Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers

human_nature

...it is a property of human nature not to possess any trace of the heavenly graces of its own will or, as it were, by its own nature. 'For what have you that you did not receive?' it is asked (I Cor. 4:7). Rather, it was enriched from outside and by acquisition, that is, from God, with that which transcends its own nature. It was necessary that the only-begotten Word of God who brought Himself down to the level of self-emptying, should not repudiate the low estate arising from that self-emptying, but should accept what is full by nature on account of the humanity, not for His own sake, but for ours, who lack every good thing. St. Cyril of Alexandria (Commentary on Isaiah, Isa. 11:1-3, in Cyril Of Alexandria written and translated by Norman Russell; Routledge, pg. 83)