In this world (outside the Church), all are sinful, all are sinners, all live in a world full of troubles and misfortunes (read in the New Testament book “Revelation” about the troubles, “bowls of wrath,” which all people in this world endure, and the purpose of those “bowls” (troubles, wars, earthquakes, floods, plagues, epidemics… both in the life of a specific person and of nations) is one – repentance, so that people come to their senses (to themselves, like the prodigal son) and repent). And those who under the influence of such catastrophic events repent (and with Orthodox catechesis prepare for Marriage-Baptism), will receive salvation at the Last Judgment (in the Sacrament of Baptism by the Holy Spirit), that is, when they are baptized into the Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit (Christians, baptized by the Holy Spirit, do not come to judgment (except to judge the world), but have passed from death into Eternal Life).
Remember the friends of the much-suffering Job, the Old Testament “theologians.” “If you are suffering,” they said to Job, “then you are a criminal before the Lord. If you were a righteous person, nothing evil would happen to you.” One of them, Eliphaz, answers Job’s
question “why have such sufferings befallen me?” with: “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (see Job 4:7). Job did not agree with this viewpoint, the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ’s followers in the Holy Spirit also do not agree with it (the Lord Jesus is the absolutely innocent sufferer who suffered the most of all – bore all our sins on Himself! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God!)! In general, all sufferings in this world testify to one thing – to sin, to the fact that all people live in a world of evil and sin, from which only God, Jesus Christ, can save us – on the condition of our repentance and faith-trust! Salvation, the Kingdom of God (the Holy Spirit) is given as a Gift (not for deeds and merits!) to those who are able to receive it – the humble catechumens!
Therefore, there is no inevitable, mechanical connection: “sin – punishment,” “Good – prosperity,” “suffering – sinner (Satanist, heretic, criminal…)!”, “prospering, thriving, getting rich – righteous, holy”! In Christ, everything turned upside down: high and valuable among people – vile before God, and vice versa! The Cross of Christ (the path to the Kingdom of God) – in this world is a temptation and madness! To those whom the world praises, the Lord prophesies woe (“woe to you, rich, full, who laugh now, righteous in your own eyes: Pharisees, law teachers, hypocrites”; when woe? Here, on earth, because they have no peace (they taste the torments of hell), and at the Last Judgment they will not stand, but will enter into the fullness of hell’s torment, which they lightly pursued during earthly life – indulging hellish passions!), and to those whom the world considers nothing, the Lord promises blessedness (praises): “blessed are the poor, thirsty, hungry, persecuted, who bear Christ’s reproach in this age, who bear their crosses following Christ”; when blessed? Already here and now they live in the Holy Spirit, and beyond the grave, they will enter the fullness of the Kingdom of God! Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: on earth, prosperity, and beyond the grave torment-suffering, and vice versa – here suffered, and there rested in the bosom of Abraham! In this world, Christians and righteous people (catechumens) are persecuted, Christ’s disciples in this world face the Cross (which they must take up daily and carry, following Christ to Resurrection-Deification), the Lord warned His disciples-followers: “if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also, if they hated Me – they will hate you also… whoever endures to the end will be saved”! The antichrist promises those who worship him, accept him, and follow him prosperity, comfort, wealth, fame, plenty of bread and circuses (see the temptations with which the devil tempts man in the wilderness of this age – Matt. 4, Luke 4,)! We mentioned the Moon sect, its founder who celebrated his 90th birthday in a wide circle of the mighty of this age, his sect grew, got rich: “65 %,” “15 million”… Let him who has ears to hear, understand!
Does God favor the activities of antichrists, heretics, sectarians, Satanists, criminals?! And they prosper, succeed in their crimes and the spread of anti-Christianity, their heresies! Be vigilant! God is Love! He does not desire the death of a sinner (antichrist, heretic…), He is patient, waiting for their repentance, not blessing their crimes! And you do not participate in the works of darkness! Be vigilant! Know, test the spirits (for Truth and Love)! We do not explain anything (we do not intend to theologize on this topic now, as we have already said enough, but we remind you once again: the Lord preserves our freedom, gives us the opportunity to freely realize ourselves; if sin (transgression of the commandment) and punishment were mechanically connected, and the law of retribution acted instantly, we would have no freedom of choice; people would be terrified creatures, afraid to make any move; because all sinners are egoists, and everything sinners-egoists do, think, say is sin by definition! (Therefore, for every move-will, which is sin, they would be immediately beaten!? What kind of freedom could there be – it would be absolute non-freedom, the whole being would be in the chains of suffering-punishment! Step to the right, step to the left – execution by shooting). So do not forget: there is sin and there is a transgression of commandments (God’s or the elders’), which we call sins! Therefore, for transgression (sins), a person is not immediately beaten-punished, God gives everyone the freedom to sin or fight sin and, Wisely caring for everyone, directs all wills (evil and not so much) for the good of all, so that they can further freely determine: either to crucify Christ, or to repent and crucify themselves with Him), but only citing historical facts to give you the opportunity to begin to fear God! Be vigilant! Sects grow, multiply, get rich? Yes! God does not incinerate either the heresiarchs, or the patriarchs of sects, or the followers of antichrists, does not strike them with diseases, troubles! The devil acts? Are there possessed by demons? But: woe to the person who does evil! The Lord is patient, humbly waiting for our repentance, does not seek out and invent punishments (torments), but does everything to save, save the gravely ill with evil-pride “children of His” – God is Love!