My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST,
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!
“Do NOT love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him. For all that is in the
world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–
IS NOT OF THE FATHER BUT IS OF THE WORLD. And the world is
PASSING AWAY, AND THE LUST OF IT; BUT HE WHO DOES THE
WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER” [1 John 2:15-17].
“If the world hates you, YOU KNOW THAT IT HATED Me before it
hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own.
YET BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I CHOSE YOU
OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD HATES YOU”
[John 15:18-19].
In the Holy Scriptures and in the spiritual tradition of the Orthodox Church, the expression, “the world” has two different meanings. In the first, “the world” is the expression of all of God’s creation. As such it is the product of God’s goodness and the object of His agape.” And according to the Holy Scripture, God creates the world and all that is in it. He creates the heavens and the earth as the declaration of His glory” [Psalm 19:1]. He creates all living things, crowned by the formation of man in His own image and likeness. According to the Scriptural record, God called His creation “good…very good” [Genesis 1:12, 18, 25, 31]. And according to the holy Gospel, Christ has come as the “Savior of the world” [Luke 2:11; John 4:42].
“For God so loved the world that He gave only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent His Son into the world, not so condemn the world, but that THE WORLD MIGHT BE SAVED THROUGH HIM [John 3:16-17].
In addition to this positive Scriptural understanding of “the world,” there is also a negative use of the expression which has caused confusion about the proper understanding of Christian faith and life. This negative use of the term “the world” presented not as God’s object of love, but as creation in rebellion against God. Thus Christ spoke:
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are NOT of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” [John 15:18-19; James 4:4]. Regarding “the world” we learn that while union with Christ brings love, joy, peace, it also brings the world’s hatred and persecution. The citizens of the world who hate Christians, do so because they do not know the Father. A person cannot say he loves God but not God’s Son, for those who hate Christ also hate God the Father. hatred for Jesus Christ is without legitimate cause for He brings God’s love and Truth to the world.
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” [John 16:33]. Despite persecution and suffering, Christians can maintain the peace and joy of Jesus Christ who has “overcome the world,” of darkness through His saving work. Christians are also at war against the flesh (Gr. σάρξ, σάρκα) and not the body. By “the flesh” Saint Paul does not mean the body. The “flesh” (sarka) here is a general term for evil actions, the depraved will, the earthly mind, slothful and careless soul–things that are under one’s control, not part of human nature. The “flesh” is crucified with Christ. It is not human nature that is mortified, but its evil passions and deeds i.e. “adultery, fornication, jealousies, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,..” [Galatians 5:19-21].
“When you hear that it is necessary to withdraw from the world…to purify yourself from what is of the world, you must understand the term world. “World” is a collective name embracing what are called PASSIONS. When we speak of passions collectively, we call them the world… the world IS CARNAL LIFE and minding of the flesh” [Saint Isaac the Syrian]. Therefore when a Christian declares war on the flesh it means a war against a carnal life and minding of the flesh. We may live in the world but NOT be of the world. The battle against the flesh is a life-long battle and a very difficult one but it can be done by putting Christ first. To be “worldly” means to conform to the world of sensuality and the passions. Instead the Christian is to strive to live a life in Christ, to be godly and grow spiritually by the grace of the Holy Spirit. To live a virtuous life of love, kindness and compassion. “The FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” [Galatians 5:22-23]. The difference between two life-styles is crystal clear when one compares them.
However, man is spiritually weak and constantly gives in to the worldly wicked temptations. The spiritual remedy, of course, is to have a true spiritual discipline of prayer, fasting, and a sacramental life. Our evil adversary and dedicated enemy uses these vices to undermine our every effort by discouraging us, tempting us, through our logismoi (evil thoughts), and by bribing us with sensual pleasure and instant gratification. The Orthodox Christian who studies the Lives of the Saints learns how to combat all these evil enticements. He or she, however, must be totally committed and act with genuine conviction. Our faith in Christ must be sincere and we must work in synergy with Him to accomplish our spiritual goal. Nothing can be accomplished without Him.
Never allow yourself to be ruled by pride and conceit but to always act with humility and authentic piety. Anything superficial and hypocritical brings only failure, injury, pain and sadness. It is foolish for anyone to attempt to deceive the Almighty when we know that nothing is hidden before Him. The Holy Apostle Paul says, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPEN TO THE EYES OF HIM TO WHOM WE MUST GIVE ACCOUNT” [Hebrews 4:13]. Nothing is able to escape the discernment of Christ, the Logos/Word of God. “God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” [Luke 16:15]. God is definitely a mystery to us but we are not a mystery to Him. Those Christians who have turned their back on riches and worldly honors and forsaken earthly good altogether for the cause of the Kingdom of God will reap abundant rewards from God.
Knowing and understanding how extremely important is our Merciful God in the life of every person every effort must be made to maintain communion with Him. It is only in Him that we find meaning, fulfillment, joy, peace, and love. A person feels a profound emptiness and despair without Him in our lives. It is therefore necessary that Christian parents pass on to their children the faith in God. In Orthodox Christian tradition the home is the kat’ oikon ecclesia or little church. The Christian home is not just a place where we sleep, eat, and have a roof over our head but a special holy space. It is a place of prayer, a blessed place by the local Orthodox priest and a dwelling where God, the Mother of God, Angels and Saints of our Faith are present. The Christian family is not only a group of people who have a biological connection but live as individuals and independent of each other. A Christian family is a Christ centered family and everything in the Christian home revolves around Him and consider themselves as His devout servants. What is evident in a Christian home is the love of God, love and respect for one’s parents, and where the children receive their first catechism. It is in that sacred place where children learn how to pray, how to worship, how to live a virtuous life, and how to treat their fellow man with kindness and love. The home is a Christian school where the children are educated to be responsible citizens who through their Christian faith will be able to make many good contributions and make a positive difference in the world. Christian children are taught by their parents by example who live humbly, with dignity, with integrity, with courage, and unquestionable faith in Christ our Lord and Savior.
Young people today have been the target of wicked powers who seek their destruction. These evil powers have been able tragically to undermine every institution in society. Long time ago the home, the Church, and the School worked together to form good and decent future leaders that would improve conditions in the world. Citizens who had good Christian values, principles and morals. However, these evil forces have been able to practically destroy the home and family, to exclude the Christian Church and make it irrelevant, and as far as the school to dilute true education to the point that children are not prepared to enter society. Many of these young men and women feel lost, confused, afraid, and believe that their future has been stolen from them. It is by the grace of God that countless of them are discovering our Lord Jesus Christ and find hope, comfort, love and joy in their lives. Thank God!
_________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy and Glorious Resurrection,
The sincere agape in His Divine and Sacred Diakonia,
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 