In previous chapters we have seen that "New Testament" freedom, grace, and faith can neither fully replace nor abolish the commandments of God's law. Now let's go back to the commandments proclaimed by Jesus. Among others, the erroneous opinion is widespread today that Christ did not abolish, but simply replaced the entire law of God with two new commandments to love God and people. However, this is not the case. Let's analyze the famous words of Jesus Christ:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second one is similar: love your neighbor as yourself"(Matthew 22:37-39, see also Mark 12:30,31).
Now let's look at this saying of Christ in the context of the biblical narrative. In Matthew 22, v. 35, 36 and in the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Mark v. 28 is described as a lawyer (in the Gospel of Mark - a scribe), that is, a person who knows and teaches the law of Moses, wishing tempt Jesus, asked him: "Which greatest commandment in law?» (in the Gospel of Mark: "Which first of all the commandments?). It was to this question that Christ answered the above famous phrase, calling the first and greatest commandments in the law. And further in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus continued: "On these two commandments all the law and the prophets are affirmed» (Matthew 22:40), and in the Gospel of Mark: "Other greater than now there is no command"(Mark 12:31).
For a person who knows the Old Testament Scripture, it is absolutely clear that here we are talking about two commandments of the law of Moses from among the 613 mitzvahs. The scribe asked Christ a provocative question, expecting an opportunity to criticize His answer in order to undermine Jesus' authority in the eyes of the people. But Christ did not allow him to do this, quoting two of the most important commandments of Scripture:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength"(Deut. 6:5) - 3rd commandment from the category of "do" in the list of Jewish mitzvahs.
"Love your neighbor as yourself"(Lev. 19:18) - the 206th commandment from the same category.
Look, further Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (22:40) said that these two commandments are based all previously given through the prophets the Word of God and law Moses (see Matt. 22:40), and in the Gospel of Mark - that these commandments in Scripture are the most important (see Mark 12:31). Christ did not even say a word about the abolition of the rest of the commandments of the Old Testament Scriptures. This becomes obvious even on the first careful reading of the statement of Jesus without taking it out of context. Christ spoke only about priority these two commandments in relation to the other precepts of the law of Moses. This conclusion is confirmed by the reaction of the scribe, the author of the question. To his specific question to Jesus, he received an exhaustive answer that satisfied him. Continuing the thought of Christ, the scribe compared these commandments of Scripture with others:
“Okay, Teacher! Thou hast said the truth, that there is one God, and there is none else besides Him; and love Him with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, there are more burnt offerings and sacrifices» (Mark 12:32,33).
It is also worth noting that Jesus mentioned one of these two commandments earlier, quoting the Law of Moses:
"You heard, what is said: love your neighbor(Matt. 5:43, see also Matt. 19:19).
And in the Gospel of Luke, the given two commandments were no longer quoted by Jesus, but by a lawyer. He asked Jesus a question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” To which Jesus said to him: “What is written in the law? how do you read?. And then the lawyer named two well-known commandments of the Old Testament, which for some reason some believers now attribute to Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself”. Jesus approved of his answer: “You answered correctly; do so and you will live"(see Luke 10:25-28).
That is, Jesus did not invent two new commandments, and they did not cancel the entire law given to Moses by the Lord on Mount Sinai. Christ only named the most important commandments in it, directing people to essence the ever-existing eternal teaching of God. Dear Christian, if you discovered this fact for yourself for the first time, or if you didn’t think about it before, I urge you to analyze the statement you read again and draw an appropriate conclusion.
Earlier, we compared the law of God with the legislation of the state, where the Decalogue is a constitution, and the rest of the commandments of the law of Moses are codes. In this scheme, the two commandments that Jesus called the most important are above the constitution. They can be compared with the principle, the basis of the state structure. Main features and essence democratic state is: 1) real representative democracy and 2) ensuring the rights and freedoms of man and citizen. And the essence of God's teaching is: 1) genuine, sincere love for the Creator and trust in Him; 2) unselfish love for people.
After Jesus, the apostles continued to carry the message of the principle and essence of the law of God:
« Love there is a performance law» (Rom. 13:10).
"For the whole law in one word is: love your neighbor as yourself"(Gal. 5:14, see also Rom. 13:8).
Now look at what the apostle John said about the relationship between loving God and keeping His commandments:
"It is love for God, that we kept his commandments; and His commandments are weightless» (1 John 5:3, see also 2 John 1:6).
What commandments is John talking about here? If Jesus had left only two commandments "love of God" and "love of people", then why did John, naming one of them - "love of God" about the second commandment "love your neighbor" speaks in plural: "Keep the commandment and His ... commandment and Its not heavy and» ? And in Rev. 22:14,15 John contrasts whoremongers, idolaters, sorcerers... who do iniquity, keep the commandments God's. Of course, here the apostle speaks of the need for a Christian compliance all active commandments Creator. Paul spoke of the many commandments in
More than once people asked the Lord Jesus Christ what is the most important thing in His teaching. How to live to inherit eternal life and enter the kingdom of heaven. Some asked in order to follow the words of Christ, others in order to find an accusation against Him.
One day a Jewish lawyer turned to the Lord with the same question. He himself spent his whole life studying and explaining the Old Testament Law. Wanting to test Christ, the crafty lawyer asked: "" The Savior foresaw his craftiness. And so he answered the question with a question: ""
The lawyer thought for a moment and gave Christ a completely sincere answer: "".
The Lord approved this answer of the lawyer, saying to him: " ", thus emphasizing that knowledge of the Law alone is not enough. We need real love. Christ no longer began to ask the opinion of the questioner, because it could be extremely narrow and false. The Old Testament Law established obligatory distinctions for a Jew in relations with fellow believers and other people. Therefore, the Savior answered the lawyer with parables.
He told of how one day a man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road ran through a rocky gorge. It was very dangerous for travelers because of the frequent attacks of robbers.
A defenseless traveler fell into their hands. The robbers robbed and beat their victim. They left the bleeding man on the road. This is the way the Old Testament priest passed. Seeing a naked, wounded man, he immediately crossed to the other side of the road.
The Levite, a man from a highly respected class among the Jews, passed the same way: everyone knew that only people from the tribe of Levi could serve at the temple. The Levite looked at the unfortunate man with even colder indifference and passed by.
A certain Samaritan was passing along the same road. And the Jews did not communicate with the Samaritans. Seeing a person in trouble, he did not begin to find out who this person was by nationality or what was his position in society.
The Samaritan approached the unfortunate man, bandaged his wounds and put him on his donkey. He himself went on foot along a dusty and dangerous road. When they reached the nearest inn, the Samaritan paid its owner for the care of the unfortunate man and generously took care of his future needs.
The ashamed lawyer replied: "". This sincere answer expressed the deepest meaning of the Savior's parable. We do not need to ask who our neighbor is. We ourselves must become neighbors for every person in need of mercy and help. You need to look at your own heart and drive out of it pride and arrogance. The heart of a Christian should be filled with love for the neighbor.
Only on this basis, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, love for God is born in our heart. It manifests itself in the fulfillment of the commandments of God. And if we love God, then we follow Him and joyfully do the will of the Lord.
The 10 commandments of Christianity are the way that Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The Son of God is the embodiment of virtues, since virtue is not a created thing, but a property of God. Their observance is necessary for every person in order to achieve his measure, which brings him closer to God.
Commandments God's given on Mount Sinai to the Jews after a person's inner law began to weaken due to sinfulness, and they stopped hearing the voice of their conscience.
Basic commandments of Christianity
Mankind received the Ten Old Testament Commandments (Decalogue) through Moses - the Lord appeared to him in the Fiery Bush - a bush that burned and did not burn. This image became a prophecy about the virgin Mary - who received the Divine into herself and did not burn out. The law was given on two stone tablets (slabs), God Himself inscribed commandments on them with a finger.
Ten Commandments of Christianity Old Testament, Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21):
- I am the Lord thy God, and there are no other gods but Me.
- Do not create for yourself an idol and no image; do not worship them and do not serve them.
- Take not the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
- Work for six days and do all your work, and the seventh - Saturday - is a day of rest, which you dedicate to the Lord your God.
- Honor your father and mother, may you be blessed on earth and long-lived.
- Don't kill.
- Don't commit adultery.
- Don't steal.
- Don't bear false witness.
- Don't wish for anything else.
Many people think that the main commandments of Christianity are a set of prohibitions. The Lord made man free and never encroached on this freedom. But for those who want to be with God, there are rules on how to spend their lives in harmony with the Law. It should be remembered that the Lord is a source of blessings for us, and his law is like a lamp on the way and a way not to harm yourself, since sin destroys a person and his environment.
The main ideas of Christianity according to the commandments
Let us consider in more detail what are the main ideas of Christianity according to the commandments.
I am the Lord your God. May you have no other gods before me
God is the Creator of the visible and unseen worlds and the source of all power, might. The elements move thanks to God, the seed germinates because the power of God lives in it, any life is possible only in God and there is no life outside of its Source. Every power is the property of God, which he gives and takes away when he pleases. One should ask only from God and expect only from Him abilities, gifts, various blessings, as from the Source of life-giving power.
God is the source of wisdom and knowledge. He shared His mind not only with man - every creature of God is endowed with its own wisdom - from a spider to a stone. A bee has a different wisdom, a tree has a different one. The animal feels danger, thanks to the wisdom of God, the bird flies to the very nest that it left in the fall - for the same reason.
All kindness is possible only in God. In everything He created there is this goodness. God is merciful, patient, good. Therefore, everything that is done by Him - the bottomless Source of virtue - is overflowing with kindness. Wishing good for yourself and your neighbors, you need to pray to God about it. It is impossible to serve God, the Creator of everything, and another at the same time - in this case, the person will be ruined. You need to firmly decide to be faithful to your Lord, to Him alone to pray, serve, fear. To love him alone, being afraid to disobey, as your Father.
You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.
Do not deify creation instead of the Creator. Whatever, whoever it is - no one should occupy this sacred place in your heart - worship of the Creator. Whether sin or fear turns a person away from his God - you always need to find strength in yourself and not look for another god.
After the fall, man became weak and fickle; he often forgets the closeness of God and His concern for each of his children. In moments of spiritual weakness, when sin takes over, a person turns away from God and turns to His servants - creation. But God is more merciful than His servants, and it is necessary to find the strength in oneself to return to Him and receive healing.
A person can consider his wealth as a deity, on which he placed all his hopes and hopes; even a family can be such a deity - when for the sake of other people, even the closest ones, God's law is violated. And Christ, as we know from the Gospel, said:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37).
That is, it is necessary to humble ourselves before circumstances that seem cruel to us, and not to renounce the Creator. A person can make himself an idol out of power, glory, if he also gives it all his heart and thoughts. From everything you can create an idol, even from icons. Some Christians worship not the icon itself, not the material from which the cross is made, but the image that became possible thanks to the incarnation of the Son of God.
Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain
It is impossible to pronounce the name of God casually, in between times, when you are subject to your emotions, and not longing for God. AT Everyday life we blur the name of God by pronouncing it irreverently. It should be uttered only in prayerful tension, consciously, for the sake of the highest good for oneself and others.
This blurring has led people today to laugh at believers when they utter the phrase "would you like to talk about God." This phrase has been uttered many times in vain, and the true greatness of the name of God has been devalued by people as something banal. But this phrase carries great merit. Inevitable harm awaits a person for whom the name of God has become banal, and sometimes even abusive.
Work six days, and do all your work; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God
The seventh day was created for prayer and communion with God. For the ancient Jews, this was the Sabbath, but with the advent of the New Testament, we acquired the Resurrection.
It is not true that, in imitation of the old rules, we should avoid all labor on this day, but this labor should be for the glory of God. Going to church and praying on this day is a holy duty for a Christian. On this day, you should rest, in imitation of the Creator: He created this world for six days, and rested on the seventh - it is written in Genesis. This means that the seventh day is especially consecrated - it was created for reflection on eternity.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days on earth may be long
This is the first commandment with a promise - fulfill it, and your days on earth will be long. Parents must be respected. Whatever your relationship with them, they are the ones through whom the Creator gave you life.
Those who knew God even before you were born, they are worthy of reverence, like everyone who knew the Eternal Truth before you. The commandment to honor parents applies to all older and distant ancestors.
Dont kill
Life is priceless gift which cannot be attacked. Parents do not give life to the child, but only the material for his body. Eternal life is contained in the spirit, which is indestructible and which God Himself breathes.
Therefore, the Lord will always look for a broken vessel if someone encroaches on someone else's life. You can't kill babies in the womb because it's new life that belongs to God. On the other hand, no one can kill life completely, since the body is just a shell. But true life, as a gift from God, takes place in this shell, and neither parents nor other people - no one has the right to take it away.
Don't commit adultery
Illegal relationships destroy a person. The harm done to the body and soul from the violation of this commandment should not be underestimated. Children must be carefully guarded against the destructive influence that this sin may have on their lives.
The loss of chastity is the loss of a whole mind, order in thoughts and life. The thoughts of people for whom fornication is the norm become superficial, unable to comprehend the depth. Over time, hatred and aversion to everything holy, righteous appear, evil habits and a bad habit take root in a person. This terrible evil is leveled today, but from this adultery, fornication has not ceased to be a mortal sin.
Don't steal
Therefore, the stolen will entail only great losses for the thief. This is the Law of this world, which is always observed.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor
What could be worse and more offensive than slander? How many destinies have been destroyed by a false denunciation? One slander is enough to put an end to any reputation, any career.
The destinies broken in this way do not escape the punishing gaze of God, and the denunciation will follow the evil tongue, since this sin always has at least 3 witnesses - who was slandered, who slandered the Lord God.
Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife; neither his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor
This commandment is a transition to the New Testament commandments of beatitude - a higher moral level. Here the Lord looks into the root of sin, its cause. Sin is always born first in thought. From envy there are thefts and other sins. Thus, having learned the tenth commandment, a person will be able to keep the rest.
A summary of the 10 basic commandments of Christianity will allow you to acquire knowledge for a healthy relationship with God. This is the minimum that any person must observe in order to live in harmony with himself, the people around him and God. If there is a recipe for happiness, a mysterious Grail that gives the fullness of being, then these are the 10 commandments - as a cure for all diseases.
The ten commandments of God in Orthodoxy play an extremely important role - they are the basis of the entire Christian faith and represent the essence of the Christian law. They were received on Mount Sinai by the prophet Moses after, by the will of the Lord, he led all the people of Israel out of Egypt, where he was in slavery.
Basics of Orthodoxy: why you should follow the commandments
10 biblical commandments or the Decalogue God handed over to the Jewish people, during their journey from slavery to the land given by the Lord - Canaan.
Initially, the Lord Himself inscribed them on two tablets, but later they were rewritten by the hand of Moses.
The law can be roughly divided into two parts:
- the first 4 commandments are about a person's relationship to the Lord;
- the last 5 are about the relationship between a person and neighbors.
The law of God is difficult for people with a sinful nature to obey. However, this is something to which it is boundless to strive. What is it for?
In the same way as the force of attraction, gravity, etc., exist and operate spiritual laws. Violation of them leads to the threat of carnal and spiritual death.
People do not resent the existence of gravity, and they know that if you jump from a height, you can crash. The same is true with prolonged immersion in water or falling into fire. Why is keeping the law of the Lord so revolting?
Atheists live as if the spiritual world does not exist, but this does not exempt them from the operation of spiritual rules. If a person does not believe in the power of attraction, this does not mean that it does not exist and its violation will lead to death. The same applies to the Decalogue - violation will lead first to spiritual death, and then to carnal.
Many people view the Decalogue as a set of rules for going to heaven after death. But this is erroneous, since the goal is proof to a person that he cannot cope on his own and needs God's help and in Jesus Christ. No one can do it perfectly on their own, but only with God's help. We all need the death of Jesus Christ and God's forgiveness with redemption. One should ask the Lord for help in keeping the law and pray in repentance if it has been violated.
Important! 10 biblical commandments are necessary for anyone who considers himself a true Christian to know, because by them he can check his life path and compare it with the one that the Lord has prepared.
Moses with the commandments given to him
Commandments of God and their interpretation
The Creator wrote 10 rules on 2 stone tablets and handed them over to Moses. He remained on the mountain for another 40 days, and then went down to the people, but what he saw there was terrible - the Jews cast themselves a calf of gold and made it their god. Moses in anger threw the tablets to the ground and broke them.
After the people were punished, Moses went up the mountain again and wrote them down again. You should consider them all in detail, for a better understanding.
First
“I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
What does it say? Our Lord is the true and living God, who is alone in the entire universe and beyond. It is He who is the Creator of the whole world and all creations that live and exist by Him alone. The Christian religion is a religion of monotheism. It has no place for a host of gods, as was the case in Greek, Roman and Persian culture.
God is only one. All power is concentrated in the Creator, and there is simply no power outside of Him. He is the beginning of time and its end, He is the beginning of time and the end. The movement of the sun across the sky, the movement of a drop across a leaf, the movement of an ant and the running of a leopard - in all this there is God's hand and all this is possible only thanks to Him.
Despite the many names, the Lord is one. In Scripture, He calls himself Yahweh (I am who I am), Jehovah (I will become), God Almighty, Elohim (God), Adonai (Lord), Sabaoth (Lord of armies). But these are just characteristics, character traits. He is the source of strength, both spiritual and material, therefore only one should come to Him.
According to this sin:
- polytheism;
- magic;
Second
“You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.”
For murder, a person will suffer a terrible punishment. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that it is possible to kill and in simple words. You should watch not only your hands, but also your tongue.
seventh
"Do not commit adultery."
The Heavenly Father created the family at the beginning of existence. His idea is a man and a woman belonging to each other. There is no room for a third.
Despite heretical traditions about Adam's second wife Lilith, God created only Adam and Eve. Therefore, a husband and wife should take care of each other, love and not look / think about others.
Family is not always easy, but a person must follow the law.
Read about the family in Orthodoxy:
eighth
"Don't steal."
The most important law in the field of human relations is that one should not take something that belongs to another. This applies to both small things and some big things.
The Heavenly Father gives to everyone according to his will, so if a person steals, he shows disrespect not only to the work of his neighbor, but also to God. If he thinks that someone has something more and this is unfair, then this also expresses disrespect and disobedience to God's will.
ninth
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
A lie spoils everything and sooner or later opens up. One should not be deceitful towards others or oneself. Deception does not bring anything good, and the motives for it are almost always sinful.
The Almighty always knows the truth, and sooner or later it will be revealed to people. This law helps to preserve the spiritual health of a person.
Tenth
"Do not covet your neighbor's house or anything that your neighbor has."
This rule has something in common with the 8th, but it is more detailed. In the original, God speaks of a wife, cattle, property.
Even one desire to have something someone else's is considered a sin. Desire is the seed of sin, and. if not uprooted in time, it will grow into a huge tree.
Commandments of Christ
It should be understood that the listed 10 laws and 9 gospel commandments are different from each other, although it is necessary to fulfill them all.
The first were received by Moses from the Lord as the basis of the law for the Jews, who became God's people. It was they who were created to separate the Jews from all other peoples who lived according to their own laws. Thanks to them, the Jews became an isolated, God's people at the dawn of the formation of religion. They were called upon not only to create a society and a state, but also to protect people from sin.
The commandments of Christ, given by him in the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew, are somewhat different.
Sermon on the Mount
They talk about the spiritual world, and almost do not touch the carnal. Christ in them defines what the Christian soul should be like, how a believing person should develop in God.
Important! The commandments of Christ in no way deny the basic law (Decalogue), but, on the contrary, continue it. If the Lord forms society and relations between people by law, then Christ speaks of inner world man and his formation.
Watch a video about the commandments of Jesus
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"Let's enjoy the fruitfulness of the Divine commandments of Christ"
(Canon on Wednesday of the 1st week of V. Lent)
About love for God and neighbor
In order to assimilate and fulfill the commandments of Christ, it is necessary to know: what exactly are these commandments and how many are there? No one can give a precise and definite answer to this question. Our catechisms only deal in detail with the 10 commandments of the Old Testament; and of the commandments of the New Testament, only 9 promises about the so-called beatitudes are mentioned. Meanwhile, there are many New Testament Christ's commandments, as can be seen from the Gospel history throughout its entire space. There are many commandments given by example and spoken by the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ; but they are still, for some reason, not collected together - for a more convenient and constant remembrance of them. To see them all, for this you need to constantly read all the Gospels; and this, obviously, is not always possible and not for everyone. And the commandments are forgotten! From St. Fathers and teachers of the Church, it seems, only St. Maximus the Confessor said something about this to his colleague. “Although,” he said, “there are many commandments, but they are all combined in one word - the following: love the Lord thy God with all thy strength, with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as unto thyself»(). The brother asked the Confessor: “If there are many commandments, what are they, and who can fulfill all the commandments?” St. Maxim answered: “All commandments can be fulfilled by those who imitate the Lord and follow Him step by step. Who will follow the Lord - step by step - he will see all His commandments, given by Him both in word and example; and whoever imitates the Lord will fulfill all His commandments.” To the question: “Who can imitate the Lord?” St. Maximus said: “Of those who are enslaved to the world and its vanities, no one can imitate the Lord; those who can say: Behold, we will leave everything, and after You we will go(), will receive strength - to imitate the Lord, and to follow all His commandments. And the angel answered and said to him: I am Gabriel, stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring this good news to you. (). Be like us, brethren, and look like those who walk, as if you had an image of us (). There is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (). And those who are Christ's are, crucifying the flesh with passions and lusts () But let me not boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (). Whoever loves a father or mother more than Me, is worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me, is worthy of Me (). Both are My enemies, even though they did not desire Me, but the king was over them, bring this and cut it before Me(). So, let us follow the Lord step by step, mentally at first, according to the direction of the Holy Gospel History, in order to see and enumerate all the commandments of Christ; and then let us take care and actually fulfill them, so that we love the Lord God and our Savior with all our heart and soul, and, thus, inherit an eternally blessed life. Without sincere love for the Lord and the fulfillment of His commandments, it is impossible to be saved.
The first of all commandments: Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy Lord is One: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy thought, and with all thy mind yours, and with all your strength (; ). This is the first and great commandment. The second is similar to it: love your neighbor - your sincere, as if to yourself (). There is no big commandment to bear (). In this two commandment all the law and the prophets hang(): on these two commandments all the law and the prophets are established. So, the main, fundamental, universal and eternally unchanging Divine commandment of the Old and New Testament is the commandment about love for God and neighbor. The commandment to love God and neighbor is intended to root in us the seed of a new life, holy and God-pleasing, and to bring into us the union of perfection (). to God, according to the teachings of the Gospel, should be: the most sincere, complete and perfect (), - and therefore cannot be combined with love for the world - (); should be expressed in obedience to the will of God, in the fulfillment of the commandments (; ); should strive to imitate the perfections of the Supreme Being and have the goal of His glory (; ); finally, it must be so deep and unshakable that we are ready for all sacrifices for the sake of the name of God (: demolished.). Love for neighbors, inextricably linked with love for God (), embraces all people, friends and enemies (). She is everywhere non-hypocritical, zealous, from a pure heart (), and is certainly expressed in deeds (;). One who is imbued with Christian love does not offend his neighbor, not only in deed, but even in word and thought (); on the contrary, he himself generously endures all insults, and forgives all insults (). He is always merciful and generous to his neighbors (; ); he cares not only about their external well-being, but also about the salvation of the soul (;), and in general he is so devoted to his neighbors that he is ready to lay down his very soul for them - (). See intro. in the Theological Macarius (Bulgakov). How to acquire such complete love for God and neighbor? See Life in Christ book, ed. Athos. PM 1899. The universal commandment to love God and neighbor is, as it were, the center of the sun, in which all the commandments of Christ come together and from which follow.
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About being in God and in everything Divine
What is it like iskasta Mene; is it not news, as in those who are my Father, it is worthy to be Mi(). “Why were you looking for Me? Or did you not know that I must be in that which belongs to my Father?” This is the answer of the Savior to His Most Pure Mother and St. Her betrothed, Joseph, who sought and found Him in the temple of Jerusalem, when He was only 12 years old, and talked there with the Jewish teachers. These first words of the Lord, recorded in the Gospel of Luke, obviously contain the commandment of Christ, given to us in His example, that every Christian, as a follower of Him, must be completely devoted to God, and throughout his life constantly abide in God. and in everything Divine, always think of God, always learn from His law, always strive to do His will. In a word, it is a complete and perfect devotion to the will of God, for which the hedgehog to live is Christ, and the hedgehog to die – acquisition(). It has neither its own will nor its own wisdom, it does not seek anything, it does not fear anything, and it does not grieve for anything, it does not fear any disasters, it does not grieve for any loss, it rejoices and thanks God in the very sufferings. This virtue the Lord Himself exalted in His face when He said: descended from heaven, let me not do my will, but the will of the Father who sent me(); and considered the creation of the will of God to be His longed-for brush. All the saints were completely devoted to the will of God; and all true Christians cannot find for themselves a more desirable and soothing virtue, for the one who has completely surrendered to God rests in the arms of God, like a baby in the arms of his mother, and all worldly worries are not terrible for him: he is in a quiet haven. But how to acquire devotion to the will of God? To do this, you need to be firmly convinced that we are fully dependent on God, and that He cares about us more than the most compassionate parents about children - so make sure and pray: “You, Lord, know what is useful for me, do with me according to your will! I am yours, Savior, save me!
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About the fulfillment of all righteousness
Taco befits us to fulfill all righteousness(). “Thus it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness.” These words were spoken by the Lord to St. John the Baptist, at His baptism in the Jordan, when the Baptist was afraid to baptize the Lord, knowing who He was, and himself asked Him for baptism.
In these words is a new great commandment given, in the example of the Savior, to His followers. According to this commandment, every true Christian, in his life and work, must always fulfill all righteousness. For if he allows himself to lie and deceive, then he will no longer be a son of light, but will be a son of darkness—he will be a son of the devil, who is the father of lies.
The command to do what is right is nothing else than sincere, heartfelt obedience and submission to the Law of God, united with the fear of God, for there is truth in the law, and falsehood in lawlessness.
Convinced that the truth is in the Law of God, the Christian should no longer try why this or that is commanded, and why something is forbidden; but with unconditional humility of mind and heart, fulfill the commanded and run away from the forbidden. This great virtue attracts the eyes of the Lord Himself on the one who possesses it, saying: on whom shall I look, but on the meek and silent and trembling of My words?!(). What a great mercy of God to a Christian who is devoted to God and obedient to the Law of God!
But even this attractive virtue is difficult to acquire and not soon possible. Our inquisitive pride wants to know everything: why and for what this or that is required, or forbidden - everything wants to be decided and defined in its own way. Meanwhile, due to his limitations and weakness, he often gets entangled in untruth and lies. And how many of these false self-legalists are among us! Therefore, it is necessary to sigh diligently to the Lord: “Give me, Lord, obedience, give me unconditional obedience to Your law, so that I will not go astray from the path of truth on the path of falsehood!”
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On Repentance and Faith in the Gospel
From there Jesus began to preach and say: repent, draw near, for the kingdom of heaven (); Fulfilled time and draw near the kingdom of God: repent and believe in the gospel(). With these words the Lord began His sermon to the human race. In these words is a universally binding commandment to all Christians: repent and believe in the Gospel teaching. This is how you begin and throughout your life continue the work of your salvation. A true Christian must always be at peace with God. But it is impossible to be at peace with God without continuous repentance. This repentance does not consist only in the words: “Forgive me, Lord, have mercy, Lord!” But at the same time, all actions that condition the remission of sins are inevitable, i.e.: a certain consciousness of the impurity of a thought, look, word, temptation, or something else - the consciousness of one’s guilt and irresponsibility in this - without self-justification, and a prayer for the forgiveness of sins for the sake of the Lord. Faith in the Gospel is the same as faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, in His person and deed depicted in the Gospel. The Lord Himself said about Himself to Nicodemus: He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life(). This faith must be alive, firm, unshakable, active, guided by love, expressed in good deeds. Repentance and faith are inextricably linked, and separately, in the true sense, cannot exist; but the combination of them is the mystery is great(). Those. when in one and the same spirit the knowledge of one's poverty, given by repentance, and the knowledge of the Savior, given by faith, meet, then the riches of Christ and the repentance of the penitent combine together, and from this combination a new creature is born - a new man.
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On Self-Sacrifice and Crucifixion
If anyone wants to follow Me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me. ().
Here is another double commandment of Christ for those who wish to follow Him: deny yourself and take up your cross.
To reject oneself means to leave everything sinful that lives in a person; and to take up one's cross means to decide to meekly endure all the disasters and misfortunes that constantly happen in our life.
Thus, to reject oneself already means to take up one's cross, and to take one's cross is the same as to reject oneself. Self-denial without the cross and the cross without self-denial are unthinkable. Accepted in conjunction, self-denial and the cross put the Christian on the path of Christ.
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Of the strait and narrow path
Enter through the narrow gate; because the wide gate and the broad way lead into destruction... but the narrow gate and the narrow way lead into life(). According to this commandment, the narrow gate and the narrow path through which the Lord Himself passed in His earthly life constitute the only entrance to the realm of glory and eternal bliss. And how many among us are those who carelessly and fearlessly walk the wide paths, and do not think of themselves that they are going to perdition, either not knowing, or forgetting this commandment! And how few are the chosen ones who firmly remember the narrow path indicated by the Savior - both in deed and in word, and strive to follow it to the kingdom of heaven!
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About meekness and humility
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.(). How touching is this commandment, by which the Lord, the Way and the Life, calls to Himself all those who labor and are burdened, and promises to give them rest! He seems to be asking and begging them: take my yoke upon you: it is good; learn meekness and humility from me: the burden is easy. And the beloved disciple of Christ, St. The Evangelist John the Theologian, of course, says from experience that commandments Christ's not heavy(). How happy is he who keeps these commandments! Meekness and humility are also inseparable: where meekness is, there is humility; and where there is humility, there is meekness.
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About mercy
Be merciful as your Father is merciful(). This is such a commandment that the whole being of a true Christian should be imbued with, because even at the universal judgment of Christ, only the merciful will stand at His right hand, they will be recognized as blessed by the Heavenly Father, and they will inherit the kingdom of heaven prepared for them. Our Lord and Savior is the real mercy and the source of mercy; therefore, His merciful follower is likened to Him and to our merciful Heavenly Father, Who is all love.
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About improvement in life
Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect(). This commandment indicates the main goal, which every true Christian must constantly keep in mind and to which he is obliged, throughout his life, to strive with all his strength and measures in order to achieve it, constantly improving himself more and more in his religious and moral life. Having no or lost sight of this goal, he begins to wander around in different directions, finally loses the path to his destination for blissfully eternal life, and perishes.
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About the beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me: Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven(; ). Every true Christian, in order to actually be a son of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven, must certainly, during his earthly life, adorn his soul with these virtues, determined by well-known promises - that is, humility, weeping and contrition for sins, meekness and without anger. love of truth, mercy, purity, peacefulness, patience of insults, enduring persecution for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; and thus acquire the "heavenly heart", which is depicted in the sayings of the Lord about the beatitudes. Without these virtues, it is impossible to obtain eternal bliss.
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About the light of good deeds
So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven ().
These words, first of all, refer to the Apostles and their successors - the pastors and teachers of the holy Church of Christ, who before that were called the salt of the earth and the light of the World. But every true Christian, illuminated and enlightened by the light of Christ and possessing a heavenly heart, must be in his midst a burning and shining lamp for all those around him, so that everyone can see his good deeds, imitate them, and thus glorify our Father in heaven.
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About peacefulness
You heard what the ancients said: do not kill, whoever kills is subject to judgment (). But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother in vain will be subject to judgment. That's why make peace with your rival brother quickly, while you are still on the way with him in this life (). With this commandment, the Lord plucks out from the hearts of His followers the very root of the murder forbidden by law – anger and malice, and, thus, gives this commandment the most perfect form, elevating it to the highest principle of spiritual life.
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About chastity
You have heard what the ancients said: do not commit adultery (). But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.. That's why if your right eye offends you, tear it out and throw it away from you; and if your right hand offends you, cut it off and throw it away from you; lest your whole body be cast into hell(). This commandment is necessary in order to protect the Christian from all fornication by the act itself, and to keep him at the height of pure chastity.
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About the oath
Have you heard what the ancients said: do not break your oath, but fulfill your oaths before the Lord (). But I say to you: do not swear at all ... but let your word be: yes, yes; no no(). This commandment was given to Christians because no one has the right to swear either by heaven, or by earth, or by his own head, for all this is not his, and everything except “yes” and “no” is from the evil one; and in the hostel no one loses confidence so much as one who often swears or swears. But the jury's oath has special meaning.
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About non-anger
You heard what it said: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (). But I say to you: do not resist evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; and whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give it to him and outerwear; and whoever compels you to go with him one race, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(). Here, according to St. I. Chrysostom, high Christian wisdom, whose first degree is not to start offending; the second - when it has already been caused - not to repay the offender with equal evil; the third is not only not to do to the offender what you suffered from him, but also to remain calm; the fourth is to betray oneself to misery; the fifth is to give more than the offender wants to take; the sixth is not to hate him; the seventh is even to love him; the eighth is to do good to him; the ninth is to pray for him, as the next commandment says. (See the interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew John Chrysostom).
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About love for enemies
Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (). Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked(). He who loves the enemy is a kind of miracle worker, says St. Dimitri Rostovsky. He makes meek lambs from beasts. Enemies are of great benefit to us, for they watch our shortcomings and make us cautious and more perfect; but with their tongues cleanse us from sins.
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About charity
Be careful not to do your charity before people so that they can see you: otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Father in heaven. When you do charity, let left hand yours does not know what the right one is doing, so that your almsgiving may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you openly(). With this commandment and the next two, the Lord destroys the passion of vanity, a passion all the more dangerous because it secretly creeps into the soul of even other pious people, and everything good that is in it imperceptibly disperses and insensibly carries away.
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About prayer
When you pray, go into your room and, shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when praying, do not say too much, like the pagans, for they think that in their verbosity they will be heard. Don't be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray like this: who art in heaven! hallowed be thy name. May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today. And leave us our debts, and we also leave our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever, amen (). For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses, the Lord added in an explanation of the 5th petition of the Lord's Prayer. On prayer there is a wonderful teaching of St. Dimitry of Rostov in the book - " Inner Man praying in secret. And the Lord's Prayer is explained in the teaching of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk in the book "On Prayer, or Invoking God". See also Teachings on the Lord's Prayer, ed. Athos. P. M. 1898
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About post
When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may appear fasting not before men, but before your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.(). The Lord commands us to give alms, pray and fast secretly, warning against our evil inclination to console ourselves and enjoy human praises, and fearing that this inclination, carefully hidden, not only from people, but also from ourselves, would lead us to pharisaical hypocrisy. who is content with the praises of men, not caring or thinking about the reward of our heavenly Father. It is clear how insulting to God and harmful to us!
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On Hope in God and Surrendering Yourself to the Will of God
Don't care and tell us what to eat? or what to drink? Or what to wear? Because the Gentiles are looking for all this, and because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of its own: enough for each day of its own care(). It is unreasonable and incompatible to collect earthly and heavenly treasures at the same time. It is unreasonable to collect earthly treasures, because they often perish: to collect both of them together is incompatible, because the heart cannot be divided into two, it will certainly adhere to one thing: either heavenly or earthly; just as it is impossible to serve two masters at the same time, because the servant will certainly love one master and begin to neglect the other. Moreover, if a person’s heart lies close to earthly treasures, then the eye of his mind will darken, and everything will be dark with him, while the heart that loves the treasures of heaven will also make the eye of its mind bright, and everything will be light with it. There must be one thing; for it is impossible to serve God and mammon. And to take care of collecting food, drink and clothing for many years is a sign of foolishness and lack of faith, insulting to God, Who nourishes everyone so richly - even to the smallest creatures living in the universe, so luxuriously dresses all plants down to the grass of the field! It turns out that a Christian who believes and hopes in God must direct all his cares mainly towards the search for the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and everything else that is necessary for him will be added to him from God the Father and his Provider.
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About non-judgment of neighbors
Judge not lest ye be judged; For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured to you again.(). A righteous judgment is a work of God, and not a human one: whoever condemns his neighbor admires the judgment of God, and, moreover, distorts it - he almost always judges incorrectly. “When you judge your neighbor, you do not judge him,” says St. John Chrysostom, - but you expose yourself, and yourself, to a terrible judgment and severe torture. And how will you begin to heal your neighbor when you yourself need healing more than him?! The one who is guilty of the same should not judge, and does not care about correcting himself and his neighbor.
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On Treating Neighbors as Treating Yourself
As you want people to do to you, so do you to them; for in this is the law and the prophets(). This is a world commandment about mutual relations between people. In keeping with this commandment, we, as human beings, know from ourselves what we must do to others. So, if we want to be done well, then we ourselves must do good; if we want everyone to love us, then we ourselves must love everyone, and in general, what we do not love ourselves, we must not do to others. By this commandment, Christ the Savior showed that the Divine teaching on virtue in general is both brief and convenient for execution, because it is close to us by nature and is known to everyone, so that no one can apologize for ignorance of it.
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About non-possessiveness
See, beware of covetousness; for the life of a man does not depend on the abundance of his possessions(). This commandment is explained by the Lord by the parable of a rich man who had a good harvest, and he settled down for many years to live for his own pleasure: drink, eat, be merry all day long; but in his cares about gathering a rich harvest and keeping it, he suddenly died, and rightly called from the Lord foolish.
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About vigilance
Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and you be like people who are waiting for the return of their master from marriage, so that when he comes and knocks, immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, finds awake ... Be ready, too, for at what hour you do not think, the Son of Man will come (). Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I tell you, I tell everyone, stay awake(). This most important of the commandments is explained in the Gospel of Luke () and Matthew ().
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On patience and other private commandments
By your patience save your souls (). He who endures to the end will be saved ().
Unshakable patience consists in the fact that a person not only does not get irritated, does not get angry, does not indulge in cowardly grumbling, but endures everything bitter, mournful, painful in his life, with humility and self-condemnation, as if standing before the Most High Judge Himself and accepting torture from Him for their sins.
In patience, all Christian deeds and virtues are accomplished and completed in patience. Without patience, nothing good, especially difficult, and nothing can be done in ordinary life; especially in the life of a Christian, one cannot take a single step without patience.
But how to learn patience? It is necessary, with the help of God, to decide - to endure everything that happens to us silently and meekly endure, in anticipation of a change for the better. The experiences of life will teach and show how patience is necessary for us, useful and beneficial in all respects; and having learned this, a person will no longer part with patience, he will get used to it, and, finally, he will feel that with patience it is easier to endure all worldly hardships, especially Christian exploits, and reach a quiet haven, where there is no sickness, no sadness, no sighing. How free, how gratifying, how merrily he will breathe then, having crossed the stormy and many-poor sea of life, when all his qualities and virtues and complete love for God, and deep humility, and heartfelt obedience to the Law of God, and perfect devotion to the will of God, and amiable To God, purity of soul and heart, and true love for neighbors, and in general the whole-hearted desire to fulfill the commandments of Christ, will be preserved in him and brought up by nothing unshakable patience! An example of patience is the Lord Himself and all the saints.
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In addition to the obligatory commandments of Christ, there are also His more particular commandments.
1) On Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth ().
2) About the preservation of the shrine- the sacraments of faith "from enemies" ().
3) On Perseverance in Prayer ().
4) On Caution from False Prophets ().
5) On Hearing the Word of God (; ).
6) About confession ().
7) About spiritual food ().
8) On the dignity and non-seduction of children (; ).
9) About sound reasoning and the peace of Christians among themselves ().
10) About Christian Judgment ().
11) About forgiveness (; ).
12) About spiritual thirst ().
13) About the knowledge of truth, and about freedom from slavery to sin ().
14) About the divorce of spouses (; ).
15) About virginity ().
16) About not giving temptation to your neighbor ().
17) About the power of faith ().
18) On the preservation of the soul for eternal life(; demolished. ).
19) Salvation from the temptations of false teachers (; ; ).
20) On imitating the example of the Savior ().
21) On the modesty of the executors of everything commanded ().
22) About the retribution of Caesar's to Caesar, and God's God ().
23) About communion (; ; ).
24) Love following the example of Christ the Savior is the Christian banner ().
25) About being in Christ the Savior.
Abide in Me and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit of its own accord unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me will be cast out like a branch and wither; but such branches are collected and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then ask whatever you want, and it will be yours. My Father will be glorified by this, if you bear much fruit, and you will be My disciples. Remain in My love. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. You are My friends if you do what I command you (). Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned (). Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you all the days, to the end of the age. Amen ().
Having given to His disciples all the above commandments, and in His word and example, the Lord and our God at the last supper with them said to them: I gave you an example for you to do as I did for you.(), and thereby obligated all His faithful and true followers to fulfill all His commandments steadily. It is absolutely necessary for us to fulfill the commandments and commands of our Lord and Savior, because He is our Lord and Savior. It is necessary to fulfill His commandments in order to know by experience the life-giving power and their Divine significance for our life: Whoever wants to do the will of God, he will know about this teaching, is it from God?- said the Lord Himself (). It is absolutely necessary to fulfill the commandments of Christ in order to enter into the spirit of Christ, to cleave to Him with all one’s being: “he who clings,” it is said, “to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord,” and thus becomes a true Christian, and who cares little about fulfillment, or and does not fulfill them at all, he can never acquire the Spirit of Christ, and, therefore, he will wear the title of Christian in vain: Whoever does not have the spirit of Christ is not His, not Christ's(), not a Christian. So, my beloved brother in the Lord! turn everything your attention on the commandments of Christ, keep them always before your eyes and in your hands until you study them, assimilate them to yourself so that they become your eternal possession, they turn into your flesh and blood. Then it will be easy for you to fulfill them in all the necessary cases of your life, and by fulfilling them, you will be a true follower of your Savior and will undoubtedly receive salvation.
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"Follow me." There is another commandment of the Lord in the Gospel, short in expression, but comprehensive in meaning, a commandment that calls upon His followers: follow me. In conclusion, we draw attention to it, according to St. Tikhon of Zadonsky.
Follow me, - our Lord said to the apostle Peter (). This word applies to every follower of Christ. The word is very important and impressive because it alone came out of the mouth of our Savior Himself.
The importance and power of this word was revealed by St. Tikhon in the second part of his “Spiritual Treasure Gathered from the World”, in Article 46, under the title: “Follow Me.” It happens, he says, that one to another, on various occasions, says: "follow me."
Christian! thus Christ the Lord says to each of us: follow me. Read St. Gospel, listen to Him, and you will hear His sweetest voice: follow me. I am your Creator, and you are My creation: follow me. I am your king, and you are my subject: follow me. I am yours, clothed in your obedient flesh: follow me. I came into the world for you follow me. I came to you and for you; I, invisible, for the sake of you and everyone appeared on earth: follow me. I, inaccessible to Cherubim and Seraphim, became accessible to sinners and you: follow me. I, the King of Heaven, have lived on earth for your sake: follow me. I, the omnipotent and omnipotent, for your sake became weak: follow me. I, being rich, became poor for you, so that you may be enriched by My poverty (): follow me. I, the Lord of glory, have been mocked and dishonored for your sake: follow me. I, eternal and everlasting life, have tasted death for you, the death of the cross: follow me. I, sitting on the throne of glory and worshiped by the angels, praised and glorified, for your sake was blasphemed from sinners: follow me. I, who alone have immortality and live in unapproachable light, for your sake was imputed to the dead and laid in a dark tomb: follow me. I, your Redeemer, your Redeemer, your Savior, Who, not with silver and gold, but with My own blood, redeemed you from the devil, death and hell: follow me. You see My love for you: show your love to your Lover, and lovingly: follow me. Your love benefits you, not Me; just as your dislike harms you, and not Me: follow me.
God! what is a man, as if you were known to him? Or the son of man, as if you sane him– do you think about him? Man is like vanity(). “I sing to Thee: by hearing, O Lord, I heard and was horrified. Thou hast come before me, seeking me for the lost. That much is Your condescension, hedgehog to me, I glorify, Many-merciful! Ready heart, God, ready my heart. “Help me, Lord my God, and save me by Your mercy!”
What a Christian! Would you like to renounce such your Lord and Benefactor, Who calls you to Himself and not follow Him? It's scary and shameless! terrible, so as not to move Him to righteous anger, not to fall into His righteous judgment and thus perish. Shamelessly: for He is your highest Lover and Benefactor. Tell me, perhaps, if the king of the earth called you to follow him, would you not hurry after him with joy, leaving everything for the sake of a small and temporary honor and self-interest? And here is the King of kings and the Lord of lords - the King of heaven calls you to follow Him: follow me! and calls not to temporary honor, glory and self-interest, but to the eternal life and kingdom, to eternal honor and glory: follow me, follow me and I will bring you into my eternal kingdom, to my heavenly and eternal Father: no one will come to the Father, only me(). Sinner! won't you leave everything after this and follow Him?! But, after all, He continues to call all sinners: a fornicator, an adulterer and a lover of uncleanness! listen to the voice of the Lord: repent and follow me. Evil avenger and murderer! listen to the voice of the Lord: repent and follow me. Thief, predator, robber and covetous! listen to the voice of the Lord: repent and follow me. Reproacher, scolder, slanderer and every slanderer! listen to the voice of the Lord: repent and follow me. Liar, deceiver, deceiver and hypocrite! listen to the voice of the Lord (): repent and follow me. Every sinner who lives in impenitence! listen to the voice of the Lord: repent and follow me. Hear the voice that calls you, listen to the voice of Him Who so loved you, and such a merciful, philanthropic and wonderful providence showed for you, listen to His voice: repent and follow me.
The Lord calls every person: man is My beloved creation! I came down from heaven to take you to heaven: follow me. I lived on earth to make you a citizen of heaven: follow me. I had no place to bend my head to bring you to the house of my Heavenly Father: follow me. I have labored to bring you into eternal rest: follow me. I became poor in order to enrich you: follow me. I wept, ill, mourned and grieved to give you consolation, joy and merriment: follow me. I was blasphemed, reviled and dishonored, so that you, My dishonored creation, could be honored and glorified: follow me. I was bound to release you from the bonds of sin: follow me. I - the Judge of the living and the dead - was judged and condemned in order to deliver you from eternal judgment: follow me. I was imputed with the lawless to justify you: follow me. I tasted death, the death of the Cross, to revive you, - My creation, mortified by the venom of the snake: follow me. I ascended to heaven so that you may also ascend: follow me. I sat down at the right hand of God and the Father so that you may be glorified: follow me. I have become like you in every way, except for sin, so that you also can be like Me: follow me. I have taken upon myself your image, that you also may be conformable to Me: follow me. I have come to you in order to draw you, My dear fallen creation, to Me: follow me. You see, man, my love for you is shown; you also see My providence for you; For all this I do not demand anything from you, except that you be grateful to Me and follow Me, and thus receive salvation with eternal glory. I want this from you, so be your desire for this. Follow Me who hunger and thirst for your salvation, and I will give you my salvation.
Love My poverty, and you will be truly rich. Love My humility, and you will be truly glorious and great. Love My meekness and patience, and you will be truly calm and peaceful by them. Leave the earth and you will have heaven. Leave the world, and you will have God within you. Deny yourself, and you will truly possess yourself. Leave the comforts of the flesh and the world, and you will have true comfort. Leave perishable wealth, and you will have incorruptible wealth. Leave earthly honor and glory, and you will have heavenly. Follow me, - and you will have everything that your soul desires, but everything true, incomparable the best of that what you leave.
So, sinful soul! listen and heed the voice of your Lover and Redeemer Jesus; and follow Him, that you may comprehend. Hurry, beloved, hurry while He calls and the doors are open. The sky is open; and publicans, adulterers, and all penitent sinners enter into it. Hurry there you too, poor sinner, and you will receive the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostles, Martyrs, Hierarchs, Saints and all the Saints of God entered there, and now they are settling in the abodes of the Heavenly Father. Many are going there even now, and those who come and all those who follow their sweet Jesus, by His grace, dwell in eternal rest.
My soul! listen to the voice of the Lord, and cleave to that holy squad: go with them for the Faithful leader Jesus, so that at the hour of your departure you will hear His voice: come and enjoy, they have prepared for you honors and crowns of heaven.” Christ suffered for us, leave an image for us, so that we follow His footsteps. Thou shalt not commit sin, nor find deceit in His mouth. Even we reproach the opposition not reproachfully, the suffering does not stop, but we hand over to the one who judges righteously, says St. app. Peter (). And the Lord Himself said: If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where Az is, there my servant will be (). Whoever does not accept his cross and follows me is coming, is worthy to carry me (). I am the light of the world: walk in Me, do not have to walk in darkness, but have the light of the animal ().
But it also happens that one calls a person, saying: “follow me”; and the other, recalling him to himself, says to him also: "Follow me." Thus Christ says to every Christian: follow me, as mentioned above; and Satan, the enemy of the human race, calls a person to himself and whispers in his ears: “follow me.” A man hears his whispering so many times, how many times he feels in his heart the rising evil and ungodly thoughts: all this is his vile whispering. Oh man! who would you rather listen to? Is it Christ your Lord, who showed you such a wonderful providence and wants to save you and lead you into His eternal Kingdom, as you saw above? Or an evil whisperer-devil who wants to lead you away from Christ, your Savior, and lead you into eternal perdition?
Christ is Light; the devil is darkness. Christ is Life, the devil is death. Christ is Truth; the devil is a lie and the father of lies. Christ is your Lover; the devil is your enemy. Christ is your benefactor; the devil is your evildoer. Christ is the true and highest good; the devil is the ultimate evil. Christ is your Savior; the devil is your destroyer. Christ wants to save you, because for this he came into the world, for your sake; the devil wants to destroy you forever. Christ wants to give you eternal life; the devil wants to kill you forever. Christ wants to bring you into His eternal Kingdom; The devil wants to bring you with him into eternal torment. Christ wants to enrich you forever; the devil wants to make you a beggar forever. Christ wants to glorify you forever; the devil wants to shame you. Christ wants to honor you forever; the devil wants to dishonor you forever.
You see what Christ is and what the devil is; and - for the sake of which he whispers to you, and - withdraws from Christ - your Lord - in the wake of himself. He wants to destroy you forever, just as he himself is in perdition. This is his trick! This is his intent against us! renounce, renounce, beloved, this evil whisperer, and spit on him, as you did at holy baptism. And, having turned away from that charmer, turn to Christ your Lord, and follow Him faithfully and faithfully, as He was promised in baptism. - He is your God, your Lord, your Lover, your Benefactor, your eternal Life, your everlasting Light, your true and eternal bliss, without which we cannot be blessed either in this age or in the future. “Come and cleave to your Lord, as they say: I should cling to God's blessing! ().
But, despite the fact that the devil is a destroyer, many listen to him and follow him in great crowds. Fornicators, adulterers and all lovers of uncleanness are coming. The memory-hating, misanthropic, murderers and shedding human blood are coming. Those who oppose their parents, do not honor them, gossip about them. There are thieves, predators, robbers, venal judges, withholding the payment of mercenaries and stealing someone else's property - with all kinds of lies and flattery. There are slanderers, scoffers and all, with their tongue, like a sword, beating and wounding their neighbor, Drunkards and voluptuaries are walking. There come the wicked, the sly, the deceivers, and all who deceive their neighbor. All kinds of lawless people come, corrupted by their lives, opposing the word of God. Finally, those who love this age are coming, wise earthly, not heavenly who love to live in the pride and splendor of this world. In a word: all those who neglect God and the word of God go - cling to earthly things in their hearts, and neglect their eternal salvation, acquired by the blood of Christ: all such follow in the footsteps of Satan. To all such, this Apostolic word befits: all some depraved after satan() For all such are ashamed (confounded) by the words of Christ and Christ Himself, - they are afraid (terrified) of Him - humble, desecrated, dishonored, and move away from Him; but they want to be with the famous. They do not want to be with Him here in this world and follow Him; however, they want to be participants in His Kingdom, which is an impossible thing. – Whoever is here in the world will be with him in the next century.
Oh, man, who bear the name of Christ on you, but follow Satan! Remember what denials and vows you made in baptism - how you denied Satan and all his deeds, and all his pride - how you spat on him - how you departed from him; and how he stuck to Christ, - as he promised and swore - to work for Him in faith and truth, - to follow Him - with humility and love, as the bride follows the groom. Where are your denials now? where are the vows? where is the oath? where is the work of Christ? Where is the obedience to Him? You lied to God, not to man. You left God, not man. You left the light and loved the darkness. You left your belly and loved (chosen) death.
Remember this and turn to Christ your Savior. Flee from the deceiver like Israel from Pharaoh. And although he will chase after you, because he has lost his prey; but you dare, and from the depths of your heart sigh to the all-powerful Jesus, may He not remember your iniquities, and help you. He, who died for you, is waiting for you, and with joy - with merciful embraces - will embrace you, like a prodigal son (). And when you are freed from the hard work of your tormentor, with joy you will sing a song of victory to your Helper: Helper and Protector be my salvation: this is my God, and I will glorify Him, God my Father, and I will exalt Him(). And the angels in heaven will rejoice over you: joy is before the angels of God about the only penitent sinner ().