What does Christian life include? What should be observed, and which Sacraments should one participate in? #

Christian life can be described using two expressions from Sacred Scripture: “walking before God” and “following Christ.” “He walked before God and was blameless”—this phrase is used by the Lord in Scripture to characterize the righteous of the Old Testament. Walking before God is also called “the fear of the Lord,” which does not imply terror of inevitable punishment but rather a desire not to grieve the loving Heavenly Father with one’s sins. As the wise King Solomon says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and this fear of the Lord essentially constitutes what was anciently referred to as walking before God: living with the constant awareness that God sees and knows all one’s deeds, words, and thoughts. In such a state, one strives to avoid sins, not only in actions but also in words and even thoughts.

What, then, does “following Christ” mean? Our Lord Jesus Christ told the apostles:
“Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.”
(Luke 14:27)
Bearing one’s cross and following the Lord Jesus Christ means willingly accepting reproach and persecution for the name of Christ, suffering for one’s faith and hope from persecutors who seek to make a person renounce Christianity and serve other gods.

From these two principles flows everything that defines Christian life. The fear of the Lord, following Christ, and bearing one’s cross imply obedience to God’s commandments. This includes not only the well-known Ten Commandments of the Old Testament but also extends beyond them. Christian morality is not limited to these Ten Commandments, as the Gospel highlights how Jesus Christ emphasized two commandments in which the entire Law and the Prophets are fulfilled: the first commandment—to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind—and the second, like unto it—to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Additionally, the first Apostolic Council decreed that Gentiles converting to Christianity must observe the following restrictions: “abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The Apostle James writes in his epistle that faith without works is dead; therefore, believers demonstrate their faith in Christ through their deeds, expressed in prayer, fasting, and good works. Daily prayers in the morning and evening, before and after meals, before undertaking significant tasks, and after completing them—all of these constitute a life of prayer, alongside church services and what is called “inner prayer.” In inner prayer, believers silently and inwardly pray using a lestovka or without it, reciting the Jesus Prayer or any other prayer that brings the mind and soul into the state of “the fear of the Lord” mentioned above.

The Church calendar includes fasting days established by the Church on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as extended fasts during which all Christians are to fast and pray more fervently in preparation for major Church feasts (such as Easter and the Nativity of Christ).

The fear of the Lord restrains Christians from grave sins such as murder, abortion, theft, fornication, and drunkenness. It also inspires Christians to virtues: works of mercy and participation in the Church’s Sacraments.

Every Christian, motivated by a desire to please the Lord, strives to participate in communal prayer (especially the Holy Liturgy), attend confession, and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Those entering into marriage are married in a church ceremony. Parents baptize children born into Christian families. Gravely ill Christians call upon priests and participate in the Sacrament of Anointing with Oil. All these elements are parts of a complete Christian life, lived in the presence of God and aiming for union with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Priest Mikhail Rodin.