Balance The balance between rejoicing and repenting

Balance
The balance between rejoicing and repenting

Within the self there is a battle being waged between good and evil and we endanger our soul if we start to treat God as though He were a sweet old grandpa who will love us regardless of what we do. His love does reign supreme, but so does His righteousness. He desires to transform our fallen nature and share His divinity with us, His creatures. Our response to His love must be in the form of a humble and a contrite heart. In Christ we exchange our identity and become one with Him and new creatures, saying with Saint Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me." (Galatians 2:20)

In monasticism a monk weeps during the night over his sins that he might rejoice during the day. He knows that there is a danger in emphasizing God's all loving nature to the exclusion of His righteous wrath. Our life in Christ must be one of balance between rejoicing and repenting. We approach God with fear and trembling, not because He is an angry god, but because He is a righteous God Who asks that we keep His commandments. We trust in God's grace because we need strong medicine to balance out our sinful and rebellious nature.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon