God's Giving

“God is always giving Himself away. The whole of human existence is rooted in the self-gift of God. We would not have bodies without God calling earth out of the void and forming us from it, we would not have spirits without His breath quickening our dust. We would not have agency, the power to be a free, loving self, capable of response to our Maker if God did not ensure that freedom by sharing ‘the most precious thing He has’ (as von Balthasar says). We were not made to fulfill any craving God bore, but only as an expression of his generous love. God is not like us in our fearful fallenness, needing to consume us in order to shore up his own sense of power and worth. He is always the giver, and when we were lost, when death really did threaten to end and consume us, He died instead of letting that happen.” (Sarah Clarkson)

“The reason for our existence is the love of God…The uncontainable and infinite God gives Himself completely to His creation in love. We cannot exist without His love; He alone is the foundation of our life, and He alone is the beginning and the end of all creation…The love of God consumes any sin, any iniquity, but if we do not perceive it properly, we break away from the Source of life, losing the contact with the reason for our existence.” (Priest David Proskuryakov)

“God’s love for us has a tremendous effect on humans, making us...into His children. We are transformed by something which is not only of God but is an experience of God Himself who is love. God’s love is not something God confines to Himself, rather He extends His love to us and we become transformed by divinity…The Lord Himself called loving one another “a new commandment.” Recall that on the night of His betrayal, he stooped to wash His disciples’ feet. Then he said, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 15:13). By this example, the Lord gave His disciples a new commandment “that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Note that the Lord’s instruction is a radically new interpretation of the “old” commandment. This expression of the will of God clarifies both the standard and the motive for love. From it, we understand the self-giving nature and utmost extent of love.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh, Fr. Basil) 

“ ‘…but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men’ (Philippians 2:7). Made Himself of no reputation (v. 7; lit. “emptied Himself”) deals with the Son's will, not His nature. He emptied Himself not by laying down His divine nature or setting it aside, but by voluntarily taking on our human nature. To human beings He looks just like another human being, for being truly incarnate, He is fully man by nature. He took the form of a bondservant, voluntarily sharing our human condition except for one thing: sin. In His humanity, He showed the fullness of humility by His obedience to the death that has enslaved humanity…But His death brings life to all who are joined to Him.’ (Orthodox Study Bible, Philippians 2:7-8)

“Our actions of self-emptying and love are synergistically the actions of the grace of God. St. Paul succinctly says, “Christ within you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) Christ-within-you is not a moral principle, nor does it mean “trying to act like Christ.” It is a description of walking/ acting in union with Christ. By grace, through grace, in grace, God self-empties Himself in me that I might empty myself in Him. By grace, through grace, in grace, God loves in me that I might love in Him.” (Father Stephen Freeman) 

“God gave us a mind in order that we might learn and receive help from Him, not in order that the mind should be self-sufficient. Eyes are beautiful and useful, but if they choose to see without light, their beauty is useless and may even be harmful. Likewise, if my soul chooses to see without the Spirit, it becomes a danger to itself.…we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, making us capable of spiritual discernment…The indwelling Spirit works in and through our spirits, illuminating our hearts and instructing us in the mind of Christ.” (St. John Chrysostom, Dynamis 7/28/2021)

“God not only gives us life in Christ, but He also gives us what is essential for living this new life: the power of the life-giving Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we grow in Christ, having a Teacher within us whose guidance we heed. He may be inaccessible to the “natural man” (vs. 14), yet He gives us the possibility of personal transformation…Until you have given up yourself to Him you will not have a real self...” (Dynamis 7/28/2021, C.S. Lewis)

“Complacency begins when we no longer see the gift of each new day, when we lose our gratitude for what we have been given. God gives us all things simply because He loves us, yet He lets us work for these things so we will appreciate them more.” (Metropolitan Joseph)

“The central work of the Christian life is to enter the heart through prayer, so that God’s grace will give us the treasure He has buried there. God gives us fortunes! As we strive to remain in His presence through prayer, His gifts become more available to us, transforming everything we do. By laboring at prayer, we uncover His riches. As we persist, aided by the Holy Spirit, we discover that the divine treasure is God. According to Archimandrite Sophrony, the moment we find God, the great Treasure, “love and cognition merge into a single act”…By directing our efforts toward meeting our Lord in the heart, we have hope for right action: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15).” (Dynamis 7/22/2020)

“God gives a clean heart and a new and right Spirit to man that he might love Him in return with all of his heart. This is given in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in the Church of the new and everlasting covenant. It is given that man might fulfill the first and greatest commandment of God..[to love Him and others and to become fully human in doing so].” (Fr. Thomas Hopko)

#StJohnChrysostom #Dynamis #CSLewis #MetropolitanJoseph #FrThomasHopko #SarahClarkson #PriestDavidProskuryakov #FrTedBobosh #FrBasil #OrthodoxStudyBible #FatherStephenFreeman