Слово XIII, в котором речь идет об обязанности христиан соблюдать все заповеди Господа и о том, какие блага получают соблюдающие заповеди и какой вред и великие несчастья причиняют себе нарушители Христовых повелений

The warriors, advisers and slaves of the earthly king boast not so much of a beautiful belt, cloak and other royal insignia, and not even so much of the title of the king's people, but rather of their unquestioning observance of all the royal commands. In the same way, Christians, warriors, advisers and slaves of the Heavenly King Christ, should be proud not only of their faith in Him and baptism into His death and the honor of being called Christians by His name, but of the unwavering fulfillment of all the commandments and commands of their Heavenly King Christ. Well, what is the benefit of Christians believing in Christ but not keeping His commandments? As the divine John Chrysostom says, there is no benefit to us from faith if we lead a vicious life (Conversation 84 on the Gospel of John). What is the use of boasting that they love Christ, but they themselves violate His covenants? What is the benefit of being Christians only in name, but in reality leading an anti-Christian life? “It is of no use to us if we are called Christians only in name, but are not them in practice,” says the divine Cyril of Jerusalem. After all, names are of little use if there are no good deeds behind them. Conversely, glorious deeds create glorious names. In the Holy Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and in the New, people are given names according to their deeds and customs. Thus, Abraham received his name because he was to become the father of nations. Isaac received the name “laughter” for the joy that he brought to his parents with his birth. So Jacob and Jacob's children received names according to their deeds and actions. The Lord named one of His disciples Peter for the firmness of his faith. So He called James and John Boanerges, that is, “sons of thunder,” for they loudly proclaimed to the world the gospel preaching and the great theology of the Holy Trinity. Thus, Christians must bear their great and precious name not falsely and confirm it with Christian deeds and actions, for no thing comes into existence by its name, but the nature of a thing, whatever it may be, is manifested through the name. The Divine Saint Gregory of Nyssa says: “Since the good Lord has given us to be fellow members of the greatest, most divine and first of the names, so that, being honored by the name of Christ, we are called Christians, it is necessary that all other meanings explaining this name be seen in us, so that this title is not false among us, but is evidenced by life” (To Olympius on Perfection). Therefore, if Christians want to have a name consistent with their work, they must become imitators and followers of the life and works of Jesus Christ, whose name they bear. How do they become imitators of Christ? In the case when they keep all God’s commandments, care about them and at the right time are even ready to give their lives for Christ. After all, our Lord, as a man, until his death, until His death on the cross, fulfilled all the commandments of His Heavenly Father. Thus He showed that He loved His Father and was His true Son. In the same way, Christians show that they are genuine disciples of Christ and truly love Him: “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 17:10). Therefore, I decided to show in this Word: first, that Christians are obliged to keep all the commandments of Christ; second, what benefits do the keepers of the commandments receive; third, Christians who transgress the commandments of Christ cause themselves harm and great misfortune. Therefore, give ear, and let ye understand! Christians must keep all the commandments of Christ First of all, they are supposed to keep and fulfill all the commandments of Christ. All Christians, that is, priests and people, and men, and women, and youths, and elders, and monks, and worldly, and small, and great, and poor, and rich, and subject, and rulers, and kings, and patriarchs, and in general everyone, every class and estate, to a single person without exception. Because the Lord told His holy apostles what teaching and what commandment I give to you, the entire community of Christians, and what I teach: “What I say to you, I say to everyone” (Mark 13:37). Christians must fulfill all 153 commandments of Christ, namely the ten commandments written in the Old Law: everyone must honor his father and mother, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet his brother’s wife or property, etc. And all the commandments and commandments that are described in the Holy Gospel, namely: every Christian should not resist an evil person who wants to hit him on the cheek, but expose the other to him so that he refuses to hit it. A Christian should not bring his fellow believer to justice. Whoever wants to take away his outer clothing, give him his underwear as well. If anyone forces a Christian to walk with him one mile, let him walk with him two. A Christian is supposed to give alms to everyone who asks, help those in need, love his enemies and those who hate him, bless those who curse him and pray to God for everyone who harms, persecutes and persecutes him. In short, Christians must obey all of Christ's commandments without exception. Therefore, the Lord, sending His holy disciples to proclaim the Holy Gospel to the world, ordered them to teach them to keep all His commandments: “Go therefore and teach 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” (Matthew 28:20). Interpreting His words, Basil the Great says that the Lord did not say that Christians should keep some commandments and neglect others. No, He ordered to fulfill all the commandments, without skipping a single one: “Do not keep one thing and neglect another, but observe... everything that I commanded you” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). And in another place, Jesus Himself, wanting to point out that Christians are obliged to observe all His commands, says: “So you too, when you have done everything commanded you, say: “We are worthless servants, because we did what we had to do”” (Luke 17:10). Do you hear? He says when you do everything that is taught to you, do it, and not when you do one thing and leave the other. Therefore, the Apostle Paul presented himself as God’s servant, a guardian of all the sovereign commandments, and he himself never succumbed to temptation in anything, which is why he said: “We do not cause anyone to stumble in anything, lest service should be blamed, but in everything we show ourselves as servants of God” (2 Cor. 6:3-4). Christians are divided into three categories According to Basil the Great, Christians according to their position are divided into three categories: slaves - do not act badly for fear of hellish torment; mercenaries who work for good for pay and for the sake of bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven; and on sons who do good only for the sake of goodness itself and out of love for their Master. Now we see that Christians in all three positions are obligated to keep all the commandments of the Lord. For if any Christian belongs to the category of slaves, he fears punishment and hellish torment and wants to avoid them. Therefore, I am forced to fulfill all the commands of my master so that even the smallest commandment does not remain unfulfilled, in order to avoid hell. Everyone in the rank of mercenary is obliged to do everything that the one who hired him to work in his vineyard orders. If he does not complete all the work, he will not receive full payment. Those who belong to the category of sons are obliged to show obedience and love to their Father in everything and not to cause him even the slightest grief: “It is not common for those who are afraid to leave any order unfulfilled or to carry it out carelessly... But even a mercenary will not want to violate any command. For how will he receive payment for the work in the vineyard without fulfilling everything according to the conditions?.. What kind of son, having the goal of pleasing his father and cheering him in the most important things, would want to insult him for the sake of small things? (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). If God commanded the ancient people of Israel to keep all His commandments, how much more does He require that today's Christians, His chosen, beloved, and redeemed by His very blood, keep His commandments? In Deuteronomy we read how God commands every ruler and ruler to rewrite the book of Deuteronomy so that all His Divine commands are stored in it: “But when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he must copy for himself the copy of this law from the book, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and be careful to do all the words of this law and these statutes” (Deut. 17:18). Then He again instructs all the people: “Keep all the commandments that I command you today” (Deut. 27:1). Therefore, the prophet David learned to hate all unrighteousness and walk straight according to the commandments of the Lord, about which he himself said: “From Your commandments I have received understanding, therefore I have hated every way of unrighteousness” (Ps. 119:104). Fulfillment of all commandments is mandatory for Christians for six reasons. What is a commandment? He who violates even just one commandment has violated all Christians are obliged to keep as necessary all the commandments of the Lord for six reasons. 1. According to the divine John Chrysostom, commandment means royal law and command: “He again calls commandments and commands law, as prescribed and ordered by the king” (Commentary on Psalm 118). All subjects are obliged to fulfill the law and commands of the earthly king. If anyone, even by accident, violates them, he is subject to torture and death. Likewise, it is extremely necessary for Christians to strictly observe all the commandments of the Lord. And no one has the power to break even one commandment. 2. According to Basil the Great, if all the commandments of Christ were not necessary for our salvation, then they would not have been written down and it would not have been ordered to necessarily and without fail observe them: “For if everything were not necessary for us to achieve the goal of salvation, then not all the commandments would have been written and not all would have been commanded to keep them necessary” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). 3. All commandments are necessary, for if a Christian breaks at least one of them, then he becomes a violator of all the others. As the Lord's brother James said, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet sins in one point is guilty of all” (James 2:10). And so he becomes guilty of everything. For according to Basil the Great, all the commandments together are like a golden chain, whose links are connected to each other: if one link is destroyed or torn, the whole chain falls apart, for they are all connected to each other by the wise plan of the Word. All commandments “are interconnected in such a connection that the violation of one necessarily violates all the others” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). His 16th Rule says: “For what we see in all the commandments is that they hold on to one another and it is impossible to succeed in one separately from the other.” As St. Basil the Great further notes, what is the use of keeping all the other commandments, and then, according to the Lord, saying to your brother “insane” (see: Matt. 5:22): “What good is it to me in other merits, if, by calling my brother a freak, I will be guilty of hell?” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). And what is the use if the fortress walls are impregnable everywhere, and in one single place a small door is wide open? And what is the point of making a fence around the vineyard and leaving a loophole in one place? For the enemies will enter the fortress and through the small door of the fortress, plunder it and put the inhabitants to death. As Gregory the Theologian noted, travelers and animals crawl into the vineyard through a small hole in the fence and take away all the fruits. Thus, it is of no benefit to a Christian if, while keeping God’s commandments, he neglects even one. For thereby he deprives himself of the Kingdom of Heaven. So, said the Lord, “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people so, he will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19). The Divine Chrysostom in his interpretation notes: “And when you hear the words: the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, then understand nothing other than Gehenna, or torment... will be the least, that is, the rejected, the last; and the latter, without a doubt, will then be cast into Gehenna” (Conversation 16 on the Gospel of Matthew). “He will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven,” continues the Eloquent One, “that is, in the resurrection. This means that such a one will not enter the kingdom, because He usually calls the time of resurrection the kingdom. So, “whoever breaks, he says, one of the commandments... he will be called least.” Therefore, we need to keep all (the commandments)” (Discourse 4 on Ephesians). God's commandments are life 4. We need all the commandments of the Lord, because they are life, righteous and eternal life. As the Lord said to the young man: “If you want to enter [eternal] life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). “For I,” He continues, “speaked not from Myself; but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what to say and what to say. And I know that His commandment is eternal life” (John 12:49). “Just as eternal life is necessary for a person, so it is necessary for him to keep Christ’s commandments, and this is how eternal life is obtained. “He who keeps the commandment,” Solomon explains, “keeps his life, but he who is heedless of his ways will perish” (Proverbs 19:16). The commandments are a cure for the suffering of the soul 5. All the commandments are necessary because they are like herbs, medicines and plasters that heal passions and illnesses of the soul. And each commandment is intended to treat a certain weakness and passion. Consequently, just as the healing of bodily illnesses requires certain effective herbs and medicines, so the fight against the passions of the soul and its health requires the preservation of all the sovereign commandments without exception. And let every Christian know: no matter how many commandments he does not keep, the same amount of his spiritual sorrows that could be eradicated with the help of these commandments will remain unhealed. As Simeon the New Theologian said, whoever keeps the commandments especially keeps them, because he is freed from passions and sin. As Solomon said, “he who fears the commandment will be rewarded” (Prov. 13:13). “For every untruth,” adds Ammon, “we have been given all the commandments from the Lord, and if you leave one, you will follow the opposite path of evil” (Conversation 28 on the Gospel of Matthew). 6. All commandments are as necessary as faith and baptism. Consequently, both without faith and baptism, and without keeping all the commandments, it is impossible for anyone to be saved. How is this known? From the word of the Lord. He combined the tradition of faith and baptism with the keeping of all His commandments, saying to the apostles: “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 everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). Explaining this, Ammon says: “... the Lord combined the keeping of all the commandments with right faith, therefore David also had right faith in God, he said: “From Your commandments I received understanding, therefore I hated every way of unrighteousness” (Ps. 119) 154. The commandments are necessary, just like faith and baptism. What is the difference between a commandment and advice? Well, now we need to talk about the self-righteous judges who sit and talk about the sovereign commandments of the Lord and claim that some commandments are necessary, but whether others are to be observed or not is in our will and in our power? What do you think of yourself, man, whoever you are? Do you place yourself above the Lawgiver? Do you accept some of His laws, and despise and dishonor others? And don’t you know, unfortunate one, that this is the greatest purely devilish arrogance? As Basil the Great says, “it is a terrible presumption to set oneself up as judges of the Lawgiver and to choose some of His laws and reject others” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). When you hear about a commandment, immediately think that it is necessary, and immediately think about the fact that no one has the power or the freedom to break it. And immediately think about the punishment that awaits its violator, who will be punished. The difference between a commandment and advice and instruction is that it is not in anyone’s power. Nevertheless, every Christian is simply obliged and forced to observe it, and not to transgress. In case of violation, immediate punishment will follow, and punishment will be inevitable. For, as John Chrysostom says in his interpretation of Psalm 110, “all His commandments are true. What does “faithful” mean? Firm, constant. When they are violated, punishment follows, but they themselves do not hesitate; when people transgress them, God avenges them” (Conversation on Psalm 110). But advice and instruction are in the power of man, and if he wants to follow them, good, but if he wants to transgress it, then he will not suffer any punishment for it. These include virginity and emasculation for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Whoever wants to preserve his virginity, well, wants to get married, then there are no obstacles for him and there is no punishment for him. Therefore, on the one hand, the Lord said: “There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever can contain it, let him contain it” (Matthew 19:12). On the other hand, the Apostle Paul believes: “Concerning virginity, I do not have a commandment from the Lord, but I am giving advice” (1 Cor. 7:25). John Chrysostom explains: “You see? Not an order, but advice. Do you see? Not a command, but an instruction. The difference is great: the first is performed out of necessity, the second is voluntary. He did not say “I command” so as not to burden him, but he said “I instruct and advise” in order to encourage him to do it. He did not oblige him to observe virginity, because then he would have made it a law for everyone, even those who do not want to observe it. Having given advice, he leaves the listener as the master of choice” (On repentance. Conversation 2). Keeping virginity is not a commandment, but only advice So, from these words we can conclude that maintaining virginity is not a commandment, but only instruction and advice, which is, as it were, above the commandment. Is not non-covetousness also advice and not a commandment? Let's look at this issue right here and now. Some holy fathers drew attention to the fact that the Lord, turning to a famous young man, does not give him a command and does not affirmatively or authoritatively advise him: “become perfect and sell your property,” but conditionally: if you want to become perfect, sell your property. “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me” (Matthew 18:21). Interpreting these words of the Lord, some fathers, namely the divine Chrysostom (Discourse 9 on 1 Corinthians) and Gregory the Theologian (First accusatory word against King Julian), said that the commandments are divided into two types: some are addressed to the perfect, others to the still imperfect. Non-covetousness is a commandment The Lord clearly said in another place in the Gospel, addressing everyone: “So anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). In another place He also commands everyone: “Sell your possessions and give alms” (Luke 12:33). Saint Basil the Great in the Word “To Those Who Get Rich” calls the words of the Lord to the young man, namely “sell your property,” a command. However, St. John Chrysostom claims that “sell your property” is not a command, although he also says in his “Tale on Virginity” that we must sell everything, as if we were ordered to do so: “We must sell everything, and we are ordered to do so.” In a similar way, Gregory the Theologian in the Word “On Love for the Poor,” doubting at first whether the words of the Lord to the young man are law and necessity or just advice, is more inclined to believe that this is a commandment and command, and not just advice: “(I look with reverence)... and at the limit and law of perfection indicated to the young man: “Give what you have to the poor” (Matthew 19:21). Don't you think that love for humanity is not a necessity for you, but a matter of arbitrariness, not a law, but advice? I myself would very much like to think so; but I am afraid of the left side and the goats and reproaches that they will hear from Him who placed them on the left. They will be condemned not for robbery, not for sacrilege, not for adultery or other sins prohibited by law, but for the fact that they did not serve Christ in the person of the poor.” Why does the Lord say to the young man conditionally: “if you want to be perfect” and why does He demand from all Christians that they perceive their perfection as a duty and a commandment? Still, why did the Lord say to the young man conditionally: “if you want to be perfect”? Because that young man was still in the darkness of the law, which was imperfect, for, as the Apostle Paul says, “the law brought nothing to perfection” (Heb. 7:19). And the Lord, calling the young man from the imperfect law to move on to the perfection of the Gospel, said “if you want,” since he had not yet given his will to God. To Christians who, by their holy baptism, promised to follow Christ and succeeded and themselves gave up their will, He does not say conditionally: if you want to be perfect, but commandingly and affirmatively: “Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Therefore, Christ demands from all Christians the achievement of perfection as the fulfillment of duty and command. The Apostle repeats His words when he says: “Be mature in mind” (1 Cor. 14:20). “Until we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Let me remind you: even the ancient law prescribed perfection to the Jews as a commandment, commanding them: “Be blameless before the Lord your God” (Deut. 18:13). So, from what has been said, it becomes clear that, except for virginity, all other commandments of the Lord, including non-covetousness, are common to Christians. In a word, the commandments must be observed and all of them must be fulfilled without any exception by both monks and virgins, both laymen and married people. Christ's commandments are easy to fulfill In general, you Christians should keep all the commandments of Christ, because they are by no means impossible and are within the power of everyone. All of them are moderate and easy to do. Why? Because, firstly, the Lord, Who knows human capabilities, would not order people to keep His commandments if He knew that it was beyond their strength. If a man does not load his donkey with an unbearable load, would God really want to impose unbearable commandments and commands on weak Christians? To say so would be the greatest impiety. As Basil the Great says, “It is wicked to say that the commands of the Spirit are impossible to fulfill” (Conversation 3 on the words “Listen to yourself”). Secondly, if the commandments and commandments of Christ were impossible to fulfill, how could so many thousands and tens of thousands of people not only observe, but also achieve their fulfillment and even surpass them? “In fact,” notes Chrysostom, “who can blame the Lord for commanding the impossible? Many people fulfill (these) commands. If it were not so, if they were impracticable, they would have surpassed them of their own free will. Virginity (He) did not command, but many achieve it” (On repentance. Conversation 6). The Hellenes achieved prudence and mercy All the Lord's commandments are doable, easy and extensive. He Himself confirmed this when He commanded them, saying that His yoke is profitable and the load of His commandments is light: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). The Lord’s beloved disciple confirmed that “His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). “Your commandment,” notes the prophet David, “is immensely extensive” (Ps. 118). Now let those careless Christians who justify themselves by saying that we are worldly people listen to us. We have wives, children, a household, and we cannot fulfill all the commandments of Christ. They are impossible for us. It is difficult and difficult for us to comply with them. What are you saying, crazy Christian? God tells you to fulfill all His commandments, but you refuse: they are, they say, impossible to fulfill? God tells you that His commands are moderate and easy, and you contradict God and say that they are difficult? But what did you find impossible to fulfill in the command that Christ gave you, that you should have a lawful wife and be abstinent and not pursue other wives? There are also those who abstain, although they are not married at all. And not only Christians, but also Hellenes? What is difficult in His command that He commanded you to give in alms a portion of your property, when many pagans squandered all their wealth simply for the sake of vanity? And after what the pagans do for the sake of vanity, are you not ashamed not to do this for the fear of God and according to His commandment? What is difficult about not having enemies, not hating anyone, not slandering, not taking what belongs to others, not swearing? Or maybe to fulfill these commandments you need to overcome mountains and abysses and swim across the sea? Or maybe you need to fly through the air or put in a lot of effort and sweat? Not at all. All you need is your good will and disposition of soul, and you will immediately achieve your goal. As Chrysostom says, “And what, tell me, is the difficult thing prescribed for us? Have a wife and be abstinent. Tell me, is it really difficult? And how (this may be difficult) when many are abstinent even without a wife, not only Christians, but also pagans? What a pagan does out of vanity, will you not do it out of fear of God? From your wealth, says (Scripture), give to the poor. Is it really difficult? But even here the pagans will condemn us, having squandered all their possessions out of vanity alone” (Conversation 13 on the Epistle to the Hebrews). “Indeed,” continues the saint, “what burdensome things are commanded to us? Should we cut mountains? Or fly through the air? Or swim across the Tyrrhenian Sea? Not at all. We are commanded to live such an easy way of life that we do not need any tools for it—we only need our soul and disposition. What is difficult about the commandments of Christ? Don't hate anyone; do not slander anyone” (Conversation 19 on the Gospel of Matthew). The commandments are easier than the vices that oppose them Do you want to understand, Christian, why God’s commandments are extremely easy, and the vices that oppose them are extremely difficult? Listen here. Christ says: do not steal; and I ask you: what is easier for a person, to steal or not to steal? Anyone will answer: of course, it is easier not to steal, because the one who does not steal has a clear and serene conscience, and he sleeps peacefully, not knowing fear, not knowing internal tension, and looks at everyone without the slightest shame. And whoever wants to steal, rushes about, is internally tense, thinking about ways and tricks to break into a house or workshop and rob it. At the same time, he is also afraid: if they catch him, they will kill him. He can't sleep peacefully. He doesn't want to eat or drink. His consciousness was seized by an irresistible fear - suddenly everything would be revealed, which constantly eats away at his inflamed brain, like a worm on a tree. In addition, Christ commands you to bless those who curse you. What is easier: to curse and reproach or not to do this? Of course, it is easier not to reproach, for the one who does not reproach is free from all temptation and not only does not suffer evil from anyone, but receives praise from everyone. And whoever reproaches is immediately exposed to danger, suspects and fears, lest the accused hear him, be he small or great. After all, if that person is great, then the detractor is seized with fear for himself, and if he is small, then in response he will immediately begin to vilify, slander and insult the accuser in the same way, if not worse. As Saint John Chrysostom advises, “do not steal someone else’s property, it is said, do not be covetous, do not swear. What kind of work does this require, what kind of feats? Do not slander, it is said, do not slander. Is it difficult? But the opposite is really difficult, because when you say something bad about someone, you are immediately exposed to danger and doubt: has the person you said about heard, even if he was an important person, even if he was unimportant; if he is an important person, then you will immediately experience real danger; and if unimportant, then he will repay you in kind, and even much more; he will say even worse things about you” (Conversation 13 on the Epistle to the Hebrews). Thus, from what has been said, I conclude: if we want, then all the commandments of Christ will be the easiest; if we don’t want to, then even the easiest things will seem immensely difficult to us. As Chrysostom says, “no, nothing difficult, nothing heavy is commanded to us, if only we want; and if we don’t want to, then even the easiest things will seem difficult to us” (Ibid.). Why are the commandments called loads and burdens? However, if the commandments are doable and easy, why did the Lord call them a load and a burden? We find the answer to this in Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom: the commandments and Law of Christ are called a load and burden for the work and effort that is required to fulfill them. But thanks to the hope for future benefits and crowns that keeping the commandments brings, they are useful and extremely easy. Thus, Gregory the Theologian says: “For although the new “yoke is good and the burden is light,” as you hear” (Matthew 11:30), it is such because of hope and reward, which is incomparably more generous than what the suffering here would deserve” (Word for Holy Pascha). The divinely inspired John Chrysostom adds: “If you see the work of exploits as difficult and burdensome, then you will also see that future reward makes it immeasurably easier” (On repentance. Conversation 2). Saint Diadochos, Bishop of Photikie, believes that the path of the commandments and virtues is difficult and thorny for beginners, if a person from birth is accustomed to the breadth of pleasures. For those who have passed half the way and advanced, it is pleasant and easy: “The path of virtue to those beginning to love piety seems harsh and thorny at the beginning, not because it is so, but because by human nature they are accustomed from birth to being in the breadth of pleasures; for those who were able to go halfway, it is kind and convenient.” Therefore, the Lord, who guides us on the path of salvation, says: “For strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life”; He commanded those who wished to go to keep His holy commandments, “for My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29:30). If you, a Christian, want to fulfill Christ’s commandments with ease, do not look at the labors and suffering that they cause, but think about the reward and reward that you will receive in heaven. For labor and suffering are temporary, but reward is eternal. Thus, shipowners and sailors do not look at the storms and sea waves, but think more about the profit they will receive and rejoice in this pleasant hope. Thus, a merchant considers his work easy because he hopes to get rich; a warrior does not consider wounds and death difficult, anticipating the victory and rewards he will receive. Thus, the farmer and worker do not think about the labor and suffering that they endure, hoping for a harvest and payment. Let me say briefly: what is hard becomes easy when you think not about work and suffering, but about the payment and reward that you will enjoy. That this is true is confirmed by the blessed Apostle Paul, who said that sorrows seem light to him, for he does not think about the visible or the labors of the senses, but meditates on the invisible and on crowns. What is by nature hard becomes easy when we think not about suffering, but about rewards. If you want to know that what is difficult is made easy, listen to the Apostle Paul, who says: “For our momentary light affliction produces eternal glory in an exceeding abundance” (2 Cor. 4:17). A doubt arises: is suffering easy, is sadness easy? On the contrary, they are difficult, but the apostle resolved this doubt by drawing conclusions from the particular to the general, showing that it is easy: “When we look not at what is visible, but at what is invisible” (Ibid.). “He laid a wreath, and made the struggle easy” - these are the words of John Chrysostom (On repentance. Conversation 2). A witness to this is the prophet David, who, in the hope of reward and payment, joyfully fulfilled the commandments of the Lord, about which he said: “I have inclined my heart to the fulfillment of Your justifications forever, for the sake of reward” (Ps. 119:112). Christians are required to be diligent in keeping all the commandments for seven reasons Fourthly, you, Christians, are supposed to keep all the commandments of the Lord, not with negligence and grumbling or with a man-pleasing mood, but with all zeal, with all your love, with all your joy and with a godly mood. Not as slaves, for fear of hell, and not as mercenaries, for reward in the Kingdom of Heaven, but as sons, out of love for the Heavenly Father, Who established the commandments, and you must do this for seven reasons. First. Because he who keeps the commandments and works of the Lord carelessly will be cursed. As Jeremiah says, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord carelessly” (Jer. 48:10). Second. Christ, who established the commandments, is worthy, extremely worthy of all love. Therefore, those who wish to keep His commandments with all perfection must be moved by love for Christ. Therefore, the prophet David said that he who fears God fulfills His commandments with all zeal and love: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and deeply loves His commandments” (Ps. 112:1). Chrysostom also emphasized in his interpretation: “He did not say: He will fulfill His commandments, but: “He will love,” demanding something else, more. What exactly? In order to fulfill them with zeal, to have great love for them, to follow their instructions unacceptably, to love them not for the reward promised for fulfilling them, but for the One who established them, to indulge in virtue with pleasure, not out of fear of Gehenna, not out of fear of punishment, not for the promise of the kingdom, but for the One who gave these commandments” (Commentary on Psalm 111). Third. He who fulfills Christ’s commandments carelessly and grumblingly is akin to the man who, in the ancient law, did not offer to God healthy and perfect lambs and other animals, but the crippled, pitiful and sick; better to say, he is likened to Cain, who sacrificed to God not the best part of the fruits of the earth, but chaff and straw, which means he committed a sin and was subject to punishment, for it is written: “And if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door” (Gen. 4:7). Fourth. He who keeps the will of the Lord not for the sake of God's command, but for the sake of human glory and praise and worldly vain admiration, loses his work and does not receive any reward from God. The Lord and Basil the Great say: “Even for someone who does the will of the Lord, but does not do it as God wants and does not do it out of a feeling of love for God, zeal in the matter is useless, according to the saying of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who says: because they do it “in order to appear before people. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward” (Matthew 6:5)” (Introduction to the Rules, set out at length). Fifth. He who keeps the Lord's commandments with zeal considers even the greatest difficulties that befall him to be extremely easy, and, on the contrary, he who fulfills the commandments carelessly considers the easiest things to be the most difficult. As Chrysostom says, “Difficulty comes not from the nature of the commandments, but from the laziness of many. If anyone begins to take them with diligence, he will find them easy and easy to do” (Commentary on Psalm 111). Christians must do God's will, which is good, acceptable, perfect, and as it is. Sixth. For one who keeps the Lord’s commandments, it is not enough to fulfill only God’s good will, as already mentioned in the previous Word. He is also obliged to preserve His pleasing will. Because often some deed, good in itself, but done at the wrong time and in the wrong place, may turn out to be displeasing to God. In addition, one should do the will of the Lord not only acceptable, but also perfect. For example, if a person gives alms, this is the good will of the Lord. If he does it only for the sake of God Himself, and not for the sake of fame, praise or worldly friendship, then his alms are pleasing to God's will. If he gives it with all love, diligence and generosity, then this is a manifestation of God's perfect will. On the contrary, if someone shows mercy for the sake of people-pleasing, with calculation and grumbling, then his act is not pleasing and not perfect before God. Therefore, the Apostle Paul commands Christians to do the good, acceptable and perfect will of the Lord, “so that you may know that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). Likewise, Basil the Great (Rules, briefly stated. 286) and Saint Theophylact say: “First, see that the will of God is good, and when you know this, see that it is also pleasing, for many good deeds are not pleasing, because they are done at the wrong time or in front of the wrong person... When (you are convinced) that it is good and pleasing, take care that she is perfect and immaculate. Then it is accomplished as required, and without flaw.” Seventh and last. It is good for all of you Christians to keep all the commandments of the Lord with love and diligence. Since God's commandments are truth and light, they enlighten the mind with rays of divine knowledge: All “Your commandments are truth” (Ps. 119:86). Since they are good and saving, they attract the heart to love and direct them to fulfill them. “The law of Your mouth is better for me,” notes David (Ps. 118). Every (person) naturally loves light and goodness, for, as Ecclesiastes said, “sweet is the light, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun” (Eccl. 11:7). According to Aristotle, “the good is that to which everything strives” (Nicomachean Ethics. Chapter 1). In a similar way, a person must love the commandments of Christ, which bring light and good. And the Holy Scripture testifies that the commandments are light. Solomon says in parables: “For commandment is a lamp, and instruction is light” (Prov. 6:23). According to David, “the commandment of the Lord is bright, it enlightens the eyes” (Ps. 18:9), “a lamp for my feet is Your law and a light for my ways” (Ps. 119:105), “the revelation of Your words enlightens, admonishes the simple” (Ps. 119:130). The prophet Isaiah adds: “For Thy commandments are light” (Isaiah 26:9). According to Gregory the Theologian, “the light was the original commandment given to the firstborn... because the commandment of the law and the light are a lamp (Proverbs 6:23), “and the light of Your commandment is on the earth” (Exodus 26:9), although the envious darkness, having invaded, produced sin” (Word on Holy Baptism). St. Chrysostom explains: “And everywhere, as everyone can see, the law is called that way... Truly, the rays of the sun do not guide our bodily eyes, as the commandments of the law enlighten our spiritual vision... Just as the eye, when illuminated by the light itself, receives benefit, so the soul, when it obeys the law itself, receives the greatest fruits, is cleansed, freed from vice and ascends to virtue itself” (Commentary on the book of the prophet Isaiah. Homily 2). The commandments are good and saving This is evidenced by David, who in the entire large and lengthy Psalm 119, known as “Blessed are the blameless in the way,” 155 preaches and proclaims this and then expresses the loving attitude and heartfelt joy with which his prophetic soul burned for “the zealous fulfillment of the life-giving and divine commandments. He says: And I stretched out my hands to Thy commandments, which I loved... Thy commandments I have chosen... and therefore I have loved Thy commandments more than gold and topaz... Just as I have loved Thy law, O Lord, I meditate on it all day long” (Ps. 118). And many other enthusiastic words are spoken by this ever-blessed man out of the great love that he had for the commandments of the Lord, and tirelessly mentions them in his sacred psalter in every verse of the mentioned psalm. He constantly refers to the commandments, calling them according to their meaning law, revelations, ways, justifications, judgments, words, reasons, advice, miracles and the like. With the same inescapable love, Saint Gregory the Theologian affectionately calls the commandments by the names of his loved ones: “He who has strong love for something hears with pleasure the names of his beloved” (Sermon 40). This is confirmed by the Church of Christ itself, in which there is a custom every day to publicly read selected sayings of the 118th Psalm about the commandments and commandments of the Lord, in order to thus remind all Christians how good and saving the commandments of Christ are, and with such frequent and constant repetition to encourage the flock to observe them. The wise Sirach, wanting to show the sweetness of the Divine commandments, says: “There is nothing stronger than the fear of God and nothing is sweeter than keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Sir.23:27). Why do they read Psalm 119 every day in the Church? Christ Himself is hidden in the commandments. When fulfilling the commandments, grace operates. Through the commandments the grace hidden in man is revealed Numerous and great are the benefits that you can receive, my Christian brother, if with desire and love you begin to observe all the commandments of the Lord. However, from the whole set, we will list the most important of them. Do you want to find the desired and sweet Christ, and the work and name of Jesus? If yes, then fulfill the commandments with zeal and receive reward. For once you fulfill the commandments, you find Christ who gave them. As Abba Mark says, Christ abides in His commandments: “The Lord is hidden in His commandments and is found by those who seek Him as they are fulfilled” (Two Hundred Chapters on the Spiritual Law). Do you really want and with a conscious feeling to receive the luminous heavenly and hidden grace of the Holy Spirit, which you accepted into your heart when you were baptized? Fulfill the commandments of Christ with diligence, and you will receive reward. After all, the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is given in a mysterious way to every Christian at baptism, acts and manifests itself as the Lord’s commandments are fulfilled. Moreover, if a Christian observes His commandments with great diligence, then he receives greater grace. If he keeps them less diligently, then he receives less grace. As Saint Mark says, “for grace is given mysteriously to those baptized into Christ, and it works as the commandments are done” (Ibid.). Just as a weak spark under the ashes becomes brighter if you clear away the ashes, and a fire flares up brighter the more wood you add to it, so the grace given to every Christian in Holy Baptism is hidden and buried in the depths of the heart under passions and sins. And the more diligently a person fulfills the commandments of Christ, the more he is cleansed of passions and the more the fire of Divine grace flares up in his heart, with which he is illuminated, adorned, deified and enthusiastically pronounces the words spoken to each other by Luke and Cleopas: “Did not our heart burn within us?” (Luke 24:32). Without fulfilling the commandments, it is pointless to seek revelations and phenomena. The efforts of all those who try to get to the bottom of the hidden secrets of God, predictions of the future and revelations before fulfilling His commandments are senseless, truly senseless. Ridiculing such people, God Himself says: “They seek Me every day and want to know My ways, like a people who do righteousness and do not forsake the laws of their God” (Is. 58:2). Indeed, those who, instead of humbly fulfilling His commandments, expect higher phenomena and miracles from God at inappropriate times, are unreasonable, as Saint Isaac warns about. Convicting such dreamers, the God-bearer Saint Maximus explains: “Those who want visions without doing them acquire only little knowledge and the fruits of an imaginary imagination.” Because God, contemplation of God and true knowledge are acquired through fulfilling the commandments. He who seeks without observing His Law, if he sees anything, will not see the truth, but only idols and the creations of his own imagination, for grace is given through the commandments, and true contemplation operates through grace. All those who, before fulfilling His commands, seek the actions and gifts of the Holy Spirit, are extremely foolish, for first they must fulfill the life-giving commandments and overcome passions, and only after that be crowned with spiritual gifts. First, work in the mysterious vineyard of the commandments, and then receive freedom as payment. Those who seek freedom before deeds are like bought slaves. As soon as the new owner has paid for them, they immediately demand a document about their freedom. Saint Mark rightly noted about them: “He who seeks the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit before doing the commandments is like a slave bought with money, who, at the same time as he has just been bought, seeks that along with the payment of money for him, they will sign his freedom” (Two Hundred Chapters on the Spiritual Law). Virtues are acquired by following the commandments Christian, do you want to gain humility, patience, meekness, peace, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, love and the whole subsequent set of virtues, which represent inviolable wealth and an inexhaustible treasure for the soul? Keep the Lord's commandments and you will receive a reward. For by fulfilling the commandment all the above-mentioned virtues are acquired. As Saint Isaac said, “doing virtue is keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Ascetic Words. 34). If the commandments are like tools, then the virtues are like products made by these tools. For example, through the commandment that Christ gave that we should not resist an evil person, the virtue of long-suffering is acquired. Through the commandment He gave us to turn the other cheek when we are hit on the other, we gain patience. Through the commandment given by Him not to judge, we are rewarded with meekness. Through the commandment to bless those who curse us, we receive love and brotherly love. Through Christ’s command to constantly repent, we receive repentance, and repentance gives purity of the soul. As Saint Thalassius said, “repentance gives rise to keeping the commandments; and keeping the commandments cleanses the soul” (On love, abstinence and spiritual life... The second hundred). In the same way, fulfilling the remaining commandments ensures the receipt of the remaining virtues. Thus a person achieves perfect dispassion and divine knowledge. As the aforementioned Thalassius said, “observance of the commandments gives rise to dispassion, but dispassion of the soul preserves knowledge” (Ibid.). Just as a person, thanks to constant practice in some craft or work, acquires a habit, in the same way he develops the skill of fulfilling the commandments. After all, they are like a habit, and virtues are like a habit. That is why Saint Mark said: “One is the fulfillment of the commandment, and the other is virtue, although they mutually borrow reasons for good from one another” (Two Hundred Chapters on the Spiritual Law). By fulfilling the commandments, temporary benefits are also acquired. What else can you add to this? Do you want, brother, to also receive the temporary benefits of earthly life and become happy and prosperous? Fulfill the Lord's commandments with diligence and love, and your desire will come true. For God promises through Moses to bestow all His blessings on those who keep His commandments. “If you (when you cross the Jordan) listen to the voice of the Lord your God, carefully do all His commandments that I command you today, (then) all these blessings will come on you and be fulfilled on you” (Deut. 28:1). What are these blessings? Read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy and find out. Also, through Isaiah, the Lord said: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you deny and persist, the sword will devour you” (Isa. 1:19-20). And through the prophet David, He promises to make happy the person who fears and keeps His commandments. He promises to make his seed strong on earth, to give wealth, to glorify his house and to perpetuate his memory (see: Ps. 111) 156. And the Holy Spirit glorifies those who follow the path of His commandments, and says that the wives in their house will be like a happy vine, and their children will be like olive trees around the dinner table, and God will bless them from Zion. And they will enjoy all the blessings of Jerusalem throughout their lives. And they will be worthy to see sons from their sons and will gain many other benefits (see: Ps. 127) 157. By keeping the commandments, a person achieves perfect love for God. He who fulfills the commandments is higher than every miracle worker and higher than martyrs. Brother, do you long to find love for God, which is the perfection of all virtues, and to become the church of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the super-existent and indivisible Trinity? Fulfill the commandments of the Lord with all diligence and love, and you will receive reward. Because the Lord promised to come with His Father and dwell in the one who keeps His commandments, and to make the human heart His church and abode. “Whoever loves me will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Saint Maximus also speaks about this: “The Divine Logos of God the Father is mysteriously present in each of His commandments, and God the Father is naturally and indivisibly present in His entire Logos. Therefore, he who perceives the divine commandment and fulfills it perceives the Logos of God who is in it. And he who received through the commandments of the Logos, through Him and in Him, naturally received the Holy Spirit. For it is said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives him whom I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (John 13:20). “Therefore, he who received the commandment and fulfilled it received and mysteriously has the Holy Trinity within himself” (Chapters on the theology and economy of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Sotnitsa 2, ch. 71). Do you long to become greater than the one who performs miracles, and greater than the one who casts out demons and prophesies? Keep the commandments of the Lord, and you will receive yours. After all, many performed signs and wonders, cast out demons and prophesied, but fell away from the Kingdom of Heaven and ended up in hell because they did not keep the commandments of the Lord. Those who keep the commandments are saved and thanks to this they have become superior to them. Who will confirm these words? First, the Lord Himself: “Many will say to Me on that day: “Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? And was it not in Your name that they cast out demons? and didn’t they do many miracles in Your name?” And then I will declare to them: “I never knew you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity" (Matthew 7:22-23). Secondly, the holy Apostle Paul: “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and faith, so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). And thirdly, the golden-mouthed Saint John, who said that Christ did not endow His disciples with the gift of performing miracles, but gave them the commandment of love: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is the commandment of love, and likewise other commandments, that distinguish the true disciples of Christ and other saints. And it is not miracles that save them, but the commandments. “Thus, keeping silent about the miracles that they had to perform, He makes love their distinguishing feature. Why is this so? Because it especially means holy people, since it is the foundation of all virtue. It is primarily by this that we are all saved... So? Don't miracles show this much better? No... miracles brought the universe (to Christ), but that was because they were preceded by love. If there was no love, there would be no miracles.” (Conversation 72 on the Gospel of John). What else can I tell you? Do you want, brother, to become even higher than the martyrs? Keep the commandments of Christ, especially the commandment of love, and you will succeed, for the commandments of the Lord, first of all about love, even without martyrdom create and perfect a disciple of Christ - a Christian. It is impossible to achieve this through martyrdom without love and fulfillment of other commandments. This is confirmed by the words of Paul: “And if... I give my body to be burned, and do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3). The Chrysostomed orator of the Church John, for his part, adds: “Nothing is greater than love and is not equal to it, not even martyrdom itself, which is the supreme of all goods; and how, listen. Love makes disciples of Christ even without martyrdom, but martyrdom without love could not do this” (First Word of Praise about the Holy Martyr Roman). Keeping the commandments makes a perfect conscience Would you like, brother, to make your conscience impeccable, so that you will not be accused and reproached on the day of judgment? Keep all the commandments of the Lord with zeal, and you will achieve your goal. Who can confirm this? Prophet David. “Then,” he said, “I would not be ashamed, considering all Your commandments” (Ps. 118). If by fulfilling the commandments you gain an impeccable conscience, know that you will be rewarded with great boldness towards God, as Christ’s beloved disciple testifies to this: “If our heart does not condemn us, then we have boldness towards God” (1 John 3:21). By keeping the commandments, Christians are rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. Why is the Kingdom of Heaven called reward and recompense? In a word, do you want, Christian, to receive the Kingdom of Heaven? Eternal life and blessings that the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard and the human heart has not felt? Keep all the commandments of the Lord with zeal and love, and you will receive a reward. The true lips of the Lord assure us of this when He gave the commandments and said that the Kingdom of God is not entered by Christians who do nothing but cry out and cry “Lord, Lord!”, but only by those who fulfill the commandments and His will: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The Lord also wanted to show this in the word spoken to a famous young man: “If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is called in the Holy Scriptures reward, payment and reward, which is given for work and fulfillment of the commandments: “I have inclined my heart to the fulfillment of Your justifications forever, for the sake of reward” (Ps. 118). And also: “Call the workers and give them their wages” (Matthew 20:8). So, if you want, brother, to fulfill the Lord’s commandments with love and zeal and overcome all difficulties, remember what you have done and be sure that you will certainly receive a reward for your labors. In the same way, Basil the Great encourages those who strive to ignite their hearts to fulfill divine commands, when to the question: “How can a person with an inner disposition and desire fulfill the Lord’s commandments?” - answers: “If he is undoubtedly convinced that the commandment (of God) is eternal life” (John 12:50) and all the promises to those who keep it are true; then the disposition of the one who said: “The fear of the Lord is pure, abides forever. The judgments of the Lord are true, all are righteous; they are more desirable than gold and even much pure gold, sweeter than honey and drops of honeycomb; and Your servant is protected by them; in keeping them there is great reward" (Ps. 19:10-12)" (Rules summarized. 174). The Lord gives the Kingdom of Heaven not as payment due for fulfilling the commandments, but out of His generosity. Those who think that it is enough to believe correctly, but need not fulfill the commandments, are mistaken. In addition, know, brother, that the Lord, on His part, gives the Kingdom of Heaven as payment and reward for fulfilling the commandments only out of condescension towards our weakness, in order to encourage us, His servants, to fulfill His commandments even more diligently. He only allows us to think that we ourselves, through our labors, have gained His Kingdom. However, beware, my Christian brother, of ever thinking that the Kingdom of Heaven is given to you by the Lord as a reward due to you for your labors and fulfillment of the commandments. Not at all. Let your mind be far from this, for what kind of payment is the owner obliged to give to his slave whom he bought? A slave, like a slave, must always work for free for his master, without even hoping for any reward. After all, if he does not work for the master, he will be punished and whipped. If the master wishes to somehow reward him for his work, then the slave should perceive this not as payment, but as a favor, the gift and generosity of his glorious and generous master, who did him a favor not out of duty, but only out of his kindness. Christians are also mistaken when they believe that they believe correctly, although they do not fulfill the commandments of the Lord. The lost also include those who fulfill only the commandments and hope to receive the Kingdom of Heaven as payment for their labors. Both are wrong. For just as those who work incorrectly for their master do not have the right to receive freedom, so those who work have the right to compulsory payment from the master. As Saint Mark, the lamp of discernment, said, “Some, not fulfilling the commandments, think that they believe rightly; others, fulfilling them, expect the kingdom as due retribution. Both of them sin against the truth. Reward for slaves is not obligatory for the master, but again those who serve wrongly do not receive freedom” (To those who think to be justified by works. Chapter 18). From all this we conclude that the Kingdom of Heaven is given not as payment due for the fulfillment of divine commandments, but as the grace and gift of the Lord Christ to His faithful servants. As Saint Mark says, “therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is not a reward for deeds, but the grace of the Master prepared for faithful servants” (Ibid. Ch. 2). It follows from this that Christians who fulfill the Lord’s commandments should not covet the Kingdom of Heaven as payment for fulfillment, but should hope to receive it from the Master Himself as grace and gift. From what was said in the first and second parts of this Word, it becomes obvious that Christians must fulfill everything, all the commandments of the Lord with all zeal and love, if they want to taste the blessings mentioned above and be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, if through negligence they do not keep only one of the commandments, they will lose paradise. What else can I tell you? If Christians break only one of the commandments, they will fall away from the Kingdom of Heaven. Moreover, if they begin to fulfill any one commandment without due diligence and diligence, then they again will not receive heavenly blessings. Maybe, brother, this will seem scary to you? Yes, this is truly terrible and scary! But to the extent that it is scary, it is also true. Listen to how the Lord Himself speaks about this, on the one hand, and Saint Chrysostom, on the other: “I will say much more: not only the neglect of any one virtue makes heaven for us; but even though we fulfilled it, we did not do it with due diligence and zeal, and this produces the same consequences. “If your righteousness does not exceed, says Christ, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Therefore, if you give alms, but no more than what they gave, you will not enter the Kingdom” (Conversation 64 on the Gospel of Matthew). A person must be obedient to the commandments of the Lord until death My brother, if you ask how much effort must be exerted to keep the commandments of Christ and to what extent obedience to divine commands must go, I will answer you: until death. More precisely, by observing the commandments of Christ, every Christian must, if the need arises and the hour comes to suffer and die, then death itself should be perceived as the sweet reason for true and eternal life. Thus, our Lord Christ, by His obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father, deigned to accept death, and the shameful death of the cross. As the Apostle Paul says, “he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Likewise, Simeon the New Theologian says that true faith consists in the fact that a Christian must always be ready to die for the sake of Christ and His commandments: “Faith is (to be ready) to die for the sake of Christ for His commandments, in the conviction that such death brings life” (Theological and Active Chapters. Chapter 1). “For the commandments of Christ,” adds Saint Thalassius, “strive even to death; for having been cleansed through them, you will enter into the stomach” (On love, abstinence and spiritual life... Hundred and Second). Basil the Great, in his “Rules Briefly Stated” and in many of his other ascetic writings, emphasizes that the pinnacle of obedience to God’s commandments is death. Saint Isaac also considers as martyrs those who gave their lives for the sake of the Lord’s commandments: “Not only those martyrs who accepted death for faith in Christ, but also those who die for keeping His commandments” (Ascetic Words. 44). At baptism, all Christians make a vow to fulfill the commandments of the Lord That is why, my Christian brothers, my good brothers, I raise my voice to call on you, voice, my beloved brothers, to strive, all of you, small and great, clergy and laity, to strive to keep all the life-giving, all divine, all saving commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Learn to work like faithful workers, with all diligence and love, in the mysterious vineyard of the Lord’s commandments (after all, it is a mental vineyard, as the Lord says in the Gospel of Matthew). Do not be careless and do not stop your work, no matter how hard it is, no matter how tiresome it is, or no matter how hot the midday is. After all, with the onset of evening, or rather death and the end of your earthly life, you will receive the eternal Kingdom as a reward for your labors. Think about the fact that you yourself have given your consent and vow to Christ to work in His vineyard of commandments. When did you give your consent and vow? When they were baptized. You yourself uttered the words: “I deny you, Satan, in all matters, I unite with you, Christ.” After all, these words, I repeat, mean your consent and vow, a promise to Christ that you will work in His vineyard. “This saying,” according to John Chrysostom, “is an agreement with the Lord” (Catechetical Words. 2). And just as a master who wants to buy a slave first asks him if he wants to work for him, and only after receiving his consent does he buy, so the Lord Christ asked all of you Christians if you want to fulfill His commandments. And after your consent and vow, He bought you with His death and Holy Baptism. Saint John Chrysostom says: “Just as we, when buying slaves, ask those who are being sold in advance whether they wish to serve us, so does Christ: intending to accept you into service, He asks in advance whether you want to leave that ferocious and cruel tyrant, and accepts contractual terms from you, because His power is not combined with coercion” (Ibid.). Christians can be proud to work for Christ So, since you have already been called to work in the vineyard of the commandments and you responded to the call and concluded an appropriate agreement with the owner and Lord of the vineyard when you were baptized, then you need to work without negligence, without indignation and impatience, but with all zeal, with all love, with all joy and patience - rejoice and praise yourself that you were worthy to work for such a good and man-loving Master, Who is worthy so that all His creatures work for Him free of charge, even if He does not give any payment or reward for it. And if the servants of the earthly king boast that they work for their master and often say to themselves in praise: “We are in royal slavery,” then why shouldn’t you, Christians, boast and rejoice in the fact that you are worthy to work the commandments of the King of Kings, Christ? Yes, you are called slaves because you work the commandments of the Lord, but your slavery is above all the rewards, all the honors and all the positions of the kings of this world. The prophet David, although he was a king, boasted that he was called God's servant and the son of His most insignificant servant. “Oh, Lord,” he said, “I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid!” ( Ps. 116:7 ) “Let Your servant rejoice!” (Ps. 109:28). The apostles Paul and Peter were also proud that they were servants of Jesus, more than senators and royal people who flaunted their elegant cloaks, belts, all sorts of insignia and positions. Therefore, at the beginning of almost all of their epistles, placing this title on their head like a crown and a precious diadem, they say: “Paul, servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1), “Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:1), “James, servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1), “Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1), “Judas, the servant of Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1). Why do saints consider it a great honor to be God's servants? Why do the saints so honor and praise the service of God and those who are called Christ's servants? Here's why. The servants of earthly kings often have to endure hunger, thirst, troubles, and insults to their name, because their masters are sometimes ungrateful and do not recognize the labors of their subjects. Those who are worthy to serve Christ, the Heavenly King, always receive all kinds of benefits in abundance, always rejoice and have fun, are always exalted, their name is magnified. For God, for whom they work, is generous and abundant in gifts and never leaves even the smallest deed without payment. From the Person of God, the prophet Isaiah says: Behold, My servants will eat, but you will starve; My servants will drink, and you will be thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be ashamed... and He will call His servants by another name (Isa. 65:13–14). Christians should fulfill Christ’s commandments not only with joy, but also with fear and humility However, the devil, a hater of virtues, does not leave Christ’s servants and tempts them with praises and pride that they keep the commandments of the Lord, and thereby deprives and takes away from them payment for their work and service (to God). Therefore, my Christian brothers, be vigilant, fulfill the commandments of Christ not only with joy, but also with fear and humility. With joy, because you, mortals and earthly, have one God and one Heavenly and Immortal King. With fear and humility, because although you wanted to keep the commandments of the Lord, you yourself will never be able to fulfill them as it should be - with all perfection. Therefore, the Lord, the lawgiver and giver of commandments, advises you that, having fulfilled all His commandments, you should humble yourself in heart and reproach yourself that you are worthless and unworthy slaves, since you did only what you had to do, and nothing more: “So you, when you have fulfilled everything commanded you, say: “We are worthless servants, because we did what we had to do”” (Luke 17:10). Just as Christians previously fulfilled the will and commands of the devil, so now they should fulfill the commandments of God Isn’t it time, brothers, to tell you a humane and very, very condescending word? Just as until now you have worked for the evil devil, fulfilled his will and commands with all kinds of sins, so from now on you will serve God, keeping His commandments. Just as before you gave your soul and body into the slavery of impurity and sin, so from now on make them slaves of virtue and purity. Since you fulfilled the commandments of the devil with such pleasure and love, for which you received no payment except hell and death, shame and disgrace, then why don’t you now fulfill with pleasure and love the commandments of Christ (and you should have fulfilled them with even greater love), for which you will receive from God an incalculable payment - eternal life, honor and endless glory? These are not my words, but those of the Apostle Paul, who condescendingly advises you to do this because of your weakness: “I speak from human reasoning because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness and to lawlessness for wicked works, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for holy works... What fruit did you have then? Such deeds of which you yourself are now ashamed, because their end is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and become slaves of God, your fruit is holiness, and the end is eternal life” (Rom. 6:19-21). Likewise, John Chrysostom in his Commentary says: “With what zeal, with what readiness, you indulged in vice, although it does not bring any reward, but, on the contrary, punishment and torment - with the same zeal, indulge in virtue” (Conversation on Psalm 111). Christians need to force themselves to fulfill God's commandments. Reading and studying His laws is of great help in this. Brothers, you will receive great help in keeping Christ’s commandments if: l) you first force yourself to fulfill Divine commandments. After all, for a long time you have become accustomed to negligence and idleness and it is very difficult for you to fulfill the commandments of the Lord. In your case, you need to force yourself to overcome difficulties and old habits that interfere with the fulfillment of the commandments. Therefore, the Lord said: “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who use force take it away” (Matthew 11:12). If you force yourself by force, then the Lord, seeing your perseverance, will give you both strength and grace to fulfill the commandments with rapture and joy. And what previously required enormous labor is now accomplished with great ease. As Saint Diadochos says, “it is incumbent upon us, at the beginning of our feat, forced by a certain will, to fulfill the holy commandments of God, so that the good Lord, seeing our good intentions and labor, will grant us the readiness and free will with pleasure to submit to His glorious wills: “For the will is prepared from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35). After which we will begin with great joy to continually do good; and then we will truly feel that “God works in us both to will and to do good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13)” (Chapter 93). It will also help you to keep God’s commandments if: 2) you often read the Holy Gospel and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. The Gospel contains the commandments of the Lord, especially in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of the book of Matthew and in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. What the apostle preaches is the commandments of the Lord: “If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual, let him understand that I am writing to you, for these are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). This is especially true in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, where Paul tells Christians not to go to court at all. If this cannot be avoided in any way, then turn only to church courts and not to any others, for so the Lord commands. Why does frequent reading of the Gospel and the Apostle provide great help? Because in these books you often meet the commandments of Christ and remember them. And when you remember, you think about observing them. Therefore, the prophet David kept the words and commandments of the Lord in his heart in order to always remember them, and having remembered them, he forced himself to observe God’s commandments, which he himself told us about: “I have hidden Your word in my heart, so that I would not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). And the Lord instructs us: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). And who has them? The one who always keeps in his heart the memory and care of His commandments, who fulfills them when necessary, for memory turns into action. And vice versa, whoever does not read the commandments of Christ forgets them, and if they are forgotten, is fulfillment possible? That is why God commanded the Jews to constantly study His commandments, tell them to their children and write them on the doorposts of their houses, so that those coming in and out would see them and not forget: “And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart and in your soul. And teach them to your children and talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you get up; And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be a blindfold over your eyes, and you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6) 158. At the end of the second part of this chapter, I will say that all Christians, married and monastics, must obey the Gospel commandments until their death if they want to earn not temporary, but eternal benefits, which were already mentioned above. And no one has the power to deviate one hair from the commandments, neither to the right nor to the left, as it is prescribed: “So that he does not deviate from the law either to the right or to the left” (Deut. 17:20). According to Basil the Great, all the commandments, except marriage, are the law that all laity must observe, because Christ announced the Gospel and commandments not to monks, but to the laity, “that in obedience to the Gospel an account will be required of all people, whether they are monks or living in marriage. For a person who has entered into marriage, it is enough that he is excused for intemperance, the desire of his wife and intercourse with her; the other commandments, which are equally legal for everyone, are not safe to break. And Christ, preaching the commandments of the Father, addressed his speech to those living in the world” (The ascetic word and exhortation about renunciation of the world and about spiritual perfection). St. John Chrysostom says: “All the laws we have in common with the monks, except marriage.” And Paul advises those who are engaged to be like monks in everything: “The time is already short, so those who have wives should be as if they have not” (1 Cor. 7:29) (Conversation 17 on the Gospel of Matthew). And let the reckless laymen not say to themselves as an excuse: “These commandments are for monks, and not for us laymen.” And let them listen to Solomon, who reproaches them and advises them not to fear God and keep His commandments. Why? Because ultimately, every person was created into the world in order to observe the laws of the Creator: “Let us hear the essence of everything: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is everything for man” (Eccl. 12:13) 159. Those who violate Christ's commandments expose themselves to punishment and great misfortune. What is supernatural and natural degree In the previous part, we named the benefits and mercies that the keepers of the Lord’s commandments will receive, and in this part, on the contrary, we will talk about the troubles and misfortunes that Christians receive who transgress the commandments of Christ. For greater clarity and brevity, let's say: all the punishments and troubles that befall those who transgress the commandments of Christ lie in two degrees - natural and supernatural. The supernatural degree exceeds the laws of nature, but it does not destroy, but even improves and increases nature. The natural degree corresponds to the laws of nature. When you, a Christian, transgress the commandments of Christ, you lose all supernatural graces and gifts, and you also lose all natural graces and gifts. Those who break the commandments lose supernatural gifts First, you are deprived of supernatural gifts. When you, brother, transgress the life-giving commandments, you immediately lose your love for Christ and your heartfelt disposition and become a hater of Christ your God, about which He Himself says: “He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:24). Just as keeping the commandments is proof of love for God, so, conversely, breaking them is proof of hatred of Him. It is obvious that whoever hates God is not accepted by God. And this is absolutely fair. For if the prophet David hates those who transgress his commands, not his, but the Lord’s: “I have hated those who commit transgression” (Ps. 100:3), then how is it possible that the Lord does not hate those who transgress His commandments? And for everyone it is truly a great punishment and misfortune to be hated and rejected by God. After all, you are losing, Christian, supernatural gifts, for, breaking the commandments, you are deprived of the grace of adoption and where you were the son of the Heavenly Father, you become His enemy and adversary. Therefore, God Himself is annoyed with Christians who violate the commandments and says: “He glorifies the Father by keeping His commandments, just as a servant honors his master, and if I am your Father, where is the glory and honor that you should bring to Me by keeping My commandments? And, if I am your Master, where is the fear that you should have towards me? The son honors his father and the servant his master; if I am a father, then where is the respect for me? And if I am the Lord, where is the reverence for me, says the Lord Almighty” (Mal. 1:6). You are losing, brother, supernatural gifts, because by breaking the commandments, you are deprived of the grace of justification, the grace of abiding, strengthening and helping grace, and all other gifts. Supernatural Gifts Relate to Grace and Glory Let me say briefly that supernatural gifts are those that a Christian was honored to receive at Holy Baptism, as well as all the others that he received after baptism for fulfilling the life-giving commandments. This also includes gifts that he can still acquire in the future, both in this and in a new life. All of them, according to theologians, refer to two basic and universal gifts, that is, to the grace that is given in this life, and to the glory that awaits in the future life, as the divinely inspired David says: “God will give grace and glory” (Ps. 83:12). When you, a Christian, transgress the commandments of the Lord, you lose all these supernatural gifts, because you are deprived of that sanctification and divine radiance that keeping the commandments has already generated in your mind. And you are left with the sweetness and rapture that your heart previously experienced when studying, praising and fulfilling the direct demands of the Lord, delighting the soul, as the divinely inspired David said (see: Ps. 18:9). Because you are deprived of godlike virtues - humility, patience, obedience, brotherly love and the rest of the host of virtues that you have earned by fulfilling the commandments, as we said above. After all, you are deprived of the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, which the Apostle Paul lists in his Epistle to the Galatians (see: Gal. 5:22) 160. In the same way, you lose the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, that is, the fear of God, knowledge, piety, will, strength, prudence and wisdom, as the prophet Isaiah lists them (see: Is. 11:2) 161. I'll add one more thing without further ado. By transgressing the Divine commandments, brother, you lose all supernatural gifts, through which you could achieve the highest degree of holiness and perfection, which is accessible only to man. And you fall to such lowness that you are even deprived of the sanctification of the so-called original grace. But your trouble, brother, is not limited to this. You also lose God's glory, which you could inherit after death, namely: endless bliss, eternal life, the Kingdom of Heaven and constant communion with God, angels and saints. What do you get in return? An endless hell, a never-ending worm, eternal fire, endless torment and constant communication with demons, because hell is prepared for no one other than those who break the commandments of the Lord, which God Himself confirms through the prophet Isaiah: “And they will come out and see the corpses of the people who have departed from Me: for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched; and they shall be an abomination to all flesh” (Isa. 66:24). And this is absolutely fair, for if those who violated the law of Moses and did not observe the commandments of the Old Testament were immediately put to death without any mercy and condemned to torture, then how can those Christians who not only the Law of Moses, but also the law of the Son of God Himself, transgress and despise His commandments, trample on the Divine blood, revile and dishonor His Most Holy Spirit, cannot be worthy of a thousand deaths and greater torment? This is what the chosen vessel, the divine apostle Paul, says: “If every crime and disobedience received a righteous reward, then how can we escape if we neglect so much salvation?” (Heb.2:2). And he continues: “If he who opens the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, then how severe a punishment do you think will be guilty of the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider as holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:28). Oh, what a great misfortune! Oh, what deepest grief! What a fall and what a severe sentence awaits those who break God's commandments! Those who violate the commandment lose their natural gifts and peace of conscience and are subject to hellish torment during their lifetime. Secondly, you are losing, brother, your natural gifts. For, by breaking the commandments of Christ, you immediately lose the peace, tranquility and joy in which your conscience lived before the crime. What did you achieve in return? Constant confusion, incessant remorse, inconsolable grief, fear and trembling in the soul and heart. In a word, you have made your life truly as miserable as Cain's. After all, when Cain transgressed the law of nature (natural) and killed his brother, he shook all over with fear, and his soul shuddered and trembled. It seemed that even the mountains, the plains, the earth - the whole world shook with horror. And the place where he lived began to be called Nod from that time on: And Cain went from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod (Gen. 4:15), which means, according to John Chrysostom, shaking and confusion. “And the very place where he lived constantly reminded not only him, but also all subsequent people of shaking and trembling: the name “Nod” is a Hebrew word, Heb. the verb “nud” means “to hesitate” (Discourse 20 on Genesis). Just as Cain constantly shook with fear and trembling in his soul, so you, a Christian, who transgresses the commandments of the Lord, from remorse of conscience lose peace of mind, are tormented, tormented by fear and trembling. You feel like the whole world is chasing you. And it seems to you that even the mountains and peaks have rebelled against you. You have no peace in your sleep, no pleasure in food. Everything seems tasteless, disgusting, painful to you. Well, is this life? It seems to me that it is better to call it death, or rather the threshold and betrothal to the underworld. For just as one who keeps the commandments of Christ, even before gaining the Kingdom of Heaven, mentally rejoices in good hopes, so one who transgresses the divine commandments, on the contrary, is subjected to torment even before hell. St. John Chrysostom explains: “Just as one who lives in sin and before Gehenna is punished by remorse, so one who is rich in good deeds and before the Kingdom enjoys the greatest joy, feeding on good hopes” (Conversations on Statues. 16). You are losing the gifts of nature (nature), brother, because when you transgress the commandments of the Lord, the light of your mind dims, the sharpness of your mind is dulled, the ability to discern is darkened, the will becomes hardened, the heart hardens and all the powers of not only the soul, but also the body weaken, become coarse and lose their former perfection received for the performance of natural affairs. After all, if keeping the commandments strengthens, improves and perfects mental and physical powers, then the transgression of divine commands, on the contrary, disables, weakens and destroys all natural forces and actions, poisoning them with the deadly poison of the mental serpent, the devil. Violators of the commandments descend to unnatural passions. What is sin So, when you, brother, having transgressed the Divine commandments, lose your supernatural and natural gifts, then to what extent can you fall? Alas! To unnatural passions and sins. After all, the commandments were given for this reason and it is necessary to keep them in order to resist passions and sins. For each commandment is a weapon in the fight against a certain passion and a certain sin, as already mentioned in the first part of the Word. When you break the commandments, it is obvious that you are overcome by passions and sins that oppose God’s rules. If you, suppose, violate the commandment of love, then, accordingly, you fall into the sin of hatred. If you transgress the commandment of repentance, then you fall into the sin of unrepentance and ignorance. When you violate the commandment of long-suffering and meekness, you descend into the passion and sin of hard-heartedness and anger. Consequently, no matter how many commandments you fail to fulfill, you acquire just as many passions that oppose God’s laws that you have violated. Due to the fact that sin is an action against nature, as the God-bearing Maximus the Confessor defines it, to what state will you reach by breaking the commandments and committing sin? It is clear that to an unnatural, sinful and passionate life. And instead of becoming the son of God, you will turn into the son of wrath. Instead of a vessel of virtue, you will find yourself a trough of sins, devoid of all natural and supernatural light: hard-hearted, hardened, good for nothing, a barren tree, prepared by a slave to be consigned to eternal fire. Oh, what a misfortune! What punishments await long-suffering criminals! Violators of the commandment are likened to dumb animals and even worse - to formless matter To what state will you sink? To dumb animals, for it is written: But man, being in honor, did not understand, and became equal to foolish beasts and became like them (Ps. 48:12) 162. And you have fallen even lower than a dumb beast, for dumb animals do not transgress or resist either the commandments of God, or those natural laws that God has defined for them: “He gave a command, and it will not pass away” (Ps. 149:6) 163. You, being a reasonable person, shamelessly transgress and resist the commands of your Master. Basil the Great rightly said: “Do not despise fish because they are completely dumb and unreasonable, but be afraid lest you become more unreasonable than fish through resistance to the decree of the Creator” (Conversation 7 on the Sixth Day). To what state will you sink? To the state of formless and ugly, unadorned matter. After all, as Basil the Great says, just as an image decorates, transforms and perfects raw matter, so the Holy Spirit decorates, perfects and transforms the soul in which He resides. “In this way, the Holy Spirit fills infinity with meaning without being able to speak” (About the Holy Spirit. Ch. 26). Just as matter remains formless, ugly and ugly without an image, so your soul, brother, is unprocessed matter, if you once break the commandments and lose the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. The soul animates the body, and grace the soul. Commandment breakers are not living, but dead Would you like, brother, to find out to what position you will descend in the future? To the position of the dead and the deceased. For just as the soul animates the body, so the grace of the Holy Spirit animates the soul. As the God-bearing Saint Maximus says, just as the soul is in the body, so is the Spirit of God in us. “The dying of the soul,” explains the divinely inspired Gregory of Nyssa, “is its separation from real life, while the dying of the body is corruption and decay” (First Homily for the Holy and Saving Easter). So, just as the body immediately dies and becomes dead when the soul leaves it, so you, brother, having transgressed the life-giving commandments, lose the grace and influence of the Most Holy Spirit, which was the soul of your soul. And who did you become after that? A dead man, of course, an unconscious dead man. And although it seems that you are alive in body, yet in soul you are truly dead. This is the same with Adam, when he transgressed God’s life-giving commandment and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree of knowledge, although he remained alive in body, he was dead in spirit, as the Lord had predicted, “for he remained alive, but in spirit he was dead, as the Lord had predicted, “for on the day that you eat of it, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). And this is fair, since God's commandments give life, as we said above. Consequently, whoever observes them remains in life, and whoever violates them breaks with life and becomes dead. What else do I need to tell you? When you, brother, transgress the commandments of God, you sink to such a position that you not only lose your natural and supernatural gifts, as was said above, but you are also deprived of your very existence. This truth is confirmed by the divinely inspired Saint Gregory of Nyssa with one very precise conclusion. He believes that the transgression of God's commandments and sin lead to oblivion and mean the loss of existence. Just as darkness is the absence of light, so the violation of God’s commandments leads to sin and separation from existence. In this way, a person makes himself non-existent. The Holy Scripture calls sinners and violators of God's commandments humiliated, that is, they become nothing: “The evil one is humbled before his face” (Ps. 14:4), “you will humiliate all nations” (Ps. 58:9). And there are many such examples. To show this, the Apostle Paul explains: “If I do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). Commandment breakers are much worse than dead people By breaking God's commandments and opposing His commands, you are even worse than non-existent. For the command of God is so effective, decisive and omnipotent that even those who do not exist do not resist it, but immediately when He calls them they obey His command and from non-existence come into existence as if they were animate, sentient and intelligent. So the Apostle Paul says about God that He calls things that do not exist as existing: “Before God, whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls things that do not exist as if they exist” (Rom. 4:17). Also, the amazing, wise and courageous Judith uttered great words that creatures that did not exist before obeyed the command of God and said: behold, we are here: “what You thought was done; what he determined, he appeared and said: “Here am I” (Judith 9:5). Those who break the commandments lose the blessings of earthly life Let me say that by breaking the Divine commandments, along with all the misfortunes listed above, you also lose the blessings and prosperity of temporary life and do not inherit the blessings and prosperity that God promises to give to the keepers of His commandments. On the contrary, as mentioned above, you will inherit all the curses and misfortunes with which God threatens those who transgress His law. Namely, you will be cursed externally, internally, yourself and your children, the harvest of your fields, your herds of bulls and sheep, and all your property. God will punish you with fever, scab, blindness, deafness, scabies and other ailments. He will punish you with hunger, misfortune, slavery, murder, death and many other troubles, which are listed in detail in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy as the result and consequence of breaking the commandments: “If you do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God and do not try to keep all His commandments and His statutes. Whichever I command you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut. 28:15). Because of the violators of the commandments, their keepers, the faith of Christ and Christ Himself are reviled and persecuted. What is Christianity Therefore, Sirach asks: “Who among people is a dishonorable and despised seed?” And he answers: “Those who transgress the commandments of the Lord”: “What kind of dishonorable seed? Those who transgress the commandments" (Sir.10:23). Do you see, brothers, what misfortunes, what deadly fruits are born from the transgression of the Divine commandments? Therefore, I ask you for Christ’s sake: first, stop violating the commandments of Christ, because not only do you yourself receive many troubles and misfortunes for your soul and body in the present and future life, but you also become the culprits of disgracing and persecuting the entire Christian community. After all, everyone is called Christians: those who keep and those who violate the commandments of Christ. But the infidels and pagans do not distinguish between them, but slander, revile and persecute both the keepers of the commandments and the violators, considering all Christians to be criminals and evildoers. This was the case even in the first century after the birth of Christ, during the time of the holy apostles, when Simoniates, Nicolaitans, Gnostics, Catafriges, Pepusites and similar vile heretics appeared among the saints and Orthodox Christians. They, calling themselves Christians, from a common name with all Christians, gave reason to infidels and pagans to consider the divinely inspired apostles and other Orthodox Christians unclean and worthy of disrepute. And subsequently they prompted godless tyrants and kings to begin persecution of all Christians in general, as Theodoret (Cyrus) and Eusebius Pamphilus testify. Theodoret wrote: “Both teachers of disgusting dogmas and preachers of gospel truths were called Christians, and everyone who did not know the difference considered them all scoundrels because of just one name” (In the preface to Homily 2 about heretical fables). “And the pagans,” adds Eusebius, “gave them complete opportunity to blaspheme the word of God: based on rumors about those people, they slandered the entire Christian people” (Church History. Book 4, Chapter 7). But what’s even worse is that, by breaking the commandments of Christ, you become even more responsible for the fact that the very faith of Christ, its most basic dogmas, the lofty true theology that is contained in Christianity, are blasphemed. The monk Evagrius writes: “Christianity is the teaching of our Savior Jesus Christ, consisting of the active, the natural, and theology” (The Sermon on Spiritual Work, or Monk). What great evil is committed and what condemnation is deserved by the one who becomes the culprit of the reproach of Christ and the faith of Christ! I have mentioned this many times in previous Words, but the divine St. Gregory of Nyssa discusses this at length in his letter to Olympius the monk. Violation of the commandments is wickedness towards God. He who breaks one commandment also breaks the rest. I also ask you, brothers, stop breaking God’s commandments, because by doing this you dishonor God Himself, the Creator of the commandments. As the Apostle Paul said, “by breaking the law you dishonor God” (Rom. 2:23). But even if you keep all the commandments, if you break even just one of them, you will be called criminals, and therefore blasphemers of God, for He, having given the other commandments, also gave the one that you are breaking. As God’s brother James says, “For the same One who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, also said, Thou shalt not murder; Therefore, if you do not commit adultery, but kill, then you are also a transgressor of the law” (James 2:11). Therefore, if suddenly some foreigner comes and looks at you, Christians, and thinks carefully about the crimes you have committed in the commandments of Christ and sees what a bad life you lead, then he will undoubtedly decide that Christ has no worse enemies than you, Christians and His disciples. As Saint John Chrysostom says, “so, if someone from the outside came to us and knew well both the commandments of Christ and the disorder of our life, then I don’t know what other enemies of Christ he could imagine worse than us” (On spiritual contrition. To Demetrius the monk). Violation of the commandments is rebellion against God and godlessness And I also ask you to stop breaking God’s commands. After all, by doing so you become rebels against the Almighty majesty of God. You are stealing the highest divine authority that the Creator naturally established over us. You turn to God the bold and rebellious words of the wicked man, who is spoken of in the Book of Job: get away from me, I do not want to know Your commandments, I do not want to obey Your law and consider You my master. “(He) says to God: Depart from me, I do not want to know Your ways!” ( Job 21:14 ). In short, violating the commandments of Christ is hidden atheism. This is confirmed by the words of Christ’s beloved disciple John. God is angry with those who transgress His commandments. What does “silence in heaven” mean? When sins are numerous, they overcome the intercession of saints “Whoever transgresses the teaching of Christ and does not continue in it does not have God” (2 John 1:9). That’s why he said: “Whoever does not keep the commandments of Christ,” warns Simeon the New Theologian, “let him not think that he is not denying Christ. No, in every transgression of Christ’s commandments he denies Christ, just as, on the contrary, whoever keeps Christ’s commandments confesses Christ with every fulfillment of the commandments” (Homily 30). Oh, what unheard-of audacity! What a terrible riot! What a terrible apostasy! Will God really tolerate such insolence, blasphemy and such apostasy! No! He is angry and annoyed with you... Come on, what are you up to there? Shut up, shut up immediately! Who is that voice there? Quiet! I can't hear anything. Now I hear how from heavenly heights, calling with a thunderous voice, says the exalted eagle of theology, John the Theologian, in the divinely inspired Revelation: “And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as if for half an hour” (Rev. 8:1). And what does this silence mean? George of Koresia, the newest theologian, says what the great wrath of God means: God was angry, and this great silence reigned in heaven: “There was silence in heaven for as if half an hour, the angels stopped singing angelic hymns, the saints stopped begging Him, great fear spread throughout all the ranks of angels and in all the hosts of saints, the Lion began to roar - who did not will he shudder? ( Amos 3:8 ), as the prophet Amos says. The Lord was angry and everyone trembled? Despised and pathetic Christians, God is angry with you for your crimes and sins. And who can now diminish His wrath? Behold, all the saints have fallen silent and do not dare to ask God for you. For your crimes and sins are so numerous that they have overcome the intercession and intercession of the saints, so that God no longer hears them. As the divinely inspired John Chrysostom says, “(prayers) bring (benefits), and great ones, but when we do something... if you yourself remain inactive, you will not receive much benefit... Meanwhile, if prayers had power for the great wicked, then why did not God say the same during the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, but betrayed the city? Because then wickedness increased more and more” (Conversation 1 on 1 Thessalonians). However, now let us leave God to be angry and in deep silence. And follow me to Rome, where a significant incident took place. Well, here we are. A patrician named Lucius Cinna once lived here. He repeatedly plotted to oppose Emperor Augustus, kill him and seize power in Rome. Augustus, having learned about the conspiracy, was very angry with Lucius and decided to expel him from the country. When Augustus, in the heat of anger, wrote the verdict and said many different things about Cinna, his wife Livia unexpectedly came to him. She took pity on the unfortunate young man and, after much begging, she managed to soften her husband’s anger, and he freed Cinna from punishment. And now we will go back again: “There was silence in the sky for as long as half an hour.” Now, Christians, God is angry with you because you are breaking the commandments and plotting against Him with your sins and rebelling against Him, attempting to take away His divine dignity and cause Him a lot of harm. And God said: “For a fire has kindled in My wrath, burning to the depths of hell” (Deut. 32:22). And He continued: “I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall be satisfied with flesh” (Deut. 22:42). I'll tell you straight. Hell is your place of exile. And here is this parting word for you: “Let sinners turn to hell” (Ps. 9:18). Do you hear? All the saints are silent. They were overcome with fear. No one dares to ask God for you. Oh, unfortunate and pitiful sinners, worthy of crying! Is there anyone in the world who could save you from this sentence? And will there be an intercessor to beg God to soften His wrath? Yes, fortunately, there is. This is the Virgin Mary. Where are you, Lady? Where are you, Mother of God and Mother of all Christians? Show up! We ask You to appear before the face of Your only begotten Son! Beg Him to soften Your anger! Hasten to stop the execution of the sentence that He passed on miserable sinners. And Virgo hears us. Filled with love for mankind and compassion, She appears before Her Son and with tears in her eyes begins to fervently beg Him: “My Son, my most desired Son, my sweetest Son, My Son and My God! Hear the humble prayer of Your beloved Mother! Yes, I know, My Child, that these Christians transgressed Your commandments, dishonored Your Majesty, rebelled against the height of Your power and caused great anger in Your humane heart. Yes, on the one hand, Your indignation is righteous and Your anger against them is just and the sentence passed on them is just. But, on the other hand, remember, My Son, the boundless sea of ​​Your mercy and the endless oceans of Your kindness, remember that for the sake of love for sinners You came down from heaven and became a perfect man in My seedless and virgin womb. Remember that for the sake of saving sinners You endured so much suffering, was beaten on the cheeks, spat on, given vinegar and bile to drink, and died on the Cross, shedding Your most holy blood to the last drop. Therefore, My Son, I, Your Mother and servant, fervently pray to You! Oh! I lift up My voice! I beg You from all My heart, restrain Your anger, moderate Your indignation, forgive, forgive these pitiful sinners. Sheathe the sword of Your wrath and revoke the just judgment You have passed on the criminals. Behold, My Son, I present to You, as an intercession, My pure and virgin milk, with which I fed You when You were a baby. Look at My hands. I lift them up in prayer that You will remember, My Son, how they held You in their arms, first when You were a baby and then when You died. Look at My mother's breast and remember how You slept on her in a sweet sleep, first as a child and then when You died. Look at my lips and tongue, which cry out to You, begging you to forgive sinners, and remember how many times they motherly kissed You when You were a baby, and how many times they touched Your cool and lovely divine lips. Look at these eyes, mourning sinners, and remember how many times they were sanctified by the contemplation of Your Most Holy Face and how many tears they shed at the hour of Your crucifixion and holy burial. And finally, look at My mother’s womb and heart - they ask for mercy for sinners, and remember the wide sword of Simon, which at the hour of Your passion cut them from edge to edge... I add to my prayers, My Son, Your cross, spear, cane, sponge and other symbols of Your passion and with their help I ask for intercession for these sinners. I am Your Mother, but also the Mother of Christians and unfortunate sinners. So, leave for now, leave the sinners who have transgressed Your commandments. From now on, they will take care of their salvation, repent and will diligently keep Your commandments and will be saved.” Oh, glory to You, my Most Holy (Lady)! Glory to Thee, my Lady! Glory to Your great Mother of God! Through the intercession of the Mother of God, sinners are saved from the wrath of God Rejoice, rejoice, sinful Christians, transgressing the Divine commandments, for good omens! The Lord heard the requests of His Most Holy Mother, softened His anger, calmed the indignation against you, and canceled the sentence that He passed on you. And now He is already giving you life and giving you time for repentance. But don’t be ungrateful for such a great mercy. How? How? I'll tell you. That aforementioned Lucius received forgiveness from the Emperor Augustus thanks to the intercession of the Empress Livia, as we have already said, replaced evil thoughts with good ones, loved Augustus with heartfelt love and became such a faithful friend of his that upon his death he bequeathed his entire fortune to Augustus. And all his life he never stopped talking about Livia’s mercy and thanking her with thousands of words. You, brothers, should do the same. You should change your way of thinking for good, sincerely repent and keep all the commandments of the Lord without violating any of them. It is also appropriate for you to abandon vicious and sinful deeds and take the path of virtues. And try to regain all the supernatural and natural gifts that you lost by breaking the divine laws. Finally, you should love the Lord for His endless mercy towards you. Remain grateful to our Most Holy Lady and Lady Theotokos all your life, calling upon Her Most Holy Name both day and night, and sing hymns of praise, honor and glory to Her, especially with the twenty-four sweetest ikosas, as is customary 164, turning to Her many times: “Rejoice, mitigation of the righteous Judge; Rejoice, forgiveness of many who have fallen.” Sing to Her also those verses of praise composed by John Chrysostom: “People will not find anything like the Mother of God Mary. O man, mentally go through all creation and see if there is anything equal or greater than the Holy Mother of God Mary; walk around the earth, examine the sea, be curious in the air, search mentally the heavens, think about all the invisible forces and tell me, is there another similar miracle in all creation? (About the Holy Virgin and Mother of God Mary). So, beware, beware, and for the third time I say: beware, brothers! Do not transgress the commandments of the Lord again, because if you die with this crime on your conscience, then even the Mother of God Herself will not be able to save you from future hell and condemnation. Because the Lord, from Whom you retreated and did not want Him to reign over you through keeping His commandments, will be angry with you and order you to be brought to His Last Judgment Seat, and there you will be beaten as God’s enemies and apostates. For it is written: “But bring my enemies who did not want me to reign over them here and kill them before me” (Luke 19:27). And so that such a fate never befalls you, brothers, stand firmly and honestly before the terrible altar, the repository of life-giving commandments. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the intercession of the Ever-Virgin Mary and all the saints. Amen. Note that it is meant here that Christians must fulfill all the commandments at the same time, but fulfill one at one time, another at another, as time and need require. – Note. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. Gennady Scholarius also says that, since sin is generally divided into two types - original and personal, two methods of healing are given from them: baptism and faith abolish original sin, while keeping the commandments is personal sin (The Word about the love of our Lord Christ in the manuscript of the entire book, preserved in the Monastery of the Pantocrator). – Note. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. This psalm is called “Immaculate,” because, as John Chrysostom says, he directs those who carefully study its utmost clarity to the perfection of life and, by its name, makes them immaculate (see also at the end of the second part why this psalm is read after the death of every person). – Note. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. His seed will be mighty in the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Abundance and wealth are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Your wife is like a fruitful vine in your house; Your sons are like olive branches around your table... The Lord will bless you from Zion, and you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. You will see your sons' sons. Therefore, at the end of this book we have placed a translation of the most important commandments of the Old and New Testaments, so that our simple Christian brothers read and study them constantly, so that frequent reading will encourage them to fulfill them. – Note. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. For this reason, after the death of every Christian, lay, cleric and monk, a psalm called “Immaculate” is read in order to show that the one who was born and until his death kept the commandments of the Lord contained in this psalm, and, therefore, kept to the end that for which he was created into the world. This is the saying of Ecclesiastes, that is, “this is all for man” (the synodal translation is not entirely accurate, in fact: “this (is) every man.” - Note trans.), some interpreters have translated “as for this.” However, the divinely inspired John Chrysostom in the 1st chapter and in the paragraph of the “Interpretation” on the book of Job says that “this” should be understood as “this is a component and inherent property of man,” that is, to keep the commandments of the Lord and what makes a person truly human. The one who transgresses the commandments of the Lord is not a faithful/true person, but a false one, just like the person depicted, the image of the person is also false. – Note. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. ... The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and piety. St. Nicodemus is referring to the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, which includes 24 stanzas (ikos), which make up the Greek alphabet in an acrostic. – Note. lane You might be interested in: