He who was the Son of God became the Son of man, that man ... might become the son of God.
Irenaeus Of LyonsRead
But we do now receive a certain portion of His Spirit, tending towards perfection, and preparing us for incorruption, being little by little accustomed to receive and bear God
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the gradual process of spiritual growth and preparation for a higher existence.
Irenaeus of Lyons speaks to the transformative journey of the soul, suggesting that as individuals receive divine guidance, they are being equipped for a state of incorruption and perfection. This process is not instantaneous but occurs gradually, as one becomes more aligned with the divine nature through experience and acceptance of God's presence in their lives.
In practice
In a sermon on personal development, one might quote this to illustrate the importance of spiritual growth.
He who was the Son of God became the Son of man, that man ... might become the son of God.
For where the church is, there is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God, there is the church and all grace.
The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be alive consists in beholding God.
It is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth.
The glory of God is the human person fully alive.
Nothing is ever done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done.
If there is one thing clear about the centuries dominated by the factory and the wheel, it is that although the machine can make everything from a spoon to a landing-craft, a natural joy in earthly living is something it never has and never will be able to manufacture.
Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?'/Let us go and make our visit.
All religions and cultures suffer from sources that preach hate against the 'other.' Throughout history some have, tragically, practiced what their sources preached, while some have sought to dismiss or even counteract the hateful words of their sources.
We live in a church culture that has a dangerous tendency to disconnect the grace of God from the glory of God.
Let men learn that a legislature is not 'our God upon earth,' though, by the authority they ascribe to it, and the things they expect from it, they would seem to think it is. Let them learn rather that it is an institution serving a purely temporary purpose, whose power, when not stolen, is at the best borrowed.
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