MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR TWO

Paragraph 2 tells us that certain things are connected....that faith leads to fear of God, which leads to self-control, which leads to patience, which leads to hope in God, which leads to dispassion, which leads to love. I am quoting from the Philokalia which is a treasure! Kindle has it for just a few dollars. In the "contents" look for Maximus the Confessor and click it. His first century on love is right there. #2 reads: "Dispassion engenders love, hope in God engenders dispassion, and patience and forbearance engender hope in God; these in turn are the product of complete self-control, which itself springs from fear of God. Fear of God is the result of faith in God.

# 3 and several more paragraphs talk about fear of God (his punishment) which is where we begin. As we know, love eventually becomes what motivates us as fear of punishment fades before the greater Good we finally embrace. You will like these thoughts of St. Maximus!