Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:1).

All he said was that it was, and grace immediately visited him, and his soul shone.

Why don't we look in the Gospel what the publican said and what the Pharisee said? The Pharisee is moral, blameless, just, kind person who had a good name and who was pious. The same thing happens to us pious ones, the same thing. How can a Pharisee sigh if he did everything exactly as it should, if he was a good person? As one grandmother told me:

What does that mean, old man? Everything I do is good! If others do something - it's bad! I consider everything that is mine to be good, but what others do is bad for me! What does it mean? Is it possible for me to always be right, is it possible for my deeds to be good and others to be bad? Something is happening here!

I answered her:

Yes, you're right, grandma, something's going on here!

So, we, being good in everything, do not sigh for God, because we are good and moral people and do everything right, but God does not want us. And the other is a sinner, a bad person, he is cursed, he is a thief, a liar, a swindler; so was the publican - this bad man. However, he found a quick connection with God - sighing, crying, beating his chest and saying, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" . And he was acquitted while the other was condemned.

Do you see how one thought before God changed the whole person? One humbled himself, repented, wept before God, and God immediately visited him, cleansed, sanctified and justified him. Just like the robber. And the other, the Pharisee, was good, he liked that he was good, and he thanked God: “Thank You, God, that I am not like other people or like this publican!” All the end!

Therefore, condemnation is a great sin. Why? Because it means lack of humility. The proud one condemns another, but the humble one does not condemn, because he knows that we are all guilty before God. There are no innocent before God, we are all unclean, cursed, filthy, filthy. Whom should I condemn if we are all the same: one with one filth, the other with another? Maybe I do not have such and such a sin, but there are thousands of others! Aren't these sins too? Aren't these also wounds? Doesn't this also defile the image of God in us? Let me not be a liar, but I am a thief, and if I am not a thief, then I am unjust and everything else. Sin is sin, that is, both are sins.

We all need to repent, and therefore we can all receive the grace of God if we humble ourselves and repent. This, beloved brethren, is the key to the mystery of the grace of God. God visits a humble person who repents, let him still struggle with sins. However, God abhors a proud person, even if he is impeccable in everything else. God abhors a proud person and not only does not help him, not only does not want him, but also turns away from him, as the Scripture says. He is an abomination before God.

Do you know what "abomination" means? This is something that disgusts us, that we do not even want to smell it, it is like carrion, which stinks so disgustingly that we cannot bear its stench and turn away. Such is the proud man before God, because the proud man never repents, he always justifies himself: “Yes, I said it, but it had to be said! It was necessary to act like this! I must do so!” He has a knife, he cuts others with it, and he doesn't care.

In a proud man, grace cannot abide. No matter how many good qualities he may have, but if there is egoism, then the grace of God cannot be with him. A humble and repentant person, no matter how many bad qualities he may have, will receive the grace of God, because God rests in the hearts of humble people who repent, and repentance always attracts the grace of God.

The power of grace. I remember how I also asked myself, hearing: "Grace, grace ...". I asked myself, “What is grace, after all? I may have grace, but I don’t even know what it is.” Do we have grace? This is a question that many people ask themselves. Do we have grace?

It is easy for a person to understand whether there is grace in him: according to the fruits. We cannot have grace and be gloomy, confused, full of vices, live on nerves and in chaos: grace cannot exist in the heart of such a person. Grace has fruits, these are the fruits of the Spirit, and one of them is what the holy Apostle Paul says: (grace and) peace. When grace is present, peace lives in a person: he has peace in his soul, in his heart, in his body; he is a peaceful person.

This is one of the most obvious fruits of the grace of God, and a person who has grace knows about it, he feels that grace is working in him. The Fathers say: just as a woman, when she is pregnant, understands that there is another person in her, because she feels a baby in herself by his movements, the same is with grace in a person - he understands that grace is in him, that this is not something then his own, but a gift, this Divine energy.

In the same way, he understands when God leaves him - but it was not God who left us, but we leave Him, that's how it will be right to say. We leave God with our sins, the crimes that we commit, with our actions we leave God, we move away from grace, and it does not work. God is always near us, but we do not feel Him, because we close our eyes under the influence of sin.

So, we feel it, and this is often asked by many:

Father, is smoking a sin? Is going to a disco a sin? Is it a sin to wear these clothes? Is it a sin to do this?

Sin is not a legal fact so that we can sit down and write a book in which it would be noted: this is a sin, but this is not a sin - and would check every time whether this or that is a sin. As one ridiculous anecdote says: they wrote laws that said: “If you do this and that three times, you will receive such and such a punishment, and if five times, then this.” Well, what if you do it four times? Nothing is said about this. So let us then do it four times, if there is a punishment for three and five!

But actions are not overcome in this way, we cannot evaluate them as if by a set of laws. So how do you navigate then? You yourself understand when you commit any act that the grace of God leaves you: your conscience gnaws at you, and you feel that God is not with you.

One young man asked me:

Is it wrong to go to such and such a place?

I told him:

You know, I never went to places like this and I don't know if it's a sin. But let me ask you: when you go to this place, do you feel that God is with you?

He chuckled.

I don't think He was with me in that place.

Well, if you don't think that He is with you, don't go there!

If it is a place where God cannot go, where you feel God is not going with you, then it means that God is not there, that God does not rest in that place. This is how we understand: when we see that grace leaves us, then do not look for something else, do not look for whether it is written in documents. There is no God in this deed of yours, in this action of yours, in this relation of yours to another.

First of all, know that one of the most treacherous steps we all fall down (especially we “Christians”) is condemnation. The person who condemns falls headlong down like lead, he does not stop for a moment. God save us from this. Unfortunately, we all suffer from this, it is easy to slip into condemnation, but its consequences are tragic. Man is completely deprived of grace. Have you judged another person? God immediately leaves you. God cannot be where there is condemnation.

Because condemnation is the first child of selfishness; the egoist easily condemns. It is akin to blasphemy against God, because only God can judge a person, for only He is sinless. The Creator of man and God in His boundless love awaits man until his last breath, and you do not know what is happening in the heart of another person. You judge another, but do you know what is in his heart?

Do you know what a great mystery this is, how much tenderness grace has? From one smile that you give to a suffering person with love, from one good thought that you have about some person, you can immediately feel such grace that you really feel yourself before the throne of God. So much grace can a person acquire with one simple movement and thought! And so much can fall, literally break and be stripped of grace because of one of his condemning gestures and the rejection of another person.

What a great thing it is for a man to have peace in himself. A peaceful person is really very happy; happy is not the strong, rich, famous, educated, famous, but the person who has peace in his heart. Whatever happens around him, God's peace, which surpasses all mind, is in him, because God is peace. Christ is our peace. He is our peace, and when He is in us, then everything within us is at peace. Therefore, the Church constantly prays: “Let us pray for peace to the Lord”, “For peace from above and the salvation of our souls”, “Peace to all”, “Peace of God”, “Let us depart in peace”! We constantly hear this word - "peace" and "source of peace."

So the world is Christ; when He is present, there is peace in man. There is harmony, balance, completeness in a person, he has no fear, anxiety, phobias, uncertainty, stress, fear of death: “We will get bird flu, we will get some other flu, we will get an operation ...” We lose peace and get upset.

We are missing something. Why do we have such confusion and anxiety inside? Take Christ and put Him in your heart. When He is present, everything else pales, and a person feels full, he is peaceful, he has no fears, worries, no one can frighten us. When God is present, who will scare me? When I lose God, yes, I'm scared, I choke when I lose God; then I get into a stressful situation and imagine that I will do everything myself, decide everything and settle it. But it's not. God is the One who will do everything. God will arrange everything. Keep God in your heart, and if you delay him by humility, prayer, repentance, keeping His commandments, reading the word of God, then peace will reign in you. And as one great old man said, acquire peace, and thousands of people around you will find peace.

He says: "Have peace in yourself, and heaven and earth will be at peace with you." Then you will no longer be afraid that another will harm you, jinx you, as we think that they conjure us, they envy us, they spoil us, and we live with these follies. No one can do anything to us: when we humbly carry God in our hearts and call on the name of God, then God is present, and we have peace, and the great problems of the modern era are resolved - stress, uncertainty, loneliness, violence, anger, tormenting us each day…

Hieromonk Sofroniy

archimandrite

Divine Grace and Freedom of Man St.

archbishop

metropolitan

ep. Alexander (Semenov-Tian-Shansky)

Grace- 1) Divine action in general; 2) Divine action aimed at the preservation and development of the world; 3) Divine action aimed at the salvation of man.

The very word "grace" means good, good gift because only God is the source of the supreme.

Can grace be called God, Divinity?

In the same way, the manifestation or action of the nature of fire - the incandescent, radiant movement of gases, contemplated in the form of tongues - we call not only combustion, but also fire. Just as when we touch fire, we partake not of its essence, but of its action (after all, it is the action that burns), so participation in the Divine manifestation or energy, participation in grace, is participation in God Himself.

In this regard, the grace of God is often referred to in the same way as the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit, although it can also be denoted by a more detailed expression: the grace of the Holy Spirit or the grace of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is called the Holy Spirit because the Divine action always proceeds from the Father through the Son and is manifested in the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to acquire the Holy Spirit?

The acquisition of the Holy Spirit is the acquisition of God's grace. Acquisition cannot be understood as accumulation in the same way that material or even non-material values, such as work skills or knowledge, are accumulated.

The acquisition of grace means something else. As the spiritual and moral transformation of a person, which takes place only with the assistance of God, a person does not just become better and more perfect; he becomes like God and spiritually draws closer to Him. The higher the degree of likeness and unity of man and God, the brighter and more expressively God's grace manifests itself and shines in him. Actually, this whole grace-filled saving process is called the acquisition of grace or sanctification, deification (see:;).

How should one relate to the provision on the teaching of grace through sacred objects, shrines, such as icons and relics of God's saints?

The bringing down of grace can be carried out by God both directly and through representatives or objects of the created world. In cases where grace is sent down through holy icons and relics, they serve as a means of communication with God and His saints (see:;).

Unlike magical means, where the emphasis is on rituals and spells, the grace of God does not act mechanically, but is taught to a person according to his faith. The ability to perceive grace depends on the internal state of a person, on his heart attitude. In this regard, prayer is understood by the holy fathers not as if by praying a person bows God to himself, but in such a way that by praying he himself rises and opens up for interaction with Him.

When praying before an icon or relics, it is easier for a pilgrim to tune in to conversion, it is easier to concentrate and raise his spirit (mind and heart) to that archetype whose image is imprinted on the icon, or to that saint whose relics he wants to fall. Entering into a prayer relationship with the saints, we ask them for intercession before the Creator, and He answers - to the extent necessary for the benefit of the one who prays - with His blessing (action).

It is wrong to think that Orthodox icons or holy relics are independent sources of God's grace, God's energies. Such an attitude is akin to the attitude of pagans to talismans and amulets, and must be recognized as alien to the Christian consciousness.

If the grace given to the believer through a saint or shrine is not radiated by them as its direct sources, then why did Motovilov appear in the brilliance of grace-filled light?

The grace of God is nothing else than a Divine action directed into the world; in a narrower sense - the Divine action aimed at the salvation of man.

Under the usual conditions for a sinful person, grace, as a rule, is invisible. In turn, a truly believing person is able, with the assistance of God, to contemplate it with spiritual eyes.

Meanwhile, at the special discretion of the Almighty, the radiance of grace can be revealed even to a sinful person, and even in a sensual way. For what? - In each specific case, there is a special providential purpose (see:).

At the discretion of God, the radiance of grace is also visible when it (grace) rests on God's saints.

So, the light that emanated from the face of Moses () served as evidence for the sons of Israel of his closeness to God, that the Lord favors their legislator and leader. This testimony strengthened the authority of Moses, kept his fellow tribesmen from excessive murmuring and, probably, from potential rebellion.

Both non-believers and non-believers are deprived of the opportunity to partake of those graces that are taught exclusively to members (of course, they are not deprived unconditionally, but only until they join the ranks of Christians).

However, what has been said does not mean that they are completely deprived of the possibility of communion with Divine grace.

First, saving grace acts on them in an inviting way (this corresponds to the concept of "invoking action of Divine grace"). Even before His Sufferings, the Lord announced: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Myself” ().

The Holy Fathers call grace "rays of the Divine", "Divine glory", "" ... All three Persons of the Holy Trinity possess the action of Divine grace. “The action of an uncreated entity,” writes St. , - there is something in common, although it is characteristic of each Person. St., reflecting on the economic manifestation of the Holy Trinity, notes that grace comes from the Father and is communicated through the Son in the Holy Spirit. According to St. , grace is "the energy of the common and Divine power and action of the Trinitarian God."

By the action of Divine grace, the possibility of knowing God opens up. “... Without grace, our mind cannot know God,” teaches St. , - ... each of us can talk about God as much as he knows the grace of the Holy Spirit. The action of Divine grace gives a person the opportunity to fulfill the commandments, salvation and spiritual transformation. “Acting in himself and around him, a Christian brings his entire personality into exploits, but he does this, and can do it successfully, only with the continuous assistance of Divine power – grace,” teaches St. . “There is no thought that a Christian can think in an evangelical way, there is no feeling that he can feel in an evangelical way, there is no deed that he can do in an evangelical way without God’s grace-filled help.” The action of Divine grace communicates to man the invaluable gift of union with God -. In this state of grace, a person, according to St. , becomes like Christ and becomes higher than the first Adam.

The action of Divine grace is carried out in cooperation (in) with free will person. “The divine-human synergism is an essential distinction of Christian activity in the world. Here man will work together with God and God will work together with man, explains St. . - ... Man, for his part, expresses his will, and God - grace; out of their joint action the Christian personality is created. According to the teachings of St. In creating the new man, grace acts mysteriously and gradually. Grace tests human will to see if he retains his total love for God, noticing in him agreement with his actions. If in spiritual achievement the soul turns out to be virtuous, without grieving or offending grace in any way, then it penetrates “to its deepest structures and thoughts” until the whole soul is embraced by grace.

The Concept of "Grace of God" in Holy Scripture

The word "grace" is very common in Holy Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, and is used in various senses:

a) sometimes means favor, favor, favor, mercy (; ; );

b) sometimes a gift, good, every good, every gift that God gives to His creatures, without any merit on their part (; ; ), and natural gifts with which the whole earth is full (; ; ) and supernatural, extraordinary gifts of God that are given by God various church members (; ; );

v) sometimes means the whole great work of our redemption and salvation, accomplished by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.” “When the grace and love of mankind of our Savior, God, appeared, He saved us not according to the works of righteousness that we would have done, but according to His mercy, by the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” ();

G) but actually grace is called the saving power of God, which, communicating to us according to the merits of Jesus Christ for our sanctification and salvation, regenerates us into spiritual life and, affirming and perfecting, accomplishes our sanctification and.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by various and alien teachings; for well grace to strengthen hearts, and not by foods from which those who practice them have not benefited().

Dogmatic Definitions of Grace

(From the book: “The Canons or the Book of Rules”.Rules of the Holy Local Councils. Rules of the Holy Local Council of Carthage (393-419))

125. It is also determined: if anyone says that the grace of God, by which they are justified in Jesus Christ our Lord, is valid only for the remission of sins already committed, and does not give help beyond that, so that no other sins are committed, such shall be anathema, so how the grace of God not only gives the knowledge of what is proper to do, but also breathes love into us, so that we can fulfill what we know.

126. Also, if anyone says that the same grace of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord, helps us only so that we do not sin, since the knowledge of sins is revealed and appears to us by it, let us know what we should seek and what to avoid, but that it does not give us love and strength to do what we know we should do: let such be anathema. For when the Apostle says: reason makes proud, but love creates(): it would be very impious to believe that we have the grace of God for our arrogance, but we do not have for creation; while both are the gift of God: and knowledge. what is proper to do, and love for the good that is proper to do, so that with creative love the mind cannot be puffed up. For as it is written from God: teach a man to reason(): this is also written: love is from God().

127. It is also determined: if anyone says that the grace of justification was given to us in order that we might more conveniently fulfill what is possible for fulfillment of free will through grace, as if we had not accepted the grace of God, although with inconvenience, we could still fulfill the Divine commandments without it, - let such be anathema. For the Lord did not say about the fruits of the commandments: Without Me you can work inconveniently, but he said: without me you can do nothing().

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble ().

reverend: “Every God-fearing soul faces two great feats: the first is to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, because there is no possibility for anyone to enter the path of salvation, and even more so to walk along it, if he does not receive in advance the mysterious grace of the All-Holy Spirit, the second is more difficult so as not to lose this grace, received with many sweats and labors ... And this great feat, so as not to lose God's grace, which has already been received, lies before our soul until our last breath.

Professor A. Delikostopoulos

divine grace – it is a gift, love, favor and help that God brings to man according to His mercy and goodness. This is a great power, which is of decisive importance for the spiritual rebirth of a person in the feat of life and virtue. Divine grace is given to everyone as a gift. This is not a payment or a reward for the good deeds, labors and sacrifices of a person. This gift comes from the sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection of the Lord and is given by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the rebirth that divine grace brings to man, and the spiritual fruits of life in Christ, are bestowed by the Holy Spirit.

Holy Scripture, through the Apostle Paul, testifies to this very clearly: “If by grace, then not by works”(Rom. 11:6) and “the grace of God and the gift of the grace of one man Jesus Christ abounds for many”(Rom. 5:15).

Our redemption, which the Redeemer accomplished objectively in history, must become subjective and personal for each of us who make "with fear and trembling your salvation"(Philippians 2:12). This assimilation is carried out by the life-giving and saving action of the Holy Spirit.

This subjective assimilation of redemption must not and cannot be conceived as external, mechanical and magical. Against. This is the result of two factors - divine and human, i.e. the grace of the Holy Spirit, on the one hand, and the free cooperation of man, on the other. In this meeting, of course, the divine factor always precedes and dominates. It should be emphasized that under the word "cooperation" the Fathers of the Church understand the active participation of the human will in the process of sanctifying a person and, in general, his salvation.

Thus, on the one hand, the all-good God, by His grace, performs the calling, enlightenment, repentance and conversion of the sinner, and then his justification, rebirth and sanctification in the Church on the basis of the redemptive work of the Savior. And on the other hand, a free person, having accepted the grace that is given to him, freely contributes to the cause of his own salvation by his right faith and good deeds. It should be emphasized that this is done, as Holy Scripture teaches us, "faith working love"(Gal. 5, 6) and thus we avoid any mechanical or magical moment in the justification and salvation of man.

Indeed, God wants salvation for all people, “desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”(1 Tim. 2:4). However, not everyone is saved either because of the abuse of their autocracy, or because God saves with His love only those who freely desire to fulfill His will and commandments. Thus these two factors, divine and human, work together harmoniously in our subjective appropriation of redemption, for which they are both necessary.

divine grace – it is a manifestation of God's benevolence and love for man, and it constitutes the saving power of God, by which, as we said, He puts at the disposal of man the redemptive work of the Lord, cultivates life in Christ and prepares it for eternity. Its main content and essence is that it is given as a gift for the sake of the atoning work and sacrifice of the Savior, in connection with which it is called grace arising from the redemptive feat of the Lord.

Atonement is made by the commandment of the Father by the Son, and its fruits are bestowed upon mankind by the Holy Spirit. Holy Scripture and our Church attribute faith, justification, sanctification, repentance, and the accomplishment of every good and God-pleasing deed and everything that happens in the Church, to the power and action of the Holy Spirit, which constitutes the life-giving principle and soul of the Church, for "The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us"(Rom. 5:5). And St. Gregory the Theologian in this place emphasizes: “And from our Spirit is rebirth, and from rebirth is re-creation, and from re-creation is the knowledge of the dignity of the re-creator.”

Divine grace, as we say below, is necessary for a person, is given as a gift, is universal, but not compulsory.

Divine grace, which is bestowed by the Holy Spirit, is absolutely necessary for the salvation of man, because none of us can be saved without it by our own strength. According to Basil the Great, "in the grace of God is salvation." Man's participation and cooperation in the work of his own salvation is not passive. He does not mechanically and magically accept the action of divine grace. His involvement is active and essential. Divine grace is absolutely necessary for man to be delivered from original sin and all its consequences.

The rescue – it is a gift of divine love. A person is worthy of divine grace not for his own deeds, but for the goodness of God. Any human beneficence cannot serve as a meritorious basis for receiving divine help, which is bestowed by the favor and good pleasure of God. Not by the works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy, He saved us "the bath of resurrection and renewal by the Holy Spirit"(Tit. 3, 5). Those. God saved us not because of the goodness we have done, but because of His mercy, by the water of baptism, in which the Holy Spirit regenerates and renews us. Here it should be emphasized that a person who does moral good can more easily receive the salvation that is granted to him. By doing good, a person is prepared to receive salvation, becomes more receptive to it. There is a huge gulf between sin and grace. Only with the help of divine power can a person pass into the power of grace. Divine grace is a gift that freely gives the love of God to man.

Divine grace is universal, but not compulsory. It is freely given to all people. According to St. John Chrysostom, "grace is poured out on everyone ... with the same calling honor." It should be noted that the action of divine grace is not coercive and does not violate the free will and actions of man. They harmoniously interact in such a way that one leans on the other, and together they make the salvation of man. Again, according to Chrysostom, “when it comes to salvation in the literal sense of the word, we accept the action of both: ours and God's. Human freedom, under the influence of divine grace, becomes the indispensable receiving organ of salvation in Christ. Without one or the other, it is impossible to achieve subjective salvation.

It should be noted that "many are called, but few are chosen"(Matthew 20:16). In other words, many are called to salvation, however, by not responding to this call, they themselves are condemned, while the elect are people who have responded to the call and left the world of perdition. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”(Rev. 3:20). As soon as a person freely wants to hear the voice and open the door, God enters and begins the work of saving the person. For, according to Basil the Great, “where there is ready will, there is no obstacle, for the one who calls is philanthropic, the servant is zealous and grace is abundant.”

Divine grace, being universal, is bestowed upon all people, calls them to salvation, assists and helps them in the accomplishment of every good deed. And if only a few of the many who have been called remain elected, then this is explained only by the free will of a person, which, heeding the call, enters the kingdom of grace, and, rejecting it, falls away from grace.

Here two words should be said about the predestination of man in connection with the will of God. Everything that happens in the world presupposes time and is accomplished by the eternal will and will of God. As for redemption, it is the fulfillment of the eternal will of God in time. In connection with the above, the fact that some accept and others do not accept the teaching Christian faith does not escape the eternal foreknowledge of God. As we have already said, before the creation of the world, God predestined some to eternal life, and others to eternal damnation.

Predestination is not arbitrary and absolute, but relative, because it is determined by the faith and life of people. Future believers, whom God foresees, are predestined to eternal life, and unbelieving and corrupted ones are predestined to condemnation. Predestination is based on the foreknowledge of God, however, the freedom of man is not eliminated. Thus, since a person's predestination depends on human conditions and activities, one cannot be sure in advance either that he will remain in the power of grace, or that he is predestined to salvation and eternal life.

Our Church, Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers clearly teach about the universality of grace, about the call to all people and about relative predestination in connection with the freedom of man. Relative predestination is based on divine foreknowledge, since, on the one hand, God, whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son(Rom. 8:29), and on the other hand, "who thinks that he is standing, beware not to fall"(1 Cor. 10:12). Those. he who seems to be firm in faith, let him be careful not to fall.

The freedom of man plays an essential role in his salvation and the acquisition of eternal life. However, there is no doubt that the relation of human freedom to the Divine Absolute exceeds the possibilities of its understanding by a person of all epochs, and, consequently, modern. The antinomy which the human mind cannot comprehend is how the grace of God, being absolute, nevertheless depends on human freedom. Theoretically, man cannot understand how human freedom, acting in relation to God, does not harm the Divine Absolute. As an answer, one can cite the consideration that the omnipotence of God respects human freedom, which is the basis of the existence of the moral world. Without the freedom of the individual, the system of the moral world collapses, and a moral act is no longer of any value. Orthodoxy, avoiding the Protestant absurdity of "absolute predestination", gives a person the opportunity to assimilate the grace of God by contemplating the vast horizon of moral freedom.

b) The operation of Divine grace

Divine grace, bringing a person to life in Christ, justifies him, sanctifies him, and makes him heir to the eternal kingdom. It enlightens and strengthens the natural forces of man on the path to salvation. The latter is preceded by a vocation, conversion to Christ, i.e. preparation for justification, after which comes justification, sanctification, and glory. The Apostle Paul makes this point very clear: “Whom he called, those he also justified, and whom he justified, those he also glorified”(Rom. 8:30).

Before proceeding to the disclosure of the processes of the action of divine grace, let us cite two passages from the epistles of the Apostle Paul regarding the fruits of divine grace. "The fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth"(Eph. 5:9). In other words, the fruits that the Holy Spirit produces in the souls enlightened by Him manifest outwardly in the form of kindness, justice, and love for the truth. In another epistle, the Apostle Paul emphasizes: “The fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”(Gal. 5:22-23). The mentioned fruits form the basis of the virtues that a person reborn by divine grace reveals.

c) Righteousness, Salvation, and Sanctification

The first act of divine grace is the call of man to repentance and faith, i.e. call to salvation. The Apostle Paul says: “Rise, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”(Eph. 5:14), i.e. rise from the sleep of sin and rise from the death into which you are cast by sin, and God will illuminate you with light. Divine grace awakens the sinner from the sinful sleep and calls to God in order to enlighten, revive and save him.

A person, no matter how sinful he may be, no matter how grave and great his sins, responding to the call, gets rid of the burden of guilt, receives redemption from condemnation, is saved from divine wrath, is justified. By his repentance, by his faith, from a sinner and a criminal, a person becomes righteous before God, reconciles with him, acquires a calm conscience and is worthy of the Kingdom of God. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"(Rom. 5:1).

Calling is a necessary condition for justification, because rebirth is always preceded by repentance or awareness of sin, tenderness. “Hearing this, they were pricked in their hearts” (Acts 2:37-38), i.e. having heard the word of God, they realized their guilt, and their hearts were seized with sadness and tenderness.

Justification produced a significant change in man, atoning for sin and guilt and determining the beginning of a new holy and righteous life. On the one hand, we have received the forgiveness of sins, and on the other – consecration. Righteousness leads to salvation. A person is saved, justified by his faith and good works. Having been justified by the grace of God and the sacraments of the Church, if he dies immediately after justification, he is considered saved, going the way of salvation to heaven. However, the justified one, continuing to live and strive on the path of God's grace, if he does not fall away from it, is also considered the heir to eternal life, which depends on justification. Justification, salvation and sanctification should not be divided into stages of time, because they are sides of one act. Just as the light of the rising sun drives away darkness, so the divine grace enters a person who has received justification, sanctifies him and cleanses him from all sin.

It should be noted that, according to the teaching of our Church, the remission of sins is their actual blotting out, and the justified becomes directly a child of the Kingdom of God. And if in worldly life the judge, justifying the defendant, does not make him righteous, but simply declares him outwardly innocent, then in the realm of grace, God “does not consider” the justified person to be righteous, but “makes him righteous.”

The inclination to sin that remains in a justified person is not considered sin, since the will of a person does not yield to it. It should be emphasized that the corruption of the will, which constitutes the beginning and basis of sin, is completely eliminated in the kingdom of grace, and the regenerated will is already turned to God, sanctified in the progress of good. The words and expressions with which Holy Scripture describes justification leave no doubt that we are in front of real justification, and the contact of justification and sanctification is internal.

The new life in Christ is not separated from justification, but is organically connected with it, since the Holy Spirit and love, which constitute the principle of this life and its life-giving form, are given in justification and manifest themselves in the subsequent virtuous life of a Christian.

Sanctification through the habitation of divine grace, constituting a spiritual change, holy disposition and good conviction, strengthens the faith of a person, his love and is manifested in joy and doing good. Sanctification is the essence of justification, and justification, insofar as it rests on the free will of man, differentiated in each man, is susceptible to development and progress. Thus we have different degrees of justification and sanctification, different degrees of moral character, and different degrees of glory in the kingdom of God. These degrees depend on the degree of progress in the moral life and doing good, since the justified one, abusing his free will, can fall away from the grace of God through sin. The feat for the sake of salvation goes through all life and requires from a Christian, especially an Orthodox Christian, constant vigilance in moral perfection, requires a prayerful request from the Lord to “forgiveness of debts” of him. The presence of sins, simple or mortal, is the basis for the believer's concern for his salvation and falling away from the grace of God. None of us knows what will happen tomorrow in this feat of moral perfection. However, faith in the redemptive work of the Lord, in the limitless power of divine grace, and in God's love for us gives us a solid foundation to wage a constant struggle, in which we must be sure that with God's help we will win.

d) Right faith and good works as conditions of justification

The Holy Fathers of the Church teach that right faith and good deeds are the two necessary conditions for the justification of a person, and it is precisely both together, in addition to redemptive power or retribution. According to St. John of Damascus, “Faith without works is dead. It is the same with deeds without faith, for true faith is tested by deeds. According to Orthodox teaching, faith and deeds cannot be separated from each other, for both are integral elements of one and the same deed. One presupposes and contains the other.

In the third and fourth chapters of the first part of our book, we revealed the topic of faith and its content on an Orthodox basis. Here we can say that faith is not just the acceptance of the truths of Christianity, but devotion to the Savior combined with the acceptance of saving truths and gospel events. It is quite obvious that this kind of faith is not just a work of the mind, but, above all, a moral work that involves the activity of the will. Faith associated with repentance has moral properties that are perfected by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit, which is the beginning of life in Christ. faith – it is the firm conviction that Christ is the sinner's only Savior and Redeemer. This faith, being a perfect and whole-hearted devotion to Christ and His Church, manifests itself as a complete and perfect observance and application of Christ's commandments, especially about love. Faith is the beginning of Christian living, while love – its top.

Faith is closely connected with love, the necessary manifestations and fruits of which are good deeds. Right and living faith contains the truth and life in Christ, i.e. good works, the absence of which makes this faith false and hypocritical. It is quite obvious that righteous faith is inextricably linked with love, which is the essential image of faith, and they are separated from each other only in the imagination, and not in reality. The essence of good deeds is based on love for God and neighbor. Therefore, good deeds, as a necessary expression of love, are connected with justification and salvation. Good deeds are necessary manifestations of love. It should be emphasized here that the non-manifestation of love due to the lack of a reason or material means for its manifestation has the same moral value as the manifestation. It is the intention that constitutes the creative power of love, and not just the result. On the basis of the foregoing, one can formulate the Orthodox position in such a way that a person is justified by faith urged on by love. Justification is the product of living faith united with love, or working through love, because "A man is justified by works, and not by faith alone"(James 2:24) and "in Christ Jesus ... has power ... faith working through love"(Gal. 5, 6). According to the Apostle Paul, the connection of faith with love is essential: “If I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing”(1 Cor. 13:2). Faith that justifies a person breathes into him the spirit of adoption, pours into his heart the love of God, and is based on the death of the Lord on the cross and His resurrection as the highest proof of God's love for man and evidence of the greatness of the Lord.

We believe that the sinner is saved by the sacrifice of Christ, faith in Him and His good deeds, and not someone else's. Orthodox teaching lies between the two extremes mentioned above. It accepts works in their organic unity with faith and as the fruits of this faith and the Holy Spirit. Our Church teaches that deeds in themselves do not deserve a reward, and not only do they justify a person, but only those that are united with faith and are under the influence of divine grace. The good works we do are not the cause of our justification, because we “we are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption in Christ Jesus”(Rom. 3:24). Any good we do, we do because we must do it in fulfillment of our duty. “When you have done everything that was commanded to you, say that we are worthless slaves, because we did what we had to do”(Luke 17:10).

According to Orthodox teaching, there is an inner connection between faith and deeds. In accordance with faith, the preparation and assistance of a person on the path of justification and sanctification through faith and good deeds, the Orthodox Church allows various degrees of justification and sanctification (Matt. 20:1-16) and, accordingly, various degrees of glory in the Kingdom of Heaven. Basil the Great speaks clearly about this: "Everyone is measured according to faith." Athanasius the Great also cites the case of a believer falling away from divine grace due to serious and mortal sins, for “he is no longer in God, since the holy and comforting Spirit has departed from him in God.” And the Apostle Paul, as we have already mentioned, emphasizes the need for constant vigilance, saying: "Whoever thinks he is standing, beware not to fall"(1 Cor. 10:12).

Here it is pertinent to note that all the aforementioned dogmatic teaching Orthodox Church about divine grace and the acquisition of salvation, as well as about salvation in Christ, incarnation, sacrifice on the cross, descent into hell, resurrection, ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father, on the one hand, has already entered Orthodox worship in the form of church hymns of great beauty and poetic charm, on the other hand, it has been nurtured with love by the pious fullness of the Church through the ages. The entire content of the Orthodox dogmatic teaching is found in everyday worship and through hymns becomes available to the believer of any era, various spiritual abilities and varying degrees faith.

a disinterested gift, favor as a result of pure benevolence. In theology, participation in the divine life. The theological problem of grace lies in the question: can it be the result of internal perfection, virtuous behavior of a person (Catholic concept) or is it completely independent of our efforts, being a purely divine help, on which we have no influence, like fate (Protestant concept , also the concept of Jansenism). The question, then, is what determines the efficacy of grace: human action or divine choice. Grace is the only miracle in the proper sense of the word, for the true miracle is the inner miracle of conversion (and not the outer miracles, which can only amaze the imagination and always remain rather dubious).

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Grace

Like many terms, the word "grace" has many nuances and connotations that it is hardly necessary to list here. Therefore, in our article we will consider its main meaning. Grace is an undeserved gift freely given to man by God. Such an understanding not only lies at the foundation of Christian theology, but also forms the core of all truly Christian experience. In discussing this concept, it is important to distinguish between general (basic, universal) and special (saving, regenerating) grace if we are to form a correct idea of ​​the relationship between divine grace and the human condition.

General grace. Common grace is so called because it is a gift common to all mankind. Her gifts are available to all, without any discrimination. The order of creation reflects the mind and care of the Creator, who provides support for what He created. The Eternal Son, through whom all things were created, holds all things "with the spruce of his power" (Heb 1:23; John 1:14). The gracious care of God for his creatures is visibly manifested in the succession of the seasons, sowing and harvesting. Jesus reminded us that God "commands his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Mt 5:45). The Creator's nurturing concern for His creation is what we mean when we talk about divine providence.

Another aspect of common grace is evident in the divine management of the life of human society. Society is under the rule of sin. If God did not maintain the world, he would long ago have come to chaotic lawlessness and destroyed himself. That the greater part of mankind lives in conditions of relative order in family, political, and international life, we owe to the generosity and goodness of God. Ap. Paul teaches that civil government, with its authorities, is ordained by God, and "whoever opposes authority opposes God's institution." The apostle even calls worldly rulers and rulers over the people "God's servants," for they are entrusted with overseeing the preservation of order and decency in society. As soon as the "rulers" in the interests of peace and justice carry the sword "as a punishment for the one who does evil," then they are endowed with authority "from God." Note that the state, among the citizens of krogo, proudly considered himself an ap. Paul, was pagan and at times severely persecuted all those who disagreed with the policy of the empire, and its rulers subsequently executed the apostle himself (Rom. 13:1).

Thanks to common grace, a person retains the ability to distinguish between truth and untruth, truth and falsehood, justice and injustice, and, moreover, is aware of his responsibility not only to his neighbors, but to God, his Creator. In other words, man, as a rational and responsible being, has a consciousness of his own dignity. He must lovingly obey God and serve his fellowmen. The consciousness of man as a creature created in the image of God is the focus in which not only his respect for himself and others is concentrated, but also reverence for God.

It is to the action of common grace that we must gratefully ascribe God's unfailing concern for His creation, for He constantly provides for the needs of His creatures, does not allow human society to become completely intolerant and ungovernable, and enables fallen humanity to live together in conditions of relative order, so that people give each other mutual indulgence and common efforts contributed to the development of civilization.

Special grace. Through special grace, God delivers, sanctifies, and glorifies his people. Unlike general grace, special grace is given only to those whom God has chosen to live forever by faith in His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. It is on special grace that the salvation of a Christian depends: “All this is from God, who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself…” (2 Corinthians 5:18). The regenerating grace of God has an inner dynamic that not only saves, but transforms and revives those whose lives are broken and meaningless. This is convincingly shown by the example of Saul, the persecutor of Christians. He was transformed and became Paul, an apostle, who said of himself: “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace in me was not in vain, but I labored more than all of them [the other apostles]; not I, however, but the grace of God, who is with me" (1 Cor 15:10). By the action of the grace of God, not only the conversion of a person to Christ is accomplished, but the entire course of his ministry and wandering. For the sake of convenience, we will continue to speak about special grace in the way it is customary in theology, i.e. proceeding from the aspects of its action and manifestation, and distinguishing accordingly between preliminary, effective, irresistible and sufficient grace.

Prevenient grace is the very first. It precedes every human decision. When we talk about grace, we mean that the initiative always belongs to God, that the action of God in relation to sinners in need of help is primary. Grace does not begin with us, it originates in God; we have not earned or deserved it, it is freely and lovingly given to us. Ap. John says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Let us love Him, because He first loved us” (1 Jn 4:10,19). God was the first to show his love for us by graciously sending us deliverance just when we had no love for him. Ap. Paul says: "... God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. But the will of the Father who sent Me is that of what He gave Me, not to destroy anything, but everything then raise on the last day" (John 6:37,39; cf. 17:2,6,9,12,24). There is no such force in the entire universe, the edge could destroy the action of the special grace of God. The Good Shepherd says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:2728). Everything, from beginning to end, exists by the grace of the almighty God (2 Cor 5:18,21). The fullness of our redemption has already been reached and sealed in Christ. "For those whom He [God] foreknew, He also predestined (to be) conformed to the image of His Son... and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (Rom. 8:2930). The grace of God in Christ Jesus has an active character, it now and forever achieves redemption; this is a guarantee for every Christian and should give rise to great confidence in us. All Christians must be filled with unshakable confidence in the redemptive work of grace, for "the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those who are his" (2 Tim 2:19). Since the grace of redemption is the grace of God, the Christian can be absolutely sure that "he who began a good work in you will do (it) even until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). The special grace of God is never in vain (1 Cor 15:10).

Irresistible grace cannot be denied. The idea of ​​the irresistibility of special grace is closely related to what we have already said about the efficacy of grace. The act of God always reaches the goal to which it is directed; similarly, His act cannot be rejected. Most people at first blindly resist the action of the redemptive grace of God, like Saul of Tarsus, who went "against" his conscience (Acts 26:14). However, he also understood that God not only called him by his grace, but also chose him "from the womb" (Gal. 1:15). Indeed, those who are Christ's are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). Creation was irresistibly brought to completion by the almighty word and will of God; so the new creation in Christ is irresistibly completed through the almighty word and will. God the Creator and God the Redeemer. So says ap. Paul: "... God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness [in the process of creation, Genesis 1:35], illumined our hearts to enlighten us with the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [i.e. in the new creation]" (2 Cor4:6). The regenerating act of God in the believing heart, due to the fact that it is God's act, cannot be rejected, just as it is impossible to destroy this act.

Sufficient grace is sufficient to save the believer here, now, and forever and ever. Its sufficiency also springs from the infinite power and goodness of God. Those who draw near to Him through Christ, He saves completely and perfectly (Heb. 7:25). The Cross is the only place of forgiveness and reconciliation, for the blood of Jesus, shed for us, cleanses from all sin and from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:7,9); He is the propitiation not only for our sins, but "for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). Moreover, when the trials and tribulations of this life come upon us, the grace of the Lord is always sufficient for us (2 Cor. we say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid, what will a man do to me?” (13:56; see also Ps 117:6).

Many people, heeding the call of the Good News, cannot respond to it with repentance and faith, and remain in their unbelief. But this does not mean that in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, offered on the cross, there is k.l. failure. It is entirely their fault, and they are condemned because of their unbelief (John 3:18). One cannot speak of divine grace in terms of quantity, as if it is sufficient only for those whom God justifies, or as if to go beyond one's own limits would be to squander grace and to some extent annul the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The grace of God is boundless, it cannot be otherwise, for it is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Therefore, it is all-sufficient. No matter how much we draw from her, her river remains full (Ps. 64:10). If we talk about it quantitatively, then for those who reject the universal offer of the Good News, it becomes invalid, and people reject what is not available to them even to reject. And this, in turn, leaves no grounds for their condemnation, for as unbelievers they are already condemned (John 3:18). More in line with the spirit of Scripture is the proposal to distinguish between the sufficiency and effectiveness (or efficiency) of special grace (although it is absurd to imagine that this distinction can reveal the secret of God's mercy to His creatures). According to this distinction, grace is sufficient for all, but effective (or effective) only for those whom God has justified by faith.

It is extremely important to remember that the operation of divine grace is the deepest mystery, beyond the limited human understanding. We are not puppets for God, the roofs have neither mind nor will. The human dignity of individuals who are responsible to God, He never tramples or despise. And how could it be otherwise, if God Himself endowed us with this dignity? According to Christ's commandment, the good news of divine grace is freely proclaimed throughout the world (Acts 1:8; Mt 28:19). Those who turn away from it do so by choice and condemn themselves, for they "loved the darkness more than the light" (John 3:19,36). Those who gratefully accept it are fully aware of their personal responsibility (John 1:12; 3:16), but at the same time they give glory only to God, for they miraculously owe their redemption in all its fullness to the grace of God, and not to ourselves. Before this wonderful, but mysterious and incomprehensible reality, we can only exclaim after St. Paul: "Oh, the abyss of riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! how incomprehensible are His judgments and unsearchable are His ways! For all things come from Him, to Him and to Him. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:33,36).

R. E. Hughes Smith, The Biblical Doctrine of Grace; 3. Moffatt, Grace in the NT; N. P. Williams, The Grace of God; H.H. Esser, NIDNTT, II, 115 ff.; H. Conzelmann and W. Zimmerli, TDNT, IX, 372 ff.; ?. Jauncey, The Doctrine of Grace; T.E Torranee, The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

1. Types of grace
It is used in Holy Scripture with different meanings. Sometimes it denotes God's mercy in general: God is "the God of all grace" (1 Pet. 5:10). In this broadest sense, grace is good will to people worthy of life at all times of mankind, in particular - to the righteous of the Old Testament, such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, the prophet Moses and later prophets.

In a more precise sense, the concept of grace refers to the New Testament. There are two main meanings of this concept:

1) all the economy of our salvation, accomplished by the coming of the Son of God to earth, His earthly life, death on the cross, resurrection and ascension to heaven: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, God's gift; not from works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2 , 8-9) ( justifying grace)

2) the gifts of the Holy Spirit sent down to the Church of Christ for the sanctification of its members, for their spiritual growth and for their attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the power of the Holy Spirit, penetrating into the inner being of a person, leading to his spiritual perfection and salvation. This - saving, sanctifying grace.

The Church has another special gift of grace. It is neither justifying nor sanctifying grace.

The difference between the gifts of this special grace and the first two:

Grace justifying and sanctifying is given to every person, for his salvation in particular. Special gifts of grace are given to a person not for himself, but for the benefit of the Church.

We read about these gifts in the Apostle Paul:

“The gifts are different, but the Spirit is the same; and the ministries are different, but the Lord is one and the same; and the actions are different, but God is one and the same, working everything in everyone. But everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; miracles to another, prophecy to another, discernment of spirits to another, different languages, a different interpretation of tongues. All these things are done by one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one individually as He pleases” (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

2. The Misunderstanding of Grace

The difference between the indicated meanings of the word "grace" and the prevailing understanding of it in the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament as a divine power is important to keep in mind because in Protestantism the doctrine of grace was established in the general meaning of the great work of our redemption from sin through the Savior's feat on the cross, after which (according to them) a person who believes and has received the remission of sins is already among the saved. Meanwhile The apostles teach us that the Christian, having been justified freely, by the common grace of redemption, is in this life individually only "saved"(1 Cor. 1:18) and requiring the support of grace-filled forces. We "by faith have gained access to that grace in which we stand" (Rom. 5:21); "we are saved in hope" (Rom. 8:24).

3. Man's Salvation Is Impossible Without the Work of Grace

The Church teaches that man's salvation is possible only with the help of God's grace, and he receives this grace in the holy sacraments.

St. Theophan the Recluse writes:

"... the grace of the Holy Spirit can be given and received in no other way than through the sacraments established by the Lord Himself in the Church by the hands of the apostles."

3 Ecumenical Council of Ephesus confirmed the condemnation of the Pelagian heresy, which taught that a person can be saved by his own strength, without the need to have God's grace.

Just as a person who does not have a soul is dead to this world, so he who does not have the grace of the Holy Spirit is dead to God; and it is by no means impossible that he should have a residence in Heaven.

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons:

Just as dry earth, without receiving moisture, does not bear fruit, so we, who were previously a withered tree, could never bear the fruits of life without grace-filled rain from above ... Therefore, we need the dew of God so that we do not burn and become barren.

Venerable Macarius of Egypt:

The five mental, spiritual senses, if they receive grace from above and the sanctity of the Spirit, really become wise virgins who receive grace-filled wisdom from above. And if they remain with one of their natures, then they become holy fools and turn out to be children of the world; because they have not put off the spirit of the world, although they themselves, according to certain probabilities and outward appearances, think that they are the Brides of the Bridegroom. Like souls who have cleaved entirely to the Lord, they abide in Him in thought, they offer up prayers to Him, they walk with Him, and long for the love of the Lord; so, on the contrary, souls who have given themselves up to love for the world and wished to have their dwelling place on earth, walk there, dwell there in thought, and their mind lives there. Therefore, they are not inclined to the good wisdom of the spirit, as to something unusual for our nature, but by this I mean heavenly grace, which needs to enter into the composition and unity with our nature, so that we can enter with the Lord into the heavenly chamber of the kingdom and improve eternal salvation.

Unless heavenly clouds and blessed rains appear from above, the working farmer will not be successful in anything.

Saint John Chrysostom:

Let us convince ourselves that, even if we use diligence thousands of times, we will never be able to do good deeds if we do not use help from above.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

Without grace, the soul is like parched earth.

Venerable Simeon the New Theologian:

“Just as our human nature comes out into the light of the world under the partial curse of Adam, so it comes out into the light of the Kingdom of God (from the font of Baptism) partaking of the blessing of Jesus Christ. And if it does not partake of the Divine nature of Christ, if it does not receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, then can neither think nor do anything worthy of the Kingdom of God, cannot fulfill a single commandment given to us by Christ (to be sons of the Kingdom), because Christ works everything in all who call on His holy Name. descended into him, as into God, the Holy Spirit, abiding in Him from Whom He did not depart, and so that later, through unity with Him, the Divinity would unite with every person who communicates with Him and combines into one, that is, into the will of God, all thoughts and desires their own. This is the resurrection of the soul during life."

St. rights. John of Kronstadt:

What is grace? The good power of God, given to a person who believes and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ or the Holy Trinity, purifying, sanctifying, enlightening, helping in doing good and moving away from evil, comforting and encouraging in misfortunes, sorrows and illnesses, guaranteeing in obtaining eternal blessings prepared by God in heaven to His chosen ones. Whether someone was proud, proud, angry, envious, but became meek and humble, self-sacrificing for the glory of God and the good of his neighbor, benevolent to everyone, indulgent, yielding without indulgence - he became such by the power of grace. Whoever was an unbeliever, but became a believer and a zealous executor of the precepts of faith - he became such by the power of grace. Whether someone was a money-lover, mercenary and unjust, hard-hearted towards the poor, but, having changed in the depths of his soul, became non-possessive, truthful, generous, compassionate - he owes this to the power of the grace of Christ. Whether someone was a glutton, a poly-eater and a multi-drinker, but became an abstainer, fasting, not because of illness or awareness of harm to the body of intemperance, but from the awareness of a moral, higher goal - he became such by the power of grace. If someone was a hater and vindictive, vengeful, but suddenly became philanthropic, loving the enemies themselves, ill-wishers and scoffers, not remembering any insults - he became such by the regenerating, transforming and renewing power of grace. Has anyone been cold towards God, towards the temple, towards Divine service, towards prayer, in general towards the sacraments of faith, which purify and strengthen our souls and bodies, and suddenly, having changed in the soul, he became ardent towards God, towards Divine service, towards prayer, reverent towards the sacraments - he became so by the action of the saving grace of God. This shows that many live outside grace, not realizing its importance and necessity for themselves and not seeking it, according to the word of the Lord: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Many live in all abundance and contentment, enjoy flourishing health, enjoy eating, drinking, walking, amusing themselves, composing, working but different parts or industries human activity but they do not have the grace of God in their hearts, this priceless Christian treasure, without which a Christian cannot be a true Christian and heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.

4. Prevenient grace

So, according to the teachings of the Church, it is impossible for a person who lives by worldly thoughts and aspirations to turn to God himself, to wish and seek salvation. In order to awaken him spiritually, the light of Divine grace enlightens him, calling him to faith and repentance. This - prevenient and enlightening grace.

V Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs about prevenient grace it says:

“She is like a light that enlightens those who walk in darkness. She guides, hastens to those who seek her, and not to those who oppose her. Delivers to them the knowledge of Divine truth. It teaches you to do good that is pleasing to God.

St. Theophan the Recluse writes about action in a person prevenient grace and then - saving (contributing) grace:

“That person lives in a state of falling away from God, who only lives for himself and does not think about God and heaven, or, according to David: he does not offer God before him (Ps. 53:5; 85:14). Such a person usually has all his concern for something of his own: either about knowledge, or about art, or about a position, or about a family, or, even worse, about the enjoyment and satisfaction of some passion; he does not think about the future life, but tries to arrange the present in such a way as to live calmly and, as it were, forever; he does not turn inward, therefore he does not know his state and the consequences that will be from his life, but he always considers himself to be something great and is driven forward by vain care ... he sometimes does good deeds, but they are all properties of the soul (Last. Vost. Patr., 3 members), imbued with his general spirit of pride, which takes away their true value. ... the unconverted one remains in this state for the time being, no matter how sometimes, apparently, strictly he starts to analyze himself and his life, he cannot convince himself that his deeds are worthless and evil. Satan, who possesses a person through sin, lives in a person along with his selfhood, strikes his spirit with all his might like a lethargic sleep. Therefore, he is afflicted with blindness, insensibility and negligence.

A person who is in such a state cannot feel himself until the light of Divine grace shines in his sinful darkness. Satan brings darkness on him, entangles him in his nets, from which no one will arise without admonition from above (2 Tim. 2, 26). No one can come to Me, says the Lord, unless the Father, who sent Me, draws him... Everyone who has heard from the Father and is familiar will come to Me (John 6:44, 45). Therefore, the Lord Himself stands at the door of the heart and pushes, as if saying: Arise, sleep, and rise from the dead (Rev. 3:20; Eph. 5:14).

This voice of God calling comes to the sinner either directly, directly to the heart, or indirectly, mainly through the Word of God, and often through various external events in nature and in the life of himself and others.. But it always falls on conscience, awakens it and, like lightning, illuminates (clearly presents to consciousness) all the legal relations of a person that he has violated and perverted. Therefore, this action of grace is always revealed by strong anxiety of the spirit, confusion, fear for oneself and self-contempt. However, it does not forcibly attract a person, but only stops him on the vicious path, after which the person is completely powerful either to turn to God, or again to wallow in the darkness of self-love. In the parable of the prodigal son, this state is expressed by the words: I have come in myself (Luke 15:17).

In a person who has heeded (not opposing) the action of grace, calling and enlightening his inner darkness, a special ability is revealed to vividly perceive revealed truths, as if some special hearing and understanding of the heart: eyes are opened (Acts 26, 18), the spirit of wisdom acts in knowledge truth (Eph. 1:17). ... Under the influence of grace, the heart feeds on them, taking them into itself, completely assimilating and retaining them in itself ... At the same time ... the one who converts experiences two kinds of changes: some are difficult and joyless, others lighten and calm the soul. However, according to the state of the convert, first of all, with all its burden, the law leans on him and tortures him as the culprit. A series of changes of this kind in the heart constitutes the totality of repentant feelings.

In this order, the knowledge of sins comes first. The law shows a person all the actions that are obligatory for him, or the commandments of God, and consciousness represents a whole field of actions that are contrary to them, with the assurance that they could not be, that everything is a matter of his freedom and is often allowed by him with the consciousness of their illegality. The consequence of this is an internal conviction of a person in all omissions and violations: a person feels himself fully guilty before God, inexcusable, unrequited. From here, further, painful, mournful, crushing feelings about sins are crowded in the heart from different sides: contempt for oneself and indignation at one's evil arbitrariness, because oneself is to blame for everything; shame that he had brought himself to such a humiliating state; painful fear and expectation of close evils because he offended God, the almighty and most righteous, with his sins; finally, a confused feeling of helplessness and hopelessness completes the defeat: a person would like to shake off all this evil from himself, but it seems to have grown together with him; I would even like to die in order to rise in a better condition, but I have no power to do so. Then a person from the depths of his soul begins to cry out: what will I do, what will I do! - how the people cried out from the denunciations of John the Baptist (Luke 3:10, 12, 14) and from the words of the Apostle Peter, after the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37). Here everyone, even if he be a ruler or some other famous person in the world, feels that he is caught by the judgment of God and is completely subject to His power, that he is a worm, and not a man, a reproach to people and a humiliation of people (Ps. 21:7), that is, all human selfhood turns to dust and the consciousness of obedience to God is resurrected, or the feeling of dependence on Him is complete, inevitable.

Such feelings are immediately ready to bear their fruit - to arouse, that is, to obedience to God or, in the present case, to correct and begin new life by the will of God. ... Here, on the one hand, faith comes to him in timely help, and on the other, a grace-filled power that helps in doing any good.

... A sinner constrained by the strict denunciation of the law cannot find consolation anywhere except the Gospel - the sermon about Christ the Savior, who came into the world to save sinners.

... The top of the perfection of faith is the liveliest personal conviction that the Lord saved both everyone and me ... A person, as if destroyed by the court of the law, as he enters the realm of faith, comes to life with joy in his heart, raises his head, stricken with grief ... Until a person is convinced of mercy and the help of God, he cannot even make a determined intention to live according to the will of God (1 Pet. 1:3). Therefore, when the feeling of trustworthiness in God and God's blessings, poured into the heart by faith in the all-propitiating death of the Lord Jesus, assures him that God will not despise him, will not reject him, will not leave him with His help in fulfilling the law for the sake of the Lord; then, having established itself on this feeling, as on a stone, a person makes a decisive vow to leave everything and devote himself to the God of everything ... Here a change of will occurs: a person is in the state in which the prodigal son was when he said: having risen, I'm going.

However, this resolute intention is only a condition of life according to God, and not life itself. Life is the power to act. Spiritual life is the power to act spiritually, or according to the will of God. Such power is lost by man; therefore, until it is given to him again, he cannot live spiritually, no matter how much he thinks of intentions. That's why the outpouring of grace-filled power into the soul of the believer is essential for a truly Christian life. The true Christian life is a life of grace. A person is elevated to a holy determination, but in order for him to be able to act on it, it is necessary that grace be combined with his spirit.…"

5. How does the saving grace of God work?

In this meaning of the word, grace is the power sent from above, the power of God, which is given to us for the sake of the redemptive feat of the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in the Church of Christ, regenerating, life-giving, perfecting and leading the believing and virtuous Christian to the acquisition of salvation brought by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The grace of God renews human nature and produces restoration of human nature.

Both the spiritual birth and the further spiritual growth of a person occur through mutual assistance of two principles: one of them is the grace of the Holy Spirit; the other is a person's opening of his heart to receive it, the thirst for it, the desire to receive it., as the thirsty dry earth receives rain moisture: in other words, a personal effort to receive, store, act in the soul of Divine gifts.

The apostle Paul writes about this:

“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will much more willingly boast of my infirmities, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
(2 Cor. 12:9).

“But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace in me was not in vain.”
(1 Cor. 15:10).

holy Seraphim (Sobolev) writes about the types of grace:

"According to the teaching St. John Cassian, one must distinguish two kinds of grace: the grace of external providence through which the Lord acts throughout the world, either directly or through angels, people, and even visible nature; and grace as an inner divine power... She acted in the lives of the first people in paradise and was the source of their true knowledge, holiness and bliss. After the fall of our forefathers, she left them, and it was necessary for the Savior to incarnate, suffer, die, and rise again so that this grace would again be bestowed on people. This grace of God was poured out on us when, according to the promise of Christ, the Holy Spirit in His manifold grace descended on the apostles as truth (1 Jn. 5:6; Jn. 5:26; 16:13), as power (Acts. 1:8) and as consolation (John 14:16:26; 15:26; 16:7) or divine joy. Since then, the grace of the Holy Spirit began to be served to believers in the Church through the sacraments Baptism and Chrismation for rebirth.

As a regenerating divine power, she began to reign inside our being, in the very heart of man.. Before the appearance of this grace, as the great of St. Fathers, blessed Diadochus, sin reigned in the heart, and grace acted from outside. And after the manifestation of grace, sin acts on a person from the outside, and grace - in the heart. This, by the way, is the difference between the Old and New Testaments.

Of course, in essence we will never define what the grace of God is. St. Macarius the Great teaches that just as God is incomprehensible in His essence, so the grace of the Holy Spirit cannot be known in its essence, for it is His divine power, inseparable from God.

WITH v. Theophan the Recluse reveals the effect of saving grace in the soul of a person who has received the sacrament of baptism and become a Christian:

"... The gifts communicated, however, at this [at baptism] imprint the inner changes that must occur in the heart of those approaching the Lord before baptism and which, in fact, lay the foundation, beginning and germ of a truly Christian life. These changes are repentance and faith, as The Savior Himself also demanded of all who came to Him, saying: repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15). In baptism and (chrismation), grace enters inside, into the heart of a Christian, and then constantly abides in him, helping him to live like a Christian and ascend from strength to strength in the spiritual life.

The whole life of the believer after this flows in the following order: he, with humble humility and desire, accepts the grace-filled sanctifying means - the Word of God and the sacraments, and grace at this time produces in him various actions of enlightenment and strengthening. From this, with the continuation of the field of earthly life, the spiritual life of a Christian gradually grows and sings, ascending from strength to strength by the Lord's Spirit (2 Cor. 3, 18), until he comes to the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4, 13). Therefore, in fact, he does not have a single action that he would perform without grace and which he would not consciously attribute to it. They really relate to it both at first, for it excites, and after completion, for it gives strength. God is active in him, both to will, and to act in favor (Philippians 2:13). A person has only his own ardent desire to abide in this order of Divine preservation, in a morally good life and resolutely surrendering himself to the guidance of God.

By doctrine St. Macarius the Great, creating a new man grace works mysteriously and gradually. Grace tests human will to see if he retains his total love for God, noticing in him agreement with his actions. If in spiritual achievement the soul turns out to be virtuous, without grieving or offending grace in any way, then it penetrates “to its deepest structures and thoughts” until the whole soul is embraced by grace. He says:

“Divine grace, which in an instant can purify a person and make him perfect, begins to visit the soul gradually in order to test human will.

It is true that grace incessantly abides, takes root and acts like leaven in a person from a young age ... however, as she pleases, she differently modifies her actions in a person for his benefit. Sometimes this fire kindles and ignites more strongly, and sometimes it seems to be weaker and quieter, at other times this light kindles and shines more, sometimes it diminishes and fades ...

Although the baby is unable to do anything, or cannot go to his mother on his own legs, nevertheless, looking for his mother, he moves, screams, cries. And his mother takes pity on him; she is glad that the child with an effort and a cry is looking for her. And since the baby cannot go to her; then the mother herself, overcome by love for the baby, for his long search, comes up to him and with great tenderness takes, caresses and feeds him. The philanthropic God does the same with the soul that comes and seeks Him. But much more, prompted by His own love and His own goodness, He clings to the understanding of the soul, and, according to the Apostolic word, becomes one Spirit with it (1 Cor. 6, 7). For when the soul cleaves to the Lord, and the Lord, merciful and loving it, comes and cleaves to it, and its understanding ceaselessly already abides in the grace of the Lord, then the soul and the Lord become one spirit, one merging, one mind.

6. Causes of Grace Falling Away

Saint Maxim the Confessor:"There are four main types of God's forsaking. There is a forsaking providential, as it was with the Lord Himself, in order to save those who are forsaken by a seeming forsaking. There is an abandonment trial, as it was with Job and Joseph, to make one a pillar of courage, the other a pillar of chastity. There is abandonment spiritual education, as it was with the apostle Peter, in order to preserve in him an excess of grace with humility. And finally it happens abandonment in disgust as it was with the Jews, in order to turn them to repentance by punishment. All these types of abandonment are salvific and filled with God's goodness and love for mankind."

Rev. Macarius the Great:

“If the king, he says, puts his treasure with some beggar, then he who has accepted this treasure for safekeeping does not consider this treasure his property, but everywhere admits his poverty, not daring to squander someone else’s treasure; because he always argues with himself: this treasure not only do I have something that is not mine, but it is also given to me by a mighty king, and he will take it from me whenever he wants. So those who have the grace of God should think of themselves. grace, and they remain as they were before receiving grace from the Lord.

For there is a time when grace inflames more strongly, comforts and reposes a person; and there is a time when it diminishes and fades, as it itself builds this economy for the benefit of man.

Saint Theophan the Recluse:

“... God first gives the soul, turning from sin to the path of pleasing God, to taste all the sweetness of this new life. But then he leaves the man alone with his own powers. Grace either hides its action or recedes. This is done in order to give a person a deeper conviction that he himself is alone without grace - and the ability to deeply humble himself before himself, and before God, and before people.

“Self-value and the retreat of grace are always inseparable. The Lord averts His eyes from those who are arrogant... And the retreat of grace does not always follow a fall. There follows only cooling, bad movements and a penalty against passions, not in the sense of falling into passionate deeds, but in the sense of heart turmoil: for example, someone says an unpleasant word ... and the heart burns with anger and under.

“... One should not indulge oneself and self-willingly indulge in entertainment: for this kind of behavior drives away the grace of God. Why don't you come back?! Horror, how everything will go upside down... Save you, Lord, from this misfortune!

“Remember, you said that you couldn’t cope with your thoughts, and then you wrote that I spoiled you with my speeches, that everything was better with you before, but when you began to peer into yourself at my direction, you see one disorder: both thoughts and feelings, and desires - everything is in disarray and there is no power to bring them into any order. Here is the solution to why this is so: there is no center. But there is no center, because you have not yet decided by your consciousness and free election which side to take. The grace of God has hitherto introduced a possible order into you, and it was and is in you. But from now on, she will no longer act alone, but will wait for your decision. And if by your choice and decision you do not take the side of her, then she will completely depart from you and leave you in the hands of your will.

Ordering within you will begin only when you stand on the side of grace and make the order of life in the spirit of it an urgent law of your life.

"Grace carries the soul like a mother carries her child. When the child plays pranks, and instead of the mother, he begins to stare at other things; then the mother leaves the child alone, and hides. Noticing himself alone, the child starts screaming and calling for his mother... The mother comes again, takes the child... and the child clings even tighter to her mother's breast. So does grace. When the soul becomes conceited and forgets to think that it is carried and held on by grace, grace recedes... and leaves the soul alone... Why? - then, so that the soul would come to its senses, feel the misfortune of the apostasy of grace, and begin to cling more strongly to it and seek it. - Such a retreat is an action not of anger, but of God's admonishing love and is calledinstructive digression. Macarius the Great and others have a lot about this ... and Diodochus ... "

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt:

What does the heavy sleep of laziness and the petrified insensitivity of the heart mean during prayer or when compiling a sermon, when teaching the Law of God? This means leaving us by the grace of God, according to the wise and good intentions of God, in order to strengthen our hearts for our own free spiritual deeds. Sometimes grace carries us like children, or leads and supports us, as it were, by the hand, then it’s half the battle for us to do deeds of virtue, and sometimes it leaves us alone in our weakness, so that we don’t get lazy, but work hard and deserve the gift of grace in spirit: at this very time we must, as free beings, voluntarily show our correction and our zeal for God. To grumble at God, to deprive us of grace would be madness, for the Lord, when He wants, then He takes His grace from us, fallen and unworthy. It is necessary at this time to learn patience and bless the Lord: the Lord gave His grace, the Lord took it; as it was pleasing to the Lord, so it was done; may the name of the Lord be blessed! (Job 1:21).

Etc. Isaac Sirin:

Before contrition - pride, says the Wise (Prov. 16, 18), and before giving - humility. According to the measure of pride visible in the soul - and the measure of contrition, with which God admonishes the soul. I do not mean pride when its thought appears in the mind, or when a person is overcome by it for a while, but pride that constantly resides in a person. A proud thought will be followed by contrition, and when a person has loved pride, he no longer knows contrition.

7. The Relation of Grace to Man's Freedom

Rev. Macarius the Great:

... the human will is, as it were, an essential condition. If there is no will; God himself does nothing, although he can by His freedom. Therefore, the accomplishment of the work by the Spirit depends on the will of man.
...grace does not in the least bind his will by coercive force, and does not make him unchanging in goodness, even if he wanted to, or did not want to. On the contrary, and inherent in man God's power gives place to freedom, so that the will of a person is revealed, whether he respects or does not respect the soul, whether he agrees or disagrees with grace.

St. Theophan the Recluse:

“You have a zeal for salvation. It is marked by the care you express. This means that spiritual life is glimmering in you. You should support it by supporting jealousy and kindling it. When there is jealousy, there will be life, and life never rests on one thing - therefore, there will be prosperity. But you can’t notice it, just as you don’t notice the growth of children, which are always in front of your eyes.

This zeal is the fruit of grace. The Lord has called you. Always confess this with full thanksgiving. If he called, he will not leave, but do not recoil from Him yourself. For not everything is from the Lord, but there is a part of us. What about us? All-powerful action to please God. It will be as long as there is jealousy. When there is zeal, it is evidenced by fervent concern for salvation.”

“….Ask anyone: do you want to go to heaven, to the Kingdom of Heaven? - spirit will answer: I want, I want. But tell him later: well, do this and that, - and your hands dropped. I want to go to paradise, but to work hard for that is not always enough to hunt. I am talking about the fact that it is not only necessary to desire, but also to have a firm determination to achieve the desired by all means and begin the work on this achievement by the deed itself.

“Theorists are much concerned with the question of the relation of grace to freedom. For the bearer of grace, this question is decided by the deed itself. The bearer of grace surrenders himself to the omnipotence of grace, and grace acts in him. This truth for him is not only more obvious than any mathematical truth, but also any external experience, for he has already ceased to live outside and is completely concentrated inside. His only concern now is to always be faithful to the grace inherent in him. Infidelity offends her, and she either retreats or reduces her action. A person’s fidelity to his grace or to the Lord testifies by the fact that neither in thoughts, nor in feelings, nor in deeds, nor in words does he allow anything that he recognizes as contrary to the Lord, and, on the contrary, does not miss any deed or undertaking without fulfilling it, as soon as he realizes that this is the will of God, judging by the course of his circumstances and by the indication of inner inclinations and inclinations.

This sometimes requires a lot of work, painful self-compulsions and self-resistance; but it is joyful for him to offer everything as a sacrifice to the Lord, for after any such sacrifice he receives an inner reward: peace, joy, and special boldness in prayer.

By these acts of fidelity of grace, the gift of grace is kindled, in connection with prayer, which was already incessant at that time.

Venerable Macarius of Optina:

«… how dangerous it is to delay the time of repentance and the care of one's own salvation. St. John of the Ladder writes: (v. 3) “as soon as you feel a flame in yourself for piety, then quickly run away, for you don’t know when it will go out and when it will leave you in darkness". When you feel such a flame in yourself, then know that it was a call of God, for good thoughts are planted in our hearts from God, and whoever despises them will himself be despised by God, because, according to the word of God: "do not deserve to yourselves eternal life" (Acts 13, 46).

The experience of Orthodox ascetics prompts them with all their might to call Christians to a humble awareness of their weakness for the action of the saving grace of God. In this case, the instructions are expressive. teacher Simeon the New Theologian:

“If you have a thought inspired by the devil that your salvation is accomplished not by the power of your God, but by your wisdom and your own strength, if the soul agrees to such a suggestion, grace departs from it. the soul, the soul is before our last breath.The soul, together with the blessed Apostle Paul, should cry out loudly to angels and people: not I, but the grace of God, which is with me.And the apostles, and the prophets, and the martyrs, and the hierarchs, and the saints, and the righteous - all confessed such grace of the Holy Spirit, and for the sake of such a confession, with the help of it, they fought a good struggle and completed their course.

“He who bears the name of a Christian,” we read from the same holy father, “if he does not bear in his heart the conviction that the grace of God, given for faith, is the mercy of God ... if he struggles for the wrong purpose, either to receive the grace of God in the first time through baptism or, or if he had, and she departed from him because of his sin, return her again through repentance, confession and a self-abased life, and giving alms, fasting, performing vigils, prayers, etc., thinks that he is doing glorious virtues and good deeds valuable in themselves: but in vain does he toil and wear himself out."

Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:

Divine grace is open to everyone, so that everyone can enjoy as much as they want: "Whoever is thirsty, come to Me and drink" (John 7:37).

Saint Isidore Pelusiot:

Why does the grace of God not descend on everyone? First it experiences volition, and then descends. For although this is grace, it is poured out, commensurate with the capabilities of those who receive it, it expires depending on the spaciousness of the presented vessel of faith.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa:

They say: "Why is not the action of grace extended to all? Some have been enlightened by it, but many remain unenlightened. Didn't God want or could not bless everyone equally generously?" Both are wrong: God cannot but want or be unable to do good ... But He who has power over the universe, according to the excess of the honor shown to us, has left a lot in our power, and over this every single master. We are not called to slavery, but to free will. Therefore, it is fair to lay these charges on those who have not come to faith, and not on the Caller to it.

Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:

"To the extent of faith, grace dwells in the soul."

8. God's Grace Calls Everyone to Salvation

The Church confirms this truth at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts through the mouth of the priest, when he, holding a censer and a lit candle, after the exclamation “Wisdom, forgive me!” turns from the throne to face the people and proclaims:

"The light of Christ enlightens all!"

At this time, those praying with deep reverence before the True Light of the Lord Jesus Christ kneel.

St. Theophan the Recluse describes a vision revealing that grace calls everyone, but not everyone accepts its gifts and enters the path of salvation:

“I will tell you the vision of an old man. He saw a wide, wide field. There were many different kinds of people walking along it. They walked through mud, some knee-deep or more, but they thought they were walking through flowers; they themselves were in rags, dirty and ugly, but they thought that they were handsome and in dresses. Not a single one of them was dead, all in anxiety and worries, in disagreements or disputes and quarrels with each other ... To the east of them lay a somewhat elevated meadow, covered with grass and flowers, but to them it seemed dry, sandy and stony. Behind this clearing, a mountain rose, interrupted by ridges in different directions, higher and higher ... From behind the mountain one could see a light of extraordinary beauty, blinding and opening blind eyes. Rays from this light went in multitude into the noisy crowd wandering across the muddy field. A ray rested on each head. What about people? It never crossed their minds to look at the light from behind the mountain. As for the rays, some did not at all feel their touch; others, feeling their restless blow, rubbed only their heads and, without raising their heads, continued to do what they were doing; others raised their heads and looked back, but immediately closed their eyes again and returned to the former. Some, fixing their eyes in the direction of the beam, stood for a long time in an observant examination of the light and admired its beauty, but all stood motionless in one place and finally, either from fatigue, or being pushed by others, again began to walk along the same road that they had walked before. . Rare, rare, obeying the excitation of the beam and its direction, left everything, directed their steps towards the flowery clearing and then went further and further to the mountain and along the mountain to the light that shone on them from behind the mountain. The meaning of the vision is self-evident!..

Do you see that stimulating grace leaves no one; only the people themselves should not be stubborn.”

9. "The time and place of grace is only here"

St. rights. John of Kronstadt writes that a person's acceptance of the grace-filled gifts of salvation is possible only in this life:

"Who does not know how difficult it is without the special grace of God to turn a sinner from his beloved path of sin to the path of virtue ... If it were not for the grace of God, which of the sinners would turn to God, since the property of sin is to darken us, to bind us hand and foot . But the time and place for the action of grace is only here: after death - only the prayers of the Church, and then on repentant sinners, on those who have acceptability in their souls, the light of good deeds, carried away by them from this life, to which grace can be instilled God's or the gracious prayers of the Church.

Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria is talking:

“The sinner, having departed from the light of truth because of his sins, is already in darkness in the present life, but since there is still hope for conversion, this darkness is not pitch darkness. And after death there will be a consideration of his deeds, and if he does not repent here, then pitch darkness surrounds him there. For then there is no longer any hope of conversion, and a complete deprivation of Divine grace sets in. As long as the sinner is here, then, although he receives a little Divine blessings—I am talking about sensual blessings—he is still a servant of God, because he lives in the house of God, that is, among the creatures of God, and God feeds and preserves him. And then he will be completely separated from God, having no participation in any blessings: this is the darkness, called pitch darkness, in contrast to the present, not pitch darkness, when the sinner still has the hope of repentance.

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