THEOSISTheophan the Recluse
Throughout the history of God's people, it has been common for successive rulers to emerge, who, influenced by the practices of neighboring nations, have introduced idolatry into their lands. Consequently, a multitude of idols have arisen—on mountain tops, in groves, in public squares, and even within the temple itself. The people began to worship these false gods, and the reverence for the one true God was neglected. However, when God raised up kings after His own heart, like Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, their foremost duty was to purify the temple, the city, and the entire kingdom from all idols. Evil was expelled, allowing righteousness to shine forth. The true God was once more honored and worshipped in the temple, in the city, on the hills, and in the fields.
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God reigned visibly as their Sovereign.
A similar process occurs within us. Each person represents a miniature kingdom, with oneself acting as the sovereign—our awareness and will as the king. The subjects of this kingdom comprise our body, soul, and spirit. The dwelling place of God in us is our heart. When our consciousness and liberty stray from God and turn inward or toward worldly things, passions and distorted desires emerge as idols, filling our entire being; thus, every aspect of our existence serves as a sanctuary for these false deities. We forget God and instead serve various desires in our bodies—whether it be indulgence, sloth, lust, excessive sleep, or revelry—as the pagans did with their gods. Simultaneously, in our souls, we may serve vanity, the desire for approval, jealousy, pride, anger, and hatred, leading to a multitude of idols manifesting as selfishness and hardened egotism. In doing so, we worship and serve these other gods with all our strength, caught in a cycle of godlessness.
Yet, when God's mercy intervenes and He imbues us with a spirit of reverence and awe, our king awakens—our consciousness and freedom. Turning back to God, it zealously initiates the removal of all idols from the kingdom, casting out passions and replacing them with corresponding virtues, aiming to please God through singular devotion. In this renewed sanctuary, we embrace self-denial and commitment to God, while our souls and bodies bear the holy fruits of the Spirit: humility, gentleness, temperance, purity, love, peace, patience, and diligence, all in service to God, driven by a sense of total reliance on Him and the duty of conscience to align our lives with His will and glory. Thus, our God-centeredness, God-love, and God-worship are restored. God is enthroned in our hearts; all that opposes Him, both large and small, inside and outside, is banished and destroyed. This signifies the rightful reign of God within us.