- EH! What kind of grace, the birds are singing ”- You can often hear such words when a person feels good. But what is grace and why is it impossible to speak like the above?

The word "grace" is very often found in the Holy Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, and is used in various senses:

a) sometimes means benevolence, benevolence, benevolence, mercy (Gen. 6: 8; Eccl. 9:11; Est. 2:15; 8: 5);

b) sometimes a gift, a good, every good, every gift that God gives to His creatures, without any merit on their part (1 Pet. 5:10; Rom. 11: 6; Zech. 12:10), and natural gifts by which the whole earth is full (Psalm 83:12; 146: 8-9; Acts 14:15-17; 17:25; James 1:17) and the supernatural, extraordinary gifts of God that are given by God to various members of the church (1 Cor. 12: 4-11; Rom. 12: 6; Ephesians 4: 7-8);

c) 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, saving for all men, has appeared." “When the grace and love of our Savior, God, appeared, He saved us not by works of righteousness, which we would have done, but by His mercy, by the bath of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 2: 11; 3: 4-5) ;

d) 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, completes our sanctification and salvation.

Grace is an uncreated Divine energy, force or action in which God reveals Himself to a person who overcomes sin with its help and achieves union with God.
The very word "grace" means a good, good gift, because only God is the source of the highest good.

According to the teaching of the Church, grace is the superior natural gift of God to man. “All gifts of grace are found on those who are worthy above nature,” St. Mark of Ephesus - and they are different in comparison with the natural gifts that are in us and that are formed as a result of our efforts. And also every life of those who live according to God is different in comparison with natural life, being spiritual and godlike. "

Divine grace is uncreated, unborn and personal (hypostatic). In the Holy Scriptures, it is often called strength ("... you will receive strength when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1: 8), "... the Lord said to me:" My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness "" (2 Cor. 12: 9)).

The Holy Fathers call grace "rays of the Divine", "Divine glory", "uncreated light" ... All three Persons of the Holy Trinity possess the action of Divine grace. “The action of an uncreated entity,” writes St. Cyril of Alexandria, - there is something in common, although it is peculiar to each person. " St. Irenaeus of Lyons, reflecting on the dispensational manifestation of the Holy Trinity, notes that grace comes from the Father and is communicated through the Son in the Holy Spirit. According to the word of St. Gregory Palamas, grace is "the common energy and Divine power and action of the Tri-hypostatic God."

Through the action of Divine grace, the possibility of knowing God is opened. “... Without grace, our mind cannot know God,” teaches St. Silouan the Athonite, - ... each of us can reason 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 himself, a Christian brings his whole personality into exploits, but he does this, and can do it successfully, only with the continuous assistance of Divine power - grace,” teaches St. Justin Popovich. “There is no thought that a Christian can think in the gospel way, there is no feeling that he can feel in the gospel way, there is no deed that he can do in the gospel way without the grace-filled help of God."

The action of Divine grace imparts to a person the invaluable gift of union with God - deification. In this blessed state, a person, according to the word of St. Macarius the Great, becomes like Christ and becomes higher than the first Adam.

The action of Divine grace is carried out in cooperation (in synergy) with the free will of man. “Divine-human synergy is an essential distinction of Christian activity in the world. Here man will work with God and God will work with man, explains St. Justin Popovich. - ... Man, for his part, expresses will, and God - grace; a Christian personality is created from their joint action. " According to the teachings of St. Macarius the Great, creating a new person, grace acts mysteriously and gradually.

Grace tests human will, whether he retains full love for God, noticing in him agreement with his actions. If in a spiritual deed the soul turns out to be graceful, not grieving or offending grace in any way, then it penetrates "to its deepest compositions and thoughts" until the whole soul is embraced by grace.

“What is the grace of God? How does it work? The writings of many Christian mystics and theologians are devoted to this issue. In a nutshell, grace is the energies of God. These energies affect not only the soul, but also the body, one might say, they penetrate, saturate the whole person. Sometimes the bodies of saints, permeated with life-giving Divine energies, are not even subjected to the common fate of created things - they do not smolder. For people leading a spiritual life - all this is not a theory, but the most real fact of their life. "

Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko

What is grace? Church ministers assure that there is no and cannot be an unambiguous answer to this question. Here we are talking about the phenomenon of the non-material world, therefore it is very difficult to express it in ordinary, mundane language.

At one of the lectures of Osipov, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, the question was asked: "What is grace?" Aleksey Ilyich said that talking about such phenomena means about the same as trying to describe in words what a particular color or taste is.

Common definition

However, in the Orthodox doctrine, it is customary to understand by God's grace the power of the Lord, acting for the good of man. That is, this is a manifestation of the love of the Almighty for his creation.

You can define this concept: the word "grace" means the gift that the Lord gives. This happens when people keep the commandments, and during church ordinances. It is believed that the grace of prayer descends on a person when it is correctly performed, when a believer turns to God with repentance, humility and reverence.

The teachings of the saint

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov instructed his disciples not to seek any fortunes of grace during prayer. Since the person who does this with the aim of entering a trance, firstly, cloudes his consciousness, which is necessary for correct repentance, and secondly, he is in pride.

After all, if he thinks that he is worthy of such a state, then this in itself indicates that he is in delusion. The same Ignatius Brianchaninov writes that no mortal should wait for any gifts from God. The Almighty sends mercy to his children only out of love for them, and not for any merit. Repentance is necessary for a Christian to cleanse his soul. Only then can the grace of God descend on a person. When the one to whom this mercy was shown begins to commit sins, it is immediately taken away.

This is because the power of God cannot be present in one whose actions and thoughts are unrighteous. The saint told his disciples that it is necessary first of all to come to the realization of their sinfulness. One must feel spiritual weakness and insignificance before the Lord God. Father Ignatius cites the example of the elder Silouan the Athonite, whom the Almighty ordered not to seek gifts, but, on the contrary, to think that he was not worthy of them.

Spirit of grace

According to the Orthodox doctrine, the Lord God is inseparable from his action. That is, the Almighty is manifested in what he does. For a more illustrative example of such a merger, the image of a burning candle is usually given.

When combustion occurs, it can be viewed both as a process and as an entity, that is, as a flame and as a glow at the same time. Often the actions of the Lord God are identified with the third person of the trinity - the holy spirit. On Orthodox icons, he is traditionally depicted in the form of a dove descending from heaven. As for the veneration of various people who have become famous for their godly way of life, we can say that the church does not worship these righteous people themselves, but the grace that works in them.

Monument of Old Russian Literature

Of all the written culture of our country, which was created in the Middle Ages, in general education schools, literature lessons usually only mention "The Lay of Igor's Campaign" and "Vladimir Monomakh's Teaching to His Children." Meanwhile, there are still a number of wonderful works dating back to the same era.

These creations are not mentioned, because in Soviet times, any mention of the spiritual culture that existed in Russia was suppressed, and the backbone of the program was developed precisely at a time when historical materialism was considered the only correct worldview. One of the most remarkable works of ancient literature is precisely related to the topic that this article is devoted to.

Here we are talking about the book about the grace of Hilarion. The author of this work was the first patriarch of the Russian Church who did not come from Byzantium. The work was written in the XI century, several decades after the baptism of the people by Prince Vladimir. Then, to educate people, Christian literature was required - not only translated, but also written by domestic authors.

Earlier works of the literature of Ancient Rus were also devoted to this topic. One of these books is called "The Word of the Philosopher" and is a summary of the New and Old Testaments. It is believed that it was created specifically for the Kiev prince Vladimir in order to convince him to accept Orthodoxy. The difference between this book and the later creation of Patriarch Hilarion lies in the fact that the "Philosopher's Word" does not consider the role of Russia in world history and the further development of the country as a Christian state.

From a conversation about Christianity and other religions in general, through a section that highlights the religious problems of Russia, he comes to the glorification of Prince Vladimir as a person who promotes the adoption of a new faith. The first part of "Words of Law and Grace" examines the difference between Christianity and Judaism. The author says that the Old Testament was created for a specific country. It viewed religion as the privilege of a single people.

Christianity, on the other hand, has as its goal the salvation of people from all parts of the world. Vladyka Hilarion expresses his opinion that in the Old Testament people were given the law, that is, those rules that a person had to strictly follow. The gospel gives grace to believers. That is, a person is given the freedom to choose his own path: to be with or without the Lord.

The third part of "The Word of Law and Grace" is laudatory. It glorifies the baptist of Russia, the holy prince Vladimir. The author speaks of the wisdom that allowed this person to understand the need to accept Orthodoxy. Hilarion also describes the positive personal qualities of the ruler, which distinguish him from other people. He mentions the numerous successful military campaigns undertaken under his leadership.

The third part of the book "On Law and Grace" by Hilarion begins with the fact that the author expounds the following thought: every nation has a certain saint who is called to lead them to the Christian faith. For Russia, such a person is Prince Vladimir, who was glorified among the saints as an equal to the apostles.

Free solution

In an article by Academician Likhachev, dedicated to the immortal creation of Metropolitan Hilarion, the idea is expressed that the author of the book is not in vain glorifying Prince Vladimir. He also describes the power of the country, its wealth and the success of its military campaigns.

The Patriarch wants to emphasize the fact that the baptism of Rus was not a forced political step - the ruler carried it out, guided by his spiritual convictions. Accordingly, this event was a consequence of the fact that the free will of Prince Vladimir was united with God's grace that descended on him. The writer objected to the Greeks, who often said that it was they who contributed to the enlightenment of the "ignorant" people.

The grace of preaching

The work of Metropolitan Hilarion was created after the death of Vladimir. Listing the spiritual merits of the prince, the author sets himself the goal of proving the holiness of this person and the need for his canonization.

Researchers believe that this text was written for a sermon that the Metropolitan was supposed to deliver in the Church of St. Sophia in Kiev. Therefore, this monument of ancient Russian literature is inextricably linked with the great example of architecture. Vladyka Hilarion prepared so carefully for the sermon, which he was to preach, because it is believed that through it the Almighty bestows the grace of God on people.

On the visible manifestation of gifts

As a rule, the Almighty sends his blessing to people who have been purified by repentance and who have won God's grace through prayer and fulfilling the commandments. This action takes place in an invisible way. However, there were times when the grace of faith manifested itself materially.

This, for example, happened to the leader of the Israelite people, Moses, when he led his charges out of Egypt. Then his face shone, and every person was able to see this shine. As a rule, there is a special reason for such a manifestation of the grace of God.

In the case of Moses, it is necessary that all the people recognize the special favor of the Lord towards him. God needed all the conquered people to follow one person who was destined to take him out of captivity and for forty years walk through the desert to the Promised Land. With the help of the fact that the face of the righteous man was shining, the Almighty noted that he really put Moses in charge of the Israelites.

Elder Seraphim

Motovilov, who was a spiritual disciple of the Sarov saint, describes in his writings a conversation about the acquisition of the grace of God, which he had with his mentor. During this conversation, he asked the priest about the essence of grace. Motovilov also asked the question: "What does it mean to acquire the spirit of the holy?"

The Monk Seraphim replied that this is somewhat reminiscent of the acquisition of worldly, material goods, to which people usually strive. Only in this case we are talking about the accumulation of wealth of a different kind - spiritual values. When the disciple said that he still did not quite understand what it meant to “acquire the spirit of the saint and be in it,” he saw that the monk elder began to glow.

The grace of God manifested itself in him in a visible way. At the same time, Seraphim of Sarov himself assured his pupil that he himself was also glowing at that moment, respectively, was in a similar state.

The holy elder also pointed out that Adam, Eve and their immediate descendants knew much better what grace was, since they had not yet lost the ability to see the deeds of the Lord and himself.

In the future, man became more and more susceptible to sin, as a result of which he forgot how to notice the Almighty, to feel his will and care for his children. Until the fall of the first people, the grace of the Most High was constantly on them. After they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the ancestors became subject to sins, respectively, the gift of God could not always be with them. Seraphim of Sarov also emphasized that the words from the Old Testament that God created Adam and breathed life into him should not be understood in such a way that the first man was born dead, and only then the Lord revived him. This phrase means that he overshadowed his creation with grace.

After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they still retained the ability to see and feel God and his care for themselves. The same thing happened with their children and immediate descendants. Even after Cain killed his brother Abel, he still continued to communicate with the creator. So it was not only with the chosen people, but with the whole people.

This is confirmed, for example, by the words from the Old Testament that when the Jews walked through the desert to Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to them in the form of a pillar. This means that at that time everyone could see the Supreme. Later, only those who led a righteous lifestyle retained this ability. For example, when the prophet Job was accused of being an atheist, the saint replied that he could not depart from God, because he felt his "breath in his nostrils." But over time, there were fewer and fewer people who not only knew theoretically, but also felt and saw with their own eyes what grace is.

How the Creator's Gifts Work

What is grace? This is God's help, which is necessary for a correct Christian life. Without such support from the Almighty, any good deed cannot be called such. The grace of the Lord God is necessary because it influences a person, changing and correcting his corrupted spiritual nature. However, the Lord cannot do this against the will of people.

In order for the will of the heavenly father to be fulfilled, the desire of the Christian himself is required. Thus, we can say that life according to the Gospel can be realized only in the interaction of God and man.

Such cooperation in Christian literature is called "synergy". The Monk Silouan the Athonite taught that people are not even capable of gaining knowledge about the Lord without the action of divine power in them.

Purely theoretical information about the Almighty and about his laws can be of little use for the correct life of an Orthodox person.

Christ's resurrection

The Gospel teaches that the Savior, having appeared in the world and suffered for all people, returned them the opportunity to receive special gifts through the sacrament of the sacrament. The grace of Christ is transferred to a person along with bread and wine, which he tastes, having previously confessed and prayed.

Theologians say that preparing for the sacrament is necessary with due care and repentance. It is important to remember that the very process of performing this sacrament, performed without faith, is not only not good for the soul, but can also be harmful. According to legend, the Apostle Judas, having communed from the hands of Jesus Christ himself, admitted the devil along with bread and wine. It is also important to keep the commandments of God and live according to the Gospel even after leaving the temple. Since the grace of the Lord remains in a person exactly as long as he remains a pure soul.

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

The Holy Apostle Paul uses two important terms - grace and peace, naturally, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to talk a little about grace (and this topic is inexhaustible): the word grace is often found in the Church.

Conversation of Nikolai Motovilov with the Monk Seraphim of Sarov We say that in such and such a person the grace of God is felt, and also: "the grace of God be with you." When the grace of God is present, then everything is in order. We also say that the purpose of human life is to acquire the grace of God. What is this - grace, about which the holy Apostle Paul speaks and which is constantly mentioned both in the New Testament and in the instructions of the holy fathers?

Grace is so called because it is charisma, a gift; she's not that ...

God's grace

Using different words, people do not always understand what they are talking about. Sometimes they do not know, because they do not show curiosity, sometimes their information about this concept is incorrect. God's grace is a kind of imperceptible physical means of power that God sends to man to cleanse him from defilement. The word grace itself speaks of a gift, that is, this power is sent by chance.

Since the devil is omnipresent, he is considered a being much more developed than man. To combat human vices and fears, the Lord grants people grace. For the most part, God's grace is a manifestation of the holiness of a person, a confirmation that he really gives all his faith and life to God.

God's grace is presented as something intangible, like a veil separating us from Hell and Paradise. Only those who believe and follow the teachings of Christ every day, who are struggling with sin, can understand that grace has descended upon him. The realization that the grace of God is with you is not ...

When you think about what grace is, the question arises along the way: "How does it differ from the concepts of love and mercy?" In the literary Old Russian work "The Word of Law and Grace" you can glean many interesting conclusions on this topic. According to church teaching, it is the superior gift of God to man.

The Holy Fathers consider grace to be "Divine glory," "rays of the Divine," "uncreated light." All three components of the Holy Trinity have its effect. In the scripture of St. Gregory Palamas it is said that this is "a common energy and Divine power and action in the Trinity of God."

First of all, everyone should understand for himself that grace is not the same thing as the love of God and his mercy (mercy). These are three completely different manifestations of God's character. The highest grace is when a person receives what he does not deserve and does not deserve.

Love. Mercy. God's grace

The main feature of God is love. It manifests itself in ...

In the footsteps of discussions

The meaning and purpose of grace is God's law or grace?

1. What is grace and how grace differs from mercy and love.

You need to understand that God's Grace is not the same thing as mercy (mercy) and God's love. These are three different traits of God's character. Ephesians 2: 4-7 testifies to this: “God, who is rich in mercy, according to His great love, by which He loved us, and us, who were dead by transgressions, He quickened with Christ - by grace you are saved, - He also raised us up with Him and placed us in heaven in Christ Jesus, in order to reveal in the ages to come the abundant riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. "

Love is one of the main features of God, manifested in His care for us, forgiveness, protection, etc. (“God is love” - 1 John 4: 8). Read more about the characteristics of love in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Mercy is when we don't receive the punishment we deserve. Grace is when we ...

Grace (ancient Greek ...

Oleg Chaban Master (1082) 4 years ago

The grace of God is the power of God, which is given to us by special providence, the grace of God towards us. It acts beneficially on our soul, gives us peace, joy, consolation, prosperity, and everything that pleases our soul is given by the grace of God. We know that many people, even non-believers, come to church, do not know how to pray, what to do in church, but, staying for some time in church, participating in church prayer, although they do not know how to pray, they feel relief, peace, peace, some kind of joy, consolation, even tears of repentance or joy. This is the action of the grace of God, which acts on the soul of a person and gives him such a state. Therefore, the holy fathers, including Seraphim of Sarov, said that one of the important components of our life is to acquire the grace of God, the Spirit of God, life-giving and saving. By the grace of God, we exist and act and have the opportunity to overcome all difficulties, ...

Grace is given free of charge, not for our merits and some special deeds. The sun sheds its rays on both the righteous and the sinners. So the grace of God is poured out from God on every person according to his faith in the mercy of God.

Another thing is how to be constantly under grace, to be in grace, to be saturated with it. Imagine this picture: two people, wandering along a dusty road in the midday heat, languishing with thirst, are suddenly overtaken by a stream of blessed rain from the sky, carrying life-giving moisture and relief. One person exposes himself all under the streams of rain, with pleasure absorbing life-giving drops with his whole body, and the other hastily puts on a waterproof raincoat, tightly isolating himself from the stream from heaven.

It also happens ...

Eh! What kind of grace, the birds are singing ”- You can often hear such words when a person feels good. But what is grace and why is it impossible to speak like the above?

The word "grace" is very often found in the Holy Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, and is used in various senses:

a) sometimes means benevolence, benevolence, benevolence, mercy (Gen. 6: 8; Eccl. 9:11; Est. 2:15; 8: 5);

b) sometimes a gift, a good, every good, every gift that God gives to His creatures, without any merit on their part (1 Pet. 5:10; Rom. 11: 6; Zech. 12:10), and natural gifts by which the whole earth is full (Psalm 83:12; 146: 8-9; Acts 14:15-17; 17:25; James 1:17) and the supernatural, extraordinary gifts of God that are given by God to various members of the church (1 Cor. 12: 4-11; Rom. 12: 6; Ephesians 4: 7-8);

c) 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, ...

What is grace?

Richard's Bible Dictionary says that the Hebrew word for "to be merciful" in combination with the word "find favor" is most closely related to the New Testament word for "grace."

According to the International Bible Encyclopedia, the closest meaning often expressed by the apostle Paul in the Word "Grace" is "acceptance."

Another meaning of the word "grace" in Greek, which was also widespread in Paul's time, is "undeserved mercy."

The word "grace" in its full meaning is not found in the Old Testament. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. " (John 1: 17). The New Testament is a covenant of grace.

Where did grace come from?

God has always given salvation on the basis of grace; yet grace was not fully manifested until “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have seen His glory ...

No matter how much Jesus Christ gave for the moral life of a person, in fact, for true salvation, people need the additional participation of divine help, which allows them to fully assimilate and appreciate the saving merits of the Son of the Lord.

Such help is given in the form of the Grace of God, considered in Christianity as a gift to man from God. What is Grace? What is its essence and how does it affect people?

What is Grace in the Bible?

The very term "grace" comes from the ancient Greek word ...

The grace of God ... What is it? Invisible, but real power, the energy of God's love, permeating the whole world. We perceive this energy if our soul is tuned to God, like an antenna to radio waves. A person under the influence of grace changes, transforms, receives incredible spiritual gifts, and most importantly - he feels himself in the Presence of God. This sensation gives rise to inexpressible sweetness, happiness ...
You and I touch this experience sometimes, for brief seconds or minutes. There is probably no believer who has not experienced this state at least once or twice in his life.
But what is revealed to us for a moment is the everlasting and constant state of holy people. The classic description of such an experience is the Conversation of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov with Motovilov.

Recently I read a wonderful book "Life and Words" about the modern Greek ascetic Elder Porfiry Kavsokalivit (1906-1991). This is not a surname, but a name, by name ...

Grace

The word "grace" is Slavic, and means "the giving of good."

St. John of Kronstadt:

“What is grace? The gift of God given to a person for the sake of faith in Christ for the salvation of a Christian person. Grace is an interceding power, merciful, enlightening, saving, disposing to all virtue. "

1. Types of grace

2. Misunderstanding of grace

3. Without the action of grace, human salvation is impossible

4. Preceding grace

5. How does God's saving grace work?

6. Reasons for the retreat of grace

7. The relationship of grace to human freedom

8. God's grace calls for the salvation of everyone

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

1. Types of grace

It is used in the Holy Scriptures in different meanings. Sometimes it denotes the mercy of God in general: God is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5, 10). In this broadest sense, grace is ...

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12. How to find God's grace

"So, having a great High Priest who passed through heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us firmly adhere to our confession. For we do not have such a high priest who cannot sympathize with us in our weaknesses, but who, like us, is tempted in everything except sin."

Several years ago, a friend of mine offered me a new position in the Navigators mission. I liked my job and did not want to change it at all. Nevertheless, I replied that I would think about it and pray. I hoped that I would pray and God would show me that a new job was not for me.

To say that I didn't really like the new job - ...

The book of contradictions, or what is "God's grace"

Isaiah. I'll write-cut or when the wolf lives with the goat

Isaiah (Yeshayau) is one of the so-called “great” biblical prophets. They say that he came from a noble Jewish family and was even a relative of the Jewish kings - a descendant of the incomparable king David. Born in Jerusalem in the 8th century BC. He has been channeling for about 60 years. During this time, four kings managed to reign in Judea - Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Isaiah's career began with a very significant event. Once, most likely a little too much with the dose, he saw the God of hosts with robes on the throne in the heavenly temple in the company of seraphim - creatures with 6 wings, 2 of which were used for their intended purpose, and the remaining 4 were used to cover faces and ... legs ...
So much for you! They, what: everyone switched to another channel? Previously, Jehovah was fussing all the time, but then suddenly ...

God's grace

WHAT IS GOD'S GRACE

St. John of Kronstadt. Well, there is simply nothing to add:

“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, cleansing, sanctifying, enlightening, helping in doing good and moving away from evil, comforting and encouraging in adversity, sorrow and disease, co-operating in receiving the eternal blessings prepared by God in heaven to His elect. Whether anyone was proud, proud, angry, envious, but became meek and humble, selfless for the glory of God and the good of one's neighbor, benevolent to everyone, condescending, yielding without connivance - he has become such a power of grace. Whether anyone was an unbeliever, but has become a believer and a diligent follower of the precepts of faith, - he has become such a power of grace. Was anyone loving money for money, selfish and unjust, hard-hearted to the poor, but having changed in the depths of his soul, he became non-covetous, truthful, generous, compassionate, ...

People don't always understand what they are talking about. Sometimes they do not know, because they do not show curiosity, sometimes their information about this concept is incorrect. God's grace is a kind of imperceptible physical means of power that God sends to man to cleanse him from defilement. The word grace itself speaks of a gift, that is, this power is sent by chance.

Since it is omnipresent, it is considered a being much more developed than a person. To combat human vices and fears, the Lord grants grace. For the most part, God's grace is a manifestation of this or that, a confirmation that he really gives all his faith and life to God.

God's grace is presented as something intangible, like a veil separating us from Hell and Paradise. Only those who believe and follow the teachings of Christ every day, who are struggling with sin, can understand that grace has descended upon him. The realization that the grace of God is with you does not give you the opportunity to deny God and perform any deeds, but on the contrary opens your whole soul and makes you an ardent follower of faith, a true novice of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Why salvation is in grace

The essence of salvation and illumination by grace is that a person cannot sin not because he stops himself and fights against vices every second. Over time, a person achieves such enlightenment that a thought does not arise in him, but, he finally drives out the evil one from himself. Today, the closest to such a state can be, but any person who builds a temple in his soul can feel God's grace.

It happens that a person, having received grace, becomes too arrogant, allows himself what he did not dare to think about. At such moments, the Lord takes away his grace from a person. It seems to a layman that all the punishments that may exist have descended on him, he is torn apart by vices, but if he can change his mind and his soul is filled with true faith again, God will return his favor to him.

God's grace surrounds us every moment of our life and only we decide whether we become worthy to see and use it.

Paul, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints and faithful in Ephesus in Christ Jesus: grace and peace to you 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 began to shine.

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

What does this mean, elder? Everything I do is good! If others are doing something - it's bad! I consider everything mine is good, and what others do is bad for me! What does it mean? Is it possible for me to be always right, is it possible for my deeds to be good and others' to be bad? Something's going on here!

I answered her:

Yes, you are right, grandma, something is happening here!

So, we, who are good in everything, do not groan for God, because we are good and moral people and we do everything properly, but God does not want us. And the other is a sinner, a bad man, he is accursed, he is a thief, a liar, a swindler; such was the tax collector — 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 convicted.

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. The same as 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 tax collector!" That's it, the end!

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

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 God's grace. God visits a humble person who repents, while he still struggles with sins. However, God abhors a proud man, even if he is perfect 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 Scriptures say. He is an abomination to God.

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

Grace cannot abide in a proud person. No matter how many good qualities there are in him, but if there is selfishness, 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? Maybe I have grace, but I don’t know what it is. ”Do we have grace? This is a question and many people ask themselves. Do we have grace?

It is easy for a person to understand whether there is grace in him: by the fruits. We cannot have grace and be dark, 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 this, he feels: grace is working in him. Fathers say: 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 it is not something it is his own, and the gift is Divine energy.

In the same way, he understands when God leaves him - but it was not God who left us, but we leave Him, this is how it will be correct to speak. 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 so many people often ask:

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

Sin is not a legal fact, so that we could sit down and write a book in which it would be noted: this is a sin, and this is not a sin, and we would check every time whether this or that is a sin. As they say in one ridiculous joke: they wrote laws in which it was said: "If you commit this and that three times, then you will receive such and such a punishment, and if five times, then such." Well, what if you do it four times? Nothing is said about this. So we will 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 understand yourself, when you do something, 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 a sin to go to such and such a place?

I told him:

You know, I've never gone 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 He’s with you, don’t go there!

If this is a place where God cannot go, where you feel God is not going with you, then this means that there is no God, 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 business of yours, in this action of yours, in this relationship of yours to another.

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

Because condemnation is the first child of selfishness; an 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 it can fall, literally break and be cut off by grace because of one of its condemning gestures and rejection of another person.

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

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

We are missing something. Why is there such confusion and anxiety inside us? Take Christ and put Him in your heart. When He is present, everything else fades, and a person feels full, he is peaceful, he has no fears, anxieties, no one can scare us. When God is present, who will scare me? When I lose God, yes, I am afraid, I choke when I lose God; then I find myself in a stressful situation and imagine that I will do everything myself, decide everything and settle it. But this is not the case. God is the One who will do everything. God will arrange everything. Keep God in your heart, and if you hold it back 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, gain 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 someone else will harm you, jinx you, as we think that they are doing magic on us, they envy us, put us in a bad state, and we live with these follies. No one can do anything to us: when we carry God in our hearts with humility 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 that torments us each day…