Answers of the Great Masters of the Spiritual Life to the Questions of Their Disciples.

Disciple: What commands of Christ must I do to be saved? Can you tell me in a few words.

Master: The Lord said to the Apostles, ”Go, teach all nations…teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.”

Disciple: Is Faith alone enough?

Master: No. To right Faith, keeping the commands must be joined. If one is practising the right Faith, the observance of the commands must be joined with it.

Disciple: Do you mean Faith without observance of Christ’s commands is not genuine faith?

Master: You are right. Thus David uttered: “I was set right towards all Thy commandments.”

Disciple: How is this?

Master: The commandments of Christ are meant to remove every wickedness in man. If one command is omitted, the contrary wickedness will come in.


St. Maximus the Confessor

(updated 05-01-02)