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1. Conversion to faith is the great mercy of God. Fidelity to faith is life in the spirit of faith. Through faith and the Sacraments we unite with the Savior The salvation of the soul is the main thing. But it is the Savior who saves souls, not us. We only testify to our faith, our devotion to Him, and He, as we cleave to Him, gives us everything we need for salvation. Don’t think about what you earn by working; You deserve it through faith, contrition and devotion to God. Do more good, help those in need (1, p. 74). That the Lord turned you to faith is a great mercy. Therefore, He expects that you, having received the gift of faith, will continue and be faithful to the faith. Fidelity to faith is life in the spirit of faith (1, p. 74). God created us and honored us in His image, so that we would live in God - be in living union with Him. That's how it was in heaven. The fall of the ancestors dissolved this union. But God took pity on us and did not want us to be outside of Him, to remain in falling away, but was pleased to invent a way of reunification, which consists in the fact that the Son of God and God came to earth and became incarnate and in His person united humanity with the Divine and through this gave us all the opportunity to unite through Him with God. Those who believe, are baptized and others accept the Sacraments are united alive with the Savior, and through Him with God. And this is salvation! Our goal is life in God, but there is no other way to God than the Lord Jesus Christ. There is One God and One Advocate for God and men, the Man Christ Jesus 27 (1 Tim. 2:5). So one must believe in Christ the Savior, accept the Sacrament, fulfill the commandments and everything that the Holy Church contains and prescribes. He who is with the Church is with the Lord. Be like this, without any extravagance, and you will be on the path of salvation (1, pp. 74–75). 2. On the fight against doubts in faith For the sake of God, who loves you so much, suppress your doubts. By doing this you will make a sacrifice to the Lord, for which He will not remain in debt. Doubts on you come from your mind. The enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat. If this is so, then what is the point of listening to the enemy, who is arranging our destruction, and moving away from the Lord, who is giving you the hand of salvation? Humble yourself and pray. The Lord is near and watching (1, p. 148). 3. Trusting in the Lord will not put you to shame. Are you in danger of remaining helpless?.. You are doing well to think ahead about that sorrowful time. And think, and in advance look for there, among your own, who would be willing to help, or all your relatives little by little. Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will take care of you. Trusting in the Lord will not put you to shame. Seeking your own means while trusting in God does not diminish the power of hope, for this search must be done with hope. Meanwhile, pray and pray. I have nothing more to tell you (2, p. 234). 4. Approval of faith and trust in the Lord You don’t mention anything about yourself and your spiritual needs. From this I conclude that everything is good with you in your relationship to God and to the cause of salvation. God bless! May the Lord extend His mercy to you. You will strengthen your faith in Him and your unshakable trust (2, p. 234). 5. The need for submissive faith in the incomprehensible The predestinations of God, whether regarding each individual individually or regarding entire nations, are the hidden advice of God, completely incomprehensible to us. In that which is incomprehensible, one must immediately force one’s mind to bow under the yoke of faith or to flee under the shelter of faith. There is no doubt that the thoughts of God are as distant from the thoughts of men as heaven from earth. If we cannot reach the sky with our hands in order to touch the Divine things there, there is no point in staring there with our minds in order to tangibly know how things are. It is enough to know that this is what God said: No one knows the message of God, but the Spirit of God living in Him. There is no point in attempting to comprehend what is proclaimed incomprehensible (6, p. 61). Nowadays there is no restraint from interrogation. Everything needs to be brought to a clear understanding. And they don’t want to listen to anything... take it out and put it down. – How is God one and threefold? – How did God the Son become incarnate, being infinite? – How is the Ever-Virgin Mother of God? – Like bread and wine – the Body and Blood of the Lord?.. And the whole structure of our faith and the Church is mysterious... and give it all and explain it... Our little mind is like a mosquito, but everything squeaks! The Savior said: No one knows that there is a Son, except the Father; and no one knows that there is a Father, except the Son 28. The same should be understood about the Holy Spirit. Why strive, since God is one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? The Apostle says: Great is the mystery of piety - God appeared in the flesh 29 . Why come here with your wisdom? The same thing, in everything, one must humbly submit to the definitions of faith that came from the mouth of God, although this is incomprehensible to the mind (6, pp. 61–62). What is the worship of the mind to God? In humbly accepting His words as the truest... Now we walk by faith, and not by sight. There is no sin in trying to bring the mysteries of God closer to our understanding with obedience to faith, but blessed are those who believe without seeing. I think you are in this mood (6, p. 62). 6. Faith in the existence of God and His omnipotence is an integral part of the spirit Anyone who is born again enters into a society that has faith. The faith of society becomes its faith, like everything else. But the capacity for faith and its need for the soul is not acquired by society. Everything is the same, as in relation to knowledge: society, through education, imparts to its new member the knowledge he has acquired, but does not give him the ability to know. This ability is an integral part of the soul. Likewise, faith in the existence of God and His omnipotence is an integral part of the spirit, which is revealed with strength in everyone as soon as his abilities develop. Society conveys only the image of its faith, and not the very believing power and need for it. Society instills faith through education. Where did she come into society from?! – Whatever enters society, everything comes out of the soul. It is a repository, like a pool, into which everything that comes out of the soul flows. Thus, there is faith in society because it is already present in the soul. She left her soul and settled in society. Faith is older than society and family, and therefore even upbringing itself. Education gives to the newborn what was previously brought into the family and society from the soul. So, if you please, firmly establish in your mind the conviction that education develops only what is in human nature, but does not introduce anything new into it. If it develops faith, it is because it is in human nature. No one could teach to know God and worship Him if this were not an urgent law in the spirit of man. And now we see that in the entire human race there is faith. The wildest ones have it, because without it a person is not a person. If some of the learned do not believe, this does not mean that they have stepped far forward or waved high into the air, but it means that they have acted out of human nature - they have distorted and mutilated themselves, as if someone had gouged out their own eyes or cut off their nose. If everyone has faith, it follows that the norm of human life inevitably contains faith. Consequently, whoever does not have faith deviates from this norm and is a moral monster: all unbelievers are of this rank (9, pp. 267–268). The soul - a spiritual being - is not a manifestation of some other force, like a rainbow, but is an independent, special personality, free-minded, whose normal state is life in communion with God, who honored it in creation with His image. Therefore, it is desirable that in this position there is the basis of faith and life. And first of all, try to root and strengthen this truth in yourself (8, p. 210). What other shortcomings do you have, what is marvelous, and who doesn’t have them? But the spirit of blasphemy and doubt, one must assume, is the main one. Because it interferes with doing things for others. Blame and doubt are the same as when the ground shakes under your feet: the one who feels it immediately falls from dizziness. When is there anything else here? You try to overcome and drive away this one, then the others will give in (8, pp. 221–222). 7. About driving away doubts. Images of prayers that strengthen faith in Christian dogmas Compose a prayer from our dogmas and repeat it more often, even in this form: “Glory to Thee, our God, worshiped in the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Soul. Glory to You, who created everything with the Word and provides for everything. Glory to You, who has honored us with Your image. Glory to Thee, who taught us in our fall. Glory to You, the Son of God, who deigned to be incarnate, suffer, die, rise, sit at the right hand of the Father and send down the Holy Spirit to us. Glory to Thee, Holy Soul God, who built the Church of God through the apostles and gathered all languages ​​into it, and filled Heaven with chosen saints. Glory to Thee, O God, who called our (Russian) people into Thy Kingdom. Glory to You, who has favored me to be born among the believers. Glory to You, who has shown me Your mercies many times... Glory to You, who has arranged the path of repentance and conversion for me. Glory to You for everything...” (8, pp. 218–219). ...there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. ...no one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27). ...the great mystery of piety: God appeared in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). You might be interested in: