Spiritual Vigilance – Part 6
God Desires Our Salvation and Reconciliation with Him
Pope Shenouda III explains that God’s work is not limited to saving us from the punishment of sin, but extends to saving us from sin itself. He gives the example of Lot, whom God sent two angels to rescue from Sodom, even though Lot was slow to leave. This reveals God’s love and His desire to save us, even when we do not take the first step ourselves.
However, God does not force anyone to be saved. We are called to cooperate with God and respond to His work. God wants to bring us out of sin, but we must respond and work with Him rather than leaving everything to God.
Pope Shenouda also explains that sometimes the answer to our prayers may be delayed. God may allow a person to experience the bitterness of sin and the difficulty of escaping from it, so that the person understands its seriousness and does not easily return to it.
Therefore, when we suffer because of sin, we should not complain against God. Instead, we should repent, hold firmly to Him, persevere in prayer, and never lose hope.
The sermon then moves to the theme of reconciliation with God. Sin creates distance and separation between humanity and God, while God Himself takes the initiative to reconcile us to Him. Christ came to reconcile us to the Father through the blood of His cross, and He entrusted His servants with the ministry of reconciliation.
The mission of the apostles and servants is therefore to call people: “Be reconciled to God.” God does not want us to remain in a state of distance and estrangement from Him. He desires us to return to Him and restore our relationship with Him.
Finally, Pope Shenouda emphasizes that true reconciliation requires giving our whole heart to God. God says, “My son, give me your heart.” When God possesses the heart, prayer, fasting, meditation, and spiritual life naturally flow from that heart.
The final message is clear: We cannot be reconciled with God while deliberately keeping sin in our hearts. We must allow God to possess our entire heart and leave no part of it separated from Him.
