The problem isn’t simply that we are sinners, or that the sin exists inside us. The problem is we do not deal with the whole matter as we should. Why are you afraid of admitting that you’re a sinner, that you have sin inside? Why are you afraid of it? That’s your salvation; your sin itself is your salvation. Salvation, of course, from sin. Why? Because admitting to your sin truly helps you attain humility. It keeps you in touch with reality, too: you are not under the false impression that spiritually you are somebody important or that you carry out some significant spiritual struggle.

If you look closely at the deep, inner state of yourself, you will realize that there is such villainy, such darkness, such meanness and guile, that there is no time to deal with what the other person does. You do not have the luxury of paying attention to his mistake. It’s not that you don’t see what the other is like, or, that he does that particular thing. You don’t, however, stick to these, but you look more deeply into his soul: he is also a man for whom Christ has died and, if he repents, God will sanctify him. Then, you sympathize with him, you love him, you sacrifice yourself for his sake, like Christ did.

Let us seek God and choose His love, even if we need to put ourselves into trouble. There can be no life in Christ without sacrifices.

Sacrificial Love

Every one of us barricades himself behind his own justice –he believes the way he looks at things is absolutely right, he believes his reasoning is great, he believes every spiritual affair of his is sorted out fine. And the only problem is what’s going to happen with other people, where the entire fault lies.

Having grasped his own inner reality and his own un-good state the person, however, who has started discovering God thinks totally differently. He sees things differently and has a totally different mentality. He says that the problem is he himself: he himself is the one that has no love, no understanding or sacrificial spirit.

Idolatry

When we preserve our very own idol inside of us, which we have put on a pedestal and revered, not even God Himself can destroy it. Not because God is weak or limited but because He doesn’t save man by force. Thus we must freely choose and desire God. - Elder Symeon

God allows a fall, a blunder, a mistake, a sin, or a failure to happen to us. This happens exactly because another fall has to take place (like in Peter’s case): the fall of the idol that exists in us, which we worship like a god. Each one of us has to experience this fall. Yet, man needs to mature in order to endure it. Only God knows when this will happen to each one of us.

Obedience

During the early years of Christianity, martyrdom for the faith was the central feature in the life of Christians. Everybody wanted to be a martyr for Christ. And the Church was full of martyrs and saints. Nowadays, obedience is what will make a martyr out of someone, as blood will be spilling in his soul by the cutting of his will. The souls who enter the road of obedience, and willingly bind themselves to indiscriminate and perfect obedience, are the ones to find the way to salvation, the way to sanctification.

Carelessness

Whatever is given by God in the life of the Church, you may lose if you aren’t careful with it. The experience of God takes its leave and deserts you, if you live frivolously and in a care free manner, if you are totally unconcerned about whether you get lost, and, in the end, whether you fail to see the face of the Lord.

Man loses so much due to his carelessness, even if he doesn’t sin heavily. Be careful and pray!

We should examine ourselves carefully and our expressions, too. We should wonder: is what we do virtuous or does our own profit lurk behind?

humility

The problem isn’t simply that we are sinners, or that the sin exists inside us. The problem is we do not deal with the whole matter as we should. Why are you afraid of admitting that you’re a sinner, that you have sin inside? Why are you afraid of it? That’s your salvation; your sin itself is your salvation. Salvation, of course, from sin. Why? Because admitting to your sin truly helps you attain humility. It keeps you in touch with reality, too: you are not under the false impression that spiritually you are somebody important or that you carry out some significant spiritual struggle.

If you look closely at the deep, inner state of yourself, you will realize that there is such villainy, such darkness, such meanness and guile, that there is no time to deal with what the other person does. You do not have the luxury of paying attention to his mistake. It’s not that you don’t see what the other is like, or, that he does that particular thing. You don’t, however, stick to these, but you look more deeply into his soul: he is also a man for whom Christ has died and, if he repents, God will sanctify him. Then, you sympathize with him, you love him, you sacrifice yourself for his sake, like Christ did.

Circumstances

We shouldn’t think of ourselves as victims of our circumstances. God who loves and protects us is present. He won’t allow anything to happen to us unless it is for our benefit.

Come to the light

People don’t come to the light, which is Christ; people don’t come to the light which is the truth of Christ; because if they do, their works will be revealed, which are the works of darkness, not of the light.

Our Stance Before God

The question is what stance the soul takes, man’s deeper being, before God, before God’s love, God’s energies, and before any sort of reality.

The more you say the prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”, the more you want to say it. In the same way, the more we feel God’s love, the more we want to love Him. This prayer helps very much and a miracle takes place in your soul at every moment. As you say it with your whole being, little by little you start to feel that Christ is near, sitting by you and listening to you. You speak to Him and you realize that He answers back; He accepts and loves you.

If you go to Christ, and entrust yourself into His hands and have Him within you, things are simple and easy, because afterwards the whole work is done by Christ. We shouldn’t consume ourselves with worry. It’s God who takes care of us. Your only care and concern should be to be united with God and your whole existence should be a prayer to God.

The obstacle that is deep down in our soul must be removed. And the obstacle that exists, is neither the unhealthy state nor, if you like, simply sin itself. Believe it or not, all these help: you go to Christ because you are a sinner; you go to Christ because you are in a mess. The obstacle in the relationship between you and God is that you strive to salvage your ego. Even the most spiritual things are called for in order to salvage your ego, which is full of self-justification, heartlessness and pride; True love, true devotion to Christ and repentance are missing. You are desperately trying to deceive God.

May God make you in such a way that you are not concerned at all about how to turn grass into gold, but to step on gold as if it were a patch of grass. May God make you in such a way that you do not care if others love you, care about you, appreciate you or acknowledge you. Then, of course, all people will turn to you.