THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO BE “ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO BE "ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" [Romans 6:11].

In his epistle to the Romans, the holy Apostle Paul writes: "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ our Lord" [Romans 6:10-11].

Our life on earth has a purpose indeed and therefore it is not a life that is lived aimlessly. There is certainly a real opportunity to aim at a real target. The Greek word αμαρτία (amarteeah} means to miss the mark (target), to fail to one’s purpose, go wrong, to err to sin. There ought to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that there is a definite purpose in life and not just for Christians, but for all.

According to our Holy Orthodox Christian Church, our Lord Jesus Christ was subject neither to "death" nor to "sin," yet He VOLUNTARILY DIED "to sin" FOR OUR SAKE. In Christ, through the power of God, we, too, can voluntarily "die" to sin in baptism. But Christ’s death is "once," and "now He lives to God." As He will never die again, so there is never a second baptism. We lay hold our one baptism and continue in communion with God. Furtheron, Saint Paul says, "Therefore, do not let sin reign to your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" [Romans 6:12-14].

"Do not let sin reign" implies that sin’s power over us is not inevitable; it is something WE ALLOW BY OUR FREE WILL. Man’s will was the first aspect of human nature damaged in the Fall and, therefore, is the first thing our Lord Jesus Christ HEALS. His Divine healing enables us to make right choices, especially against sin. For the Christian, sin is no longer a power which reigns and puts one in bondage. Though our "mortal body" demands pleasures, we can direct it rather than allowing it to direct us. "Lusts," SINFUL PASSIONS, WE CAN RESIST, FOR SIN HAS NO POWER BUT WHAT GIVE IT. Only our own listlessness, dejection, indifference or laziness can defeat us. In Christ, we have no excuses. We can "help it," we can avoid sin. For in Christ Jesus, we are RESTORED TO WHAT GOD INTENDED HUMAN NATURE TO BE.

One would hope that the human race changes course to avoid a major catastrophe, but will it? Is there enough faith and wisdom to accomplish it? I believe, however, that there is hope. I ask to recollect the story in the Book of Genesis that speaks about Abraham’s hospitality and how he intercedes to save the two sinful cities, Sodom and Gommorrah. The Lord reveals to Abraham His plans to destroy them. So Abraham asked Him: "Suppose there were 50 righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous in it? The Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Abraham continued asking what if there forty, thirty, twentu, and finally ten would You still destroy them? "So he said, "I WOULD NOT DESTROY IT FOR THE SAKE OF THE TEN." [Genesis 18:24-32].

Ancient cities at the time were small and scarcely populated by a few thousands each. World population currently is approximately eight billion people. It is therefore reasonable to assume that there are enough righteous people among the eight billion, to prevent the destruction of the world as we know it if God so wishes. However, God does not seek to destroy mankind but to save it. Proof of His infinite agape is His willingness to sacrifice His life and to give it as a ransom for many. It is man who seeks the destruction of humanity and NOT God! Even most recently there are concerns of a nuclear world war that will certainly bring total annihilation of humanity almost instantly. And why? Because man keeps on missing the mark, Jesus Christ Who is the God of Agape (Love).

Saint John Climacus says, "Chastity is a name common to all virtues. A chaste person feels no stirrings or change within himself even when he is asleep. A chaste person is completely oblivious to the difference between bodies… the beginning of chastity IS REFUSAL TO CONSENT TO EVIL THOUGHTS…" This is another reason for all of us to possess the gift OF DISCERNMENT. We live in evil days when the airwaves are saturated with lies, deceiving messages, mind and thought manipulation, "defective reasoning and confusion of thought." People have lost the ability to distinguish between what is good and what is evil. What is true and what is false. What is the will of God and what is of a demonic origin. Without the gift of discernment we are in danger of making sound and good decisions, or to know who is a friend and who is our enemy. Saint John exhorts and reminds us: "Keeping guard over one’s thoughts is one thing; watching over one’s mind another. Distant from each other as the east from the west, the latter is more significant and more laborious than the former." Everyone must remain vigilant at all times and understand our enemy the devil is most cunning and undeterred.

The Orthodox Christian is confident that he or she has allies and intercessors in this spiritual warfare. Their principal intercessor is the Theotokos, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, their guardian Angel, and all the Saints who constantly intercede for all of us to our Most-Merciful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are reminded of their intercessions in the Supplicatory divine service to the Theotokos: "A protection of Christians unshamable, Intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, Please reject not the prayerful cries of those who are in sin. Instead, come to us, for you are good; Your loving help bring unto us, Who are crying in faith to you: Hasten to intercede and speed now to supplicate, as a protection for all time, Theotokos, for those who honor you." Also, "Deliver us, all of your servants, from dangers, O Theotokos; After God, we all flee to you, for shelter and covering, as an unshakable wall and our protection." "All those do you shelter, O Good One, those who in their faith flee to unto you, with your strong hand, you protect; We who sin have one else, who intercedes for us before God, praying endlessly, in ills and all dangers, for us who are laiden with our many sins and mistakes; Mother, of our God in the Highest. Therefore, we fall down to you, humbly; from all the misfortunes, keep your servants safe."

Therefore, knowing that we are "surrounded by a cloud of witnesses," the righteous of God who pray for the salvation of the human race unceasingly, no one should ever fall into despair. Continue your prayer discipline unhindered and unafraid and you will triumph. We should all offer David’s song of deliverance to the Almighty God that begins, "O Lord, my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God will be my guardian, in Whom I will trust; My defender and the horn of my salvation; My protector and the refuge of my salvation; You will save me from unrighteousness. I will call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised; And I will be saved from my enemies…" [2 Kingdoms (Samuel) 22:2-4].

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George