СПАСЕНИЕ

1. The affairs of monks and laity have a single Christian ideal I am sending you three books “Reminder to nuns about monasticism.” Although we are talking here about monastic affairs, they are still Christian in essence, and what is said to nuns, in its form, may not be applicable to monks... When it is said, for example, about prayer, it is rare that what is said is not applicable to all Christians. Prayer as prayer is the same everywhere... The same about patience, about going to church and standing properly in the church, about self-sacrifice, about humility, etc., etc. (1, p. 67). 2. You need to gather lessons for salvation from everything and everywhere Be smart for your salvation, gather lessons for yourself from everything and everywhere (1, p. 67). 3. The salvation of the soul is the main thing. But it is the Savior who saves souls, not us The salvation of the soul is the main thing. But it is the Savior who saves souls, not us. We only testify to our faith, our devotion to Him, and He, as we cleave to Him, gives us everything we need for salvation. Don’t think about what you earn by working; You deserve it through faith, contrition and devotion to God. Do more good, help those in need (1, p. 74). 4. There are many paths to salvation, you need to stick to one There is only one Moscow, but there are many roads to it, and each one leads to it. But if someone, heading along one road, for example, St. Petersburg, then hears that there is a Smolensk road there, abandons his... and goes to this one, and from this to Kaluga, and from Kaluga to Vladimir, from Vladimir to Yaroslavl, all because knowledgeable people talk about those roads, then he will never reach Moscow. So in spiritual life there is a blessed city where everyone strives, and the roads to it are different... and everyone can reach it. But if you change roads, even on the instructions of those who know, it’s very surprising that you won’t get to that city (1, p. 126). 5. The Lord arranges everything in both internal and external life And generally deepen the conviction and feeling that the Lord arranges everything in both external and internal life. Nothing essentially good takes root in us without Him. If so, then you should surrender yourself to Him. However, do not stop your labors and efforts, just do not place your trust in them and do not expect anything from them unless God bless them (1, p. 128). 6. Encouraging feelings in the face of sinful powerlessness in the matter of salvation. The hopelessness of salvation must be thrown out of the Christian vocabulary The feeling of powerlessness to save oneself is in the order of things, but the hopelessness of salvation should be thrown out of the Christian vocabulary... For we have the Lord the Savior, who cares about our salvation and who in every possible way disposes and strengthens us towards it (1, pp. 249–250). 7. As long as there is breath in the nostrils, the hope of salvation exists and can be crowned with success. Report to your friend N... that as long as there is breath in the nostrils, the hope of salvation exists and can be crowned with success. One has only to come to the Savior. And He will never miss the one coming to Him. No matter how many sins there are and no matter how great they are, the Lord will forgive everything to the one who repents and sincerely decides not to indulge himself anymore, but, on the contrary, to stand good, even if it means death. If you lack such trust in the Savior, you must pray to Him - and He will give (1, p. 253). 8. Discouraging a married woman from entering a monastery and admonishing her about her relationship with secular society And you go to the monastery... Now you have no way there. Set up a monastery at home. This is very possible for you. After all, your husband also has monastic inclinations. Now it is being absorbed by salts, acids, gases, etc... This part gives nothing: it is too earthly. But the infinite Wisdom of God, which has arranged everything in measure, weight and number, is here more tangible to the eyes, even the physical. Let him talk to God in the elements, and you remain in prayer and doing good. And your life will flow well... Only society is made up of all sorts of sophisticated individuals... There is nothing to do. You have to be patient. Remember Lot... Around Sodom, and he in his turn... He was tormented in soul, but this did not interfere with salvation. Avoid condemnation, thinking about others, clumsy ones, that they only gave themselves privilege and space for a while. But they are about to settle down and go good to the Lord. I think many secular customs can be harmlessly abandoned, yielding at times only to the most inevitable (2, pp. 120–121). 9. The economy may not interfere with spiritual work Congratulations to your husband. I wish him success in economic affairs, without, however, compromising spiritual affairs. What a master Abraham was... Job, other patriarchs. And they are presented as models of faith, patience and all virtues (2, p. 126). 10. Freedom from the bustle of the city promotes spiritual life God has given you this winter to be free from the bustle of the city and enjoy solitude. Although everyday worries accompany everyday people everywhere, solitude, when in between all this you find a free moment and comfortable leisure, will give its effect, imbuing the soul with self-compassion, and through it, as through an open mouth, putting into the thirsty soul the benefits akin to it (2, pp. 126–127). 11. Housework is a general penance. How to act so that they do not drown out spiritual life You complain about the hassle of housework, that it distracts you from other favorite activities... What to do? This is already the business of the owner. There is nothing left here but patience... This is what real life is doomed to do: to work hard, and not to philosophize. This is our universal penance. But manage to ease this burden somehow... What? Sometimes with mental pursuits, sometimes with aesthetic pleasures, sometimes with the consolations of brotherly mutual communication with others... Most of all, the satisfaction of religious needs and aspirations. Add to this the skill of occupying your soul with housekeeping, when some household business is in front of your eyes. And when he is not in sight, occupy your soul with something else, and especially with something related to God. If you use a little effort, it seems that such a skill can be acquired (2, p. 127128). 12. About remembering God during everyday troubles You complain about chores that distract you and prevent you from remembering the Lord. Try to understand all your chores around the house and in other relationships, as if they were assigned to you directly from the Lord Himself; not only in general, but in particular, to understand every matter as such. Then, when starting a task and completing it, you can also keep in mind the fact that you should fulfill it as it would be pleasing to the Lord... Through this, while doing it, the thought will be with the Lord. If at the end, recognizing God’s help, you thank the Lord, then here is the Lord at the end. If you then do the second, third, and so on in the same order until the end of the day, then you will be thinking about the Lord all day long. And this is what is required, that is, to walk in the presence of God. From here there will be a feeling for the Lord, a feeling of fear, reverence, devotion, gratitude. Feelings are prayers without words (2, pp. 131–132). 13. Blessing for moving away from worldly rumors You find it best to withdraw from the environment of worldly rumors. God bless! There are strong souls who conduct their everyday affairs well, and do not lag behind others in what is needed for salvation. But it's not for everyone. May the Lord make you wise in organizing your life. Bless you, Lord, and your whole family, and all your everyday affairs (2, p. 138). 14. How to combine necessary everyday concerns with evangelical carelessness You write that the worries of life weigh you down to the point that they don’t even allow you to pray. This is the enemy's obsession. Just as we need shelter, clothing, food and other things, we need to get them, and therefore we need to think about it and try. And there is nothing wrong with this. This is how God was pleased to arrange our lives. But the enemy, creeping up on this sinless one, instills a sinful thing - an incessant concern, which weighs both the head and the heart. All the Savior’s instructions about neglect are directed against this disease: Do not worry about the morning: the morning takes care of itself, 203, etc. (Matthew 6:34). This does not mean that you should do nothing, but that, while doing everything, you should not be tormented by unnecessary care, which does not add anything, but only languishes... Over-concern is sinful in that it wants to arrange and obtain everything itself without God, in that after that it teaches one to rely on one’s own gains and other means exclusively, without God’s providence, and through both of these, it incites one to regard the blessings of life as the main goal and the present and final life, without extending thoughts to the future life. See what a God-fighting spirit moves in this multi-concern!.. Take from this the motivation to fight this evil, as you would fight if the enemy approached and instilled murder in you. If you don’t fight, worry will completely eat you up, but if you start to fight, it will go away, like any other mental illness when you fight it. How to fight? Begin - and you will learn... First of all, begin to cleanse your prayers of this worry, and then cleanse all your affairs, so that your affairs will go on as usual, and there will be no worries (2, pp. 139-140). 15. Anyone who wants salvation must turn to the Lord with faith and complete devotion to Him, for salvation is from the Lord Bless you, Lord, on the path you are walking. The Lord is everywhere and sees everything, what anyone actually does for Him. He is always ready and with help to anyone who runs to Him for it. Thus, if you always decide in your heart to listen to the Lord, who is inherent in you and in you, and to direct everything to please Him alone, and then with every bewilderment, with every spiritual need, turn to Him, with faith and complete devotion to Him, then be sure that all your affairs, both internal and external, will go in the most successful way. It is a great thing to realize that we can do nothing without Him, and even greater is to only resort to Him with faith and undoubtedly expect help (2, pp. 199–200). 16. Salvation for someone living in a family - from family virtues Whoever lives in a family receives salvation from family virtues. But the point is not to present everything in an excellent way, but to do everything possible. Once everything is done, there is no need to torture yourself. Of course, you shouldn’t act carelessly, but you shouldn’t torment yourself either, leaving everything to the Lord (2, p. 200). 17. About living in the world according to the Gospel That the Gospel could not be reconciled with the world, the Lord knew this when giving the commandments, but nowhere did he say that it was possible to make concessions to the world. Concessions are betrayal of the Lord. It is only necessary to distinguish between an explicit commandment and what is not determined by the commandment, but is left to our freedom. In the latter case, the measure of concession is determined by prudence, which sometimes requires it. The struggle should not be stopped, but only the means should be used. One thing doesn’t work – come up with another, and even better pray to the Lord to admonish and give strength. God bless you (2, p. 202)! 18. The Christian must restore the image of God in himself God deigned to imprint His face on us, creating us in His image. Look closely at this face and restore it within yourself in the light of God, for it is clogged and its features have become clouded and deteriorated. So that error does not creep in in this, have the truest face of God in the Lord the Savior. Take it off and carry it within yourself, for He is the image of the Father’s hypostasis. Although not although, we accept the image as the result of life. Deliver us, Lord, from such a bitter case that the Lord, when we stand before Him after death, will say: “Whose image is this?!” For this is unambiguous with “having bound him, cast him in” (2, p. 226). 19. Salvation can be achieved in any situation Salvation can be accomplished in any situation. The main thing is to have a good mood in the heart. And according to it, adjust both your physical and external life. May the Lord give you understanding (3, p. 6). You can be saved everywhere, and salvation does not come from a place or from the external environment, but from your inner mood. If faith is alive, if there are no sins that separate you from God and extinguish the grace of God, if communion with the Holy Church and the fulfillment of everything churchly is strong, and faithful, and zealous, then your state is saved; All that remains for you is to observe and preserve yourself in this order of life, remaining in the memory of God and death and always keeping a contrite and humble feeling in your soul. With such a mood, you will be saved both in the monastery and without the monastery (3, pp. 8–9). 20. A good mood teaches you to benefit from everything. I am not a master of writing in an engaging way, but I believe that your good mood, either accidental or constant, gave you the opportunity to find something useful for you in a simple word. Grant you, Lord, to always be in a good mood, then you will draw edification and support from everything. Learn this in the books of St. Tikhon - “Treasure collected from the world”... what an abundance of spiritual wisdom there is (3, p. 21)! 21. One must always have the hope of salvation Thinking about yourself, you lament about the past and fear for your powerlessness, always attach to this the hope of salvation. For we have the Lord the Savior, who only cares about the organization of salvation for every believer... that salvation, the foundation of which He Himself laid. He Himself laid the foundation of the salvation of all, He Himself applies it to everyone. Believe and surrender all of yourself to the Lord (3, p. 22). 22. Admonition to combat lack of faith and hopelessness and to strengthen faith and hope in receiving salvation Your sins are great and very great. But there is no sin that overcomes the mercy of God. Forgiveness of sins is given not according to our merits, but according to the mercy of a humane God, always ready to forgive as soon as someone turns to Him with repentance. And it is not the greatness and multitude of sins that makes one unworthy of forgiveness, but one impenitence. Once you have broken down and repented, forgiveness is already awarded to you in Heaven, and at the moment of Confession, this heavenly decision is announced to you. The Lord Savior carried the handwriting of all the sins of all people on His body to the Cross and there tore it to pieces. The application of this action of God's boundless mercy to everyone is accomplished in the Sacrament of Repentance and happens in reality. He who has received permission from his spiritual father stands innocent before the face of God’s truth (3, p. 132). The weakness of faith and the poverty of the hope of mercy is caused by our enemy. Our sins do not happen without his suggestion. From them he creates a barrier between us and God. Repentance and Confession destroy this barrier. Knowing the power of this Sacrament, that it destroys all his works and worries about the destruction of sinners, he tries in every possible way to suppress its fruitfulness and either completely rejects it, or induces disbelief in its power and hopelessness of receiving forgiveness through it. Your lack of faith and hopelessness are his wiles. Arm yourself against this and drive away the enemy and his suggestions (3, p. 133). The Lord wants everyone to be saved, and therefore you too. After the arrangement of our salvation through the incarnate economy, the Lord now has one concern - to attract everyone to Himself to grant them salvation. And He really attracts. Not a single sinner is without this, and it attracts and calls you. What does your current concern for the salvation of the soul mean? It means the call of the Lord: “Come to Me, you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!” Is this concern your business? No! It was the Lord who gave her all. If He has done all things, then can there be any doubt that He will give you salvation? He encourages you to seek forgiveness of sins from Himself, of course, being ready to grant this forgiveness. Go to Him with full faith and do not let the enemy destroy your faith and hope of salvation. Saint Tikhon assures that the enemy, when he inclines to sin, inspires: “Do not be afraid, God is merciful,” and when he brings you to sin, then he troubles and destroys the soul: “There is no salvation for you” (3, p. 133). With such thoughts and others like them, work to restore your faith and hope of salvation. Bring to mind the prodigal son more often. The father did not wait for the prodigal son to reach him, but went out to meet him and, without waiting for his word, embraced him in his arms. Only, it turns out, God has a desire for the salvation of everyone; all God’s cares are directed here (3, pp. 133–134). Heavenly Father assures: “I do not want the death of a sinner.” What is the Son of God doing at the right hand of the Father? Võnu intercedes for us. What about the Holy Spirit? And He also intercedes for us with unutterable groanings... So this is how things are in Heaven. But the enemy wants to assure you that there is no mercy or salvation for you from God, who is angry with you. And you believe him, this lie of his. For God has no thought of not having mercy, but has one thought and one desire - to have mercy and to have mercy... everyone come (3, p. 134). You said that you have already left behind your sins and have probably confessed and received permission. The enemy torments you only with lack of faith and weak hope. Reason and pray and stir up your faith and hope... Hope and faith cannot be strong without deeds and labors in the cause of salvation. If you please, apply these active labors, and faith and hope will immediately begin to come to life. What kind of affairs and works? 1) Have aversion to all sins - not only to deeds, but also to thoughts and sympathies for them; 2) determine yourself to do things that are opposite to them. You must find and establish this for yourself; 3) the main thing is for the flesh to run wild... it must be severely punished - put to death; 4) establish prayer rites, home and church... 5) streamline external relations and avoid cases that can arouse movements of passions (3, p. 134). 23. Basic rules for achieving salvation The fear of God is the main thing. When he comes, like a good master, he arranges everything in his soul in his own way. Do you have it? If there is, thank God and keep it, and if not, wake it up, for it is contained in our spirit, and if it does not manifest itself, it is due to our inattention. From the fear of God - the first child - the spirit is broken, the heart is contrite and humble. Let the feeling of contrition never leave your heart! To maintain the fear of God, one must keep the constant memory of death and Judgment. As soon as you wake up, call on this memory and be in partnership with it all day long, as your first advisor. Add to this the consciousness of the presence of the Lord near you and in you, so that He sees everything, even the most secret things. This consciousness is the fear of God with the inseparable memory of death. When this trinity settles in your heart, then prayer will begin from your heart with incessant appeals to the Lord Savior. That's it! If this is in you to any degree, then the work of your salvation is in progress, and if not, you need to raise everything in your heart. For if this does not exist, everything else is nothing (3, pp. 251–252). You have now entered the monastery - the most convenient place for ascetics. Do not think that now you can reduce your vigilance over yourself and reduce your work. No. This is where you have to pay even more attention and look after yourself. The world has its own temptations, the monastery has its own, and the latter will probably be worse. Be ready to meet. Say that where you lived, children and servants often angered you. Since you now live alone, you are safe on this side. But the enemy will find a way to raise the subsiding passion. Watch and learn not only to overcome, but also to prevent uprisings (4, p. 175). 24. Instruction on working with fear of your salvation and readiness to face temptations Great is God's mercy towards us sinners! The Lord has called you. It's good that you listened and went. Let's go - so don't look back and don't be lazy to work. Your first obediences have begun, but the end is ahead. You got on the boat and sailed away. With fear and trembling, pray to the Lord to help you cross your sea and reach the pier. The abyss is below us. How long until trouble? The boat capsizes - and we go to the bottom. And who knows if the shore is close? The shore is a coffin. Until your last breath you cannot remain wary of expecting disasters. Keeping this in your thoughts, never succumb to carelessness or any kind of relaxation, in the thought that you are out of danger. Know that no matter what you do and no matter what is shown to you, everything is nothing until you are in the harbour. I am writing this not to discourage you, but so that you keep your ears open. The Lord is your helper, the Lord is all-powerful and abundantly merciful. Therefore, one should not give in to despair, but walk cheerfully in hope, although with fear. But the Lord is a helper to the zealous and toiling (4, pp. 174–175). 25. Contributions to the heavenly treasury God gave us this life so that we would have time to prepare for that one. This one is short, but that one has no end. But even though it is short, in its continuation you can prepare provisions for an eternity. Every good deed goes there as a small contribution; from all such deposits the total capital will be formed, the interest on which will determine the content of the investor for all eternity. Whoever sends more deposits there will receive richer contents; whoever is smaller will have less rich content. The Lord rewards everyone according to his deeds. This is what we should now be all about: sending more deposits there. And this care is not tricky or difficult, as the Lord Himself confirms, saying: My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30) (9, pp. 61–62). 26. Man's participation in the work of salvation The Spirit of God alone does not do everything. Something is required from us, and this something is important. The Spirit of God excites, the gospel shows what to take up. This is from God. But, having done this, God stops and waits for our will. With his first actions, God seems to ask: do you want to get out of trouble? Here's what you do. This moment is the most important. If anyone bows to the instruction, he opens the entrance to further actions of grace, which then introduces him into the region of the saved. If he does not bow down, he stops further actions of grace and remains such among the perishing. The Apostle Paul preaches in the Areopagus. After the sermon of St. Dionysius and someone else follow him and cross themselves; and of the rest, who says: “What does this vain one teach?” - and someone: “Come another time, we’ll listen to you.” God does not force anyone to be saved, but offers a choice and saves only the one who chooses salvation” (9, pp. 83–84). 27. Resolution of confusion about salvation by faith alone The Lord instituted the sacraments... And here we have nothing to philosophize about. About the conditions of salvation you say: “Ap. Paul said, “Believe in the Lord and you will be saved.” What does it mean to believe in the Lord? Give up idolatry, accept the Christian faith, therefore, everything that Christianity contains: faith, and commandments, and the Sacraments, and all orders. St. Paul said this, and the Lord said in response to this question: Keep the commandments if you want to be taken into account 204. St. Mark writes: Whoever has faith and is baptized will be saved 205. And there are still other places. When we put everything together, it will be that faith, and life according to the commandments, and sanctification by the Sacraments, and the leadership of God-ordained shepherds, and union with the true Church are absolutely necessary for obtaining salvation. Take the trouble to notice when you have to read about the conditions of salvation, and write down such passages... you will see what a complete system will emerge, but certainly not one faith. Perhaps the Christian faith, i.e. the entire Christian dispensation (6, p. 7). 28. Provided and not provided You ask, how is it that those who were ordained believed?.. Therefore, those who did not believe were not ordained. Why are they to blame? Your bewilderment stems from the idea that some believe because they were provided for, while others do not believe because they were not provided for. The idea is incorrect, because the opposite happens: provision comes from belief, and failure to provide from disbelief. God sees in advance the life of a person as a whole... and decides: this one should be among the believers and saved, and this one should not be. God's definition is a conclusion from the whole life of a person; life itself flows both according to the inclinations of will, and according to the influence of Divine Providence on it, both inside and outside... God does everything to enlighten man. If, after all the care for him, he sees him not wanting to improve, then he leaves him, as if saying: “Well, there’s nothing to do, stay.” God does not want the death of the sinner, but he does not force the will either and only does everything to incline the will towards good. He foresees all such things about everyone, and both He foresees and determines. In the same way, it is decided how God closes his ears so that they do not hear... and how he hardens... God uses everything to bring a person to reason: one thing does not humble him - he does another for him, another unsuccessfully - a third he uses, and so on until the end. He who submits is saved; and whoever does not obey, from the first admonition to the last, becomes more and more hardened and finally becomes worthless and incorrigible. This result is meant by the words: God has closed your ears or hardened... This is an image of God’s definition: there is nothing more I can do for you so that you can hear, you will not hear anything else, remain as deaf... The same is true about hardening (6, pp. 60-61). 29. General instructions on how to save the soul Are you looking for saving lessons or an answer on how to save your soul? The Savior was asked this question, and He answered: If you want to be saved, keep the commandments. This is what I offer you. What are the commandments? - All. Read the Gospel, read the Apostle... and notice what applies to you there... take it as a rule for yourself; and since it is impossible to have success in anything without God’s help, then most of all, pray. If you are free to go to church, go as soon as possible. And if every day is possible, go every day. Give alms... Be humble, meek, respectful to everyone, do not argue or scold, do not judge anyone. Be compliant... Have a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart (8, p. 167). Fear God and fulfill His commandments... For this is salvation. Love the Church of God. Be on good terms with everyone... do not forget to give alms within your means... Be patient with whatever God sends you to endure (8, p. 169). 31. To seek salvation means to seek the Lord If you are looking for salvation, you are looking for a good deed, the soul is more valuable than the whole world. But nothing is easier than finding salvation, for we have a Savior - all-wise, all-good and all-powerful, Who desires nothing more than the salvation of each of us. Turn to Him, ask and pray to Him alone, and He will bring you to salvation, which is the message of destinies. Seeking salvation is the same as seeking the Lord. But the Lord is everywhere, and wherever the one who seeks Him is, here He is too... and is ready to give Himself to the one who seeks Him... Open the door of your heart to Him - and He will enter... This is the finding of the Lord and with Him salvation... Know this... and seek this. The Lord Himself will teach you everything. God help you! Don't sleep (8, pp. 181–182)! ...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). You might be interested in: