"One proves one's love for God through deeds"

Brothers and fathers, let us return to the purpose of the struggle, to which our Lord called us.

We talked about virtues and faith. Indeed, faith is a supreme virtue, because it supports us in our beginnings, when we are ignorant, but also later becomes the support and accessory of repentance.

We make up for all our shortcomings with faith, since our Lord promises us that "I will not leave you orphans" (John 14:18).

All virtues are interconnected and interdependent, and the same is true of faith.

"Work without faith and faith without works" are both equally dead. Abstract faith is dead, according to the word of the Lord: "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter" (Matt. 7:21).

What will it profit a person if he believes that God exists? Do not even the demons believe in his existence and are the first to teach about the divinity of our Lord?

“He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21), says the Lord. Therefore, in order for faith to become alive and real, what is believed must be put into practice.

Then faith is alive and active, when the Creator's commandments are practically applied.

How will we prove that we value and love the one who called us?

One proves one's love for God through works. Just as the Lord becomes "all things to all" to believers, so believers must sacrifice "all things" for Him, and then faith works "in all things."

When we keep God's commandments, we neither give him anything, nor does he take anything from us. We only benefit ourselves, as true believers, and we benefit both in the present and will benefit in the future, in eternity.

With the precision of keeping the commandments, we reveal our identity. The indifference and negligence of our submission to the divine will harms only us and not the infinite and perfect God.

Therefore, let us not be careless, let us not be careless, and let us not waste the precious time that we only have now, because we do not know tomorrow, the future. Let no excuse be accepted that prevents us from keeping the commandments of God.

This is what the Lord teaches us.

If your right hand prevents you from obeying the commandments, cut it off, and if your right eye again becomes an obstacle, do not pity it, for it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God without these than to have them and be thrown into hell (cf. Matt. 5:29-39).

By the words hand and eye he means our most beloved persons or things.

Here we emphasize the importance of causes and motives, especially for weak characters. Do not say, "I will not yield," when the cause is present.

We are not stronger than Samson, nor wiser than Solomon, nor holier than David, whom the causes destroyed.

Excerpt from the Book of Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, “Vatopedine Catechisms”, Catechism 17, “The Giants of the Passions and Our Own Struggle”, Published by the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, Series “Psychofeli Vatopedina 10”.