THEOSISJerome of Stridon
One who cannot approach Jesus through their own efforts and strength how can they be liberated from their transgressions? Furthermore, how can they hope to assert a title that solely belongs to God's dominion? If He is without sin and I am without sin, what distinction exists between myself and the Almighty? Allow me to present one additional illustration, so as to avoid exhausting you or your listeners. Observe Ahashverosh, whom the LXX translators refer to as Artaxerxes, who found himself without slumber so that the record of the day's events could be presented to him, and in it he found Mardoheus, the one through whose guidance he eluded the plot against his life.
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As a result of this revelation, Esther received increased favor, and the entire Jewish people were spared the imminent destruction that loomed over them. It is undeniable that this powerful ruler, who governed all the regions from India to the north and Ethiopia, would have yearned for rest following the sumptuous feasts prepared for the dignitaries gathered from distant lands. He could have easily slipped into sleep, indulging his desire for rest, were it not for the Lord, the Origin of all that is good, who disrupted the ordinary course of events to ensure that the tyranny of the oppressor would be vanquished. It would take too long to recount all the examples from Scripture. All the prayers of the saints are directed to God; every plea and invocation is a fervent struggle for divine mercy, enabling those of us who cannot secure our own salvation through self-reliance to be safeguarded by His grace. Where there exists compassion and mercy, human free will diminishes to some extent, shaped by our longings and choices. However, it is within God's sovereign will that we find the ability to realize through His power and assistance all we desire, strive for, and hope to achieve.