Sin
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Contents
What is Sin?
"[S]in ultimately means the misuse of our energies resulting in alienation from God, from others and, sometimes, from our own selves." -- Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Neurobiology of Sin.
Sin as a Sickness
- "...alas for the soul that is unaware of its wounds and that in its endless sinfulness and obduracy does not think it has anything evil within it: the good doctor will not visit it or heal it, since it does not seek Him out or have any concern for its wounds, because it thinks it is well and in good health. As the Lord said: 'It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick' (Mt. 9:12)." -- St. Makarios of Egypt
Darkness, Freedom
- "That is our darkness. It is the darkness of freedom that runs so frantic that it becomes a prison. We are, and we have always been, free. We are not spiders who spin the same web from one generation of spiders to the next. We are free. We can create. We can destroy. We can reject this Other, this God Who calls us but will not force us to love Him. We can even create alter-gods of our own devising, bastardized versions of the real God in whom we attempt to deify our deepest darkness." -- Rebecca Hamilton, Christianity: The Religion of Life, Patheos.com, August 25, 2014, [1]
- "Our great dignity is that of all the creatures and living things on this planet, we alone are free. God sets before us each and every day life and death. We can chose the life of His Light. Or we can chose the death of our many false gods and self gods." -- Rebecca Hamilton, Christianity: The Religion of Life, Patheos.com, August 25, 2014, [2]
Evil Thoughts
- "'Out of the heart,' [Jesus said], 'come evil thoughts.' Therefore the soul or principle of action is not in the brain according to Plato but in the heart according to Christ. On this point, those who believe that thoughts are introduced by the devil and do not originate from our own will are to be repudiated. The devil can aid and abet evil thoughts but he cannot originate them, even though, ever lying in wait, he kindles a small spark of our thoughts with his tinder. We must not hold the opinion that the devil can also probe the depths of our heart. However, he can judge from our demeanor and gestures what we are thinking about. For example, if he sees us gazing often at a beautiful woman, he surmises that our heart has been wounded with the dart of love." -- St. Jerome
Do Not Despair Because of Your Sin
- "It often happens that Satan will insidiously commune with you in your heart and say: 'Think of the evil you have done; your soul is full of lawlessness, you are weighed down by many grievous sins.' Do not let him deceive you when he does this and do not be led to despair on the pretext that you are being humble. You should answer: 'I have God's assurance, for He says: "I desire, not the sinner's death, but that he should return through repentance and live" (Ezek. 33:11).' What was the purpose of His descent to earth except to save sinners, to bring light to those in darkness and life to the dead?" -- St. Makarios the Great, The Philokalia
Satan The Ruler Of This World
- "Why does he call the devil the ruler of this world? Because virtually the whole of humanity surrendered to him. All are his voluntary and willing slaves. Few pay any heed to Christ, who promises unnumbered blessings. Rather they follow after the devil, who promises nothing but leads them all to hell. He rules in this age, where he has ... more subjects than God, more who obey him rather than God. All but a few are in his grasp on account of their laxity." -- St. Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 4.2.1-3
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