The act of sin contains pleasure within it. For example, when a thief steals, he experiences pleasure. When an adulterer commits adultery, he experiences pleasure. And because fasting involves pain and deprivation, it is considered a “counterbalance” to pleasure, and thus the forgiveness of sin comes about.
What is eternal Hell? Eternal payment for sins!
The fact that fasting forgives sins is proven by Holy Scripture. For example, the Ninevites sinned. God decided to destroy them. However, they fasted. They abstained from food and water. They even made their animals fast. And God, because of their fasting, reversed His decision (Jonah 3:8, 10).
David fell into adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Although he received forgiveness from God (2 Samuel 12:13), and knowing that God is pleased and appeased by fasting, David decided to pay for the pleasure of sin through suffering, pain, and deprivation of food. He did not even consume oil (Psalm 108:24). His bones became like dry twigs because of fasting (Psalm 22:16).
And he did not do this for a week, or for a month, or for a year, but throughout his entire life.
This means that someone who has fallen into adultery or fornication may have repented, confessed his sins, and received forgiveness for them. Nevertheless, he should not rest content, but should imitate David, who lived his entire life in repentance. In other words, true repentance is accompanied by fasting. For this reason, according to St. Basil the Great, there is no repentance without fasting (St. Basil the Great, On Fasting, Homily I, PG 31:168).
However, prayer also forgives sins. And which act of virtue has greater power before God? Prayer or fasting?
Fasting! Because fasting lasts twenty four hours, whereas prayer lasts much less.
Especially when fasting consists of eating only dry foods, meaning that it involves effort and pain, it has even greater power.
“Nothing contributes so much to the atonement of those who return in repentance as fasting, as we have learned from the repentance of the Ninevites.” (St. Gregory Palamas, Homily IX, “During the Time of Fasting and Prayer,” PG 151:108–109).
Let us, therefore, regard fasting with the same feeling with which a sick person looks forward to taking medicine in order to recover.
Next in this series: Why Is Fasting Pleasing to God?
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