Maximus the Confessor, one of the great Fathers of the Eastern Church, rejoices in the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ as the opening up of previously hidden ways by which a human being may finally arrive at the fullness of God, Himself. Maximus is acutely aware, nonetheless, of the real reciprocal responsibility on the part of the human    being. According to him, our salvation is contingent upon our will – salvation comes to those who desire it and are willing to change their hearts and minds in order to be able to participate with God in the achievement of an unity with Him.

Think about what Maximus suggests. He says that God offers an invitation to join with Him in opening our awareness to the meaning and purpose of life and to work with Him in order to develop a stronger union with Him. This makes absolute sense! God created us with a free will. Therefore our salvation must be the product of our free will actions in union with God. God will do all that He can to support us in the pursuit of our salvation BUT we must do our part. He does not force salvation on us! He will only cooperate with us in achieving union with Him.

The Confessor’s deepest conviction has “God providing equally to all the power that naturally leads to salvation, so that each one who wishes can be transformed by divine grace”. God wants us to achieve salvation – knowledge of what it means to be a human being and understanding the meaning and purpose of life. He will not, however, force this on us but, rather, will only give us help IF we desire to achieve salvation.

So each of us must ask ourselves: Do I really want salvation? Do I really want to know why I am here on this earth and have to live through all the things which are a natural part of human life? Until I begin to be curious about human life and why it is the way that it is, I will not be saved – salvation will not be mine. The appropriation of divinization is in direct correlation with one’s degree of spiritual appreciation and discernment. By realizing his or her natural freedom, the human being might become a child of God.

Hence, in Maximus’ view, God will recognize and divinize His own, that is, those who willfully employ their true nature – those who voluntarily and deliberately develop a desire to be saved and come to a deeper understanding of the meaning and purpose of life. If you just coast through life without thinking about the purpose of life, you will never come to know that this life is given to us in order to help us learn what it means to be a child of God.