I for one ask thy-self, what are the reasons people with all their bodily endeavors and strengths in which they poses seem to be leaning towards fear instead of hope? Whereas, when it comes to the ventures of the soul a person hopes more and is not afraid. Of course, this does not happen for no other reason but for the fact that one loves a great deal in reaching their salvation. As a result, a person is not afraid because they do not love or care to seek their true redemption but for the reason, along with the way of thinking there is always time to seek redemtion throughout their lifetime. However, there is a majority of people as well as a great deal of Christians who are linked to this quote “How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water” (Job 15, 16). In other words, there are those who seem to drink salvation as they are drinking a glass of water. In like manner, what the Saint is trying to point out within the verse is, there are individuals who contemplate “It s alright for me too sin, then confess my transgressions, and repent in the end”. With this thought, once they sin and repent it’s acceptable without contemplating the essence of the sin itself. Moreover, as it’s proclaimed in the following verse “O evil imagination, why were you formed to cover the land with deceit?” Sirach (37, 3). In other words, “Oh wicked presumption whence calmest thou to cover the earth with malice and deceitfulness with its unconstitutional fallacy and prevention that covers the world with transgressions. Which depts have you crawled out from; for certain it must have been the pits of hell. Shouldn’t transgression craw back to the purgatory where it came from and not fallacite Christians” That is why in this speech we are going to discuss the insolence of those who assert such actions with the thought there is always time to repent. Nevertheless, no one keeps in mind their life could be seized at any moment and departing from this world totally unclean from transgression and true repentance. Whereas, it should be noted the appropriate contrivance once someone sins is that they should truly repent in time and cast transgression back to the pits of hell where it crawled out from seeking true repentance and salvation.
PART A’
You will never see a merchant being such a deceived fool that he will discharge his merchandise into the sea with the hope that he will reclaim them from the depths of the ocean. One would claim that is just plain foolish for someone to dispose their products in such particular way. However, there are such ludicrous Christians with their own will and way of thinking that tend to thaw the pureness of their soul and the grace which God had given them. Some would say “grace” is the greatest charisma there is to be given by God. Our Lord hopes that the pureness and heavenly gifts he has enriched people with could lead them back to confession and repentance. As a consequence, those who become sufferers of their purgatory are tied with hell’s chains. In conjunction with, one might think they could break free whenever it pleases them and before they know it, they are in the presence of Lucifer with the keys to their soul thinking they can reclaim their pneuma. From a certain perspective it’s not a surprise this misdeed from people is something new or out of the ordinary. .As a matter of fact, that was the first temptation to mankind. With this explicit temptation the Devil had motivated Eve to violate the command of God. Satan had achieved this by showing Eve how compassionate and pure God was and he would not punish them if they were to disobey his will. As it is written in Genesis, Did God really assert? “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve replied to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from all the trees in the garden, but God did say, you must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die”. Satan replied to Eve “You will certainly not die”. Particularly what Satan conveyed to Eve was to do what you want and no harm will come to you because God is merciful and pure. In addition to this, the Apostle Timothy states “And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was being deceived, that fell into transgression” (Tim. 2, 14). However, he did conspire with Eve because he allowed himself to eat the forbidden food, thus making him an accessory and accomplishment. Adam carried out this deed thinking his transgression would be forgiven by his creator as it was stated by Saint Augustine in the publication of the tenth volume, along with other theologists of the church. While, Saint Augustine stated earlier “Adam had sinned with the thought that God would be merciful to his sin”. Specifically, Adam sinned assuming that God’s mercifulness would not punish him but warn him. What other greater example then the one where the Devil himself was so daring that he provoked our Lord Jesus Christ having great confidence that he will defeat the Lord with the same weapons that were used on others with great success. Satan’s greatest tool against mankind was hope in God. He gave them hope that God will forgive them no matter what and whenever they decided to repent. That is why the flagitious Devil was trying to advise our Lord to decimate himself from
the flap of the altar and fall, having hoped that the angels would come to the rescue preventing any harm to him from happening. Satan used the example that God had commended the angels to protect mankind from harm. Therefore, no injury will prevail upon him. “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Mattew. 4,6). No one should wonder then why the Devil tempts Chrisaians in a deceptive thought of motivation to decimate themselves and descend to all sorts of transgressions not only committing just one sin, but one after the other. On the other hand, this is absolutely accomplished within the estimation and hope once they confess their immoralities to their spiritual father they will be forgiven. They feel their confessors are in a way “Angels” of freedom that will not abandon them to fall to the underworld even thought they are living in an ungodly way. Nevertheless one should wonder why don’t Christians become aware of such deception of the Devil and show such ingratitude to God. For the reason they use confession and repentance as the cause of their sin as well as the mercy of our Lord, which is the purpose to their salvation that God will forgive them no matter what. This is where a person could misinterpret the true value of repentance due to this way of thinking. By this perception they only lead themselves to the destruction of their soul. Someone may hope and think it is okay to transgress against. God because he is merciful. And if they confess their deeds the Lord will forgive them of their sins. That’s what individuals bear in mind and in their content way of thinking, not acknowledging how wrong they are. An example to this, as the poisonous grass named Napilos increases its antitoxin with the sweetness of the breeze of air coming down from the sky. This example illustrates just as the sufferers intake the sweet holy blood of Christ which is the salvation to their sins with the thought they are to take holy communication to help them wash away their sins with no true repentance of their transgressions. By acting out such deed, one should know that there is no greater sin then the thought of in taking the Lord’s blood if not really worth of receiving it. Is there a greater sin but this, to be using the only medicine that is to cure us from our transgressions and using it as a triumph for the Devil? As it is written by St. Ambrosias “Our medicine of salvation, is a triumph for the Devil'” To be more specific, the only form of medicine to cure us from our sins is the holy communion, which one should receive when truly has repented and confessed their sins. If we are not worthy of receiving the sacrament of Jesus then once we commune and not worthy of it, it’s another trespass we are performing which results the winner in all this is Satan.
SAINT NICODEMUS OF HOLY MOUNT ATHOS
New Skiti Holy Mount Athos
Assignation of the Virtuous Prodromou Benedict Heiromonk
