Written by Greg Pantelidis BSc(Hons)
gregpantelidis@gmail.com
1. Practice virtue in secret. Practice virtue in such a way that the three opposers (the body, the world, and the dragon) do not hinder your practice.
2. What are you suffering from? Are you suffering from overeating? Are you suffering from stealing or overpossessing? Are you suffering from disobedience? Are you suffering from vanity? Are you suffering from unchastity?
3. Go where you will but nowhere will you find rest except in frugality, chastity, and self-denial.
4. What are you suffering from? Food addiction? Possessions (including knowledge) addiction? Glory addiction? Romance addiction?
5. Each person speaks their own language of likes, dislikes, and neutralities.
6. Our five main enemies are: overeating, stealing and overpossessing, disobedience, vanity, and unchastity.
7. Which thoughts and passions are you suffering from? Seek their cure.
8. Always remember the five precepts: fasting and canonical eating, charity and canonical possessing, obedience, humility, and chastity.
9. Have confidence in God and in the gifts He has given you.
10. Do not practice the five vices: overeating, stealing and overpossessing, disobedience, vanity, and unchastity. Instead practice the five virtues: fasting and canonical eating, charity and canonical possessing, obedience, humility, and chastity.
11. Always be fortified with your shield: guarding of the mind and heart, and calling to Lord Jesus: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy”.
12. The dragon seeks to break your confidence in Lord Jesus. You must never break your confidence and hope in Lord Jesus.
13. Be in harmony with the Holy Spirit.
14. Do not seek food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, or romance. Seek Lord Jesus. Seek gospel virtue. Seek gospel wisdom. Seek spiritual gifts. Seek the Kingdom of God.
15. Be detached from food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance.
16. Reject all worldly pleasure. Practice non-pleasure.
17. Trust the economy of God towards you. The economy of God is working out your salvation in every event you encounter. The economy of God is faultless.
18. Have perfect self-denial. Have perfect obedience to Lord Jesus. The life of Orthodox Christianity is the life of perfect obedience and perfect hope in Lord Jesus.
19. If you practice self-denial you will progress in love of God and love of neighbor.
20. Our soul has three parts: the thinking part, the desiring part, and the excitable part. Perversion in these three parts is: delusion for the thinking part, illogical desire for the desiring part, and illogical anger and illogical hatred for the excitable part.
21. Do not be a slave to delusion, to desire, or to anger. Combat delusion by humility and obedience. Combat desire by self-control. Combat anger by meekness, forgiveness, and love.
22. We should not seek praise, honor, or glory for our virtue and knowledge. Our virtue and knowledge are gifts of God. To Him belong praise, honor, and glory.
23. Obey your Creator by obeying your elders in Christ, and keeping the commandments of the Old and New Testaments.
24. Let go of self. Let go of food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Let go and be free!
25. The quality of disciples depends on the quality of the elders. Holy elders make holy disciples.
26. In the Old Testament you were permitted to hate an evil person. (See Matt. 5:43). In the New Testament you must forgive and love an evil person. (See Matt. 6:14 and Matt. 5:44).
27. The two great illnesses of the dragon are pride and envy. May God deliver us from these two Satanic traits. May God grant us instead of pride humility, instead of envy, love.
28. Sin is death. Death of soul and death of body.
29. Think of your transgressions and have perfect rancor against the dragon.
30. Lord Jesus defeated the dragon and brought an end to his kingdom of false Gods, unbelief, pride, lawlessness, and despair.
31. Lord Jesus effects in us every victory, every virtue, every knowledge. It is by the power of Lord Jesus that we practice gospel virtue, gospel wisdom, and gospel victory. (See John 15:5).
32. Be honest, honorable, and reverent. Progress in these virtues brings progress in all the virtues.
33. Do not be attached to possessions. Remember that they are gifts of God and must be used for the common good.
34. Keep the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus. These two laws contain the Way of Life and the Way of Light.
35. The Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus are our guides in the Way of Light.
36. Each person has one soul but two bodies: the natural body and the spiritual body. With our one soul and natural body we must live the Way of Light, the Way of the Law of Moses and the Way of the Law of Lord Jesus. If we live with our natural body according to the Way of Light we will at the resurrection receive our spiritual body and if we pass the General Judgment will live eternal life with our one soul and second body, the spiritual body. If with our one soul and natural body we live the Way of Darkness, that is, transgress the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus, at the resurrection we will receive our second, spiritual body, but after our condemnation at the General Judgment will pass with our one soul and second, spiritual body, into eternal torment.
37. There are two resurrections: the resurrection of the soul and the resurrection of the body. Each person is born with a soul and a natural body. The resurrection of the soul occurs when a person is baptized in the Orthodox Christian Way and receives the Holy Spirit. If a person who is baptized follows the Way of Darkness, when they repent and confess their transgressions to an Orthodox Christian Confessor Priest they are also resurrected in soul and receive the Holy Spirit. The resurrection of the body will occur on the Day of General Judgment when we will receive the second, spiritual body.
38. There are two deaths in this life and one death in the other life. The first death in this life is the death of the soul, the separation of the soul from God. The second death in this life is the death of the body, the separation of the soul from the body. The one death in the other life is the assignment of soul and spiritual body to eternal torment. This one death in the other life is called the Second Death.
39. Before the resurrection of the body and the General Judgment those who have died are judged personally and assigned to the Partial State: heaven or hell with soul alone. After the resurrection and General Judgment each person is assigned with soul and spiritual body to their Final State: Eternal life or Eternal death, also called the Second Death. Those souls in the Partial State of heaven have no fear of the Second Death. Some souls in the Partial State of hell will after the resurrection and General Judgment be assigned to Eternal life and avoid Eternal death.
40. There are two Judgments. The Personal Judgment of the soul alone without a body after the death of the body, and the General Judgment when all souls receive their spiritual body and are Judged Jointly with soul and spiritual body. Lord Jesus is the Judge in both Judgments: Personal Judgment and General Judgment.
41. A person is called according to the law they keep: carnals, psychicals, naturals, or spirituals.
42. God allows persons to sin so that the shame and guilt of their sin will lead them to humility and to belief and return to God.
43. Have self-control of stomach. Have self-control of tongue. Have self-control of eyes. Have self-control of ears.
44. True repentance is to cease from sin and to henceforth practice the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus.
45. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7). Blessed are the loving, for they shall be loved.
46. A virtuous and pure life brings happiness in this life and eternal life in the other life.
47. The treasure of the worldly person is an abundance of food, an abundance of possessions (including knowledge), an abundance of glory, and an abundance of romance. The treasure of the Orthodox Christian is an abundance of fasting, an abundance of charity, an abundance of humility, and an abundance of chastity.
48. The treasure of an Orthodox Christian is: fasting, charity, obedience, humility, watchfulness and prayer, chastity.
49. Have non-vanity of body. Have non-vanity of soul. Reject vanity of the body. Reject vanity of the soul.
50. Give place to the Holy Spirit with your humility. Give place to the Holy Spirit with your obedience.
51. Lay up treasures of fasting, charity, obedience, humility, and chastity.
52. Are you laying up the treasures of overeating, stealing and overpossessing, vanity, disobedience, and unchastity? Or are you laying up the treasures of fasting, charity, humility, obedience, and chastity?
53. Go where you please but nowhere will you find rest except in self-denial.
54. You must mourn unceasingly for your sins and have all you hope in Lord Jesus.
55. We must resolve every single injustice we practice through repentance, Confession, and restitution.
56. Pagans believe in the powers of Nature. Orthodox Christians believe in the power of Lord Jesus and His victory over sin.
57. Pagans make nature All-mighty, even worshipping lust as a deity. Orthodox Christians hope in Lord Jesus and with His grace defeat all temptations, including lust.
58. Do not practice evil for evil or neutrality for neutrality, that is, the natural law. Practice good for evil, good for neutrality, that is, the spiritual law.
59. Glory for virtue belongs to God. Glory for knowledge belongs to God. Glory for good works belongs to God. (See Matt. 5:16). Glory for achievements belongs to God. (See John 15:5).
60. Be humble and holy. (See Lev. 19:2, Lev. 20:7, Lev. 11:45, 1 Peter 1:16).
61. To be saved you must keep spiritual law. Carnal law, psychical law, and natural law do not lead to salvation.
62. Lord Jesus practiced and taught the spiritual law. It is faith in Lord Jesus and the keeping of spiritual law that leads to salvation.
63. The first generation of Orthodox Christians kept the spiritual law. The second generation kept half the spiritual law. The third generation will keep none of the spiritual law, but those of the third generation who keep spiritual law will be greater than the first generation and the predecessors of the first generation. (See Evergetinos, Vol. 1, Subject 25, Text 1).
64. The world suffers from attachment to food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. The world suffers from pride of opinion and pride of will. The world suffers from overeating, stealing and overpossessing, disobedience, vanity, and unchastity. The world suffers from wrath, sorrow, lethargy, pride, envy, fear, rancor, enmity, hypocrisy, and hatred.
65. The life of gospel virtue and gospel wisdom is the only true life.
66. The word of a carnal person or a psychical person defiles, so beware. Heed the word of a spiritual person. Heed the word of a logical person.
67. The words and actions of a carnal person defile, so beware. The words and actions of a psychical person defile, so beware.
68. The thoughts of the demons defile, so beware and guard your mind. The feelings of the demons defile, so beware and guard your heart.
69. He who communes with a proud person will become like him. (See Sirach 13:1). He who communes with a cunning person will become like him. He who communes with a defiled person will become like him.
70. God is Holy, and makes holy those who approach Him.
71. Practice perfect self-denial. (See Gal. 2:20). Practice perfect obedience. Practice perfect humility. Practice perfect love.
72. Have peace of mind. Have peace of heart.
73. Reject agitation of mind. Reject agitation of heart. Be serene in mind. Be serene in heart.
74. Be dead to self. Dead to food, dead to possessions (including knowledge), dead to glory, dead to romance.
75. Blessed are the humble. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the loving. But woe to the proud. Woe to the wrathful. Woe to the unmerciful. Woe to the hating.
76. Practice mental virtue. Practice heart virtue. Practice verbal virtue. Practice bodily virtue.
77. Mental virtue is humility, simplicity, watchfulness, prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Heart virtue is humility, contrition, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love. Verbal virtue is humility, honesty, truth, non-harshness, non-judgment, and non-gossip. Bodily virtue is non-harming, non-stealing, charity, labor, non-vanity, and chastity.
78. Verbal non-virtue defiles. Bodily non-virtue defiles. Mental non-virtue defiles. Heart non-virtue defiles.
79. Mental humility gives rise to mental virtue. Heart humility gives rise to heart virtue. Verbal humility gives rise to verbal virtue. Bodily humility gives rise to bodily virtue.
80. Mental humility and mental obedience give rise to all the virtues.
81. Train your mind. Train your heart. Train your tongue. Train your body.
82. In the world we suffer from poverty, disease, and oppression. Let us suffer these with thankfulness and without complaint.
83. Lethargy, worldly sorrow, and unbelief, are the three deadly poisons that lead to despair and suicide.
84. Every Orthodox Christian must bear the fruit of humility, meekness, mercy, and love.
85. Strive to practice self-denial always. Through self-denial the inner evils of pride, wrath, and hatred will be eliminated.
86. Beware of the four poisons: pride, wrath, non-mercy, and hatred. Practice the four antidotes: humility, meekness, mercy, and love.
87. Always practice bodily virtue. Always practice verbal virtue. Always practice mental virtue. Always practice heart virtue. Never practice bodily non-virtue. Never practice verbal non-virtue. Never practice mental non-virtue. Never practice heart non-virtue.
88. Do not be attached to the material world. We will soon depart from this world and go to our eternal abode.
89. The spectrum of passions and virtues begins from the left with the third passion, second passion, first passion, neutrality, first virtue, second virtue, and third virtue. For each passion and its opposing virtue we must see where we stand on the spectrum.
90. Do not judge the verbal non-virtue and the bodily non-virtue of other persons. Diligently practice mental virtue, verbal virtue, bodily virtue, and heart virtue.
91. Each person is responsible for the continuity of their thoughts, feelings, words, and bodily practices.
92. A fool is characterized by mental misconduct, heart misconduct, verbal misconduct, and bodily misconduct.
93. A wise person is characterized by mental good conduct, heart good conduct, verbal good conduct, and bodily good conduct.
94. Mental virtue is the watchtower over our spiritual life.
95. A wise person has mental virtue, mental light. A fool has mental non-virtue, mental darkness.
96. A wise person has verbal virtue. A fool has verbal non-virtue.
97. The wise guard their mind from mental non-virtue. The wise guard their heart from heart non-virtue. The wise guard their words from verbal non-virtue. The wise guard their body from bodily non-virtue.
98. Blessed are they who have mental virtue. Blessed are they who have heart virtue. Blessed are they who have verbal virtue. Blessed are they who have bodily virtue.
99. Do not seek to just teach gospel virtue and gospel wisdom. Rather practice gospel virtue, and then teach gospel virtue.
100.Blessed are they who practice gospel virtue. Blessed are they who have gospel wisdom.
