A Dialogue with God
Main Idea
This lecture is a deep spiritual dialogue and loving reproach with God, in which His Holiness Pope Shenouda III expresses human spiritual pain and questions regarding the spread of evil, human weakness, and frequent spiritual falls, while affirming that salvation is primarily a divine work before being a human effort.
Core Spiritual Themes
- The Legitimacy of Dialogue with God
His Holiness affirms that dialogue with God is not objection but deep prayer, as practiced by prophets and saints such as Abraham, David, and Jeremiah, who spoke to God with boldness rooted in love. - The Question of Evil and Suffering
He raises sincere questions: Why does evil spread? Why does God allow Satan to fight the saints? Why do many fall despite God’s love and power? - God’s Will for Universal Salvation
He emphasizes that God does not desire the death of the sinner but that he should repent and live, and that God desires the salvation of all, yet reality shows many perishing—prompting a heartfelt spiritual reproach. - The Complete Weakness of Humanity
Human beings are weak even in their will, unable to return to God on their own, and in need of grace that precedes and works within the will, because returning itself is a gift from God. - God Is the Initiator of Salvation
He affirms that God always initiates the return to humanity:
- He sought Adam
- He restored Jonah
- He visited the disciples
- He transformed Saul of Tarsus
Salvation always begins with God.
- Divine Grace Works Within the Will
He stresses that God works in humans both to will and to act, and that it is not enough to command repentance, but God must grant the ability and desire to repent. - A Cry for the World
The entire lecture is a cry of love:
“Do not leave the world to reject You, but work within it, save it, and bring it back to You.” - God as the Good Shepherd
He concludes by affirming that God is the Shepherd who seeks the lost, heals the wounded, carries the weak, and grants strength to those who have none.
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النعمة الإلهية
Divine Grace
الخلاص
Salvation
