However, this can also be interpreted in another manner. The Almighty Creator has fashioned humanity as rational beings, distinguishing us from those devoid of understanding, so that we may not remain oblivious to our actions. By nature's decree, we are compelled to discern whether our actions are righteous or sinful. How could one stand accountable for their deeds if they were unaware of their actions? Thus, even those who disdain the teachings of the Lord’s commandments possess an understanding of their own good and evil. If they were truly oblivious to their virtuous actions, why then do they boast about them? Conversely, if they do not recognize their wicked deeds, why do they evade the gaze of others? They are witnesses to their own actions and are conscious of their wrongdoings, leading them to feel shame before others. If they genuinely believed their actions were not wrong, they would not fear exposure.
As wisely noted, when evil induces fear, it attests to its own condemnation. When fear confronts one’s conscience regarding their actions, it serves as a testimony against itself, reaffirming that such behavior is deserving of judgment. Hence, John affirmed, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God. Let the wicked hide from human eyes; they cannot escape their own selves. They are aware of their sins, with their conscience acting as a witness and their mind judging them. In their transgressions, they first face the judgment of their own reason before encountering the severity of eternal judgment. Perhaps this connects to the Psalmist’s words, the deep calls to the deep at the sound of your waterfalls, for when, through the wondrous unfolding of divine providence, the evil committed is not yet revealed, the sinner internally condemns themselves and hastens towards the judgment of the eternal Judge.
The phrase ‘the deep calls to the deep’ suggests a transition from one judgment to another. Therefore, let holy ministers admonish the actions of wrongdoers, but let the wicked also disregard the righteous counsel. They may defend their malice and amplify their disgracefulness with further shameless justifications. Nonetheless, they continuously bear witness against themselves through their own conscience. In creating humanity as rational beings, God has indeed placed a mark on the hands of all, enabling each person to recognize their own deeds. Eliouus, by addressing sinfulness in individuals, directs his thoughts to the very source of iniquity, implying that each act of wrongdoing stems from him. By critiquing the members of the evil entity, he succinctly references the head of iniquity itself. Moreover, having previously highlighted the virtues presented by God’s clouds, he now contemplates the adversary’s assaults against the righteous lives.
THEOSIS