From childhood, I have considered myself a Christian since I was born and raised in a Christian family. I always respected church holidays, prayers, religious ceremonies, and the temples I used to visit with my grandmother.
But, as it turns out, this is not enough to call oneself a Christian. Life forced me to reconsider my view of religion. It all started with a desire to have a better life. Entering the path of self-rectification, I noticed that when trying to conquer some sin, I automatically applied specific texts from the Holy Scripture. In the fight against my mistakes, the words of Jesus Christ would arise in my memory. Each of His phrases targeted a specific sin or delusion in the moral assessment of a situation.
The accuracy, simplicity, and authority of His Word became priceless help to me. My health has returned, and fate has noticeably improved.
A sincere, natural (like taking a breath) gratitude to God appeared for His support, for the opportunity to be born again in spirit, for the joyful assuredness of the victory of the Light over evil, for the opportunity to participate in the fight against the Darkness first for my own soul, and then, with God's help, for the souls of others in need of support. I recommended using my approach to eradicating sins (based on my experience) to anyone who decided to act alongside me. When my rational mind realized the benefits of obeying moral laws, I remembered another phrase of Jesus Christ: "...‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’" (Matthew 22:37)
The Lord's Prayer took on a different magnitude within me. The words of Christ, now internalized since I applied them in practice, appeared in a different light. I realized down to the bone, to the bottom of my soul, the essence of Communion with the Word and what love for God is! There is no Communion without continuous self-improvement. It simply does not exist. A person has no communion with anything if, after the sacrament of Communion, he does not act. Without personal involvement, the ceremony of Communion is nothing more than a mere empty declaration.
Some long-standing traditions, such as fasting, i.e., a significant restriction in food intake and its selection, initially assisted a person in obtaining a more ethereal state. One may use such a state to restore the lost connection with the Higher World. During this period of body purification, it becomes much easier to break through to one's soul. Fasting is not the goal but an instrument to achieve this goal. Fasting is not required within a dogma-set timeframe and is useful anytime your soul feels it's necessary.
In religion, as well as in science, one can acquire genuine understanding only via experience. As a result of receiving a large amount of experimental data, outcomes get evaluated where ineffective and erroneous variants become discarded. And the parts that logically interpret and confirm the theory, which brought tangible benefits, become the truth. In this case, over many years, I have recognized, verified by experience, and eliminated everything false that adhered to the Word of God, everything that prevents a person from understanding It.
Erroneous ideas, including materialism, are persistent among people since their proponents do not even try in experience to come to the Knowledge of the Laws of this world. Throughout history, this Knowledge was given to us by God, including through Jesus Christ. If humanity had not only quoted the Word but learned to live according to the Laws of the Creator, it would have received a more favorable life than the one we have now.
For those already on the path of rectification: be aware that one cannot defeat the Darkness with a cavalry charge. Accumulate small victories, and their sum will lead you to continuous progress, strengthening of the will, and acquiring conviction. It will result in a more solid relationship with the Light. Do not forget to apply maximum effort as much as possible; without it, you won't get rid of centuries-old laziness.
There is no love for God without a victory over sins. "If you love Me, keep My commands." (John 14:15)
Take Communion with the Word of God. Love Him with your deeds, not words!
April 2023
Yuri Lutsenko
