Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 39

Day 39

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy 

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Crucified with Christ 

Gregory of Nyssa 

If a single sin is so awful that you think it is safer not even to aim for holy life, how much more awful it is for an entire life to practice sin and remain ignorant of the pure way! How can you, in your indulgent life, obey the Crucified One? How can you obey Paul when he urges you to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” when you are “conformed to this world,” and not transformed by the renewing of your mind? How can you do this when you are “walking” in this “newness of life”, but still pursue the routine of the “old man?” Does all this seem insignificant to you, being crucified with Christ, presenting yourself as a sacrifice to God, becoming a priest of the most holy God, making yourself worthy for the Almighty to look upon? What greater blessings can we imagine for you, if you make light of the consequences of these things?  

For the consequence of being crucified with Christ is that we will live with him, be glorified with him, and reign with him. Therefore, we want you also to be crucified with Christ, a holy priest standing before God, and a completely pure offering. Prepare yourself for God’s coming by holiness. Then you two will have a pure heart with which to see God. 

TGB: Perhaps my dictation software is wiser than I. Instead of printing “Prepare yourself for God’s coming by holiness”, it printed “Prepare yourself for God’s coming by going offline!” Perhaps to experience God’s holiness we must disconnect with the digital as well as the physical.