SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Pleasing God

“The fundamental problem is the notion of “works.” It’s the belief that pleasing God is a matter of human effort. The harder one toils, the more one exerts oneself, the greater the chance that God will look with favor on him or her. But what God our Creator wants from us is far greater than works. It is our faith and love. These are matters of a relationship, and a relationship is a state of being…To live “to God” mean that we dedicate our whole being to the Lord, not just ce

Salvation

“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13)....we work out our own salvation (v. 12) while it is God who works in us to do His will (v. 13).” (Orthodox Study Bible, Philippians 2:12-13) “We should not suppose, because he said, “For it is God that works in you both the willing and the doing,” that he has taken away free will. For if that were so he would not have said

Touch

“The poor diseased woman could not come to Jesus for the press, and you are in much the same condition, because of the rush and throng of these dreadful thoughts. Still, she put forth her finger, and touched the fringe of the Lord’s garment, and she was healed [Mark 5:24-34]. Do you the same.” (Charles Spurgeon) “The Spirit of God always brings transformation wherever He is present…Christ…causes every aspect of our corrupt human nature to be transformed, for whatever divinity

Groanings

“The Spirit of God is present to help, for He is our foremost helper. He calls us to prayer. The trouble, however, is “we do not know what we should pray for as we ought” (Romans 8:26). We are weakened as a result of sin. We do not grasp the goals of prayer, so we fail to approach it properly. However, the Spirit “makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (vs. 26). God the Father searches our hearts and knows the mind of the Spirit with whom He is One.

Pain

“God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain…Regardless of the source of our pain, we must accept that God knows, God loves and God is at work” (Jerry Bridges, Charles Stanley) “God uses the desert of the soul—our suffering and difficulties, our pain, our dark nights (call them what you will)—to form

Christianity

“Christianity became known as the Way based on Christ calling Himself “the way” (Jn 14:6), and on the fact that following Christ is not simply a momentary decision or the observance of outward religious practices, but a whole way of life.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Acts 9:1,2) “Christian faith is not a “religion” (except in the conventional everyday use of the word). It is the fulfillment of all religions in their search for divine truth and human meaning as inspired by God’s la

Family and Relationships

“...human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself…Real relationships with others, with all the challenges they entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of internet communication which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at whim, thus giving rise to a new type of contrived emotion which has more to do with devices and displays than with other people and with nature." (Pope

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