Our Venerable Mother Parasceva of Ternovo (11th c.). Holy Martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius and Celsus (64-68). Passing into eternal life of Blessed Roman Lysko, Pastor of Youth and Martyr of L’viv.
Colossians 2:13-20. Luke 9:18-22.
Read Colossians 2:13-20
In one of the most impactful homilies I ever heard, the preacher said this, and I paraphrase: Christianity is not a religion about bad people becoming good, but about dead people becoming alive. If you want a religion that is all about being ‘good’ where getting to heaven is the result of doing enough correct things, then become a Muslim.
Another way to say the same thing is that life in Christ is primarily about shifting from bad relationship to good relationship, from a destructive and death-creating relationship with the Prince of Darkness to a blessed and lifegiving relationship with the God of heaven and earth.
This always stuck with me because we hear almost constantly from well-meaning people that Christianity is about being ‘good’ (which can mean a whole host of sometimes contradictory things). “I’m a good person, I believe in God, I go to Church, I don’t hurt anyone, etc…I am a good Christian.” The problem with this kind of thinking is that it ignores Christ’s work of taking what was dead in sins and making it alive in him and replaces it with my work and my efforts.
Consider this: Who’s work is greater? The work of the Lord of heaven and earth who became man, died for our sins, destroyed the power of the Enemy or my work, the work of a sinful and fickle human? The Lord disarmed principalities and powers. The Lord forgave us our sins. The Lord ended the necessity to follow a law which can only condemn us in our sin. What can I do? Be a pleasant and caring person? That’s a good thing, but it is nothing compared to what the Lord has achieved.
Seek a life of virtue and goodness, yes. And never lose sight of the fact that our mission as Christians is to submit to the author and giver of life. In doing so, that which is destructive in us will be destroyed and we can exude true goodness—the goodness of God Himself.