Development of worldview and culture of thinking
Omnipotence in KOB
God's permission
- the limits within which God allows everyone to whom, in God’s Predestination of existence, He has granted freedom of choice, to evade the implementation of Providence. At the same time, the opportunity is open for some subjects to exert a direct or indirect influence, which does not fit into the norms of righteous relationships, on other subjects who themselves have deviated from objective righteousness.
Depending on how much and how someone deviates from the standards of righteousness offered to him from Above, God will not prevent unrighteous actions towards him and will not support his unrighteous opposition to those who act against him within the limits of Permission. At the same time, the Permission in relation to each is conditioned by the personal development he has achieved: the more that was given from Above to a person, the closer his morality is to righteousness, the more he has achieved in mastering the potential for developing his abilities - the stricter the attitude from Above towards him and the stricter he himself should be in self-discipline.
However, depending on how responsive a person, even being unrighteous, is to God’s appeals to him through his inner world and in the Language of Life Signs and cultivates righteousness in himself, Permission in relation to him can range from the “demonstration-notification” nature of sudden danger, which does not, however, cause damage to its possible victims, to the destructive nature of the situation in relation to them in the event that they have exhausted the Allowance in relation to themselves; although at the same time these same events may be of a demonstration and notification nature for someone else. This occurs both in relation to individuals and in relation to societies and humanity as a whole.
God's permission in all cases is providentially expedient, since in it God provides the opportunity for the unrighteous to come to their senses under the influence of circumstances, without His will violating their freedom of choice and without suppressing their will. This is quite possible if the connection “Distinction from God -> attention of the person himself -> intellect aimed at rethinking events in Life and one’s own morality” works steadily in the human psyche.
At the same time, the same circumstances - depending on what mental structure and emotional-semantic structure of the soul a person is able to maintain himself under the influence of circumstances, entering them - can be resolved both in the area of God's Permission and in line with Fishery either completely or in some of its components. And if a person somehow feels and realizes this kind of ambiguous predetermination of the resolution of a situation that seems to arise by God’s Permission, then he is quite capable of going through it with his own will in the mainstream of Providence, avoiding the influence of Permission on himself and those around him.
Permission is a kind of feedback loop on a person: what you sow is what you reap; in many cases, you reap it handsomely. Therefore, a person must be thoughtful about what comes through feedback connections, identify their sign (positive connection or negative) and change it to the opposite if such a need is identified.
Accordingly, knowledge of God’s Permission as an objective phenomenon in the life of society as a whole and of each person allows us to identify four main types of ethics:
- Exploitation of God's Permission in one's own interests, as it has developed in relation to others.
- Subjective assessment of the boundaries of God's Permission and the malicious introduction on this basis of those around them into the area of Permission in relation to them for the purpose of selfish exploitation of them within the limits of Permission (this is how all biblical cults were built by their masters, and this is the basis of various forms of Satanism).
Accordingly, the policy of corrupting younger generations at all times in all nations is not a cost of freedom of speech and artistic creativity, not an ethical mistake, but a deliberate, malicious intent. And let the owners and workers of the media who compose television programs and news reports, artists - the so-called “creative” intelligentsia - and other ministers and leaders of egregorial-magical pseudo-religious and secular cults beware, since all this kind of activity takes place within the limits of God’s Permission with all the accompanying inevitable consequences for its supporters and the doers themselves.
- Actions within the limits of God's Permission for the purpose of suppressing someone's unrighteous actions after those who act unrighteously are notified of the essence of their unrighteousness, but persist in their own way, not heeding the notifications that they should live and act differently. This is ideally the justification for the right to a holy - just - war (in particular, this is the justification for Islamic jihad) and the actions of various “inquisitions”.
However, in historically real practice, under the slogans of “holy war” proclaimed by both warring parties, for the most part, some evil ones taste the wrath of other evil ones within the limits of God’s Permission in relation to each of the parties. And accordingly, woe to anyone who, thinking about his righteousness, will start a “holy” war against those who are more righteous, and even more so against those who are truly righteous: he will inevitably have to face a direct, although perhaps inscrutable for the unrighteous , God's support for the more righteous. The same applies to all kinds of “holy” inquisitions.
- A fundamental rejection of influence on others that does not meet the norms of righteous relationships, but is possible within the limits of God’s Permission in relation to those. At the same time, one assumes the responsibility to notify possible victims of the Permission that they are in its area, showing them the way out, leaving God with the mission of retribution for those who persist in unrighteousness. Jesus taught this to people, and he himself followed this principle when he was in the flesh among people. This, in our understanding, is the basis of Christian ethics: “Go, learn what it means: I want mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13).
In society, the dominance of Christian, and essentially normal human ethics (in the indicated sense) is possible, but it requires and presupposes that a person is morally ready and able to accept, for sincere comprehension, counter notifications from others about his own unrighteousness, so that he can this kind of help from other people to change oneself.
This is the essence of the algorithm of conciliarity as an aid in personal development.
If one refuses the readiness to accept notifications of one’s own unrighteousness for comprehension, if one is unable to do this, or if one does not want to change oneself in order to eradicate unrighteousness in oneself, the transition of the “refusenik” to self-isolation or a “holy” war against everyone who disagrees with him for the sake of his own is inevitable. self-affirmation in morally pleasing errors and imposing them as the norm for others. And in this war he will inevitably perish if he is not somehow restrained and he is not given the opportunity from Above to come to his senses, which he will take advantage of.
How does God's permission differ from favor?
In God's will, two important aspects are distinguished: favor and permission. Favor towards rational beings is characterized by approval of their thoughts, desires and actions, as well as support, manifested in blessings and gracious help from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Permission differs from favor in that it is expressed in relation to those deeds that are contrary to God: God does not favor these deeds, does not contribute to their implementation; nevertheless, he allows them to be committed.
An example of God's favor is His attitude toward virtuous and appropriate actions performed by good angels or people. Thus, the Lord favored the sacrifice of Abel, the migration of Abraham, the exit of Israel from Egypt, the construction of the tabernacle under Moses, the Temple under Solomon, the confession of the Apostle Peter, the conversion of Paul, etc.
An example of God's permission is the attitude towards sins, which God, of course, does not approve of, but does not deprive lawbreakers of the opportunity to sin. Thus, the Lord did not favor Adam’s fall into sin, and yet did not prevent him by the power of His omnipotence, did not stop his hand reaching out to the forbidden fruit, and allowed him to try the fruit.
How to understand the expression “everything is the will of God”?
This expression must be understood in the light of the dogmatic position that no one and nothing is able to resist the will of the Creator. Following this interpretation, everything that happens in the world of created beings happens only because the Lord wants it or, at least, allows it. Whether good or evil, everything that happens happens exclusively with the knowledge of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The thesis “everything is God’s will” should not be interpreted in the false sense that God’s Providence acts like fate or fate: not everything that happens should have unconditionally happened, just as not everything that did not happen could not actually happen (see: Fate).
Man is endowed with reason and free will, and although he is largely limited by nature and individual characteristics, by the force of current circumstances, in moral terms he is able to both fulfill and violate the will of the Creator.
If a person’s desires and actions comply with God’s law, God favors him and promotes the fulfillment of good plans.
And when the actions and desires of a sinner go against God's destiny, God does not approve of these desires and actions. In this case, God’s will is seen in the fact that it was He, according to His will, who invested in man the opportunity to sin; on the other hand, His will, in this regard, is manifested in patience or long-suffering (see for more details: Why did God create people who have to suffer in hell?).
PUNITIVE CONDITION
The reasons for punitive indulgence are sinful life...
Venerable Gregory of Sinaite
Venerable Isaac the Syrian
God's visitation and abandonment
If the Lord visits you in the physical without your labor, when you strive to care for your soul, then, through the trick of the murderer-devil, then the thought arises in you that the reason for all this providence, without a doubt, is in yourself (due to your merit). And then, along with this thought, God’s providence for you ceases, and at that very hour very many temptations rush at you: either from the abandonment of you by the Provider, or from the resumption of illnesses and ailments that arise in your body. God ceases His care not just because a thought arises, but because the mind stops on this thought. For God does not punish or judge a person for an involuntary movement, even if we temporarily agree with the thought. If at that very hour we break through (reject) passion within ourselves and contrition appears in us, then the Lord will not punish us for such negligence; He punishes for negligence, to which the mind really indulges in such a way that it looks at it insensitively and recognizes it as something proper and useful, and does not consider it a dangerous concern for itself.
Venerable Gregory of Sinaite
Reasons for punitive indulgence - sinful life
You need to know that delusion has three main reasons - pride, envy of demons and punitive tolerance. The causes of pride are vain frivolity (or vanity), the envy of demons is success, and the causes of punitive indulgence are sinful life. The delusion from the envy of demons and proud conceit soon receives healing, especially after humility. But punitive delusion—handing over to Satan for sin—is often allowed by God through abandonment even to death.
Venerable Neil of Sinai
Punitive forgiveness does not deprive the soul of light
Not only those who are sinners, but also those who zealously try to hold on to everything good, are often abandoned so that they learn patience and firmness and avoid pride.
Blessed Diadochos of Photikie
God's permission is educational
God's teaching permission first strikes the soul with great sorrow, a feeling of humiliation and a certain measure of hopelessness, in order to suppress vanity and the desire to amaze oneself and bring it into appropriate humility. But then it immediately brings into the heart a tender fear of God and a tearful confession, and a great desire for the kindest silence. But abandonment, which occurs through God’s disgust, leaves the soul to itself, and it is filled with despair and unbelief, arrogance and anger. We must, knowing this and that other permission and abandonment, during them approach God in accordance with the properties of each of them: there we must bring thanksgiving and vows to Him, as if He mercifully demonstrates the unbridledness of our character by deprivation of consolation, in order to fatherly teach us to sensibly distinguish between good and good. bad, and here there is unceasing confession of sins, continuous tears and greater solitude, yes, although with such an application of labor, we can beg and bow God to look, as before, on our hearts. It must be known, however, that when, with a training allowance, the soul has a struggle with Satan in a face-to-face battle, then grace, although it hides itself, but with unknown help assists the soul in order to show its enemies that victory over them is the work of one souls.
A punitive (educational) allowance in no way deprives the soul of Divine light, but what happens is that grace... hides its presence from the mind in order to move the soul with all fear and great humility through demonic bitterness to seek help from God, experiencing the evil action of the enemy within itself . So the mother of her child, acting outrageously due to her reluctance to obey the rules of mammals, releases him from her embrace for a short time, so that, being afraid of those around him... strangers or some animals, in great fear and tears, the mother again reaches out to return the embrace. Due to God’s disgust, the permissiveness will hand over the soul, which does not want to have God in itself, to the demons as if bound. But we are not invisible children, but, as we believe, we are the true offspring of God’s grace, mammals raised by rare permissions and frequent consolations of it, so that under the influence of such goodness we will have time to come to a perfect husband, to the extent of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4: 13).
Venerable Abba Dorotheos
Those who truly want to be saved should not be careless until their last breath.
God does not so much leave the one who leads a vicious life when he lives disorderly, or the arrogant one when he is proud, as He leaves the reverent when he commits disorderly behavior, and the humble one when he becomes proud: this means sinning against one’s dispensation, and from this comes abandonment .
It happens that even one thought can remove a person from God, as soon as a person accepts it and submits to it. Therefore, those who truly want to be saved should not be careless until their last breath.
Venerable Maximus the Confessor
Four types of abandonment of God
There are four main types of abandonment of God: another providential abandonment, as was the case with the Lord himself, in order to save those forsaken by seeming abandonment, another probationary abandonment, as was the case with Job and Joseph, in order to show one as a pillar of courage, the other as a pillar of chastity. Another abandonment is spiritual and educational, as was the case with the Apostle Peter, in order to preserve in him an abundance of grace through humility. Another, finally, is abandonment out of disgust, as was the case with the Jews, in order to turn them to repentance with punishment. All these types of abandonment are saving and filled with God’s grace and love for mankind.
Saint John Chrysostom
God's abandonment is a form of His providence
He <God> Himself never turns away from us, but we remove ourselves from Him.
Just as one who leaves the pier wanders everywhere, and just as one who is deprived of light often stumbles, so one who has been forgotten by God constantly indulges in worries, worries and sorrows.
God turns away His face when we act unworthy of His commandments.
The soul is tormented and the heart grieves...
When He <God> retreats from us and forgets us, our soul is tormented, our heart grieves, people upset us, and there are cliffs and rapids everywhere for us. But all this is allowed for a useful purpose - so that careless people, suffering from this, try more carefully to return to where they fell.
God's abandonment is a form of His providence. When He, providing for us and taking care of us, does not see the attention due to Himself, then He retreats for a while and moves away, so that the careless, leaving their negligence, become the most zealous.
God not only does not betray us, but also does not leave us if we ourselves do not want it - listen to what he says: do not your sins separate you from Me (Is. 59:2)? And yet... we ourselves initiate God’s abandonment of us, we ourselves are guilty of our own destruction. And God not only does not want to leave us or punish us, but when he punishes us, he does it against His desire.
When we are abandoned by God, then we surrender to the devil, and when we surrender to the devil, we are exposed to countless disasters.
Let us fear not Gehenna, but the insult of God, because when God, in His anger, turns away from us, it will be worse than Gehenna, worse than all, most terrible.
For this reason, God left the virtuous so that they would know that they accomplished these feats not by their own strength, but by the grace of God.
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
It was not He who left you, but you who drove Him away
If you bring him “the enemy” into your bodily temple, the Most Pure and Holy God is not to blame. It was not He who left you, but you drove Him away, you brought in the bad, you lost the Saint, you hated the King, you loved the tormentor, you moved away from the Source of life, you clung to the dirt, you deprived yourself of the Light, you are in communion with darkness, out of your laziness you gave yourself over to the enemy and the bad .
If the temple of the body is corrupted and desecrated, then the Holy and Most Pure Lord immediately leaves the temple, and in the place of the removed and heavenly light the evil one enters and settles there, and with him comes the evil, always frantic lust.
Rev. Nikita Stifat
Reasons for leaving by God's grace
Any abandonment of grace by those who strive usually occurs for the following faults: for vanity, for judging one’s neighbor and arrogance in virtues. Why, as soon as any of this turns out to have entered the souls of those who strive, it causes them abandonment from God, and they cannot avoid righteous condemnation for this when they fall, until, having rejected what was previously the reason for abandonment, they flee to the heights of humility .
Saint Theophan the Recluse
When the Lord departs, torturing the soul, then when it screams, He soon turns back. And when he departs, punishing, it is not soon, until the soul recognizes the sin, and repents, and mourns, and suffers penance.
Abba Daniel
David considered the temporary absence of grace so useful
Saint David considered the temporary absence of grace, or abandonment of God, to be so useful that he did not pray to be left in absolutely nothing by God, knowing that this was both inconsistent with human nature and not entirely useful for those who wished to to achieve perfection, but asked only that the abandonment itself be in moderation, saying: do not leave me to ruin (Ps. 119:8). In other words, he seemed to be saying this: I know that You leave Your saints for good in order to test them, for otherwise the enemy could not tempt them if, at least for a while, they were not abandoned by You! Therefore, I do not ask that You never leave me, for this is of no use to me, otherwise I will not come to the feeling of my weakness and will not say: it is good for me, for you have humbled me (Ps. 119:71); I will also not have the opportunity to practice warfare if Your Divine cover constantly overshadows me.
The enemy will not dare to tempt me, protected by Your protection, but only from here will he have the courage to cry out against You and me, as he usually slanderes those who struggle for Your sake: does Job honor the Lord with food? Was it not You who fenced the outside of him and the inside of his house, and even outside of all those around him (Job 1:10). But I pray that you do not abandon me in everything, everywhere and always, completely... For as much as Your short-term abandonment is saving for me to test the constancy of my love, so much is the final abandonment that I deserve for my sins.
Monk Nicodemus
Regarding coronavirus vaccinations
The Lord teaches us in His Word: “... do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28), at the same time He also gave doctors, which this very body should be treated for diseases. The pandemic (“plague”) was allowed by God as a punitive admonition to people born and living in a fallen world for their sins (evil), this happened many times in the past, and will happen in the future until the Last Judgment.
Vaccination against the covid infection is the same as against plague, influenza, smallpox, etc. There is nothing in it that is contrary to our faith and everyone needs to be vaccinated so as not to violate the commandment of God: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7 ). This is when many too “believers” think that God will protect and save them, while living according to self-will and not fulfilling God’s commandments, they are unreasonable. Many such arrogant people (deceived by Satan) have already perished, especially among the priesthood.
If, by a virtuous life according to the will of God, you have acquired within yourself the grace of the Holy Spirit, who by His indwelling destroys all fear, then you can not defend yourself from the deadly virus that has now covered the whole earth, because the saints desire death, ending their earthly sorrows (bearing the cross) and connecting with God. “According to Your will, O Lord, be it with me” (St. Isaac the Syrian). Amen
When do we tempt God? Then, when we consider ourselves deserving of His condescension and salvation, while ignoring His commandments, delighting in the lusts and passions of this transitory age. And when they allow sorrows, wars and epidemics for our wickedness, cry out to save us! But He hears the prayerful voice only of His faithful children, but He rejects the wicked. “And this is the boldness we have towards Him, that when we ask anything according to His will*, He listens to us...” Apostle John the Theologian. * here the key phrase is “according to His will”, i.e. His commandments.
