It is helpful to examine ourselves to see if we are living God-pleasing lives. Here is a list that I think his helpful so that we have an accurate view of ourselves, not deceiving ourselves by the lies of our enemy that we are okay. We are still sick with sin and in need of God's forgiveness and redemption continually so that our hearts, darkened by sin, may be healed from the effects sin.
Here is a list, which may been further explaination because some of the terms are not commonly used, that I use when searching my heart:
idle talking, judging others, stubbornness, pride, hard-heartedness, envy, anger, slander, inattention, negligence concerning my salvation, carelessness, indifference, impertinence, irritability, despondency, rendering evil for evil, bitterness, disobedience, complaining, self-justification, contradicting others, self-will, being reproachful, gossiping, lying, light-mindedness, tempting others, self-love, ambition, gourmandizing, eating and drinking to excess, vanity, laziness, entertaining unclean thoughts, acquisitiveness, impure glances, absence from divine services because of laziness and carelessness, absent-mindedness at prayer both in church and at home; I have sinned in deed, word thought; in sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and the rest of my mental and physical senses
This is fairly long, but not definitive. Can anyone think of other additions?
The idea is not being legalistic about these sins within ourselves, but simply being aware that we must thrust ourselves upon the mercy of God for our salvation and sanctification because we still suffer sin's bad effects. We must trust in His grace and continually get back up after we sin. In Orthodoxy, we fast, pray, and are encouraged to live ascetic lives to help war against sin and be healed of sin by God's mercy. This is the prescription of the Church to help us overcome sin. The Church is there to aid sinners, whom God desires to save, rather than see eternally dead.
Basil
Here is a list, which may been further explaination because some of the terms are not commonly used, that I use when searching my heart:
idle talking, judging others, stubbornness, pride, hard-heartedness, envy, anger, slander, inattention, negligence concerning my salvation, carelessness, indifference, impertinence, irritability, despondency, rendering evil for evil, bitterness, disobedience, complaining, self-justification, contradicting others, self-will, being reproachful, gossiping, lying, light-mindedness, tempting others, self-love, ambition, gourmandizing, eating and drinking to excess, vanity, laziness, entertaining unclean thoughts, acquisitiveness, impure glances, absence from divine services because of laziness and carelessness, absent-mindedness at prayer both in church and at home; I have sinned in deed, word thought; in sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and the rest of my mental and physical senses
This is fairly long, but not definitive. Can anyone think of other additions?
The idea is not being legalistic about these sins within ourselves, but simply being aware that we must thrust ourselves upon the mercy of God for our salvation and sanctification because we still suffer sin's bad effects. We must trust in His grace and continually get back up after we sin. In Orthodoxy, we fast, pray, and are encouraged to live ascetic lives to help war against sin and be healed of sin by God's mercy. This is the prescription of the Church to help us overcome sin. The Church is there to aid sinners, whom God desires to save, rather than see eternally dead.
Basil
