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The Fruits of Pain: Sanctification and Salvation Through Tribulation
20:57
What the video says
The speaker continues a series on the benefits of pain, presenting chapter two on the fruits of pain, beginning with sanctification and salvation. He quotes St. Gregory the Theologian, St. John Climacus, and St. John Chrysostom to show that pain purifies the soul, bears fruit of virtue and love, and leads to communion with Christ.
Christ is described as the farmer of our souls who cultivates us with the plow of pain and prunes us as a vine so we may bear more fruit. Chrysostom's commentary on the thief on the cross and the three youths in the furnace shows that God does not remove tribulation but grants solace within it. The speaker ends with the call to carry our cross, since in the cross is salvation, life, and sanctification.
Key moments
- The fruit of pain and of Christ's death on the cross is redemption and salvation; pain is the seed that grows in patience, and we must pass through the sieve of tribulations, slanders, and persecutions to reach the harvest.
- Christ is the greatest father and unique farmer of our souls, who cultivates us with the plow of pain and prunes us as a vine so we may bear more fruit of love, patience, goodness, faith, hope, sanctification, and salvation (John 15:2).
- When the soul is purified by tribulation, the Lord Jesus gives it sanctification and his glory, quoting John 17:19: 'And for their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be consecrated in truth.'
- St. John Climacus teaches that sickness sometimes exists for the cleansing of sins, sometimes to humble the mind, and sometimes cleanses the soul from evil thoughts or passions.
- St. John Chrysostom explains that God does not remove grief or temptations but consoles us within them, as with the three youths in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion's den, where the flames were not put out and the lions were not killed, yet the righteous felt relief.
- The apostle Paul's words are cited: tribulation produces patience, patience produces tested virtue, and tested virtue produces hope in God, which does not disappoint.
- Chrysostom describes the thief on the cross: the murderer of wayfarers became a possessor of paradise, a convict on earth became a resident of heaven, for sin began from the wood of a tree and salvation bloomed from the wood of the cross.
- St. John Chrysostom says the cross of the Lord raised the universe, dissolved heresy and falsehood, made the earth heaven, severed the nerves of death, made Hades powerless, and grants salvation and sanctification to mankind.
This is an audio reading from 'The Pain,' published by Apostoliki Diakonia, presenting chapter two on the fruits of pain, with the first section on sanctification and salvation. The reader quotes St. Gregory the Theologian, St. John Climacus, and St. John Chrysostom to show that pain purifies the soul, produces virtue and love, and leads to communion with Christ.
Christ is presented as the farmer of our souls who plows us with pain and prunes us as a vine so that we bear more fruit, with a reference to John 15:2. When tribulation purifies the soul, Christ gives it sanctification and his glory, according to John 17:19: 'And for their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be consecrated in truth.' St. John Climacus teaches that sickness sometimes cleanses sins, sometimes humbles the mind, and sometimes purges evil thoughts or passions.
St. John Chrysostom explains that God does not remove grief or temptation but consoles the righteous within them: the three youths in the furnace and Daniel in the lion's den suffered, yet the flames were not extinguished and the lions not killed, and relief came in the midst of the trial. The reader cites the apostle Paul on the chain that runs from tribulation to patience, from patience to tested virtue, and from tested virtue to hope in God, which does not disappoint.
Chrysostom's commentary on the thief on the cross appears in full force: the murderer of wayfarers became a possessor of paradise, a convict on earth became a resident of heaven, because sin began from the wood of a tree and salvation bloomed from the wood of the cross. Chrysostom also says the cross raised the universe, dissolved heresy, made the earth heaven, severed the nerves of death, made Hades powerless, and grants salvation and sanctification.
The reading closes with the call to carry our cross, since in the cross are salvation, life, and sanctification.
Main points
- Pain is presented as the seed of patience through which the soul passes the sieve of tribulations, slanders, and persecutions to reach the harvest of sanctification.
- Christ cultivates the soul as the unique farmer, plowing with pain and pruning as a vine so it bears love, patience, goodness, faith, and hope (John 15:2).
- St. John Climacus says sickness sometimes cleanses sins, humbles the mind, or purges evil thoughts and passions.
- St. John Chrysostom teaches that God consoles within trial rather than removing it, as with the three youths in the furnace and Daniel in the lion's den.
- The cross is honored: sin began from the wood of a tree, salvation bloomed from the wood of the cross.