Posts Tagged ‘Galatians’
Humanity is always Rushing Things
It started in the very beginning. Adam and Eve wanted to rush being like God. The result was the Fall of Humanity, and death. It wasn’t that God didn’t want humanity to be like God. He did. It was that humanity wasn’t ready to be like God yet. That is always our story. We rush…
Read MorePride Cannot Save the Church
I encounter it quite a bit in discussions with keyboard warriors. Mostly new converts and even some who are not yet Orthodox think because they read a couple books or ‘that one’ blog post, they are the ‘last standing true Orthodox’ in the world. Everyone around them, especially those with canonical authority are ‘sell outs’…
Read MoreConception Should be Celebrated
For generations our society has been preoccupied with sex. People want access to sex without strings attached, sex that is without guilt, sex that is freeing. For many it doesn’t matter where the sex comes from, so long as it feels good. Everything is acceptable, until someone gets pregnant. Even in marriage, sex has become…
Read MoreModern Pharisees
It has been a problem since before Christ. People who read one part of the Law and demand its exact obedience while ignoring other parts of the Law. The Pharisees were good at it, and many today are quickly adopting their way. Many today look at the Holy Canons like modern pharisees, demanding exact obedience…
Read MoreWorks follow Faith
We’ve heard it before. “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2.20) As Orthodox Christians we are challenged all the time by our friends that works will not save us. Of course, what they mean is that fasting and prostrations won’t save us. They’re right, but not because they’re right. Fasting and prostrations are not works…
Read MoreOvertaken in Sin
In our constant battle against temptation, every morning we awake is another battle. Last night we prayed for forgiveness. This morning we prayed for another chance to ‘get it right’ in our fight against sin. Some days we make it longer than others without sin. Every day we fall in some way further from Christ…
Read MoreNothing Worth Anything is Easy
Whether it is going to the fitness center for a good workout, or studying for the bar exam, we can all agree that hard work is part of success. We often don’t value what is easy. There is no sense of accomplishment when something comes too easy for us. So, why do we think our…
Read MoreLove is Interactive
Human beings are created in the image of God, a community of love. That means, in order to be truly human, we must be a community of love. Love cannot exist in isolation. We need someone to love, and someone needs to love us. Love requires a reciprocal relationship. When love is turned within toward…
Read MoreChoosing Comfort over God
We live in the most advanced, wealthiest, and most would say the most comfortable nation in the world. It is often said the poorest of the poor in America and better off than in most other countries. Our nation has been blessed, there is no doubt. Living in such a comfortable society has its advantages…
Read MoreWhat Does it Mean to Bear One Another’s Burdens?
I remember one time at a parenting workshop, we learned to suffer with our children. This meant that rather than solve every struggle our children experience, we need to co-suffer with them. Help them understand that sometimes things are difficult. Sometimes the best we can do as parents is experience the suffering with our children.…
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