My beloved spiritual children in the Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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FAITH IN OUR LORD, SAVIOR AND GOD JESUS CHRIST
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:15-17).
My beloved spiritual children, we are indeed engaged daily in spiritual warfare. It is, therefore, necessary and most important to always remain vigilant. The evil one pursues us constantly and deliberately to separate us from the Almighty God and our Creator. He is our adversary, arch-liar, and the antichrist. It is he who "creates defective reasoning and confusion of thought." It is he who leads the unbelievers to everlasting darkness and condemnation. He is the source of every evil in the world. "...Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:9, 21).
When we speak of saints, we imagine astonishing servants of God, who have received spiritual gifts from the Lord: miracle workers, healers. When we open the New Testament we see that every Christian is a saint. All Christians must be holy. "...but as He Who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I Am Holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). Christians are called to holiness in every area of their lives. When a priest serves a Divine Liturgy to God in the Altar, before Holy Communion he intones "Holy things are for the Holy." Holy means the Precious Blood and Body of our Lord. To be given 'only' to the holy, all of us.
People confuse particular gifts from God, which He Himself bestows upon a believer when He so wills, and the Holiness which is in the Gospel, which is our life's purpose. We must constantly strive toward Christian holiness. The Christian understands that nothing can be accomplished without God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides, bestows His gifts to us, inspires us, and directs us to the knowledge of truth. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the following: "love, joy, peace, patience, grace, charity, faith, gentleness, and abstinence" (Galatians 5:22-23).
The holy Apostle Paul says, "Let him who thinks he stands take care lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Also, in his holy Epistle to the Hebrews, he warns, "take heed, brethren, lest there be any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12). Our Eternal salvation depends upon our perseverance in Christ: "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Hebrews 3:14).
Consequently, for Orthodox Christians, salvation does not depend on one experience of faith; it requires a daily walk of repentance and continuing trust in Christ. Otherwise, it will be for us as it was for those whom the Holy Apostle Peter addressed: "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter and is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:20-21).
Evidently then, it is always possible to fall away even after having known Christ, and that applies to everyone. The only safeguard against it is continual, daily, trust in our Risen Lord, and to struggle against sin. Let us, my brothers and sisters in Christ, remember that the gate which leads to life and salvation is a narrow and the way to heaven difficult, and there are few who find it. As members of the Holy Orthodox Church, we have our God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (Parakletos), to lead us to all truth. And not only that we have the sacred writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, in which the interpretation has been preserved intact. Again, Saint John Chrysostom reveals to us "Never separate yourself from the Church. For nothing is stronger than the Church. Your hope is the Church alone; your salvation is inside the Church only; your refuge is the Church, she is higher than the heavens and wider than the whole earth. She never grows old, but is always full of vigor and vitality. Holy Scripture (which would not exist were it not for the Church), when pointing to her strength and stability, calls her the unshakeable mountain."
Do not listen to those who are attempting to drive you away from your Church. Do not listen to those who attempt to convince you not to receive Holy Communion. Our loyalty is only to Christ our God and Savior. Evil will always attempt to deceive you and to frighten you. The Christian never fears evil, for evil has no power to force you to do evil things. Our Lord Christ destroyed the power of the devil. Evil will tempt you and whisper in your ear to reject Christ and to deprive you of salvation but you must never obey him. Your immediate response to the evil one must be 'get thee behind me Satan'. Our obedience is only to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The one who betrays Christ brings upon himself or herself condemnation and eternal damnation.
I have been informed recently that a member of our parish is telling some of our fellow Christians not to attend the Divine Liturgy and not to receive Holy Communion. If that is true then that person has abandoned Christ and his/her place in the Church. If what is said is true, that person is committing a grave sin. What I find even more disturbing and most alarming is that few people of our church have already listened to this person and are staying away from the church and Holy Communion. This type of influence and persuasion is very dangerous. However, the immediate question, if true; is the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ so weak so as to abandon the Lord? Is our loyalty to our Lord so superficial and hollow? Why would any true Christian listen to this unholy advice?
All of us should pray for this person and supplicate God to forgive this 'lost' sheep and soul. We can clearly see how any one person, with weak faith, can easily lose his/her path and fall away. We must always act with compassion and love to turn this soul around and save it from destruction. It is up to us, as children of God, to be willing to take up our cross and follow Him and be His instrument of love, goodness, and kindness in the world, and not to be instruments of hatred and division. Jesus said: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
We have only one Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Christ our Savior. "I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known by My own" (John 10:14). We, as Orthodox Christian believers follow Him who gave His life so that we might be saved We follow Him who is the Only True God and Whose love for us is unconditional.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George