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“And those who have done good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will come forth into the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29). This is the difference between the resurrected! Of course, every human body must be resurrected; but the good will rise to life, and the evil will rise to execution, as it is written: “The wicked will not stand in judgment, and sinners will join the congregation of the righteous” (Ps. 1:5). Therefore, in order for us to be resurrected not for condemnation, let us stop grieving over death, but accept the sadness of repentance, take care of good deeds and a better life, let us think about the dust and the dead in order to remember that we too are mortal, and so that with such a memory we do not neglect our salvation while there is time, while it is still possible, that is, either bear better fruits, or correct ourselves if we have sinned out of ignorance, so that we, if the day of death will overtake us by accident, we did not have to look for time for repentance and not find it, ask for mercy and the opportunity to atone for sins and not get what we wanted (5). Let us constantly say to ourselves and to others: there is a resurrection, and the Last Judgment awaits us. If we see anyone vainglorious and puffed up with real blessings, we will tell him the same and declare that all this will remain here. If we again see another dejected by sorrows and despondent, we will express the same to him, indicating that there will be an end to the sorrows. If we also see someone devoted to carelessness and laziness, we will present him with the same thing again, making it appear that we will need to give an account of his carelessness. This speech can heal the soul better than any medicine. And truly, there is a resurrection, and the resurrection is at the door, not far, but close. “Just a little while longer,” says Paul, “and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37), and in another place: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10), that is, both the evil and the good, so that we may suffer disgrace before everyone, so that we may appear even more glorious before everyone. Just as here judges punish the wicked and give honor to the good openly before everyone, so it will certainly be there that for some there will be more shame, and for others more glory. Let us imagine this every day. If we have this in our thoughts, then nothing present or transitory will hold us back, because “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Let us continually say to ourselves and to others: there is a resurrection, and a Judgment, and an account of deeds. Let all those who accept fate speak, and they will immediately be freed from this rotten disease. After all, if there is resurrection and Judgment, then there is no fate, no matter how much they argue and bicker. But I am ashamed to teach Christians about the resurrection. Anyone who needs to be taught that there is a resurrection, and who is not completely convinced that everything does not happen out of necessity and not simply and not somehow, is obviously not a Christian. Therefore, I ask and plead: let us cleanse ourselves from all evil and do everything to receive forgiveness and justification on that day. But perhaps someone will say: when will there be death, when will there be resurrection? How much time has passed and nothing like this has happened? But it will happen, believe me. After all, even before the flood they said the same thing and laughed at Noah; but the flood came and swallowed up all these unbelievers, leaving only him who believed alive. And under Lot they did not expect that execution sent from above until the falling lightning and thunder destroyed everyone. And neither then nor under Noah was there any preliminary indication of what was about to happen, but troubles came unexpectedly while everyone was feasting, drinking and getting drunk. So the resurrection will come, not with any preliminary signs, but in the midst of our well-being. That’s why Paul says: “When they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then destruction will suddenly come upon them, just as the pain of childbirth comes upon a woman with child, and they will not escape” (1 Thess. 5:3). God arranged it this way so that we would always be vigilant and not indulge in carelessness in the midst of security. What are you saying? Don't you expect the resurrection and the Judgment? Demons also confess this - but you don’t? “You came here,” they say, “to torment us before the time” (Matthew 8:29). If they say that there will be torment, then they know, of course, there will be a Judgment, an account, and a punishment. Let us not anger God, in addition to bad deeds, by disbelieving the word about the resurrection. As in all other things Christ was the firstfruits for us, so in this. Therefore He is called the firstborn from the dead. And if there were no resurrection, how could He be the firstborn, when none of the dead would follow Him? If there were no resurrection, then how could God’s truth be preserved when so many evil people prosper and so many good people suffer and end their lives in suffering? Where will all these people get their due if there is no resurrection? No one who lives righteously doubts the resurrection, but they pray every day. Pronouncing this holy saying: “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10), who does not believe in the resurrection? People who walk in defiled paths and lead unclean lives, as the prophet says: “At all times his ways are destructive; Your judgments are far from him” (Ps. 9:26). Truly, it is impossible for a person to lead a pure life when he does not believe in the resurrection. And those who do not know anything bad about themselves, they say, and wish, and believe that they will receive reward. Let us not anger God, but let us listen to Christ, Who says: “Fear... Him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). This fear will make us better, and thus, having gotten rid of this destruction, we will be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven (8). What excuse will those who do not believe in the resurrection have, when it is presented daily in seeds, and in plants, and at our birth? After all, the seed must first decay, and then birth occurs. However, generally speaking, where God acts, there is no need for speculation. How did He create us out of nothing? This I say to Christians who say about themselves that they believe the Scriptures. But I will say something based on human speculation. Some people live viciously, others virtuously; But among the vicious, many live to a ripe old age, enjoying happiness, but the opposite happens to virtuous people. When will each of them get what they deserve? What time? This is true, they say, but there will be no resurrection of bodies. But don’t they hear what Paul said: “This corruptible must put on incorruptibility” (1 Cor. 15:53)? Here we are not talking about the soul, because the soul is not subject to corruption. And rebellion is characteristic of what has fallen, and the body has fallen. And why do you not want to [allow] the resurrection of bodies? Is this impossible for God? But to say so is a matter of extreme madness. Or indecent? Why is it indecent for a corruptible being, who participated in labor and death, to take part in crowns? If it were indecent, then it would not have been created in the beginning and Christ would not have taken on flesh. And that He accepted and resurrected her - listen to how He says: put your fingers and look, for a spirit has no bones or lives (see John 20:27; Luke 24:39). Why also did He resurrect Lazarus, if it is better to be resurrected without a body? Why puts this among miracles and blessings? Why did he give food at all? No, beloved, do not be deceived by heretics. There is, truly, both the resurrection and the Judgment; they are rejected only by those who do not want to give an account of their affairs. And moreover, the resurrection must be the same as the resurrection of Christ was, because Christ is “the firstfruits, the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). But if resurrection consists of cleansing the soul and liberation from sins, and Christ did not sin, then how did we get rid of the oath? And how does He say: “The prince of this world comes and has nothing in Me” (John 14:30)? After all, this means that He is sinless. So, in their opinion, Christ either was not resurrected, or, if resurrected, then he sinned before the resurrection. But He rose again and did not create sin; therefore, resurrected in body (8). Do not doubt the truth of the resurrection; otherwise you will be very far from the hope of the future. And how do the objectors express their wisdom or, better yet, their madness? How, they say, will a body be resurrected when it is mixed with the earth, turned to dust and scattered to different places? For you this seems incomprehensible, but not for the unsleeping Eye: for Him everything is clear. You do not see separately what is mixed, but It sees everything; You don’t even know what’s in your neighbor’s heart, but It knows everything. If you do not believe in the resurrection because you do not know how God will accomplish the resurrection, then it means that you do not believe that He knows the thoughts of the heart, which are also invisible. The substance of the body remains visible even after destruction, but thoughts are invisible. Therefore, He who sees the invisible with all clarity really does not see the visible and cannot easily restore the composition of the body? Obviously it can. So, do not doubt [the truth of] the resurrection; this [doubt] is a suggestion from the devil. The devil tries to instill this not only so that they will not believe in the resurrection, but so that deeds of virtue will cease and perish. In fact, a person who does not expect the resurrection and the upcoming account of his deeds is unlikely to be virtuous, and one who does not practice virtue will not believe in the resurrection; both are mutually reinforced: vice by unbelief and unbelief by vice. A conscience burdened with sins, fearing and trembling before future retribution and not wanting to find consolation in a change for the better, tries to calm itself down with unbelief. If you insist that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, he will say: therefore, I will not give an account of my sins. But what does Christ say? “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). God would not have done such things if he did not want to resurrect us, but (presumed) to destroy us and reduce us to nothing; I would not have spread out the sky, I would not have founded the earth, I would not have created everything else for only one real short-term life. If He did so much for this life, what will He not do for the future (12)? You might be interested in: