116. Он с ним заодно

We often hear from people: “He’s at one with him.” This word is said about those people who have like-mindedness, harmony and peace among themselves in something. So a faithful servant is at one with his master, an obedient son is at one with his father, a faithful friend is at one with a friend, a fornicator is at one with a harlot, a robber is at one with a robber, a thief is at one with a thief, when they want to steal and kidnap something, and so on. This also happens spiritually. Every person is either at one with Christ or with His adversary the devil. What and whose spirit a person has, he is at one with; with whom he has like-mindedness, harmony and peace, he is at one with him. Whoever truly and heartily believes in Christ, the Son of God, and confesses and recognizes Him alone as his Redeemer and Savior, and besides Him, knows no other mediator to obtaining eternal bliss, and strives for Him with all his heart, in needs and cases resorts to Him with prayer, and recognizes and has Him as his protector and helper in everything; He loves Him alone, and every man according to His word; He fights and fights against all sin, and does not allow it to possess him; thinks about heavenly things, not earthly things; He thanks God for everything and does His holy will; leaves insults to his neighbor and does not take revenge on him; He has compassion for the needy and suffering in his heart; everyone earnestly desires to be saved; He has mercy not only towards other people, but also towards his enemies and does good to them; and the cross sent to him by the Heavenly Father meekly bears it and follows it to Christ, his Savior, with humility and meekness - he is truly at one with Christ, has like-mindedness, harmony and peace with Him. He who is united with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). “Whoever loves Me,” says the Lord, “will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him. You are My friends if you do what I command you (John 14:23; 15:14). All those who have been awarded this heavenly gift are at one with Christ. Oh, sweet unanimity! Oh, sweetest agreement! O blessed peace! Oh, saving union! O heavenly friendship! Oh, all-desired bliss - to be loved by Christ and to love Christ; to be united with Christ and to be one spirit with Christ; to be beloved by God and to be the church and abode of God; to be and be called a friend of the Heavenly King! God is Love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). Christian! It is great to have like-mindedness, harmony and peace with Christ, and to be at one with Him. What could be more than this? What is more useful and life-saving? This is all honor, and glory, and wealth, and beauty, and art, and wisdom, and the knowledge of this age is incomparably superior. For in this is true and heavenly wisdom, true and heavenly wealth, honor and glory. This is what it means to be with Christ, that is, to draw close to Him with your heart, to have like-mindedness, harmony and peace with Him, and to please Him. The holy apostle demands this from us: Let the same feelings be in you as were in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5). Christian! Let us be so here with Christ - and in the next century we will be with Him. For in holy baptism we were united with Him and united with Him, and we promised to be with Him and with Him all our lives. And it is good for me to draw closer to God! (Ps. 73:28). But let's see which Christians broke this saving and sweet union and fell into their former misfortune. The Lord says: He who is not with Me is against Me (Matthew 12:30). This word is scary, Christian, but true. The devil is the boss and inventor of sin. Our ancestors in paradise, when they listened to his evil advice, sinned gravely before God, and retreated from Him, and became one with the devil, and so with him they subjected themselves to eternal death and torment. Their descendants, all people, suffered the same disaster. Christians, by the grace of God, through holy baptism, lag behind the devil and are freed, and are cleansed from sins, and are reconciled with God, and become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and people of God, and are grafted and united to Christ, as to the vine of a true branch (See John 15:5). Envying this great bliss of Christians, the devil, like our ancestors in paradise, seduces Christians through evil thoughts, and leads them to every sin and love of the vain world. Christians who listen to his all-destructive advice and agree with it, and deviate from it, are at one with him, although they do not understand it, for he darkens their minds and the eyes of their hearts and deafens their spiritual ears, so that they no longer listen to the word of God and do not see their misfortune and destruction. A murderer, an evil and vengeful man is at one with the devil, for the devil is the spirit of evil and a murderer. He who lives in pride and pomp is at one with the devil, for the devil is a proud spirit. Those who rely on themselves and their strength are at one with the devil, for the devil relies on himself, his strength and cunning. The fornicator, the adulterer and the lover of uncleanness are at one with the devil, for the devil is an unclean spirit. Anyone who gossips, eavesdrops, sneaks and does other dirty tricks and causes offense to a person is at one with the devil, for the devil is an adversary and an attacker. A slanderer is at one with the devil, for the devil is a slanderer, and from this he gets his name (devil is a Greek word and in our language means “slanderer”). A blasphemer, a scolder and a slanderer are at one with the devil, for the devil is a blasphemer and a scolder. The envious and malicious are at one with the devil, for the devil is the spirit of envy and hatred. A thief, a robber and a predator are at one with the devil, for the devil always steals for himself the glory of God and human salvation. A lover of power and a lover of fame is at one with the devil, for the devil always seeks glory and worship from people. The sorcerer and those who call him to themselves are at one with the devil, for they give themselves to him and ask for help from him. In a word, everyone who lives contrary to the word of God, and does the devil’s will, and sins out of will, is at one with the devil. For whoever does whose will and agrees with whom is at one with him. The apostolic teaching also shows this: Everyone who commits sin also commits lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He appeared to take away our sins, and that in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him. Children! Let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned first. For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God commits no sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The children of God and the children of the devil are recognized in this way (1 John 3:4–10). From here we see, Christian: 1) What a poor state man has come to - man was created in the image of God and in the likeness: he became at one with the devil, the enemy of God. He listened to his evil advice and agreed with him, and fell behind God, and became one with His enemy. We cannot mourn this enough. You, Lord, have righteousness, but we have shame on our faces (Dan. 9:7). Lord, have mercy on us! 2) Every person is either with Christ or with the devil; certainly belongs to either one or the opposite part. He who is not with Me is against Me, says the Lord (Matthew 12:30). Think about it, Christian, and see which part you belong to. 3) Christians who commit lawlessness sin grievously before God, and more than the pagans. For, having renounced the devil in baptism, they clung to Christ, and again, falling behind Christ, they turned aside to follow the devil. The latter is worse for them than the former. It would be better for them not to know the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them (2 Peter 2:20-21). 4) Demon does not rebel against demon, but stands for each other. But a poor man rebels against someone like himself and his kindred. Man must help man in every way, and all men must stand and fight together against demons, and help each other and protect each other, but the opposite is done by devilish cunning. Man rebels against man, and offends, and persecutes him, which is a great delusion and a terrible darkness of the mind. 5) These people who rebel against people, and offend, and persecute them, have a devilish spirit within them and are possessed by the devil. Therefore, we need to regret them - so that they will not be his eternal captives. 6) True Christians face temptation and struggle from the devil, for they resist him and do not deign to his evil advice, therefore he rebels against them and fights with them. 7) The devil, what he himself cannot do to a true Christian, does it through evil people, his servants. From here we see various intrigues of evil people against a pious soul. 8) Hence, the pious must live carefully and be prudent, so as not to be caught in the nets of the devil and the evil intentions of evil people, his servants. The apostle urges this: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). 9) From here persecution will follow for the pious. The devil, when he cannot deceive a pious soul and seduce him into following him, initiates persecution against it through evil people, in order to seduce it from the good path, and separate it from Christ, and attract it to its part. This is his cunning and this is his effort. Beloved Christian! Stand, take courage, and be strong, and endure everything, looking at the future glory and the great patience of Christ. This way you will overcome any sorrow that happens. 10) A Christian who turned away from Satan! Remember your vows given at baptism, and repent, with regret and contrition, turn to Christ, who died and suffered for you and will accept you as good and philanthropic. He is waiting for you - may you return to Him. Come back while he waits. There is no salvation or blessedness except Him and without Him (See Acts 4:12). Woe to the soul that is not with Christ! Eternal misfortune and destruction will befall her. And it is good for me to draw closer to God! To be with Him is life, to be without Him is obvious death. 11) Pious soul! When you stumble and sin, do not delay in your sin - so that you do not deviate towards the opposite part. But immediately, having admitted your sin, repent and pray to the Lord: I have sinned, Lord, have mercy on me! (Ps. 40:5), and your sin will be forgiven. But from now on, beware of sin like the sting of a serpent: the sting of death is sin (1 Cor. 15:56). Beware of this thorn so that you don’t die. To sin is a human matter, but to be and lie in sin is the work of the devil. The devil, as he sinned, from that time on lies incessantly in sin and bitterness and will remain there forever. Beware of adding sin to sin, lest you be with the devil. You might be interested in: