Воздержание

Abstinence is always commendable. Faith externally shows itself through good fruits, which include abstinence. As there is a bridle for a fierce and raging horse, so there is restraint for the passionate and lustful flesh. The horse restrains itself with a bridle and obeys the will of the ruling rider. Likewise, a Christian must restrain the lustful flesh and subdue the spirit or mind. But let’s see what the flesh wants and what the spirit wants, and what the battle is between them. The flesh wants to be proud and exalted, but the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to despise and destroy others, but the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to slander, condemn, discredit a person - the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to live in the pride and pomp of this world, but the spirit does not want to. The flesh wants to seek and have wealth, glory and honor in this world - the spirit does not want to. The flesh wants to have all sorts of entertainment in this world - the spirit turns away from them. The flesh wants to have feasts, feast and have fun - the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to dress in beautiful, smart clothes, but the spirit does not want to. The flesh wants to be angry, to be angry, to take revenge for an offense against a neighbor, to repay evil for evil, to repay annoyance for annoyance, to reproach the one who reproaches, to revile the one who reproaches, to slander the one who slanderes, to offend and quarrel with the one who offends - the spirit turns away from all this. The flesh wants to commit fornication, adultery and wallow in uncleanness - the spirit turns away from this. The flesh wants to revel and get drunk, but the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to lie, flatter, deceive - the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to live in idleness, but the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to idle, speak crazy words, blaspheme - the spirit does not want that. The flesh wants to kidnap, steal, take away other people's goods and appropriate it in every possible way - the spirit does not want to, and so on. The secret and very hidden networks of him [the devil] - when he, under the guise of good, evil and under the guise of virtue, vice, like a poison hidden under honey, presents to us. Thus he teaches a husband to leave his wife and his husband’s wife under the guise of abstinence, but by doing so the evil spirit plots to plunge them into the pit of adultery. There is a lot of this evil in the world. He puts it in a person’s heart to abstain from certain foods, for it is impossible to eat them all, but by doing so he intends for him to discredit God’s creation, and become arrogant, and to despise and humiliate others for what they eat. Abstinence is the fruit of true faith. A Christian must abstain not only from food and drink, but also from all evil.