About the Dispensation according to the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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.

About the Dispensation according to the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ
And the Gifts of Grace Granted To Those Who Truly Believe in Him.
By Saint Gregory Palamas

THE PRE-ETERNAL, Uncircumscribed and Almighty Logos/Word and Omnipotent Son of God could clearly have saved man from mortality and servitude to the devil WITHOUT HIMSELF BECOMING MAN. He upholds all things by the word of His power and everything is subject to His Divine Authority (cf. Hebrews 1:3). According to Job, He can do everything and nothing is impossible for Him (cf. Job 42:2). The strength of a created being cannot withstand the power of the Creator, and nothing is more powerful than the Almighty. But the Incarnation of the Logos/Word of God was the method of deliverance most in keeping with our nature and weakness, and most appropriate for Him who carried it out, for this method had justice on its side, and God does not act without justice. As the Psalmist and Prophet says, "God is Righteous and loveth righteousness" (cf. Psalm 11:7), "and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:15). Man was justly abandoned by God in the beginning AS HE HAD FIRST ABANDONED GOD. He had VOLUNTARILY APPROACHED THE ORIGINATOR OF EVIL, OBEYED HIM WHEN HE TREACHEROUSLY ADVISED THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD HAD COMMANDED, AND WAS JUSTLY GIVEN OVER TO HIM. In this way, through the evil one’s envy and the good Lord’s just consent, DEATH CAME INTO THE WORLD. Because of the devil’s overwhelming evil, DEATH BECAME TWOFOLD, FOR HE BROUGHT ABOUT NOT JUST PHYSICAL BUT ALSO ETERNAL DEATH.

As we had been justly handed over to the devil’s service and subjection to death, it was clearly necessary that the human race’s return to freedom and life should be accomplished by God in a just way. Not only had man been surrendered to the envious devil by Divine Righteousness, but the devil had rejected righteousness and became wrongly enamoured of authority, arbitrary power and, above all, tyranny. He took arms against justice and used his might against mankind. It pleased God that the devil be overcome first by the justice against which he continuously fought, then afterwards by power, through the Resurrection and the future Judgment. Justice before power is the best order of events, and that force should come after justice is the work of a truly Divine and Good Lord, not of a tyrant.

Whereas he who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) ATTACKED US OUT OF ENVY AND HATRED, the Author of Life acted for our sake out of His OVERWHELMING AGAPE FOR MANKIND AND HIS GOODNESS. The devil achieved his victory and man’s fall unjustly and treacherously, but the Redeemer accomplished the final defeat of the originator of evil and the renewal of His creation with righteousness and wisdom. Earlier God left undone what it was in His power to do, so that He might first do what was fitting. In this way, justice was manifested more clearly, having been favoured by Him whose might IS UNCONQUERABLE. Men had to be taught to demonstrate righteousness in their actions now in the time of this mortal life, so that they might be strengthened to hold it fast when eternity comes.

It was necessary for the conqueror to be conquered by that nature which he had conquered, and for the cheat to be outwitted. To this end it was necessary and indispensable THAT A MAN BE MADE WHO WOULD BE SINLESS (cf. Job 14:4). This was, however, impossible, for as the Scripture says "No one is without sin, even if his life is one day" (Job 14:5), and "Who can say, I have made my heart clean?" ( Proverbs 20:9), and "There is none sinless, but one, that is God" (cf. Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18). God the Logos/Word was from God, Pre-Eternally begotten of Him, and in Him — for we cannot even imagine that God was ever without His Logos/Word — being one God with Him. (For the sun’s brightness is not a different light from the sun, and the sun’s ray is not a different sun.) So the ONLY SINLESS Son and Logos/Word of the Father became the Son of man, UNCHANGED AS GOD, BLAMELESS AS MAN. WHO ALONE, as Prophet Isaiah bore witness beforehand, "DID NO SIN, NEITHER WAS GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH" (1 Peter 2:22, cf. Isaiah 53:9). Moreover He ALONE HAD NOT BEEN SHAPEN IN INIQUITY OR CONCEIVED IN SIN, as David declared in the Psalms about himself, or rather about everyone (Psalm 51:5). The impulse of the flesh is involuntary and openly wars against the law of the mind. Even though it is brought into subjection by chaste people, and given reign only for the purpose of having children, it ushers in the original condemnation, being subject to corruption and always bringing forth what will perish. For those who are unaware of the honor which our nature has received from God, and have become like animals, it is a movement full of passion…

"Christ overturned the devil THROUGH SUFFERING AND HIS FLESH WHICH HE OFFERED AS A SACRIFICE TO GOD THE FATHER, AS A PURE AND ALTOGETHER HOLY VICTIM — HOW GREAT IS HIS GIFT! — AND RECONCILED GOD TO OUR HUMAN RACE. HE UNDERWENT THE PASSION ACCORDING TO THE FATHER’S WILL AND BECAME FOR US, WHO WERE DESTROYED THROUGH DISOBEDIENCE AND SAVED THROUGH OBEDIENCE, AN EXAMPLE OF HOW OBEDIENT WE SHOULD BE. He showed that death was far more precious than the devil’s immortality, because IF PROCURED LIFE THAT WAS TRULY IMMORTAL, LIFE THAT WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE SECOND AND ETERNAL DEATH, TO THE COMING DAMNATION, WHICH IS WORSE THAN TEN THOUSAND DEATHS, BUT STAYS WITH CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLY DWELLINGS. WHEN CHRIST HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY AND HAD SHOWN HIMSELF ALIVE TO HIS DISCIPLES, HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,. HE REMAINED IMMORTAL AND BESTOWED ON US, WITH COMPLETE ASSURANCE, RESURRECTION, IMMORTALITY AND TRULY BLESSED, ETERNAL, INCORRUPTIBLE LIFE IN HEAVEN. BY MEANS OF THE ONE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF HIS FLESH, HE HEALED OUR TWOFOLD DATH AND FREED US FROM OUR DOUBLE CAPTIVITY OF SOUL AND BODY. (Ressources: HOMILIES)

(To be continued)

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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