A Christian receives divine wisdom in three ways: by the commandments, teachings, and faith. The commandments free the mind from passions. Teachings lead it to true knowledge of nature. Faith leads to the contemplation of the Holy Trinity. Maximus the Confessor More Quotes by Maximus the Confessor More Quotes From Maximus the Confessor Food is not evil, but gluttony is. Childbearing is not evil, but fornication is. Money is not evil, but avarice is. Glory is not evil, but vainglory is. Indeed, there is no evil in existing things, but only in their misuse. Maximus the Confessor religious christian inspirational To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil - such belongs to a perfect spiritual love. Maximus the Confessor religious spiritual kindness In all of our deeds God looks at the intention, whether we do it for His sake, or for the sake of some other intention. Maximus the Confessor religious christian inspirational Christianity is an entirely new way of being human. Maximus the Confessor being-human christianity way When our intellect has shaken off its many opinions about created things, then the inner principle of truth appears clearly to it, providing it with a foundation of real knowledge and removing its former preconceptions as though removing scales from eyes, as happened in the case of St. Paul (cf. Acts 9:18). For an understanding of Scripture that does not go beyond the literal meaning, and a view of the sensible world that relies exclusively on sense perception, are indeed scales, blinding the soul's visionary faculty and preventing access to the pure Logos of truth. Maximus the Confessor eye real christian He who has realized love for God in his heart is tireless in his pursuit of the Lord his God, and bears every hardship, reproach and insult nobly, never thinking the least evil of anyone. Maximus the Confessor christian heart thinking Theology without practice is the theology of demons Maximus the Confessor theology demon practice But I say to you, the Lord says, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you. Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one who loves all equally in imitation of God. Maximus the Confessor hate christian love-you Just as the thought of fire does not warm the body, so faith without love does not actualize the light of spiritual knowledge in the soul. Maximus the Confessor fire spiritual christian Cleanse your mind from anger, remembrance of evil, and shameful thoughts, and then you will find out how Christ dwells in you. Maximus the Confessor religious christian inspirational Peace is truly the complete and undisturbed possession of what is desired. Maximus the Confessor orthodox possession christian In all our actions, God considers the intention: whether we act for Him or for some other motive. Maximus the Confessor our-actions intention motivation Those who seek the Lord should not look for Him outside themselves; on the contrary, they must seek Him within themselves through faith made manifest in action. For He is near you: 'The word is... in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith' (Rom. 10:8) - Christ being Himself the word that is sought. Maximus the Confessor christian heart looks You will be able to check envy if you rejoice with the man whom you envy whenever he rejoices, and grieve whenever he grieves. Maximus the Confessor christian grieving men Only wonder can comprehend His incomprehensible power. Maximus the Confessor christian-inspirational inspiration faith In conformity with the philosophy of Christ, let us make of our life a training for death. Maximus the Confessor conformity training philosophy By His gracious condescension God became man and is called man for the sake of man and by exchanging His condition for ours revealed the power that elevates man to God through his love for God and brings God down to man because of His love for man. By this blessed inversion, man is made God by divinization and God is made man by hominization. For the Word of God and God wills always and in all things to accomplish the mystery of His embodiment. Maximus the Confessor blessed christian men If God suffers in the flesh when He is made man, should we not rejoice when we suffer, for we have God to share our sufferings? This shared suffering confers the kingdom on us. For he spoke truly who said, 'If we suffer with Him, then we shall also be glorified with Him' (Rom. 8:17). Maximus the Confessor suffering christian men The man who has struggled bravely with the passions of the body, has fought ably against unclean spirits, and has expelled from his soul the conceptual images they provoke, should pray for a pure heart to be given him and for a spirit of integrity to be renewed within him (cf. Ps. 51:10). In other words, he should pray that by grace he may be completely emptied of evil thoughts and filled with divine thoughts, so that he may become a spiritual world of God, splendid and vast, wrought from moral, natural and theological forms of contemplation. Maximus the Confessor spiritual christian integrity The person who loves God cannot help loving every man as himself, even though he is grieved by the passions of those who are not yet purified. But when they amend their lives, his delight is indescribable and knows no bounds. Maximus the Confessor passion christian men
