God’s relationship with humankind since the beginning and throughout every generation – Giving

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that God’s relationship with humanity from the moment of creation is a relationship of unlimited giving. God gives not only when man asks, but even before he asks and far beyond what he imagines. The beginning of the divine relationship with humanity is an initiative of love, mercy, and generosity from God.

🔹 God’s gifts to humanity from creation

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III affirms that the first divine gift is the grace of existence, then God created man in His image and likeness, granting him mind, intelligence, understanding, memory, and the ability to think. God also gave him spiritual immortality, and offered him the whole creation for his comfort—heaven, earth, seas, plants, animals, and paradise itself.

🔹 Authority, dignity, and sonship

From God’s love for man, He granted him authority over nature, blessing surrounding him before the fall, and gave him dignity, honor, and freedom of will. He also gave him the grace of sonship, making man a child of God, and Christ raised his status to call him “brother” and “friend.”

🔹 Spiritual gifts

His Holiness speaks about the spiritual gifts God gave:

• Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• The grace of repentance.

• Fruits of the Spirit.

• The grace of faith and knowledge.

• The gift of holiness and the anointing of the Spirit.

• The sacraments of the Church as means of life and salvation.

🔹 Service of the angels and God’s care

From God’s love for humanity, He sent angels to serve man: to teach, rescue, announce, and protect, so that man remains preserved in God’s hands.

🔹 Eternal glory

Pope Shenouda explains that God prepares for man a greater glory in the resurrection, where man rises in glory and splendor, puts on incorruption, and shares in the eternal glory of Christ.

🔹 Spiritual conclusion

The lecture reveals that God’s relationship with humanity from the beginning until eternity is a relationship of giving, love, and honor. And we are called to learn giving from God so that we may become in His image and likeness in spiritual life.

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