112. Баня

We see that people, upon entering the bathhouse, are washed from filth and bodily vices and leave the bathhouse clean and dressed in a white shirt. Likewise, Christians, having entered the bath of holy baptism, are washed from sinful defilements, cleansed and sanctified, and clothed in the bright and precious robe of the righteousness of Christ, like royal purple, and become sons of the Heavenly King and heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and come out of there pure, holy, righteous, as the apostle comfortingly tells them: Washed, sanctified, We were justified by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). Therefore, holy baptism is called by the apostle the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). Because in St. In baptism we are born again, and, having been lost, we are saved and renewed, and we are cleansed and washed, and we become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). From here we see, Christian, how great God’s love for us is towards us. A person defiled by sins and his enemy is honored with such grace, mercy and honor! Blessed be God, who is so gracious! Glory to His goodness! Glory to His love for mankind! This grace and mercy was earned for us by the Only Begotten Son of God, given to us freely by the Heavenly Father, and accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Glory to the Trinitarian God! Christians who turn to the world and sin with love and commit lawlessness (those are mentioned above, number 3), lose all that holy and great Divine treasure. Therefore, according to the true proverb, what happens to them is: a dog returns to his vomit, and a washed pig goes to wallow in the mud (2 Peter 2:22). They are like those people who, having entered the bathhouse and washed themselves, voluntarily enter into the mud and get dirty. So they too, having been washed by holy baptism and forgetting this great mercy of God shown to them, willfully indulge in sinful defilements, and become more and more desecrated by them. Judge for yourself, man, what is the benefit of holy baptism for such people? Truly, none. Therefore, it happens that such Christians are worse in morals than pagans and Muslims. Since many pagans, by natural law, abhor such sins, which corrupt Christians fearlessly dare to commit. Such untruth, theft, robbery, violence, cunning, flattery, deceit, insatiable love of money, vile uncleanness, as is seen in corrupt Christians, are not visible among educated pagans. And many have already reached the point that they do not consider obvious sins, prohibited by God’s law, as sins. This is great blindness, darkness and delusion of the mind, and comes from human ingratitude. So a person, having come to the depths of evil, is negligent. A Christian, as one renewed by God's grace, must flourish in the best, and grow in Christ, and become a perfect man (Eph. 4:13). But he succeeds in the worst, and becomes worse than a pagan and idolater. For such a person, baptism itself will be a conviction on the day of Christ’s judgment, if he does not repent, and correct himself, and wash away his defilements with contrition of heart and tears. From here you see, Christian: 1) How useful and necessary it is for Christians to be reminded of holy baptism, of the denial and vows they made then, that is, from whom and what they denied then, what vows they made to the Lord Jesus Christ, and what great mercy they received from God. So that everyone remembers this, and lives in the fear of God, and does not lose the heavenly gift given to them in baptism, but having lost it, they would seek it with repentance, and contrition of heart, and correction of their lives and morals. This reminder is most appropriate for pastors. 2) How useful and necessary it is to educate children well and in the fear of God, and to remind them of holy baptism and the circumstances of it, so that, remembering all this and reasoning, they do not become corrupted and lose the gift given in baptism. This is the responsibility of their parents. Parents gave birth to them for temporary life, and must, by the grace of God, promote their birth to eternal life. And those parents who do not raise their children in a good manner, but, moreover, seduce them with an evil example, give birth to temporary life, but open the door to eternal death - it is better not to be born like that. Beloved Christian! Like all Christians, you too have been honored to receive this highest mercy and grace of God and heavenly gifts in holy baptism; and you then heard a sweet greeting from the servant of God: You have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified, and so on. Remember this and look around to see if you have lost this great and heavenly treasure. If you do not live according to the rule of God’s word, but live contrary to it, and follow the sinners described above, this is a sure sign that you have also lost this spiritual treasure. Therefore, the parable mentioned above also befits you: the dog returns to his vomit, and the washed pig goes to wallow in the mud. You regret and cry when you lose a physical and perishable treasure. How much more crying and tears are needed to mourn this lost heavenly treasure, and to wash the defiled soul with tears, and to ask, seek and knock on the doors of God’s mercy - may it return to us again! When it is destroyed, eternal salvation is also destroyed. He will certainly return if we return to God with repentance, and weeping, and tears. For the Lord is generous and merciful (Ps. 145:8). He accepts those who repent and turn to Him, just as the good-born father received the prodigal son (Luke 15:20–24). Look around you too, my soul: what do you think, what do you think about, what do you love and what do you hate, what do you strive for and what do you avert, where do you live, where do you go, what desires, what movements do you feel inside yourself? This heavenly treasure is hidden inside the heart; but it shows its existence through heavenly movements and desires. Like strives for like. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Remember Thy compassions, O Lord, and Thy mercies, for they have been from everlasting. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my crimes; by Thy mercy remember me, for the sake of Thy goodness, O Lord! (Ps. 24:6–7). So, having turned from sins to our Creator, may we always sigh to Him and He will have mercy on us. You might be interested in: