But thanks be to God, through the Church and the grace of the Holy Spirit, we have the means to restore and regenerate this shattered image of God within us. Through repentance, confession, receiving the Holy Eucharist, prayer, fasting, and the other spiritual disciplines of the Church, we can gradually heal and renew our inner icon, bringing it back to its original beauty and likeness to God. Just as the Church restored the holy icons from the heresy of iconoclasm, so too can we restore the image of God within us from the attacks of sin and the devil.
Let us therefore celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy not only by venerating the holy icons in our churches, but also by honoring and cherishing the icon of God that is the human person. Let us strive to live our lives in such a way that we reflect the beauty and holiness of God within us, so that others may see and glorify Him through our lives. Through our continuous regeneration and renewal in Christ, may we become true icons of His love, mercy, and grace in the world.
Sin is essentially captivity, aiming directly at our freedom and destroying it, which is why it is an offense to God and to the individual. Those who are bound by sin are not truly free. Every time we are overcome by sin, we become slaves to it. The love that was originally directed towards God, creation, and our fellow human beings becomes corrupted and idolatrous under the influence of sin.
Even though we are baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, we must still actively cooperate to allow the seeds of God’s beauty within us to grow.
The Church plays a crucial role in helping individuals restore the image of God within them that has been damaged by sin. Through spiritual practices such as fasting, prayer, confession, and participation in the sacraments, the Church provides the necessary tools to combat evil and heal the soul.
By entering into a state of grace, individuals can truly reflect the image and likeness of God. This transformation occurs when one learns repentance, changes their mindset, and humbles themselves before God.
Let us strive to preserve the image of God within us and resist the devil’s attempts to distort it. Through the guidance and support of the Church, we can overcome sin and embrace our true identity as children of God.
Source: The periodical Παράκληση of the Holy Metropolis of Lemesos, Cyprus.