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But the test of the truth of our faith is by our deeds and behavior. After faith comes the “narrow gate” and the hard way, which everyone who has believed in Christ must go through. The narrow gate is the critical point at which one cross from the wide way, which leads to destruction, to the hard way, which leads to life. It is where the heart and conscience are examined in the light of the cross. The worse enemies hidden within a believer are hatred, feuding, anger, judgment (including judging others without judging oneself,) defaming others, and trying to remove the speck out of their eyes while ignoring the log fixed in the pupil of one's own eye (Matthew 7:3.) Unfortunately, there are those who find these sins insignificant and are oblivious to them. They are unaware that these sins have become part of their nature. They practice them shamelessly as if scripture and the day of judgment did not exist--as if there were no narrow gate in front of them. Faith to them will be of no use, because those who behave in such a way have trampled on love, despising and abusing it.

Love is God. It is the testimony to the true faith and its effectiveness.

Christ's teachings will always remain on a higher plane than that which the human race will ever attain to, even by its utmost efforts, in order that humanity may ever remain penitent before God and Christ, and therefore, hold fast to Divine Grace.

20 September 1994

 

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The late Father Matta El Maskeen (Matthew the Poor) was the spiritual father of Saint Macarius Coptic Orthodox Monastery in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt. This article is reprinted here with Father Matta's express permission.