On Fear of God and Good Works. Priest Daniel Sysoev by mission shop

Approved for distribution by the Publishing Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 13-314-2075 64 pp. Priest Daniel Sysoev. On Fear of God and Good Works. Daniel Sysoev Inc, New Jersey, 2018. ISBN: 978-5-4279-0076-1

The concept of the fear of God has unfortunately become unpopular in our time. Yet as Scripture says, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 110:10). These words are so important that the Word of God repeats them on numerous occasions. The path of Christian life begins with turning away from evil, and it continues with doing good. This book explains what comprises this good, how good works correlate to faith in the Lord, and how to walk the path of salvation while guarding oneself with the fear of God and the remembrance of death.

Booklet 4 of 12 from a series of talks given by Priest Daniel Sysoev entitled “How to Inherit Eternal Life.”

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CONTENT

ON FEAR OF GOD AND GOOD WORK S On the Need to Stop Sinning �� 5 Salvation Comes Not By Good Works Alone �� 5 Why Are Good Works Necessary? �� 10 Two Hundred and Twenty-eight Virtues �� 12 Two Kinds of Good Works: of Thought and of Action �� 17 Acts are Outward Works �� 21 Good Works Done for Society ��24 Good Works Done for Individuals ��29 Inner Virtue ��30 The Supreme Goal in Life is Holiness �� 37 The Importance of the Fear of God ��42 Why Do Theories Arise that God Need Not be Feared? ��44 Two Forms of Fear of God ��46 The Highest Form of Fear of God �� 49 Fear of God and Remembrance of Death ��50 The Fruits of Remembrance of Death ��53 3

The Desire for Death is a Manifestation of Holiness ��55 Not Every Desire for Death is Praiseworthy ��56 Why did God Not Grant Men to Know the Hour of their Death? �� 57 On Remembrance of Death and Daily Affairs ��58 Remembrance of Death is a Gift from God �� 61

ON FEAR OF GOD AND GOOD WOR K S

On the Need to Stop Sinning

This is a very important topic, as many people

enter the Church not knowing that sin exists, and are quite surprised to learn that abortion, fornication, drunkenness, foul language, and smoking are sins. Frequently one encounters the most appalling ignorance. Some hold that stealing from the state is not a sinâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that is, stealing from another person is wrong, but stealing from the state is permissible. Here is what King David says about where to begin the good path: Turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33:15). This path begins with turning away from evil, and continues with doing good. Salvation Comes Not By Good Works Alone

First of all we must understand that we are not

saved by good works. When the Jews asked the Lord what works God requires of us, Jesus 5

answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent (Jn. 6:29), that is, in Jesus Christ. This is the sole and most important good work, from which all other good works proceed. Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, in God the Father Who sent Him, and in the Holy Spirit justifies a man, making him righteous. Faith in the Trinity and the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Godman is the sole means of our justification. A person who believes that one can be justified by any means other than the redeeming sacrifice of Christ is excommunicated from the Church. The apostle Paul says the same in his epistle to the Ephesians: But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which 6

God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:4–10). In order to obtain salvation, first and foremost a person is required to believe in Jesus Christ, repent of his evil deeds, desire not to repeat them, and participate in the sacrament by which salvation is acquired—the sacrament of holy baptism. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we obtain salvation. The apostle Paul says in his epistle to the Romans, We are saved by hope (Rom. 8:24)—that is, salvation has already been given, and it is our task to assimilate and preserve it. The apostle Paul goes on to say that in the matter of salvation the role of good works is secondary. Salvation requires Orthodox faith, a desire to live according to the commandments, and repentance of sins. Thus, salvation has already been received. All our sins are washed away from us, and the ancestral decay that originated with the first man is destroyed: the evil stored up in our souls is obliterated. We are clothed in Christ, and in chrismation we receive the personal gift of the Holy Spirit, receiving the life-giving strength that lives within us, and in Communion we become flesh of God’s Flesh and blood of His 7

Blood, when God enters into us. Salvation is accomplished at the moment of baptism. Salvation must be assimilated: it is given so that we might put it to use. Here it is appropriate to recall the Gospel account in which the Lord says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who went away into a far country to receive his kingdom. In leaving he assembled his servants and distributed talents among them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to a third he gave one, according to the abilities of each. He then went away, and upon his return he summoned all his servants and asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How did you dispose of my talents?â&#x20AC;? One said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Mt. 25:20â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21). You will observe that he did not take the talents away. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee 8

ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And when He had said these things, He cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mt. 25:22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;30).* * The last verse is not present in the King James Version of the Gospel of Matthew, but is present in the Russian Synodal Version. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Trans.

Why Are Good Works Necessary?

The apostle Paul answers this question as fol-

lows: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10). People are created anew in Christ. When a person receives baptism in the waters of the font he is buried together with Christ, and when he emerges from the font he is united unto Christ, created anew. In Psalm 50 we read these words: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Ps. 50:12). “Create” is not a precise translation of the Hebrew word bara, which means “to create out of nothing.” This same word is used in the Bible in describing the creation of the world. Here once again the psalm says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, out of nonexistence.” It is this creating out of nonexistence that occurs at the time of baptism. God creates us anew and makes us new beings, having in ourselves two natures: human nature, given us by the Lord at our creation, with particular propensities, talents, and abilities; and divine nature, which works within us through the uncreated power of God. This uncreated power is called the grace of the Holy 10

Spirit, Who comes to dwell in our hearts from the moment of baptism. Some people think that talents are qualities that a person possesses as his own personal property. But no: they are specifically a gift of the Spirit that is given to a person. Gifts vary depending on one’s ability to employ them, and for this reason the Lord requires that each person answer for how he put them to use. These gifts must be increased. We are created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has destined us to do. The venerable Seraphim of Sarov related how to test whether we are doing good works or not. If a good work produces the grace of the Holy Spirit, if you sense within yourself the uncreated power of the Lord God and the Holy Spirit after doing a good work—that is, the fruits described in the epistle to the Galatians: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. 5:22)—it means the good work was done for God’s sake. If not, you have labored in vain. For this reason it is required that every good work we do invariably be done to the glory of God, and that we remember that every good work must be rooted in faith. As the apostle Paul said, For in Jesus Christ neither 11

circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Gal. 5:6). The Orthodox faith must work through love. If a person does good works that are not grounded in faith, he labors to no purpose. These good works will be of no account in God’s eyes, and will be of no help to anyone. Two Hundred and Twenty-eight Virtues

The venerable Peter of Damascus gives a list of two hundred and twenty-eight virtues: “God knows all things before they come to pass, and He has no need to hear a conversation, but we have need of this that we might know what we ask and for what we pray, so that we might learn prudence and through forgiveness might be attached to God; so that, tossed by a tempest of thoughts and being without the remembrance of God, we might not be conquered by our foes; but that by means of prayer and studying the divine scriptures we might acquire the assimilation of the virtues, concerning which the holy fathers wrote, one in this place and another in that, through the grace of the Holy Spirit—I, having learned from them, as I am able will say the names of the virtues, albeit not all, due to 12

my lack of learning.â&#x20AC;? Here is the list of virtues that we must possess. The first virtue is wisdom. Of this King Solomon also speaks: The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness (Wisd. 15:14). The other virtues are these: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Self-restraint, courage, justice, faith, hope, love, fear [of God], religious devotion, spiritual knowledge, resolution, strength, understanding, wisdom, contrition, grief, gentleness, searching the Scriptures, acts of charity, purity of heart, peace, patient endurance, self- control, perseverance [firmly withstanding all trials], probity of intention, purposiveness, sensitivity [sensitivity to God and to the divine presence], heedfulness, godlike stability, warmth [fulfilling the commandments], alertness, the fervor of the Spirit, meditation, diligence, watchfulness, mindfulness, reflection, reverence, shame, respect, penitence, refraining from evil, repentance, return to God, allegiance to Christ, rejection of the devil, keeping of the commandments, guarding of the soul, purity of conscience, remembrance of death, tribulation of soul, the doing of good actions, effort, toil, an austere life, fasting, vigils, hunger, thirst, frugality, self-sufficiency [that is, not burdening others], 13

orderliness, gracefulness, modesty, reserve, disdain of money, unacquisitiveness, renunciation of worldly things, submissiveness, obedience, compliance, poverty, possessionlessness, withdrawal from the world, eradication of self-will, denial of self, counsel, magnanimity, devotion to God [that is, when a person abolishes his own thoughts and heeds only God], stillness, discipline, sleeping on a hard bed, abstinence from washing oneself, service, struggle, attentiveness, the eating of uncooked food, nakedness [when a person does not bother with his clothing and pays it no attention], the wasting of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body, solitude, quietude, calmness, cheerfulness, fortitude, boldness, godlike zeal, fervency, progress, folly for Christ, watchfulness over the intellect, moral integrity, holiness [becoming like God], virginity, sanctification, purity of body, chasteness of soul, reading for Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake, concern for God, comprehension, friendliness [an ability to handle a given situation without departing from the will of God], truthfulness, uninquisitiveness, uncensoriousness, forgiveness of debts, good management, skillfulness [in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dealings], acuity [in good], fairness, the right use of things, cognitive insight, good-naturedness [in what is good], experience, psalmody, prayer, thanksgiv14

ing, acknowledgment, entreaty, kneeling, supplication, intercession.” The difference between entreaty and intercession is that entreaty is intensified prayer in cases of particular need, while intercession is abiding constantly in prayer. “Petition, appeal [meaning appeals for others], hymnody, doxology, confession, solicitude, mourning [godly mourning], affliction [regret for evil deeds], pain, distress, lamentation, sighs of sorrow, weeping, heart-rending tears, compunction, silence, the search for God, cries of anguish, lack of anxiety about all things, forbearance, lack of self-esteem, disinterest in glory, simplicity of soul, sympathy, self-retirement, goodness of disposition, activities that accord with nature, activities exceeding one’s natural capacity, brotherly love, concord, communion in God, sweetness, a spiritual disposition, mildness, rectitude, innocence, kindliness, guilelessness, simplicity, good repute, speaking well of others, good works, preference of one’s neighbor, godlike tenderness, a virtuous character, consistency [in virtue], nobility, gratitude, humility, detachment, dignity, forbearance, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, discrimination, accessibility, courtesy, tranquility, [spiritual] contem15

plation, guidance, reliability, clearsightedness [meaning a state above that customary to nature], dispassion, spiritual joy, sureness, tears of understanding [aroused by coming to know oneself], tears of soul”—when the soul encounters the divine existence and weeps in ecstasy. “A loving desire for God”—when a person longs for God and is wholly permeated with longing for God. “Pity, mercy, compassion, purity of soul, purity of intellect, prescience, pure prayer, passion-free thoughts, steadfastness, fitness of soul and body, illumination, the recovery of one’s soul, hatred of life, proper teaching, a healthy longing for death, childlikeness in Christ.” Of this the apostle Paul also writes, saying that he has a desire to depart, and to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23). “Rootedness [strengthening one’s neighbor], admonition [of him] and encouragement, both moderate and forcible, a praiseworthy ability to change, ecstasy towards God, perfection in Christ, true enlightenment [permeation with divine radiance], an intense longing for God, rapture of intellect, the indwelling of God”—when God comes to dwell in a man. “Love of God, love of inner wisdom [philosophy], theology”—when a person speaks of God and knows God. “A true confes16

sion of faith, disdain of death, saintliness, successful accomplishment [improving not only oneself, but others also], perfect health of soul, virtue, praise from God”—when God praises a man. “Grace, kingship, adoption to sonship— altogether 228 virtues. I said: Ye are gods, and all of you the sons of the Most High (Ps. 81:6). But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Jn. 1:12–13)—that is, it is possible for man to become a god through the grace of Him who grants us victory over the passions.”* Nor is this a complete list of the virtues; it could be continued. Two Kinds of Good Works: of Thought and of Action

The Church tells us that there are essentially

two kinds of good works. Imagine a fruit-bearing tree that has deep-seated roots. This is *The Philokalia vol. 3, G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, trans. (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), 202–206.

humble-mindedness—remembrance of the fact that we have nothing that is not from God. The trunk and the branches are faith. The branches put forth leaves and fruit. The leaves are what is called active virtue, while the fruit is what is called rational virtue. As the venerable Andrew of Crete says, “Watch, O my soul, and take courage like the great patriarch Jacob of old, that thou mayest acquire action with spiritual understanding, and be named Israel, ‘the mind that sees God’; and so shalt thou penetrate the impassable darkness through contemplation, and obtain a great treasure as thy reward.” Man’s task is always to keep watch. In the heavens there are three Watchers, Who continually keep watch over the universe—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and indivisible, Who knows how the world develops, and Who sees all that occurs in the universe. Hence a person must emulate God and always keep watch, looking after himself, not allowing himself to lapse into spiritual sleep. When a person relaxes and disengages his head, his mind, his feelings, and his will, it is then that the enemy comes to him. Saint Andrew of Crete mentions Jacob, calling him the 18

great patriarch, since Jacob was diligent, laboring for fourteen years to win his two wives. He greatly loved Rachel and labored seven years for her, but he was deceived, and on the very night of the wedding by trickery her sister Leah was given him instead. Then Jacob was forced to labor another seven years for Rachel. For this reason the Church sees this not only as an actual description of a historical event, but also as a kind of symbol. Leah bore Jacob six sons, while Rachel had only two. The first of them, Joseph, was Jacob’s favorite son. For Jacob, Rachel is a symbol of rational virtue, while Leah is a symbol of active virtue. This is the ancient explanation that has always been accepted by the Church. Literally the text* reads “that thou mayest purchase action and spiritual understanding”—that is, that you may purchase both active virtue and rational virtue, so as to become one who beholds God with his mind. The word Israel translates as “God-seer,” that is, a mind that sees God, and for this reason the modern state of Israel, which did not discern God, bears this name unlawfully. When * That is, the text of the hymn cited in the previous paragraph, from the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. —Trans.

Israel discerns God in Christ Jesus, then it will become Israel indeed. At present the New Israel is the Church, because it sees God and does battle with God’s help. Here on earth we are partially privy to the knowledge that is to come. In the future age people will not have to labor to attain knowledge. In this life, learning is a process: we obtain information through our sensory organs, we process it, think it over, incorporate it into our worldview, and in this way we acquire knowledge. In the life of the future age, as the apostle Paul says, we who are known will see all things plainly. This is achievable in part even now for one who has entered the darkness of understanding. Such a person can achieve knowledge without process; he sees things as they are. Incidentally, true clairvoyance is manifested in just this way. It is a reflection of the potent knowledge to come. A person sees things as they are, because he looks upon God Who Is, and in Him he sees the designs behind all things. “Thou shalt obtain a great treasure as thy reward.” The Gospel says, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all 20

that he had, and bought it (Mt. 13:45–46). The Kingdom of God is also like a man who found a treasure buried in a field: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field (Mt. 13:44). When a person sells everything for God’s sake, that is when he becomes a successful merchant. Acts are Outward Works

Acts are good works that we perform. For example, working in an almshouse, supporting elderly women—these are acts, outward good works. Or, for example, fairly meting out justice—this too is an outward act of goodness. Without outward good works it is impossible to achieve true knowledge. The fathers of the Church say that if a person does not occupy himself with outward works, his inward activity will be mere fantasizing, and for this reason ascetics never fail to provide for themselves independently and to work. A monk must work in order to feed himself and to give alms. This is the universal monastic principle. For classic monasticism it would be unthinkable for monks 21

to go begging from door to door. Scripture also mentions good works: Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Is. 1:16â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18). In another passage also the Lord says these words through the prophet Isaiah: Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting 22

forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in (Is. 58:6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12). And again the prophet Micah says, Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God (Mic. 6:6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8). Here, in brief, is what the Lord requires. 23

Good Works Done for Society

For the purpose of discussion let us categorize

these outward good works. We are all a part of society, and so we have an obligation to do good works. God said that civil authority is from Him: For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Rom. 13:1). For this reason the apostle Paul goes on to write, Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8). We must support the government in its desire to maintain justice. The apostle Paul says, For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil (Rom. 13:4). Should a Christian avoid authority? No. I hold that if you are summoned to jury duty, if you are neither a priest nor a monk, and are not bound by the vows of either, you have no right to refuse: it is your duty to serve in righteousness, to serve in truth, according to the Word of God, and not to 24

the laws of man. This is a very important principle, since justice is a tremendously important good work. The Lord Himself says through the prophets, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Break the covenant with unrighteousness, restore justice, love justice.â&#x20AC;? If a Christian has the opportunity to become a ruler or an elected official, this is something that is pleasing to God. We must remember that the government has two tasks: firstly, to defend its citizens from lawlessness, and secondly, to uphold justice. It is not the duty of the state to regulate the life of every man; God has not given it this authority. If you are a supervisor with subordinates under you, you are obligated to be fairâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to ensure that the business is a profitable one, but also that your subordinates are not deprived of a fair income. God forbids withholding wages for even a single night: this is a grave crime in the eyes of God. God likewise categorically prohibits altering the value of currency. Playing the exchange market is a sin in the eyes of God. It is also a sin to lend money at interest. Consequently, it is no sin for a bank to invest money in a business, but it is a sin for it to profit off the needs of others. Lending at interest by banks is usury. Pawnshops are also sinful. Peo25

ple who make a tidy income should remember that God gives money in order to support the infirm, as the Shepherd of Hermas says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The rich man is like unto a dry tree wound about by a grape vine. The dry tree exists specifically to support the grape vine. The grape vine exists specifically to pray for the dry tree.â&#x20AC;? The rich must support the poor, and the poor must repay them with prayer and gratitude. The Lord likewise commands that a part of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earnings be set aside for God and for Christians. We know that the Lord affirmed the tithe, which in Russia was paid only by princes up to the 16th century. In the West and in Byzantium people paid the tithe voluntarily, not as a tax, but as a voluntarily offering. The tithe is a sum that was established in the Old Testament, since this was the era of the law. Times have changed since then: now is the era of grace, and the Lord says for people to give according to their hearts. The apostle Paul writes concerning how to do this: Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when 26

I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me (1 Cor. 16:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4). Now let us examine how we should view social processes. Should a Christian participate at all in social processes? Yes, of course he should. He should strive to uphold all that is good and to cut off all evil to the best of his abilities. The Lord does not require that we do the impossible, or that we go about overthrowing governments. The Lord requires that we curb evil in cases of outright lawlessness. As for the army, when soldiers came to John the Forerunner he did not tell them to evade military service. Rather, he said, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages (Lk. 3:14). The soldier must carry out all orders except those that directly contradict the Holy Gospel. We have the example of the Theban Legion (six thousand soldiers) who were ordered to go and destroy Christians during the persecution under Diocletian. They refused, however, saying to the emperor, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are subject to you, we fight against the barbarians, but we have no intention of harming innocent people. We are prepared to die rather than 27

violate the will of God.” They were executed and became martyrs. When people say that every order must be obeyed, this is not true. A soldier is just as responsible as his commander for keeping God’s commandments. In the case mentioned above the soldiers were dealing with a direct order to commit a crime—to kill the defenseless without trial—which they had no right to obey. If you are a soldier and are serving in the military, you must obey orders. Suppose you are in Afghanistan and are ordered to go out and kill all the inhabitants of a village, whatever their age. You may not obey this order, but you may fight in Afghanistan, since the crime of war is the responsibility of those who brought it about. But personal crimes—if, for example, you shoot down an innocent person—are the responsibility of each individual. As for tax inspectors, a person may hold this post, since collecting taxes is a good thing. God commanded that taxes be collected. The apostle Paul says, For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing (Rom. 13:6). Thus, paying taxes is pleasing to God, and there is nothing wrong with this, 28

nor, consequently, with collecting them. It is forbidden, however, to take more than is due, to extort money under the ruse of tax audits, and so forth. A school teacher who teaches atheism will answer to God for the people he has brought to ruin. An educator has no right to teach godless things: he is responsible for the words he speaks, even if the syllabus requires it. Hence, a teacher is required to preach words that are in keeping with the Word of God. This is true not only for teachers, but also for television producers and for authors of television programs, films, and so forth. Those who manage mass media outlets are responsible for what they publish. They are answerable to God. Here we have touched on the issue of good works as they pertain to society. Good Works Done for Individuals

Every person must try to be friendly and gentle with people: he must learn to understand people, to listen to them, not to be high-minded, to be noble of spirit. And as the apostle Paul says, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares 29

(Heb. 13:2)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;for example, as Abraham received the Lord hospitably, and Lot received the two angels who saved him in Sodom. Hence, every person, regardless of his social position, must not only labor honestly to the glory of God, but also must personally seek opportunities to do good outwardly. There are good works that God requires of us. These are the fasts established by the holy Church. There can also be fasts in certain extraordinary cases (such as wars or natural disasters). A fast may also be imposed with the blessing of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spiritual father when struggling with certain passions, such as that of lust. Outward good works, such as a prayer rule, are also very useful. Inner Virtue

Outward good works must facilitate those that

are within. If they do not, they are uselessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; they are leaves without fruit. If a person is occupied exclusively with outward good works, he becomes a Pharisee. He thinks he has done a great many significant good works, but he is unaware that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17). Hence, a person must naturally strive for inner 30

opportunity to truly pray. But right now I do not have time.â&#x20AC;? This logic is actually based on the idea that you can make up for one neglected task by doing another. You cannot! You cannot, under any circumstances. We must devote each day to God. Rest is something that God will also give us, and we will have to compensate for it daily. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is impossible, someone says, impossible to spend the present day devoutly unless we regard it as the last of our whole life. And it is truly astonishing how even the pagans have said something of the sort, since they define philosophy as meditation on death.â&#x20AC;?

Priest Daniel Sysoev

ON FEAR OF GOD AND GOOD WORKS Translator and Editor in Chief Priest Nathan Williams Layout and design Kyrill Zubchenko Except where otherwise noted, scriptural quotes are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Quotes from the book of Psalms are taken from The Psalter According to the Seventy, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline MA; all rights reserved. Quotes from The Ladder are taken from The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959). mission-shop.com danielsysoev.com mission379@gmail.com +1(609)605-70-76