Christ, the Son of God, gave us Himself and His holy life as a model, as we saw earlier: “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Let us picture in the eyes of our soul this pure mirror and see in it whether our life is in conformity with the life of Christ. It is absolutely necessary that it be in conformity.
”As was the man of dust (the first Adam), so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man (the new Adam Jesus Christ), so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image (Gk., icon) of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Cor. 15:48-49)…
Conform yourself to Christ, the Son of God, in humility, meekness, patience, love, and other virtues now, and you will be in conformity there. But do not conform yourself to contemporary Christians. The life of contemporary Christians is for the most part opposed to Christ, not in conformity with Him.
- Christ lived in humility, and contemporary Christians love to live in pride and splendor.
- Christ treated everyone sincerely and unassumingly, but contemporary Christians treat everyone slyly and craftily.
- Christ lived in great poverty and so did not have anywhere to lay His head, although He could have had everything because He is the Lord of all, but contemporary Christians only think and care about amassing great wealth, and if it were possible, they would have all the treasures of the world.
- Christ, worthy of every reverence and glorification, avoided honor and glory, but contemporary Christians exert all their strength and effort in order to be honored and glorified.
- Christ lived in love and mercy, but contemporary Christians hate one another, slander each other, backbite each other, abuse each other, steal from each other, swindle each other, defraud each other, and weave intrigues and snares for each other.
- Christ took revenge on no one for an offense, although He could have routed all His enemies by a nod of His head, but contemporary Christians take revenge on each other both in word and deed.
- Christ was meek with his abusers: they reproached Him, and He did not reproach them in return. But contemporary Christians reproach each other and cut each other to pieces with their tongues as with sharp swords.
- Christ lived in great patience, but contemporary Christians even if only some minor misfortune or trouble happens, grumble and vilify.
- Christ tried to only to fulfill the will of His heavenly Father, and complete the work of our salvation, and did realize and complete them. But among contemporary Christians everything is different – they do not care about the will of God but exert all their efforts to pleasing the world and fulfilling their whims.
You see, Christian, what Christ did in this world, and you see what Christians do. You yourself should learn what kind of Christianity there is among present-day Christians! You yourself see that it is false. Do not conform to present-day Christians since all their schemes, undertakings, endeavors, and deeds are offensive to Christ.
But just as you check the mirror to touch up your face, check the mirror of the immaculate life of Christ, and touch up your disposition, and cleanse your soul. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2).
(Adapted from A Gathering of Spiritual Riches, by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk [1724-1793]; notice how the struggle for authentic Christianity today, manifested in the keeping of the commandments of Christ, is the same as it was over 200 years ago, whether in pluralistic, protestant America or “Orthodox” Russia.)
