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To: kosta50
The pride comes from the self-rghteousness inherent in the Protestant OSAS doctrine

That is irrelevant to me. I eschew all the doctrines and traditions of mortal men.

If satan went after Christ (not knowing He is God), trying to tempt Him, what makes you think we are immune?

Satan tried to tempt Christ (and I believe he knew who He was at the time) – and failed (Matt 4 and Mark 1) – some believe he tried again at the Garden of Gethsemane. At any rate, Satan has lost and he knows it. His fate is written.

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. – Luke 10:17-18

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. – James 2:19

Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. – Rev 12:12

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. – Rev 20:7-10

On the other point, we do indeed all face temptation – again what matters is how we face it, not what it is or even where it came from. There is no reason to fear and especially there is no reason to disbelieve God or fail to trust Him.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. – James 1:2-8

Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. – James 1:12-16


13,049 posted on 04/18/2007 9:37:21 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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Fountain of homilies placemarker


13,050 posted on 04/18/2007 10:45:19 PM PDT by MHGinTN (You've had life support. Promote life support for others.)
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To: Alamo-Girl; Kolokotronis
My dear sister in Christ, I hear you, but it's not whether we disbelieve God intentionally! It's that we give in to carnal desires, to sin and evil because satan deceives and tempts us with much success.

Those who are believers will recoil, repent, be ashamed, regret, change ways, ask God for forgiveness, only to fail again and again, and to recoil ever so stronger again and again! It's an ongoing tug of war, a process.

We erupt when someone cuts us off on the way to work, we give in to gluttony, we engage in small talk, draw attention to ourselves, look lustfully at someone's spouse, etc, even though we don't mean to.

Even during the Divine Liturgy all sorts of thoughts well up in our minds and the Fathers spoke about them and we believe those are little demons testing us, so we concentrate on Christ and they disappear as quickly as they came in.

Evil is very much present and active in the world, and ever so drawn to where righteousness abides.

13,051 posted on 04/18/2007 11:17:33 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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