing because we are His masterpiece.