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<v Speaker 1>Why is it that so many well intentioned believers, so

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<v Speaker 1>many people who confess the name of Christ, find it

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<v Speaker 1>nearly impossible to get out of the block, so to speak,

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<v Speaker 1>in putting their good intentions, their good thoughts about serving

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<v Speaker 1>God into practice. And why is it also that so

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<v Speaker 1>many who are capable of getting out of the block

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<v Speaker 1>can't complete the race and turn the good intention into

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<v Speaker 1>a studied, permanent, holy habit, something that will create a

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<v Speaker 1>strong foundation for godly living and bring peace, because keeping

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<v Speaker 1>the commandments of God is a great path to peace

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<v Speaker 1>and stability and joy. Well. One of the reasons, A

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<v Speaker 1>main reason is self sufficiency. It's relying upon oneself. I

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<v Speaker 1>have a beautiful quote that I want to share with

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<v Speaker 1>you from the great preacher and biblical theologian, Saint phil

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<v Speaker 1>Out of Moscow, who reposed in the Lord in eighteen

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<v Speaker 1>sixty seven. In the opening sermon, Saint Philarett meditates upon

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<v Speaker 1>the danger of self sufficiency and how self sufficiency in

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<v Speaker 1>fact kills spiritual progress. Let me read to you a

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<v Speaker 1>word about that. This is Saint Philarette. Let us say

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<v Speaker 1>that a man desires to become good, he seeks to

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<v Speaker 1>know the law of justice. He arouses his heart to

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<v Speaker 1>virtuous feelings, he begins to accomplish good deeds, and what then.

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<v Speaker 1>Experience only proves that the desire to be virtuous is

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<v Speaker 1>often weaker than the passions that incline one to sin.

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<v Speaker 1>Virtuous often defeated by vice. Experience shows that the law

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<v Speaker 1>offers virtue, but it does not give the strength to

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<v Speaker 1>act upon it. Virtuous feelings coming from a cruel heart,

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<v Speaker 1>like fire from flintstone, are difficult to bring to a

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<v Speaker 1>steady flame, and they go out quickly as for a

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<v Speaker 1>soft heart. Virtuous feelings may rise quickly, like a piece

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<v Speaker 1>of linen catching fire, but they are destroyed just as quickly. Often,

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<v Speaker 1>deeds that seem virtuous the surface prove themselves to be

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<v Speaker 1>defiled by impure intentions such as avarice or desire for pleasure.

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<v Speaker 1>In vanity, where true good is lacking, naturally, no spiritual

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<v Speaker 1>success can occur. The correct conclusion to be made of

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<v Speaker 1>these experiences must be this, self sufficient man will always

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<v Speaker 1>lose hope in himself self sufficiency. This is the death

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<v Speaker 1>of spiritual progress, and it has to be killed. It

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<v Speaker 1>has to be killed. Saint Philaret continues and gives counsel

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<v Speaker 1>on how in fact, to overcome self sufficiency, How to

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<v Speaker 1>learn to rely upon the Lord, How in fact, to

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<v Speaker 1>acknowledge your weakness in Saint Paul's language, so that in

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<v Speaker 1>your weakness you can be strong and find that God's

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<v Speaker 1>grace is sufficient for us to be transformed, to be changed.

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<v Speaker 1>Listen again to Saint Philaret. If he does not want

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<v Speaker 1>to perish, for a person will find nothing but failure.

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<v Speaker 1>If he has no actual success or hope, he has

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<v Speaker 1>no choice but to raise his desires and hopes to God.

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<v Speaker 1>And even though he cannot yet see or anticipate how

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<v Speaker 1>his success will occur, he must offer himself to God

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<v Speaker 1>as a ruin that he cannot repair himself. Ooh, did

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<v Speaker 1>you hear that? What a beautiful word. If we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to make spiritual progress, we have to acknowledge who we are.

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<v Speaker 1>In the words of Saint Philaret, he must offer himself

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<v Speaker 1>to God as a ruin that he cannot repair himself.

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<v Speaker 1>Think of that when you're preparing for Holy communion in

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<v Speaker 1>the Divine liturgy. You're yearning to be united in a

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<v Speaker 1>one flesh union with the Lord Christ himself, and you

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<v Speaker 1>confess in that beautiful precomunion prayer when you say I

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<v Speaker 1>believe a Lord, and I confess that thou art truly

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<v Speaker 1>the Christ, the son of the Living God, who did

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<v Speaker 1>come into the world to save sinners, of whom I

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<v Speaker 1>am chief. Think of that, tell yourself when you say that, yes, truly,

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<v Speaker 1>I am a ruin before God, and without him is grace.

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<v Speaker 1>I will not be able to become what I need

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<v Speaker 1>to be. Before his own personal efforts to do good

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<v Speaker 1>were either completely suppressed inside him by his own evil inclinations,

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<v Speaker 1>or they were proved to be incomplete and ineffectual. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>when he commits his heart to the power of God,

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<v Speaker 1>in that very weakness, the power of God begins to

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<v Speaker 1>be accomplished within him, destroying evil and creating good. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>this is the path of your ones. This is the

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<v Speaker 1>path to spiritual progress. This is a fundamental conviction, a

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<v Speaker 1>basic principle of the traditional Christian path to spiritual progress.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, it is greatly contradicted by the spirit of

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<v Speaker 1>the age, including the religious spirit of the age in

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<v Speaker 1>the West, which doesn't want to take the necessary embrace

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<v Speaker 1>of humility to get to this position. But it's the

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<v Speaker 1>only way. It's the only way. May the Lord God

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<v Speaker 1>help you to reject self sufficiency and to lean on

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<v Speaker 1>the one who is sufficient for us. God be with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey everyone, I hope you've downloaded the Patristic Nectar app

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<v Speaker 1>on your phone. It is a treasure trove of soul

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