Богопочитание

True knowledge of God cannot be idle and fruitless, but brings true worship of God. The son knows and honors his father, loves and listens to him; the servant of his master knows and fears him, obeys and serves him. So, whoever knows God cannot help but honor Him, listen, obey and serve Him, and not fulfill His will and commands. God speaks about this through the prophet: a son honors his father and a servant honors his master; If I am the Father, then where is the reading to Me? And if I am the Lord, then where is the reverence for Me (Mal. 1:6)? The son glorifies his father because he considers him his father, and the servant fears his master because he has him as his master. If a father, a man, receives honor from his son, and a master, a man, receives fear from a slave, because he recognizes his father as his father, and this master recognizes his master as his master, how much more is God, Who is Lord over all, worthy of honor and fear when we recognize and honor Him as our Lord and Father. You see that from the knowledge of God comes worship of God. Tell me, please, you who boast in the knowledge of God and do not truly honor Him, how can it be that you wanted to sin, knowing that God is everywhere and sees every matter and is just; Who punishes you both temporarily and eternally for sin and can strike you down in actual sin? Before the king of the earth, the authorities, your master and your father, you do not dare to commit outrages - do you dare to do something bad and contrary to Him before God, the great and terrible? This can't be true! How can you not thank Him from your heart and love Him, knowing that He is the Creator, Redeemer, Father, Nourisher, Preserver and Benefactor, greater than Whom there cannot be? You love and thank the benefactor who supplies you not with his own, but with God’s goodness; will you not thank God, from Whom you have your existence and every hour and minute you receive blessings without which you cannot live? How can you not believe His word from the heart when you know that He is true and cannot lie and His word is truth? You believe an honest man who can lie, for every man is a lie (Ps. 115:2): Will you not believe God, Who cannot and does not want to lie? True honor [of Christ] consists not only in outward things, but also in inward things, not only in words, profession, and ceremony, but also in heart, zeal, love, gratitude, and obedience. Let us honor, Christians, Christ our King. He loved us unworthy - we will love Him, worthy of love, Who is the consolation and joy of Angels and holy souls. He honored us unworthy - we will also honor Him, worthy of all honor, Whom the Angels and every tribe worship with fear and love. He looked for us who were lost; we too will look for Him with faith and love. He did not spare Himself for our sake, and we will not spare ourselves for His sake. He endured everything for our sake; we too will endure everything for His sake, so that with Him we may be glorified in His Kingdom.