4. From Abba Mark

The Word of God has royal power and is useful to the listeners in practice, putting into their hearts the meaning of what is said. And if this is not so, then why is the Kingdom of Heaven like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of flour, until everything was leavened (Mt 13:33). That is, the human mind accepts the word of the Lord, hiding it in its threefold composition: body, soul, and spirit, according to the Apostle. And all the subtlety of his thoughts, scattered in many dimensions like flour, he gathers into a single dough of faith, in order to fully liken it to the active word.

2. Here is the exact meaning of this parable. The apostles were cleansed through the word (Jn 15:3) which they heard (from the Lord) and the power of the word, and became fit for work. For the word of God is alive and active. For this reason, the Lord condemned those who did not accept this power that accompanies the word as unbelievers: "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin" (Jn 15:22).

3. All of us who have been baptized must fully believe in Christ and obey all His commandments, since we have received power from Him to do so. But not in such a way that at first only one commandment is fulfilled, then another, and each in turn, one might say, gradually. No, one must comprehend such commandments that encompass many others at once, and thus fulfill all of them together. Nor should we omit those which relate to individual cases and are therefore not so often used.

4. The commandments that describe isolated cases include, for example: "Give to everyone who asks you, and from him who takes what is yours do not demand it back" (Lk 6:30), and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you (Mt 5:42). And the general commandment, which includes the particulars, is to sell your possessions and give to the poor (Mt 19:21), and take up your cross and follow me (Lk 9:23). The Lord calls the Cross the endurance of sorrows.

5. Whoever distributed his possessions to the poor and took up his cross, by one of his actions fulfilled all the above-mentioned commandments. And also of particular cases it is said: "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14) and the like. And above them stand the commandments for the purification of thoughts and deliverance from all arrogance, which is puffed up against the knowledge of God. Whoever purifies his thoughts excludes any pretext for the above-mentioned sins.

6. Since we have been buried with Him by baptism (Rom 6:4) and have been cleansed from sin, and therefore sin no longer has power over us, we must obey all the commandments in order to attain the perfection granted to us in baptism. If we don't do that, we become unfaithful. Faith is not only in being baptized into Christ, but also in doing His commandments. And if, leaving the commandments aside, we are diligent in pleasures, then sin justly urges us. For as the dog returns to his vomit (2 Pet 2:22), according to the words of the Scriptures, so do we.

7. In baptism a person acquires the freedom granted by Christ, so that he can perform works of freedom without compulsion, if he wishes. And he has the right to insist on his beloved self-will even after baptism, because it does not tolerate any compulsion. Neither God nor Satan can forcibly change a person's will, even after baptism. When the Lord says that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it away (Mt 11:12), He has in mind the will inherent in each person, and each of us must compel himself after baptism and not turn to evil, but properly adhere to the good. Even if we are coerced by the authorities, surely God, who gave Us freedom, will make us immovable in the face of violence.

8. There is no violence now. God Himself, by Baptism, freed us from slavery based on violence, abolished sin by His Cross and gave us the commandments of freedom. And to sin or not to sin is left to our will, since we know the commandments. If we keep the commandments, they provide us with the love of God, who has made us free. And if we neglect the commandments and reject them, we are only manifesting our unhealthy addiction to pleasure.

9. Whoever says, "We want to keep the commandments, but we cannot," sin rules over them even after baptism, commanding them at all times. Let such people know that their holy baptism has not yet been perfected, and that the Holy Spirit has not yet given them complete freedom from sin and power to keep all the commandments. Therefore, they are still subject to sin. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, says the Scriptures, has freed me from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2), abolishing it forever.

10. It is in our will either to bind ourselves again with the fetters of voluptuousness, or to be free through the fulfillment of the commandments. It happens that we hate sin, but an evil thought forcibly takes possession of our mind. Yes, it happens, I don't argue. But this is no longer a trace of Adam's sin, but of our contempt for the commandments after baptism. If, after cleansing in the font, we can keep the commandments, but do not do so, we are unwittingly possessed by sin and controlled until we repent and beg God to help us fulfill them, then He will cleanse us from the sin of contempt for the commandments.

11. There are two reasons for the action of evil in us, and for both we are to blame. One is the more powerful the more we neglect the commandments, and the other inevitably takes possession of us because of the iniquities committed after baptism. This act of evil can only be abolished by God, if we pray to Him by giving alms, saying prayers, and enduring the misfortunes that befall us. After all, all of the above gives us, albeit in a mysterious way, the grace of God granted in Baptism. The one who performs the feat always abstains and will not cease to abstain until the Lord destroys the "seed of Babylon."

12. Consider: there are twelve shameful passions. If you deign to love one of them, it will make up for the other eleven. Therefore, do not leave any sin unblotted, even if it is the smallest, so that it does not lead you later to a greater evil.

13. If you have begun to get along with evil, do not say that it does not possess you. As soon as you have contacted him, you are already defeated by him. An evil event is like a small net. If you start to get entangled in it even a little through negligence, you will soon become completely confused and suffocate. None of the virtues by themselves can open the door of the kingdom destined for us, but only all the virtues in their general interconnection. Whom a small evil easily defeats, a great one will inevitably enslave him. And whoever despises all evil, fights against it with God's help.