If you read the Gospel as ethics, through the “rose-colored glasses” of moralism, then, for example, the New Testament is not so new. To love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding, with all your being, and your neighbor as yourself – was already said in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy). What else can be added? Nothing. The moralist, the commandment about love for enemies (“Love your enemies: bless those who curse you; do good to those who hate you; pray for those who persecute you”), which is given only in the New Testament by Jesus Christ and shatters to smithereens any ethics and morality, either does not notice it or interprets it in terms of ethics and morality to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16). The moralist manages, having interpreted the Gospel in their own way, to fulfill all the commandments (which, as we have seen, is impossible), naturally, their (God’s commandments interpreted by them, adjusted to themselves, their comfort) commandments, not God’s, and become “holy”. The Holy Fathers call such “saints” – holy satan. Therefore, we must learn not to adjust, not to tailor the Gospel to ourselves as it is convenient for me, but to hear and understand the Gospel (the Word), as it has been heard and understood for two thousand years by the Church (ORTHODOX! Sorry, we must specify in connection with the pluralism of Christian denominations) – the Pillar and Ground of the Truth.
In the second part, using the example of almsgiving, prayer, fasting in an ascetic understanding (in the understanding of the holy fathers), we will show how, when properly performing these commandments, this good deed, one can and should obtain the fruit of righteousness – deep humility, which in due time will become the reason for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, our deification. The main thing is not deeds, but humility, to the owner of which is given the power to be a son of God, a daughter of God. If there is no humility, then all deeds, feats, prayers, almsgiving – are vain. Only in zealous fulfillment of the commandments is humility born, having obtained which, a person is able to perceive the Holy Spirit.
Humility cannot come, be revealed without urging oneself to zealous fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. But not always does the fulfillment of the commandments, even zealous, culminate in humility. Everything depends on the purpose for which I do it. If in the ontological key, in the awareness of sonship, or even if in the context of paying an unpayable debt – there will be humility, but if in the legal (legalistic), moral, in the awareness of a slave or a mercenary, in earning bonuses, merits, super-merits(!) – the fruit will be pride, a god-opposing state, a state in which a person cannot accept God. Everything depends on whether the good deed is the goal or the means. Almsgiving, fasting, prayer {in this section we mean ascetic prayer, not prayer in the direct sense, as dwelling in the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and the whole world with gro ans that cannot be uttered; and that we are in the Holy Spirit, we cannot not know for sure, if we are in God-Person, and communicate with Him face to face?! Prayer – is the perichoresis, mutual penetration of hypostases: “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me… I am in them, and they in Us”, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and I in Christ”; prayer – is not an experience, not emotions, not joy – it is communication of hypostases, and everything else (joy, experience…) – is the result of communication! And everything else, which is not dialogical (real communication), but monologues (into empty heavens, from which there is no response) on the topic: canons, akathists, troparia, various rules, services, Jesus Prayer etc. – these are all ascetic exercises, virtues such as fasting, prostrations, almsgiving, visiting the sick – the goal of which is one: to see that I am a godless, complete egoist, to humble myself and come to Christ as the ONLY Savior, Teacher… More about prayer in Part II. – V.A.}, church services, all good deeds, virtues in an ascetic understanding – are means by which we acquire humility, which alone opens the doors to the Humble Wayfarer, who stands at the heart’s door and knocks.
Therefore, choose for yourself a deed (ascetic), which brings the most “profit” (humility, humbles you – and frees in you a place from pride, for the Holy Spirit), and work: prayer (ascetic; and prayer as walking (striving to always be) before God – mandatory for all) gives the fruit of the Holy Spirit – pray, fasting – fast, almsgiving – distribute almsgiving, visiting the sick, prisoners, orphans – comfort them, and so on. You cannot do everything, all virtues are performed by one who is already in the Holy Spirit, in Divine love (which follows the laws of spiritual life after humility, which makes us able to accept God, as a Gift, Grace). If you are motivated by pride, self-praise, want to be first in everything: in ascetic prayer, ascetic fasting, almsgiving, visiting the sick, orphans, the lonely… then over you-the ascetic the words will be fulfilled: what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul, destroys it. Therefore, the commandments need to be fulfilled all, and the main deed let be one, at most two. The essence is not in quantity, but in quality; for quality grace is given, not for quantity. And anyway, whatever you do – let it all be correlated with the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ.