ObserveAll Things
Christ
died and was resurrected showing that death is no longer the end. He
told His disciples that he would come again to judge the whole world.
He said he would take up to heaven and bestow the kingdom of heaven
on those who are justified. Christ then instructed His disciples to
baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and go and
make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19, 20). There was more
than Baptism. Jesus expected those who were baptized to teach others
and also to do what He commanded, "Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). Apostle
James tells us, "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
offended in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). So we
are not at liberty to choose what is virtue. We are to do everything
He commanded. A little bit, or even most of what He asks us to do is
not enough. We must "do everything He commanded."
Always
Strive to Keep Our Freedom
St.
Gregory Palamas tells us "if we do not strive through blameless
deeds and words to guard our freedom to the end, or when it slips
away, to summon it back through repentance, we shall be condemned by
that liberating law itself for failing to keep the freedom given to
us." The freedom we must guard is that which we gain through
Baptism, where we are freed of the law of sin and death. With this
freedom we now live in hope of eternal life in God's kingdom. But, we
have much work to do.
When
we do fall short of the mark (sin), and we undoubtably will, then we
must immediately repent. This is obtained through the power of the
Sacraments of His Church. While it is only God who saves us, this
also requires our effort. When we are striving for our salvation
continually with continual repentance, we find we have a merciful God
who gives us His grace abundantly to aid us in our struggle.
Even
Paul Struggled
Emphasizing
that Baptism is not enough but our works are necessary, Saint Gregory
points out that Apostle Paul is well aware that to "strive
through blameless deeds" is a great undertaking and hard work.
He communicates this to us by sharing how Paul, although an Apostle,
always struggled. He basis this on what Saint Paul says about
Himself: "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainly. Thus I
fight I, not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body, and
bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I
myself should become disqualified." (1Cor 9:26-27). Paul fights
and struggles to gain the "imperishable crown" of
salvation. He suffers sickness, imprisonment, persecution, and
temptations of the flesh.
Demands
Our Full Effort
Paul
encourages his followers to maintain their zeal for Christ and to
give their full effort to do as He Himself does and to follow
Christ's example. He says, "Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receives the prize?" (1Cor 9:24) He does
not mean that only one person will win the race and achieve
salvation, but to be like those who make an all out effort like a
runner who tries to win a race. The winners are those who win the
prize of salvation. We must strive to be perfect as Christ with the
intention that we will give our full effort to perfect ourselves.
Saint Gregory points out that Paul also tells us the "prize of
the high calling" is inexhaustible and sufficient to be shared
with everyone without diminishing. There is not a single winner, but
we can all win this race.
Paul
shows us how to run this race. he says, Everyone who competes for the
prize is temperate in all things. (1Cor 9:25).
Lessons
From the Ancients
Paul
then draws on the experience of the ancients, those who followed
Moses. Gregory Palamas uses this to show that it is not by faith
alone that we are saved but by our works. Paul was making the same
point with the Corinthians who had been baptized and regularly
partook of the Divine Gifts of the Blood and Body of Christ.
Paul
writes:
"Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be
unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through
the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual
drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and
that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased,
for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1Cor
10:1-5)
Moses
was under the cloud of the Holy Spirit. His followers were baptized
in their crossing of the Red Sea. Like the Corinthians they ate of
Spiritual manna given by God. They also had spiritual water that came
from the Rock like the Corinthians drank from the Cup. The rock is
like Christ who endlessly provides us with spiritual food. Like the
Corinthians the followers of Moses were disobedient and "were
scattered in the wilderness."
Saint Gregory Palamas
explains it this way:
"What he [Paul] is saying is that once
they had gone astray after evil Desiree's, the symbols of the
mysteries which had been granted to them we're of no benefit to them,
and did not exempt them from being abandoned by God... If we choose
to live sinfully, holy baptism and the divine sacraments that follow
it will not save us from eternal condemnation, but we will lose the
heavenly inheritance just as they [Moses's followers] lost the
promised land, with our impertinent behavior and disobedience to
God's commandments. That is why Paul goes on to say to us, " Let
us not be disobedient, brethren, nor let us harden our heart, as they
did in the day of temptation in the wilderness (Heb 3:8).
We
Cannot be Complacent
Do
we not see the same issue today? Those who have been Baptized and
participate in the Holy Sacraments are frequent sinners and think
they are saved. We live in a world filled with greed and self
gratification and we tend to fit in with the predominant culture
unawares of our true unbelief in the teachings of Christ and our
disobedience in following what He has commanded us to do.
Saint
Gregory concludes,
"Let
us not do evil, that evil may not befall us, but let us learn to do
good. And let us throw off our vices through confession and
appropriate repentance. If we are unable to to take full possession
of the virtues, then, by being humble towards God, sharing what we
have plenty of with the poor, and having a forbearing attitude
towards those who fall, let us win forgiveness from on high, and fill
up what is lacking in our good works with God's love for mankind,
that the Lord may be constantly with us, according to His promise
(Matt 28:20)."
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