Sermons for Salvation

Renewal and Asceticism

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
Glory to Jesus Christ
First I think it is necessary for us to understand what renewal really means
before we go on to talk about asceticism. You have heard it said that Jesus
Christ makes all things news. According to St. Paul "If anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation; the old is passed away, behold, the new has come,”
Renewal is not simply making something appear as new. We take an old piece
of silver, for example, and we polish it up until it shines and we say it is like
new. That is not renewal in the Christian sense. Renewal is to take something
old and worn and weighted down by sin and corruptibility and by the exerting
of the Divine Will to recreate it anew so that that which had made it old no
longer exists in its character. The word, "renewal," does not apply to material
things. Anything that has existed for any length of time cannot be renewed in
the Christian sense but the human being who is committed to Christ Who, by
His Divine Will makes all things new, that creature becomes a new recreated
person. That newness in Christ means the total expunging of all that was the
old so that one may start again as a new person. Our record is washed clean.
All of our sins are wiped away from the slate of our life and we are given a
new start. St. Paul said it best; "So then you are no longer strangers and
sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the
household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets,
Christ Jesus being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined
together and grows into a Holy Temple in the Lord; in whom you are also
built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. If we are then a part of
this household of God and members of his family, certain things are
expected of us. We are built into that household as pillars, walls and roof
resting on a Holy Foundation and the Godhead dwells in us and binds us
together.
That which we are expected to do as Orthodox Christians is wrapped up
essentially in one word, asceticism. Following our honest to God,
conscientious commitment to Christ in which we dedicate our whole life to
Him, we are called upon to live the life of spiritual exercise.
Asceticism, as we Orthodox Christians understand it, acknowledges that
there is a state of constant warfare raging in the life of the individual between
good and evil . . . a state of warfare between us and the prince of darkness
who strives to embrace us and make us his. It is through the various
techniques and practices and disciplines of the ascetic life . . . which I must
add here is not restricted to mystics and monastic’s but applies to all of us . .
. that we may avoid the embrace of Satan and march staunchly on the road to
Theosis, union with God. Asceticism begins when we give up our selves for
something infinitely better. As we apply our ascetic disciplines we grow from
one level to another, from one plateau to another, closer to God, further
away from sin, yet we become more keenly aware of and wary of sin. There
actually comes a time when we can look back on our lives over a period of
five or ten or fifteen years and see the kind of person we were when we
started and the person we have become and not be able to identify with the
personality we once were. We become so infused with living our lives as
Christians from day to day that it seems absolutely impossible that we could
have lived in any other style, at any other time. This is the product of
Orthodox ascetic living. What is asceticism? It is prayer, fasting, good works
and study, diligently and faithfully applied out of our love for God and our
desire to be united with Him. Asceticism has an impact on the body, the soul,
the mind and the spirit. We fast for the body's sake, we pray to nourish the
soul, and we do good works to feed the spirit. We study scripture and the
inspired literature of the fathers to enhance our ascetic life by feeding the
mind. When we pray we pray not only for our own sins but we pray for
others. When we fast, we fast not only for ourselves but we share that which
we have saved from fasting and more if possible, with those who are less
fortunate than we by giving alms. And when we do good works we do them
not simply for others but to lift our own spirit. When we dedicate ourselves
to this discipline or asceticism we are not alone. The Holy Spirit works with
us and the whole Church prays, meditates and gives alms with us, generating
within us the energy necessary to achieve that which we desire, union with
God. If we fail and if we fall and we get up and start again with faith and
determination, then our asceticism has validity and meaning. Ascetic living is
living as though we were God's! Yes, that's right. Or if it will help, living a
holy life. We have heard it said many times that the Saints in the Church are
not merely those people whose icons hang on the walls or those who are
commemorated in the calendar of the Church but rather that we are the living
community of Saints, the fellowship of holy ones, and if we are not that we
are nothing! We've all said it: "I'm no saint." But the Church responds: "Why
not? That is exactly what Jesus wants us to be." Therefore, it is necessary
for us to strive to live a godly life and if you think that's not possible
remember what God says to us through the Psalmist, "I said ye are God's,
and all of you are children of the Most High”. We crown our ascetic lives by
attending Church and functioning as a part of the family of God, by receiving
the sacraments because Holy Communion and Penance are Life for the Soul
and we pray always so that we can get connected to God. Finally we are
obedient, for the Lord said, "If you love me keep my Commandments". We
apply the principles of asceticism not because asceticism brings salvation,
but that we may become one with God and to fulfill the supplication of our
Lord who prayed, "That they all may be one as thou Father are in me and I in
Thee, that they also may be one in us".. By asceticism we grow in godliness
and as we grow closer to that desired oneness, we are renewed . . . made
brand new by the love of Christ who makes all things new.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
Glory to Jesus Christ