In another place the Lord says: Everyone will be salted with fire... (Mark 9:49). And this is an indication of the fire of the spirit, which penetrates our whole being with zeal. Just as salt, penetrating a decomposable substance, protects it from decay, so the spirit of jealousy, penetrating our entire being, expels sin, which corrupts our nature both in soul and body, from all its receptacles and storehouses, and thus saves us from moral corruption and corruption.

The Apostle Paul commands: "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:19), "Be not slothful, but burn with the Spirit" (Romans 12:11), and commands all Christians to remember that the burning of the spirit, or unslothful diligence, is an inalienable feature of the Christian life. In another place he speaks of himself: "Forgetting the one that is behind, but stretching out in the past, I drive with zeal to the honor of the high calling in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14); and inspires others to say, "Thus ye may comprehend" (1 Corinthians 9:24). This means that in the Christian life, as a result of the fervor of zeal, there is a certain rapidity and spiritual liveliness, with which one undertakes God-pleasing deeds, trampling on oneself and willingly sacrificing all kinds of labors to God, without pitying oneself.

Affirming ourselves on this concept, it is easy to conclude that the cold observance of the statutes of the Church, as well as regularity in deeds, established by prudent reason, correctness, sedateness and honesty in behavior, are not yet decisive indicators of what qualifies in us a truly Christian life. All this is good, but as long as it does not carry within itself the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, it has no value before God. Such deeds will then be like soulless idols. And the good clock goes well; But who will say that there is life in them?! So it is here: often they only have a name, that they are alive, while in fact they are dead (cf. Apoc. 3:1). This decency of behavior can most of all lead to deception. Its true meaning depends on internal dispositions, in which significant deviations from the essential truth are possible in righteous affairs. Just as, by outwardly refraining from sinful deeds, one can cherish affection for them or sweetness in one's heart, so equally, by doing righteous deeds outwardly, one can not have a heartfelt disposition towards them. Only true zeal wants to do good in all its fullness and purity, so does sin pursue it to its smallest shades. She seeks the former as her daily bread, and treats the latter as a mortal enemy. The enemy hates the enemy not only in his own person, but hates his relatives and acquaintances, even his belongings, his favorite color, in general everything that in any way reminds him of him. for he is zealous for resolute purity. Without this, how much impurity can lie in the heart!

And what success can be expected when there is no impetuous zeal for the Christian pleasing of God? In what there is no labor, it will still be fulfilled; but as soon as strenuous work or any self-sacrifice is required in something, a refusal will immediately follow, because it is impossible to control oneself. For then there will be nothing to lean on to move oneself to a good deed; Self-pity will undermine all supports. But if any other motive is mixed in besides the above, then it will also make a good deed ungood. The spies under Moses were afraid because they felt sorry for themselves. The martyrs willingly went to their deaths because they were burned by an inner fire. A true zealot not only does what is lawful, but also counsel and every good suggestion that is secretly imprinted in the soul; He does not only do what is imagined, but is inventive for good, all in concern for the only good, lasting, true, eternal. "Everywhere we need," says St. John Chrysostom, "zeal and much kindling of the soul, ready to take up arms against death itself; for otherwise it is impossible to receive the Kingdom" (Discourse 31 on Acts).

The work of piety and communion with God is a difficult and painful matter, especially at first. Where can we find the strength to take up all these labors? With the help of God's grace - in animated zeal. A merchant, a warrior, a judge, a scientist perform a service that is very caring and difficult. How do they support themselves in their labors? - Enthusiasm and love for your work. There is no other way to support oneself on the path of piety. And without this, we will find languor, burden, boredom, and lethargy in the service of God. And the slow-moving goes, but with sickness, whereas for the swift chamois or the agile squirrel movement and passage are pleasure. Zealous pleasing of God is a joyful, spirit-inspiring procession to God. Without it, you can ruin the whole thing. We must do everything for the glory of God, in spite of the sin that dwells in us; And without this, we will do everything only out of habit, according to the requirements of decency, because this has been done for a long time and others do so. Everything must be done; Otherwise, we will do one thing and not another, and moreover without any contrition or even the memory of omissions. Everything must be done with attention and circumspection, as the main thing; Otherwise, we will do as we have to.

Thus, it is clear that without zeal, a Christian is a bad Christian – sluggish, paralyzed, lifeless, neither warm nor cold – and such a life is not life. Knowing this, let us strive to show ourselves to be true zealots for good works, so that we may be truly pleasing to God, having no defilement or blemish, or anything of these.

Thus, a faithful witness to the Christian life is the fire of active zeal for pleasing God. The question now arises, how is this fire kindled? Who are its manufacturers?

Such zeal is produced by the action of grace, but not without the participation of our free will. The Christian life is not a natural life. Such should be its beginning, or its first awakening. Just as plant life awakens in a seed when moisture and warmth penetrate into the sprout hidden in it, and through them the all-restoring power of life, so the Divine life awakens in us when the Spirit of God penetrates into the heart and places there the beginning of life according to the Spirit, purifies and gathers together the darkened and broken features of the image of God. Desire and free search are awakened (by action from without), then grace descends (through the Sacraments) and, combined with freedom, gives rise to powerful zeal. And no one should think of giving birth to such a power of life by himself: one must pray for it and be ready to receive it. The fire of zeal with power is the grace of the Lord. The Spirit of God, descending into the heart, begins to act in it not only with devouring, but also with all-acting zeal.

Some people think: why this act of grace? Can't we do good deeds ourselves? So we have done this and that good deed. Let's wait and do something else. Rarely, perhaps, did not dwell on this issue. Some say that we cannot do anything good by ourselves. But here it is not a question of individual good deeds, but of the regeneration of the whole life, of a new life, of life in its entirety, such as leads to salvation. On occasion it is not difficult to do something, even very good, as the pagans did. But let anyone deliberately determine himself to unfailing good works, determine its order according to the instructions of the word of God – and this is not for one month or a year, but for the whole life – and resolve to remain unswervingly in this order, and then, when he remains faithful to it, let him boast of his power; and without this, is it not better to shut your mouth? Have there been and still are many experiences of self-made undertaking and organization of Christian life? And all of them ended and end in nothing. A person stands for a while in the newly chosen order - and throws it away. How could it be otherwise? I have no strength. Only the eternal power of God is characteristic of keeping us unchanged in disposition, amidst the incessant tides of temporal change. Therefore, it is necessary to be filled with this power, to ask for it and receive it according to the order, and it will lift us up and extract us from this temporal anxiety.

Turn to experience and see when such thoughts of self-satisfaction come? When a person is in a state of peace, when nothing disturbs him, nothing seduces him or draws him to sin, then he is ready for the most holy and pure life. But the slightest movement of passion or temptation - where are all the vows?! Does not a man who leads an intemperate life often say to himself: now I will no more? But the saturation of passion has passed, a new urge arises, and he again appears in sins. It is good to talk about enduring offenses, when everything goes according to our will, not contrary to self-love. At this point, perhaps, the feeling of insult or anger to which others indulge will seem strange. But if you happen to be in such a situation, then even one look, not just a word, will infuriate you. Thus, one can presumptuously dream of the possibility of leading a Christian life by oneself, without higher help, when the spirit is at rest. But when the evil that lies at the bottom of the heart is stirred up like dust by the wind, then in his own experience everyone will find in his own experience the condemnation of his arrogance. When thought after thought, desire after desire, one worse than the other, begin to disturb the soul, then everyone will forget about himself and involuntarily cry out with the prophet: "The waters have come to my soul: the charcoal is in the timenia of the depths" (Psalm 68:2). Oh, Lord, save me! Oh, Lord, make haste! (Psalm 117:25).

Does it not often happen that someone dreams of being in good in self-confidence? But now a person or a thing is imagined, a desire is born, a passion is aroused; Man is carried away and has fallen. After this, it would remain only to look at oneself and say: how bad it is! But now there are opportunities for amusement, and he is ready to forget himself again. Further, someone insulted: abuse, reproaches, and judgment began; A wrong, but profitable deal presented itself - he undertook to humiliate one, shared it with another, pushed a third from his place - and all this after boasting of the possibility of behaving holy, without much help from above, himself. Where is the power? - The spirit is cheerful, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41). Thou seest good, and doest evil: if I desire to do good, evil abides (Rom. 7:21). We are in captivity: redeem us, O Lord!

One of the first enemy slanders against us is a thought of presumption, that is, if not rejection, then not a feeling of need for grace-filled help. The enemy seems to say: "Do not go there, to the light, where they want to give you some new strength! "You're good enough for me." Man gives himself up to peace. And the enemy, meanwhile, will throw a stone (troubles), where he will lead to a slippery place (the charms of passions), where he will strew flowers with closed snares (bright surroundings). Without looking back, a person strives further and further and does not suspect that he is falling lower and lower, until at last he descends to the very bottom of evil - to the threshold of hell. Is it not necessary, then, to cry out to him, as to the first Adam: "Man, where are you? Where have you come?" This is the invocation of grace that makes the sinner look at himself for the first time.

So, if you want to begin to live in a Christian way, seek grace. The moment when grace descends and is combined with your will will be the moment of the birth of the Christian life – strong, firm, fruitful.

Where to find and how to receive the grace that begins life? - The acquisition of grace and the sanctification of our nature by it is accomplished in the Sacraments. Here we offer to the action of God, or we offer to God our useless nature, and He transforms it by His action. It pleased God, in order to defeat our proud mind, at the very beginning of true life, to hide His power under the shadow of simple matter. We cannot comprehend how this happens, but the experience of all Christianity testifies that it cannot be otherwise.