October: Day 3: Teaching 1: Holy Martyr Dionysius the Areopagite

 

October: Day 3: Teaching 1:
Holy Martyr Dionysius the Areopagite
 
(Who Will Inherit Eternal Life?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in the city of Athens. Having received an education in the best Athenian school, Dionysius was not satisfied with the knowledge he had acquired and went to Egypt to study the wisdom of their priests and especially astronomy. While there, he saw an unusual eclipse of the sun that accompanied the death of the Savior and said: "God Himself is probably suffering." Upon returning to Athens, he was elected to the highest judicial seat - the Areopagus, which is why he is called "Areopagite." When the Apostle Paul visited Athens, he appeared before the Areopagus and began to preach Christ crucified, and told Dionysius about the God unknown to him, the Savior of the world. Dionysius was baptized, quickly began to succeed in the knowledge of the true God and was appointed Bishop of Athens. He was honored to be at the death of the Mother of God, and then went to preach in different countries. Having entered Gaul, he was beheaded with the sword in the city of Paris.

II. The Holy Martyr Dionysius, who converted from the gods of paganism to faith in the true God and sealed his living and active faith with his martyrdom, inherited eternal life.

What should we, fellow Christians, do in order to follow the example of the Holy Martyr Dionysius and inherit eternal life? We cannot now seal our living faith in God with a martyr's death, for, thanks to God, now neither in our fatherland nor in other Christian countries is there such persecution of Christians as there was in the times of paganism. Meanwhile, every Christian wishes not to be deprived of the kingdom of heaven after his death. What must we do for this? Let us turn to the word of God and it will guide us to all truth.

A. In order to know correctly what we must do to obtain eternal life or eternal blessedness, it is undoubtedly most reliable to pay attention to what Christ Himself recognized or presented as necessary for obtaining eternal blessedness.

a) Jesus Christ showed that faith in Him is necessary for obtaining eternal life, or eternal blessedness. For He said to Nicodemus: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14-16).

b) Jesus Christ declared love for God and neighbor to be necessary for obtaining eternal life, namely: when the lawyer asked Jesus Christ: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and when the Lord asked him: “What is written in the law?” and he answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbor as yourself.” Then the Lord said to him: “Do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:25-28).

c) Jesus Christ showed that it is necessary to keep all the commandments of God in order to obtain eternal life, namely: when a certain young man, like the aforementioned lawyer, asked the Lord: “What good shall I do that I may have eternal life?” then the Lord said to him: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:17).

d) Jesus Christ taught that eternal life will be received by those who leave and reject everything that hinders them from clinging to Him with all their hearts. For thus He said to His disciples: “Whoever has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children” (without a doubt only in the case where they distract him from Christ and the Christian life), “or villages, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29).

d) Jesus Christ declared that eternal life will be received by all the sheep who listen attentively to His word and follow Him in life. For thus He said: “My sheep hear My voice, and follow Me, and I will give them eternal life” (John 10:27, 28).

e) Jesus Christ taught that all who worthily partake of His holy Body and Blood will receive eternal life. For thus He said: “I am the Bread of Life which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, shall live forever” (John 6:51, 54).

g) Jesus Christ showed through the holy prophet in the Old Testament that those who bring true repentance will receive eternal life. For it is said: “If the wicked man turns from all his iniquities which he has committed, and keeps all My commandments, and does justice, righteousness, and mercy, he will live and not die” (Ezek. 18:21).

h) Finally, the holy apostle also declares that eternal life will be received by people who do good deeds in life; for he said: God “will reward each according to his works: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Rom. 2:6, 7).

i) Only those who live within the fold of the Orthodox Church, as its faithful and obedient children, can inherit eternal life. Since Jesus Christ, according to the saying of the Holy Apostle Paul, is the Head of the Church and He is the Savior of the Body: then in order to have a share in His salvation, it is necessary to be a member of His Body, that is, the Catholic Church. Remember, brethren, that without obedience to the Holy Orthodox Church, without close union with it, one cannot be saved, even if one sheds his blood for Jesus Christ. Remember, beloved, the formidable words of the Savior: "If (your brother) disobeys the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican" (Matt. 18:17). Beware therefore of false teachers who wish to tear you away from obedience to the holy Church!

This is what we must do to inherit eternal life.

B. To the question: "what must one do in order to inherit eternal life?" one can give another answer, “from the opposite side,” namely:

a) All who do not believe in Jesus Christ will not inherit eternal life: for “whoever does not believe in the Son of God,” said John the Baptist, “will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

b) All those who in this present life do not walk through the narrow gate of the Lord’s commandments will not inherit eternal life; for the Lord said: “The narrow gate and the strait way leads to life; but the wide gate and the broad way leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:14, 13).

c) All those who are indiscriminately attached by love to something created by God, no matter how important, or dear, or lovely it may be to us, will not inherit eternal life: for “whoever loves,” says the Lord, “father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).

d) All those who remain without true repentance will not inherit eternal life. “In your sin you will die,” said the Lord to the unrepentant Jews (John 8:21).

e) All who do not partake of the flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ will not inherit eternal life; for the Lord said: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53)

f) Finally, all those who, fearing difficulties, do not overcome sinful desires in themselves, but allow them to act in themselves until the end of life, and die with them, will not inherit eternal life. For thus said the Lord: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things ... But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:7, 8).

III. Believe in the Lord, all you who do not wish to lose eternal life! Leave a life contrary to His commandments, and live according to His commandments, bring true repentance, partake of His Body and Blood more often, and you will certainly have eternal life.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.