How to Inherit Eternal Life? Sooner or later such a question arises before all those who believe in Christ - after all, this is precisely the main task of a believer. Severe monasticism or life in the world, asceticism or family, withdrawal from the world or guiding its destinies? Each of us needs to seek our own unique path, remembering its great purpose.
It is much easier for Protestants in this regard - according to their theology, salvation is in your pocket from the moment you believed, and the very fact of a person's faith testifies to his belonging to the chosen of God. For the sake of fairness, it should be added that even among the followers of Luther-Calvin (and thousands of other denominations and smaller sects, for the last 500 years, multiplying by division no worse than the simplest microorganisms), this does not mean the opportunity to go all out, since you are already saved. After all, this is, after all, a gift from God - and one should refuse it at any moment, especially if one loves sin more than the Love of the Creator.
The traditional confessions, Orthodoxy and Catholicism, are more sensitive to salvation. And they believe that it is precisely his achievement that is the main life task of a Christian. By the word ap. Paul: “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12) True, since the rich young man addressed the same question to Christ himself, the situation has not become much more certain. Since childhood, the interlocutor of the Savior fulfilled all the commandments of the Bible, but still felt some kind of incompleteness in his life. And he received a recommendation from the Lord: “Sell all your property, give it to the poor - and come follow me” (Matthew 19:21). Seeing that the young man was sorry for wealth, Christ sadly remarked: "It is more difficult for a camel to pass through the ears of a needle - than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."
Since then, this passage has been the ground of countless speculations about "why a Christian cannot be rich." And the point is not even that the comparison of the “doom” of well-to-do people with a camel trying to squeeze into a microscopic ear of coal is the fruit of a not entirely accurate translation. Yes, there were very narrow gates in Jerusalem, which they called - "Needle Ears", and it was difficult for a camel to pass through them. But with a certain skill, it is quite possible. Moreover, Christ himself added: "What is impossible for man is possible for God," thereby saving the rich from despair.
And in general, the point is not about wealth as such. Yes, and it can become a value more important than God and His Love - but is it only this? Yes, any seemingly the smallest passionate woman can become an "idol" overshadowing in the human soul the only thing that is worthy of true worship - the Creator of everything.
However, the struggle with passions is a topic that requires a separate discussion. Far more Christians are concerned with the question: "How to live?" - especially soon after the acquisition of faith. Usually, the neophyte plunges into the ocean of a variety of literature and looks for examples to follow. During this period, many, for example, want to go not even to a monastery, but to a very real "desert" in order to become like the great ascetic of the past, such as St. Anthony the Great or St. Sergiy Radonezhky.
Such attempts end (again, in most cases) with a complete fiasco. It is not for nothing that from the very beginning of monasticism, a kind of candidate experience was established for those wishing to become a monk, when a person with the status of a novice checked his readiness to accept the tonsure. Moreover, unlike modern monasteries, the novice could last for decades.
Others are smarter. And more cunning at the same time. They go for advice to the discerning elders. Sometimes it turns out that instead of a real "elder", wise by experience and filled with the Spirit of the holy ascetic, the neophyte seeking enlightenment can get caught by the "young old". Which differs in its approaches from the “guru” from the classical totalitarian sect only in that it gives imperative obedience, hiding behind the Orthodox cross, or even dignity.
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But even if you were lucky to meet a real old man - laying on another the burden of your spiritual quest, the hard work of realizing the meaning of your life - isn't it like a deception? Or just too lazy akin to the one that is demonstrated by lovers of horoscopes, who naively expect that success will be brought to them by the forecasts of the next charlatans.
Of course, this does not mean that a believer should not seek advice at all on his spiritual life. On the contrary, it should. To more experienced believers, priests, confessor. Only here it is advisable to remember that the Lord does not save anyone "by the dictates of the pike," but helps those who make their own efforts to save themselves. So those who want to achieve it must at least start their journey.
And in general, Christianity, despite the perverse criticism that it is a “religion of slaves”, is in fact a religion of freedom. After all, man is the only one of all living beings, created in the image and likeness of God. Since God is an absolutely free being, then his Image is endowed with the same properties. And escape from freedom, or to "the feeble beginnings of this age", the same astrology, or to the gurus of totalitarian sects, or even to real elders with or without reason ("Father, bless me to drink some water") in itself is distant from God's purpose by deed.
What then is to be done? After all, living by your own will, it is so easy to make sinful mistakes! In general, in this regard, it is good to remember that "there is no such sin that can surpass the mercy of God." Of course, on condition of sincere repentance in him. Moreover, it was often the great sinners who became the great saints - in contrast to the "lukewarm", calming themselves with thoughts: "Well, I don't kill anyone, I don't steal - why should I be afraid?" For example, the inveterate Alexandrian harlot, having repented, became the Monk Mary of Egypt. And the great magician, a personal friend of Satan, Cyprian of Carthage, repented of his witchcraft atrocities, became a bishop, accepted a martyr's death for Christ, and since then has been one of the most effective helpers against evil witchcraft.
So everyone who sincerely wants to go to God has an “insurance” in case of falls - repentance and the ineffable mercy of God. And yet - what kind of "compass" can be used to stay on the right track? And, most importantly, how to choose your own path, and not someone else's, though outwardly it is quite correct and attractive?
The answer to this is given by the most famous Russian saint of the 19th century, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. In a conversation with his admirer Motovilov "On the Holy Spirit", the elder gave advice, ingenious in its simplicity, on the topic of choosing the right path. Human life, the meaning of which is the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit, he compared with “spiritual purchase”. And the believers themselves are with merchants seeking the greatest profit. The latter, of course, did not mean money, but that very grace. Accordingly, the believer-"merchant" through trial and error himself must find the business that will give him "the greatest profit."
And there can be a great many such cases. You just need to test yourself, your heart. After all, the action of the Holy Spirit cannot be confused with anything - according to the feeling of joy, happiness, consolation, peace in the soul. For someone, for example, such joy is delivered by the rigorous construction of long church services - and for someone reading them at home, from books.
For some, pilgrimage trips to holy places are very useful, while others spend their whole lives with no less spiritual benefit, without leaving their hometown. Someone goes to the priests or monks - and for someone to feel happiness, quiet family joy is enough. By the way, the greatest ascetic, St. The Lord ordered Anthony the Great to learn holiness from "more perfect" simple women who, not being sisters themselves, had been married for 15 years with two siblings under the same roof - and at the same time "did not break a single pot" among themselves. For some, the life pivot is a favorite work - it is not for nothing that the Church canonized, for example, many princes and generals.
In fact, we are talking about the awareness of one's own, given by God, “talent”. And in its all-round development, and receiving in its earthly life "interest", "profit" for its use. The final reward will be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Of course, the right choice of life path does not mean total specialization in it. Diversity is also welcome - at least for periodic "checking": what if some area suddenly turns out to be favorable for "spiritual buying"? Moreover, a person may have more “talents” than in one copy. The main thing is to choose a strategically correct goal from the very beginning - to comprehend God and his Love. And then even the amount of trial and error, temporary delusions and throws does not really matter. As the famous English writer and theologian Clive Lewis rightly noted: "God leads every person to himself by the shortest path, even if this path is a roundabout one."
YURI NOSOVSKY