God loves us just the way we are – even if you are not a Christian – but God loves us too much to allow us to stay the way we are. We are like a stone with a flawed diamond in it! God wants to free the diamond in us, so that we shine and radiate his glory. He wants to grind away the flaws and polish us to perfection. That’s why Christians have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s engagement ring, his pledge of heaven given to us while we are still on earth. We have the Holy Spirit to encourage us, and comfort us, and teach us, and strengthen us. But also, to convict us, and to lead us in the way of repentance so that we can be forgiven, and keep on being forgiven as we change for the better and go through this refining process; being sanctified.