Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

“For we are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works... that we may walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). It's easy to make a mistake; but a mistake in faith is very important, since it has a connection with the fate of a person beyond the grave. “If the work of our salvation is accomplished by grace, then we have nothing more to do; if others prescribe strict regulations, impose burdens on themselves and others, then this is human arbitrariness, a matter of misunderstanding or false understanding. Our business is not in works, but in faith.” This is what some and even many people think. Is this reasoning correct? The Apostle teaches: “Here we are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Here is part of what some, or many, offer. Truly, according to spiritual life, we are a new creation of God, created in Jesus Christ. The image of God, imprinted on man at the first creation, is darkened, spoiled, and upset by man’s first sin. To recreate it in man, the God-man introduced into human nature a new beginning of life, the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. If “anyone is not born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God,” said the Savior (John 3:5). Therefore, everyone who is saved is saved only by the grace of Christ. By grace you have been saved, and this is not from you, it is God’s gift - such is the apostolic teaching. Whether someone believes in Christ, or suffers for Him, whether he is just beginning spiritual life, or whether he has succeeded greatly in it - this all depends on grace. “It has been given to you... not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,” the apostle said to the Philippians (Phil. 1:29). He says the same thing when he says: “Of this we are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” What does the apostle say next? Is it what some people say? From the fact that we are a new creation of God in Christ, does he conclude that we do not need to do anything more for our salvation, that we do not need good works? No, he says something completely different. “Here we are a creature, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You see, he puts good deeds as the goal of the very creation of a new thing. According to his teaching, this is why we were created in Christ Jesus, this is why the new creation was made, so that we would do good deeds and not bad. And it would be strange to be otherwise. Was it really for this reason that Christ the Savior suffered for us, so that we, purchased with His most pure blood, would freely fatten our body, turning it into a dwelling place of unclean passions? Is it really for this reason that we received the grace of the Holy Spirit in the baptismal font, so that the spirit of our pride would offend it with its wild impulses? Are the invaluable gifts of Christianity given to us so that we can mock them by using them unworthily? And what do those who leave the will of a Christian without good use want? “We pray that you will not receive the grace of God in vain,” prayed the apostle (2 Cor. 6:1). What does it mean? What is not enough is to accept the grace of God; it must not be accepted in vain; it is necessary that it does not remain unused; it is necessary that it, like an expensive talent, be carefully preserved and used for its intended purpose - to advance in salvation. Everyone is given his own gift of grace: but whatever it may be, whether it is the gift of charity, or the gift of patience, the gift of serving others, or the gift of solitary service to God, whether it is a small or great gift, no one is allowed to hide a talent in the ground with impunity. The grace of God was accepted, without it we were without the gift of God: but woe to us if we do not take advantage of the grace we have received. Pitch darkness awaits careless slaves. Sin has corrupted our spiritual nature, created in the image of God. But sin did not destroy the image of God in us: the gift of God is stronger than the work of man. Along with certain concepts of the Divine, there remains in humanity a certain, albeit weak, sense of goodness, and a certain, albeit weak, desire for the holy. What can be known about God was known to the pagans; those who did not have a revealed law, according to the inclination of nature, created in accordance with the law of God. If so, if some powers for good remain in fallen man, how can a Christian not use them for his salvation? How to leave the gift of God unused? Wouldn't this mean disrespecting both the gift and the Lord of the gift? If a pagan, as far as possible, multiplied the talent given by nature: can a Christian be worse than a pagan? They think that they exalt grace by allowing it to do everything in us without ourselves. No, this does not elevate, but degrades grace. Grace, as a gift of God, can neither destroy nor leave without the use of another gift of God - freedom. Otherwise, both would offend the wisdom and greatness of the Lord of grace and freedom. On the contrary, strengthening human nature, weakened by sin, is what is completely befitting of the grace of God, and befitting human freedom. And grace does this in us. The same forces with which the sinner opposes the will of God, grace directs against sin, invests it with strength to fulfill the law of God, and elevates it to triumph over vicious inclinations and habits. The same “members” that served as instruments of uncleanness and lawlessness, under the influence of grace, become instruments of righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:19). The same freedom with which a person did the will of the flesh and pride, sanctified by grace, accomplishes the feats of mortification of the flesh and self-abasement, rises to its highest perfection - to liberation from slavery to sin. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). That is why the grace-filled rebirth is called the renewal of man (Eph. 4:24), or is compared to the fermentation produced in dough by leaven. “The Kingdom of God is like leaven,” says the Savior (Matthew 13:33). If the whole matter of salvation is from grace: how did it happen that participants in the highest gifts of grace were subject to a fall? Of course, no one will allow himself to blaspheme grace so as to attribute these falls to it, and not to human will. If the whole point is in grace-filled faith, why the injunction to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind? Why the injunction to strive against sin until you bleed, to purge passion from the heart, even if it were as dear to the heart as the eye, like the right hand? Why the injunction to renounce oneself and, with a cross on our shoulders, to follow in the footsteps of the One who was crucified for us? No, God’s claims to us are not as limited as they dream. And so, it is clear that it is not sincere piety that says: it is not a matter of deeds, but of faith. No, this is not the voice of piety, but the voice of a corrupted nature, craftily deviating from the path of Christ, trying to somehow justify its reluctance to perform Christian deeds. Sincere ascetics of piety taught the wrong thing in word and deed. “I mortify my body...,” said the apostle, “so that while I myself preach to others,” I will not remain a lazy slave (1 Cor. 9:27). “If... we live in the spirit, then we must walk in the spirit" (Gal. 5:25), that is, if we have received the spirit of grace, then we must live not according to the desires of the flesh, but according to the principles of spiritual life. How did the holy martyrs and martyrs reach heaven? They gave their lives to torment and suffering, to reproach and death, so as not to betray their Lord. The saints of God freely spoke the truth to the mighty of the earth, defended the truth against heretics, sacrificing peace, health, and sometimes even life. The reverend fathers and reverend mothers suffered cruel internal sorrows, struggling against the passions. These are the sincere followers of the gospel teaching! These are the true preachers of Christian piety! “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). This is faith in thought, not in heart, not in life. With such faith, worship is soulless, says nothing to either the heart or the imagination, since faith does not go beyond one thought. With such faith, they become bored with slow worship in order to rush to the crossroads of earthly life. But, oh my God! if they are already bored with talking with You, then what will Your cross be? Why call ourselves worshipers of Christ? With such faith, they do not consider feats of self-mortification or feats of fasting necessary. But, listeners! Is Christianity already in the name alone? Are Christians not already commanded to crucify the flesh with its passions? With such faith, one cares about one thing - the education of the mind. Tell me, my friends, is Christian life already a matter of one thought, the work of one mind? No, it is the work of our whole soul, of the whole person; it is a feat of all our strength, our entire being. If we leave any need of our being without spiritual food, then we will not bring our souls to heaven: neither the lame nor the crippled are allowed there. “Demons also believe,” and sometimes “and tremble”: but where is their place (James 2:19)? Therefore, if they have once said that it is not a matter of works, but of faith, then do not expect a genuine Christian life, a genuine Christian perfection. It would be insulting to the name of a Christian to openly refuse the words of the Savior about this or that duty of ours, and that is why, repeating the letters of Scripture, they say: we must do this, we must live like this. And then, under the influence of a false thought about faith, they abandon their determination and do not reach the end of the feat. Remembering this or that saying of Scripture, they want to live Christianly, they begin to live; and the thought of a falsely understood faith weakens determination and robs the soul of the sincerity of love for the path of Christ. That is why they talk so much about living faith, but do not have living faith! That is why you will never meet with complete determination to live for the Lord, you will never see life at the height of perfection on which Anthony and Chrysostom stood! The best thing you will find on this path is that they reach halfway to the sky. Otherwise, it’s scary to think where they are going. Brethren! do not open your ears to suggestions contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. May God, by His grace, preserve our hearts in faith and love for eternal life. Amen. You might be interested in: