III. 1. Therefore, to the extent that (every Christian) believes, to the extent that he struggles, and to the extent that he gives himself over in the struggle of body and soul to every pleasing of the commandments, to that extent does he acquire communion with the Spirit for spiritual growth and renewal of mind (Romans 12:2), acquiring for himself, by the grace and gift of God, salvation and, with the help of faith, love and the struggle of free will, assimilating to himself success and growth to the measure of perfect spiritual stature. And this is in order that he may become, both by grace and righteousness, an heir of eternal life. For just as it is impossible to assimilate the growth of progress through God's power and grace alone, without the cooperation and diligence of (himself) man, so it is impossible to attain the perfect will of God and to come to the (full) measure of freedom and purity only through one's own strength, diligence and perseverance, without the assistance and help of the Holy Spirit. "If the Lord does not build a house, he who builds it labors in vain. If the Lord does not preserve the city, it is in vain" (Psalm 126:1); and again: "For they shall not inherit the earth with their sword, neither shall their arm save them" (though they fight with "swords" and "arms"), but "Thy right hand, and Thy arm, and the illumination of Thy countenance" (Psalm 43:4) – here it is spoken of the power of God, which helps their own struggle. At the same time, the prophet teaches that those who hope to find salvation by faith and love and with the help of grace should cut off the exaltation of a few virtues and reliance only on themselves.

III.2. What is this will of God, which the Apostle urges (everyone) to achieve, calling everyone to strive for it diligently? Is it not the blessedness of those of whom the Lord says: "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8) and "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48)? These (words) proclaim the complete cleansing from sin, the complete deliverance from the passions of dishonor, and the complete assimilation of the highest virtue, that is, the purification and sanctification of the heart through communion with the perfect Spirit of God, which takes place in the fullness of certainty, with the faith and love of the soul, which sacrifices itself entirely to God. This perfect purpose of truth is revealed by the Spirit through David; He teaches us to seek it with God and to believe that those who thirst for it are proclaimed sons of Light and become heirs of Life. For (the Spirit through David) says: "Be my heart blameless in Thy justifications, that I may not be ashamed" (Psalm 118:80). These words indicate that shame and disgrace cover those who have not yet acquired for themselves a blameless heart, (pure) from every stain and dirt of vice. And again He says: "Then I will not be ashamed, when I look upon all Thy commandments" (Psalm 118:6), — here the Holy Spirit teaches that one should fulfill all the commandments, shun (every) sin, and gain perfect boldness towards God (1 John 3:21-22). Even the prophet, praying, points to the same goal with the words: "Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness in my womb... And by the Spirit of the Lord strengthen me" (Psalm 50:12-14). He also asks, "Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in His holy place?" (Psalm 23:3), alluding to those who (will be worthy of this, and gives the answer): "Innocent of hands and pure in heart" (Psalm 23:4). Therefore, as the Spirit reveals by His action, we must completely cut off from ourselves (all) sin committed in deed, word, thought, or thought, and, praying earnestly and trusting in faith, daily hasten to the perfect purity of God.

III.3. The Apostle, clearly teaching what souls should be who have separated from marriage and (freed) from the bonds of the world, as well as those who wish to strive in celibacy, says: "She who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit" (1 Corinthians 7:34). The Apostle commands this (unmarried) woman to be free from (all) transgressions, both in deed and committed in thought, that is, open and secret (sins), since she desired to become the bride of Christ, in order to marry the unblemished and pure Heavenly King. After all, the soul that longs to be united with Him, and desires to become "one spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:17) should be likened to His irreproachable and pure beauty, according to the words of Blessed John: "Whosoever hath this hope in Him, purifies himself, inasmuch as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). (And the Apostle Paul) also says: "Be ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). For it is not only from manifest transgressions, such as fornication, theft, murder, gluttony, backbiting, lying, idle talk, shouting, laughter, buffoonery, love of money, and covetousness, that the soul that has renounced carnal intercourse, that has withdrawn from the world, that labors in virginity in order to marry the incorruptible Bridegroom and is betrothed to Him, but even more must it be cleansed from passions and secret sins. those who violate the soul, such as: lust, vanity, man-pleasing, hypocrisy, lust for power, deceit, ill-temper, hatred, unbelief, envy, arrogance, jealousy, self-satisfaction, selfishness, arrogance, and other similar invisible passions of dishonor. And the Scriptures know (if we believe the words of the Spirit) of these secret sins of the soul, which are considered equal and similar to manifest sins, since both are shoots from the same root. After all, the Scriptures say: "As the Lord scatters the bones of men-pleasers" (Psalm 52:6) and "the Lord abhors a man of blood and flattery" (Psalm 5:7), counting flattery and murder among the only crimes. Also: "To those who speak peace with their neighbors, but evil in their hearts, give unto them, (Lord), according to their works" (Psalm 27:3-4); and again: "For in your heart you do iniquity on the earth" (Psalm 57:3). And the Lord, rebuking the people-pleasers, says: "All these things they do, that men may see them" (Matt. 23:5). That is why He commands: "Take heed that you do not your alms before men, that they may see you: otherwise you will have no reward from your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 6:1); that is, (He says) that there should be no desire to seek (one's own) good morals praise or glory from men, but should seek them only from God, from Whom is both true and eternal glory and eternal dishonor. That is why it is said: "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you" (Luke 6:26), that is, when there arises a desire to hear (only) good things from people and to rejoice in the praise and praise that come from them.

III.4. But is it possible for those who do good not to be manifest to all? After all, the Lord Himself says: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). (This question can be answered in the following way): The Lord, (saying this), implies that you, doing every good deed, should strive for the glory of God, and not for your own glory, and that you should not seek the praise of short-lived people and not rejoice in them, but accept praise and glory from God alone, as Blessed David says: "In Thee is my praise" (Psalm 21:11). 26) and "In the Lord my soul shall glory" (Psalm 33:3). And the Apostle commands us to do all things for the glory of God, even to eat and drink: "Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you do, do all things to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the Lord declares those who seek glory and praise from people to be unbelievers, saying: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that is from the One God?" (John 5:44).

III.5. And (the Apostle) John compares hatred with murder: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; but you know that no murderer has eternal life in him" (1 John 3:15). He compares secret hatred of his brother to murder. The Apostle Paul also, speaking of those who have given themselves over to shameful passions because of their foolish and disobedient hearts (Romans 1:26 and 21), refers their deeds to the worst work of perdition, considering secret and open sins as one. He says: "And because they did not care to have God in their minds, God gave them over to a perverse mind, to do lewd things, so that they are full of all unrighteousness, fornication, deceit, covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, ill-temper, slanderers, slanderers, God-haters, offenders, self-praisers, proud, inventive of evil, disobedient to parents, reckless, treacherous, unloving, irreconcilable, unmerciful. They know the righteous judgment of God, that those who do such works are worthy of death" (Romans 1:28-32), and so on. You see that (the Apostle) not only declares the manifest sins of people to be abominable, but also enumerates with them the hidden passions of the soul, such as: deceit, pride, enmity, ill-will, boasting, hatred and foolishness. Again, the Lord says: "What is high among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15) and "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11). Wisdom also says: "Everyone who is high-hearted is unclean before God" (Proverbs 16:5). We can choose from the Holy Scriptures many other similar sayings directed against the passions of dishonor hidden in the soul.

III.6. The Holy Spirit knows that the hidden sinful passions are the most painful for the soul and that they are deeply rooted in it; and through David He teaches us how to get rid of them: "Cleanse me from my secrets, and spare Thy servant from strangers" (Psalm 18:13-14). These words mean that we can overcome, with the help of the power of the Spirit, the hidden sinful passions through much prayer, (fervent) faith, and a good and perfect striving towards God. For just as we try to preserve, like the temple of God, from the manifest sins of the outer man, that is, the body, according to the words of the Apostle: "If anyone destroys the temple of God," here he speaks of the body, "God will punish him" (1 Corinthians 3:17), so we must, in our struggle, try to preserve the inner man, that is, the soul, from all defilement by impure thoughts, according to what is said: "Guard your heart with all guarding," like the bride of Christ, "from these proceeds the life" (Proverbs 4:23).

III.7. We must achieve this by always fighting against evil thoughts and rebuking them — with thoughts of vanity, hatred, arrogance, deceit, lust, unbelief, envy and covetousness. We must also examine ourselves with all diligence, keeping a mind that is unfriendly with the secret passions of the soul and out of tune with them, and also devoting ourselves (entirely) to all good deeds; we have to do them with effort, labor, and struggle, because the adversary hinders us.

III.8. Blessed Moses hints at the uniform truth (of the Life), figuratively showing that the soul should not obey two conscious inclinations, the good and the evil, but that it should turn only to the good. For we must not cultivate two fruits: bad fruits and useful fruits; on the contrary, in uniformly producing useful fruits, we are obliged to completely avoid evil. "Do not (labor) in your field, harnessing into one yoke animals of different kinds, for example, an ox and an ass, but by harnessing animals of the same kind, you will thresh your harvest": with these words (we are exhorted) to labor in the field of our heart, not (uniting) vice and virtue, but (harnessing) only virtue. "Do not weave flax into woollen linen, and wool into linen" and "Do not plant two (types of different) fruits in your field together and (do not repeat this) next year." (Finally, it is said): "Do not mate heterogeneous animals to produce offspring, but combine only animals of the same species."

III.9. Thus by means of all these utterances (of the Holy Scriptures) it is mysteriously hinted that we should not cultivate in ourselves both vice and virtue, but should (through the Divine birth) produce from ourselves in a uniform way (only) the fruits of virtue. The soul should not commune and unite with two spirits: the spirit of the world (of this world) and the Spirit of God, but it is commanded (by God) to be united and cleaved only to the Spirit of God; therefore the soul must bear only the sacred shoots and fruits of the Spirit. Nor can one bring (one's) free will into consonance with the two faces, the worse and the better, but, devoting oneself only to good and completely detaching oneself from evil, one must cultivate in one's soul the uniform fruit of virtues, according to what is written: "For this reason thou hast guided thyself unto all by Thy commandment, thou hast hated every way of iniquity" (Psalm 118:128), and "Thou hast hated unrighteousness and abhorred it, but thou hast loved Thy law" (Psalm 118:128). 163). And this is so that the Lord, seeing the struggle of the soul, in His love for mankind, would create in us through the power of the Spirit a great and complete healing from hidden passions, protecting us from our spiritual enemies.

III.10. And the Lord Himself, telling of a widow who was overcome by a rival and came to seek protection from an unrighteous ruler, and then found this protection because of the persistence of her expectation, teaches us that we should not lose heart in prayers. "He also told them a parable, that they should always pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1) and the following. (The Lord in the parable) hints that one should not lose heart and weaken the tense expectation of prayer. After that, He says: "Do you see what the unrighteous judge says? How much more will your Father in heaven protect those who cry out to Him day and night. I say unto you, that He shall give them protection quickly" (Luke 18:6-8).

III.11. And how the Apostle fought for his disciples, and how he tried, praying inwardly for them, that they would come to the measure of spiritual (growth)! At the same time, it reveals the highest goal of Christianity for all who wish to strive painlessly and with love for the truth towards this goal, and makes generally known the apostolic standard of the new creation for those who are zealous for (spiritual) progress, "admonishing every man, and teaching all wisdom, that he may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, for which I labor" (Col. 1:28-29). He also prays for those who are worthy to be sealed through baptism with the seal of the promised Spirit, (desiring) that they may grow in spiritual progress, and says: "Wherefore I also, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, give thanks unceasingly to God for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, hath given you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation unto the knowledge of him, and hath enlightened the eyes of your heart, that ye may know wherein lies the hope of his calling, and what riches of his glorious inheritance are to the saints, and how immeasurable is the greatness of his power in us who believe" (Ephesians 1:15-19).

III.12. (With these words the Apostle) precisely designates the way of communion with the Spirit, which is accomplished in the fullness of assurance. (And further) he says: "According to the work of His power, by which He worked in Christ, raising Him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19-20); it is meant, "according to the work of the Spirit," that we also may receive the fullness of assurance. And a little further in the same Epistle, desiring that (the disciples) attain some higher (measure) of growth and progress in spiritual perfection, (the Apostle) prays (for them) and says: "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom every fatherland in heaven and on earth is named, that He may give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be firmly established by His Spirit in the inner man, to dwell in your hearts by faith in Christ, that you, rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to understand the love of Christ that surpasses understanding, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-19).

III.13. And in another Epistle (the Apostle), teaching the same thing, showing the disciples the abundance of spiritual riches and urging them to hasten to attain the perfect measure, says: "Be zealous for spiritual gifts, and I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, then I am a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, and have not love, then it profiteth me nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and give my body to be burned, and have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3). Showing the fruits of love and how those who have found it are completely delivered from vicious passions, (the Apostle) says: "Love does not envy, love is not exalted, is not proud, does not riot, does not seek its own, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). And he also says that (love) "never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8). The last words mean that those who possess the above-mentioned spiritual gifts, but who have not yet been delivered, through the abundant and active love of the Spirit, are still exposed to danger, are in struggle and fear, because they are waging war with the spirits of wickedness, although they have already acquired spiritual gifts. To them, who wish to walk on the path of grace, that is, on the path of Christianity, (the Apostle) shows a great measure of spiritual (growth), which is no longer (exposed to the danger of moral) fall and (destruction from impure) passion. Therefore the tongues of angels and men, the gift of prophecy, faith, all knowledge, and the gifts of healing, are nothing compared with the highest virtue, that is, compared with the fullness and perfection of love, although these gifts are the works of the same Spirit.

III.14. However, if anyone has been vouchsafed such gifts, it is in order that, by a new act of grace, he may not consider himself to have attained perfection and need nothing, renouncing the impassibility corresponding to the measure of the perfect, and remaining filled only with lesser gifts, for this (the Apostle) shows the goal of perfection, so that everyone may constantly be aware of himself as poor in the face of so great riches; so that he may strive unshakably in good struggle and so run through the spiritual arena in order to receive a reward, according to what is said: "So run that you may receive" (1 Corinthians 9:24).