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You endure severe slander, as I hear. Take all possible consolation. First: without God nothing happens to us; That’s why a slanderous tongue attacks us with God’s permission. Be patient with what God sends. God hears slander and your conscience knows... Second: take comfort in this, that you are suffering falsely. A clear conscience is a great consolation. It is better to be comforted by one conscience, although the whole world denigrates, than to be convicted by conscience, although the whole world praises. I choose this for myself: let everyone blaspheme me, as long as my conscience praises me. Third: you have many comrades in this calamity: the saints of God have endured much slander, and now many are found who also endure. Many have passed this way and smoothed it out for us: let us follow them, and together with them we may glorify Jesus Christ, who redeemed us. Fourth: examine your conscience, have you also hurt anyone with your tongue? If it was; then slander is punished by slander, and therefore endure it complacently, gratefully remembering that sin is punished here, and there the sinner will be pardoned. If we are judged by the Lord, we are punished, so that we will not be condemned with the world, says the Apostle (1 Cor. 11:32). Punish us, Lord, here, and have mercy there. Fifth: learn from this not to believe the slander of others. How in vain you hear slander about yourself; Likewise, those about whom bad rumors are spread often do not know about themselves what they are being defamed about. When slander and libel befalls you, read, beloved, this consolation of Saint Tikhon of God. Thank the Lord, for He humbles you, and if Your patience fails, cry out: deliver me from human slander, that I may keep Your commandments, O God! Cry out this, looking to the Lord Jesus, Who, you yourself know, since He endured and endured great slander, He endured it like a silent lamb - remember also St. ap. Stephen the Archdeacon and others like him. When not slander, but stones were rained down on him, he repeated: Lord! do not put this sin on them (Acts 7:60) (Read about slander in St. Quiet Part VIII, Chapter 11, §423). An oath can be understood in different ways: 1) The curse of the earth in the deeds of man, pronounced in paradise after the fall of Adam and Eve: the earth is cursed in your deeds, God said to Adam: thorns and thistles will grow for you (Gen. 2:17, 18). About this oath taken on creation for fallen man, St. Chrysostom says this: “And this curse is just: for just as the earth was created for man so that he could enjoy everything that comes from it, so now, for the sake of man who has sinned, it is given over to a curse, so that this curse would harm the well-being and peace of man (on Gen. conversations 17).” This curse, first of all, concerns the fruitfulness of the earth: thorns and thistles will grow for you; but the Apostle extends the power of the curse much further: to vanity, he says, the creature obeys not by will, but by the one who obeyed (Rom. 8:20). 2) A legal oath. Those who are the deeds of the law are those who are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not abide in the words that are written in the book of the law, as I have done. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse against us (Gal. 3:10, 13)... Saint Tikhon explains the great work of redemption through Christ Jesus from the legal oath in this way on behalf of the Redeemer himself: You sinned, and I took your sin upon myself. You are to blame, but I accepted the execution. You are a debtor, and I have paid the debt. You are condemned to death, but I died for you (from part 2, article: Christ calls the sinful soul to Himself) 8. 3) An oath is the same as an oath, that is, a reverent invocation of the name of God to certify the truth of what is declared and the fidelity of the fulfillment of what is promised... An oath is not a human institution: it is accepted, affirmed and sanctified by God himself: By me he swore, says the Lord. Perjury is the gravest sin; for through him the greatest insult is caused to the name of God (Ex. 20:7; Lev. 19:12). About other abuses of swearing, or, as they simply call it, deification, Saint Tikhon speaks of this in his Christian instruction (Article 10. Part 1): extremely indecent deifications have become part of the custom for Christians, such as: by God, for this is God, God is my witness, for this is Christ, etc.; and they are remembered by people often, and in almost all words. Such gods are nothing more than a satanic invention, invented for the dishonor of the name of God and the destruction of man. Beware of swearing like this and like that. When you need to affirm the truth, give you the word of Christ: to her, to her: neither, nor (Matthew 5:37). Everything else is from a hostile spirit. Saint Tikhon strikingly depicts the end of the world, denouncing the pagan Godless celebration of Shrovetide (see under the word: the Last Judgment). Question How does theology prove the end of the world? Rep. That the existing world will have an end is 1) predicted by the psalmist back in the Old Testament, crying out to God: in the beginning, O Lord, You founded the earth, and the works of Your hand are the heavens. They will die; But you remain, and they promise everything like a robe, and I wear it like a garment (Ps. 101:26, 27). 2) Christ the Savior himself testified in the New Testament when he said: heaven and earth will pass by (Matthew 24:35), and gave a promise to His disciples: behold, I am with you all the days, even to the end of the age. That the end of the world will follow precisely on the day on which the general judgment will take place is clear from the words of the Savior in the parable of the seed: the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are Angels. For they gather up the tares and burn them with fire: so it will be at the end of this age... Angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous (Matthew 13:39, 40, 49). About the end of the world, St. Basil the Great theologizes as follows: “what began with time, by all necessity, will end in time. If your beginning is temporary, then do not doubt the end.” Question What will be the end of the world, according to the teachings of St. Scriptures? Rep. The end of the world will not consist in the fact that it is completely destroyed and destroyed, but in the fact that it will only change and be renewed through fire. They will perish, said the Psalmist about the present heaven and earth; but he further explained his thought: for the robe will be changed, and will be changed (Ps. 101:27). And St. Peter, having said that the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire for the day of judgment, continues: the day of the Lord will come, like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass by with a noise, and the elements that are being burned will be destroyed, and the earth and the works on it will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12). But immediately after this he adds: the heavens are new and the earths are new, according to His promise; in them righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13). Saint John the Theologian actually saw in revelation a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the earth passed away (Apoc. 21:1). The Holy Fathers explain it this way. St. Irenaeus: “it is neither the essence nor the substance of creation that will be abolished (for He is true and powerful, Who created it); but the image of this world passes away, that is, that in which the disorder occurred. When this image passes, and man is renewed and rises to incorruption, then a new heaven and a new earth will appear.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “There will be an end to this world and this created world will be renewed. since debauchery, theft, fornication and every kind of sin spilled over the earth, blood mixed with blood in the world (Hos. 4:2): so that the wonderful abode of creatures does not remain forever full of lawlessness, this world will pass away in order to again appear better... The Lord shines the heavens not in order to destroy them, but in order to again reveal them in a better form.” Blazh. Jerome: “it is clearly shown (Ps. 102:27) that the death and destruction of the world does not mean its turning into nothingness, but a change into the better.” Question Is it possible to know about the time of the end of the world? Rep. When the great, last day of the world would come, the Lord did not want to reveal to us, for our own moral benefit. About that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, except My Father alone, said Christ (Matthew 24:36), and added: watch for you, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come (Matthew 24:42, 44): be prepared, for at that hour, do not forget, the Son of Man will come. However, for the encouragement of the righteous and the admonition of sinners, the infinitely good and wise Lord, both directly and through the Apostles, deigned to foretell some signs of His second coming and the end of the age - some signs of the approach of the great day of judgment. The main ones are: 1) On the one hand, the extraordinary successes of good on earth, the spread of the gospel of Christ throughout the world: this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the entire universe, as a testimony to all tongues, and then death will come (Matthew 24:14). 2) On the other hand - the extraordinary successes of evil and the appearance on earth of the Antichrist: in the last days, says the Apostle (2 Tim. 3:1, 2, 4), times of cruelty will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, majestic, proud, blasphemers, opposing their parents... Lover of voluptuousness more than lovers of God... The spirit of malice, as if sensing the approach of its final destruction, will use all its efforts and intrigues to counteract the successes of the Gospel, and it will come to the point that the Son of Man has come, for will faith be strengthened on earth (Luke 18:8 )? Not content with his ordinary means, the devil will then, by God’s permission, erect an extraordinary weapon for himself in the person of the Antichrist, in order to wage war through him against the kingdom of Christ. The love of greed and the love of money is not only a grave sin in itself, but also the root of all evil, according to the word of the Apostle: the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). And whatever the rank and rank of this plague, many different evils afflict: 1) when the greedy and covetous man is of low rank, greed teaches him to steal shops, granaries, even churches, steal horses, make ambushes along the roads, carry out banditry and robbery. 2) In the merchant class, greed teaches to lie, deceive, to sell bad things for good things, to sell them cheap for dear ones, to take illegal interest, or to take an excessive interest, to mix water into wine. 3) If the landowner is a self-seeking man, he burdens the peasants with unnecessary rents; from this it follows that others endure extreme poverty in food; others wander half-naked without clothes; and others, not having anything to pay their dues and feed themselves and their household, are forced to commit robbery and theft; others - to leave church meetings on holidays and absent themselves from prayer and listening to the word of God in order to get what they need by working on forbidden days. The fault of this is the master’s inhuman covetousness and selfishness. 4) When the ulcer of greed infects those who sit in judicial places, then a terrible and lamentable trampling of the truth, a violation of the oath will follow... And from this the whole society becomes infected with unbearable wounds. For evil people and rapists, seeing the trampling of the truth, become more fearless and rush to greater atrocities, reassuring themselves that, although they are convicted of atrocities, they can be freed from legal execution by bribery, which is what happens. Therefore, there is no greater ulcer for society than judges corrupted by greed and covetousness. The worms inside the tree gnaw, and they eat up and consume the society. And they are all the more harmful because they bear the appearance of good and loyal members of the state... 5) If selfishness takes possession of the heart of a military leader, it leads him to the point that, having despised his oath promise, he betrays the sovereign, is not ashamed, is not horrified to sell his fatherland, in which he was born, raised and, as in the womb of his mother, rests with his entire surname... Thus, in every rank and title, self-interest gives rise to countless evils. And, it seems, no one is more harmful to society than a covetous and self-seeking person. From them it groans, sighs and becomes exhausted more than from foreign enemies. St. Chrysostom says: “The love of greed and the love of money produces all the troubles in the world: it warms the sea with blood, and often bloodies the swords of judges with untruth; it arms robbers; it gives birth to murderers for fathers and mothers (Conversations 23, on the 1st last to Corinth. Part V, chapter 8, §114).” Question How does Blessed Tikhon talk about interest and growth? Rep. He speaks of them as the evil offspring of self-interest, namely: interest and growth are sin. The arguments showing that interest is sin are: 1) St. God’s word directly forbids taking interest: “Lend for nothing,” says Christ (also in the Old Testament: Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19; Ps. 14:5). Yet that is sin that is contrary to God’s word: for interest is sin. 2) Interest is contrary to God’s commandment, not only the tenth, which teaches not to covet what is alien, but also the eighth, which forbids touching the very thing that is alien. For he who receives interest not only desires, but also delights in the things that are alien to him. “Like a fisherman,” says St. Basil the Great, attaches a worm to a fishing rod in order to deceive and catch a fish: so a seeker of interest attracts his neighbor with his money, and he, like a fish on a fishing rod, is caught (on Ps. 14).” 3) To seek profit from someone else’s loss and receive it from someone else’s labors without your own labor is a sin. Those who accept interest seek to profit from someone else’s loss. 4) Interest is contrary to the natural law, which teaches not to do to your neighbor what you do not want for yourself; and Christian love, which demands that not only do you not desire the things of others, but also give your own goods to those who demand them without return: give to him who asks you (Matthew 5:42). Because interest is sin. St. Basil the Great speaks to the covetous: “You should have diminished human need: but you multiply, taking profits from the poor, acting in the likeness of that doctor who, having come to the weak, instead of healing, takes away the last strength from him... Or don’t you know that you are making a greater increase in sin than money, from the excess? You get rich from troubles, you gather silver from tears, you bare your nakedness, you plant without soil, you reap without seed; and do not care for whom you collect... This surpasses all hatred of man... For do not turn away anyone who wants to borrow from You, and do not give your money for interest, but having learned from the Old and New Testaments, there - after death - you will receive interest.” In Bose the resting Metropolitan Gabriel, mentioned in the biography of the Zadonsk wonderworker Tikhon, about the Processions of the Cross in the book: On the service and orders of the Right. Church (§355) wrote this. Walking on the cross from ancient times was established especially so that Christians, bypassing the place inhabited by them, would be all the more moved to repentance, to faith, zeal and prayer, so that the merciful God, bowed down, would turn away His anger from them and reveal His goodness. And so they were most often during times of any unfortunate adventures, from which the Church, having received deliverance, ordered these walks to be carried out annually to appease God, to bring thanks to Him and to arouse the faithful to repentance of a vicious life. Saint Chrysostom calls them diligent prayers. Eusebius, in the life of St. Constantine (book 2, chapter 14), narrates that this sovereign used to perform litias before battle with enemies. Saint Chrysostom, in a conversation before his exile, spoke to the people: in the morning I will come with you to the litia. St. Basil the Great, in his 63rd letter to the Neo-Caesarean Church, forbids the people without a bishop to have walks of the cross... This quite reveals the antiquity of the establishment of processions of the cross: for what reasons on which day such a walk was established can be seen from the narratives about the celebration of those days.” The same great saint of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Gabriel, speaks about the Sign of the Cross in the book mentioned above. Saint Epiphanius writes: thirdly, this is what proof of Christian piety Joseph had, that no crime was committed against the name of Christ and the sign of the cross. St. Athanasius, in his doctrine of the Incarnation, writes: using the sign of the cross alone, a person drives away the tricks of the devil from himself. Tertullian (book 2, to his wife): do you hide yourself when you mark your bed and body? St. Basil the Great on the Holy Spirit (chapter 27): with the sign of the cross we signify the hope of those who have placed their hope in Christ, and turning to the east we pray. St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the life of St. Macrina, says: her mother, having made the sign of the cross on her painful breast, saw it healed, and at her very death she protected herself with the sign of the cross. St. Chrysostom (on 2 Tim. Ch. 2): He has made it a custom for many to celebrate often, and no one requires the remembrance (on the last one to Col. Ch. 3): if you are faithful, signify, rtsy: this is only the Imam’s weapon and healing, but there is no other way (on the 2nd epil. to Cor.). There is no need to lay down anything other than the keeping of the cross. St. Athanasius to Antiochus: the cross of faith is venerated and kissed for Christ, crucified on the cross.” St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, in his homily on the erection of the honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, says this about the action, power and saving power of the sign of the cross: “before the coming of Christ the devil was strong, and no one could resist him: for people had no weapons against the devil. Now the imams bear the cross of Christ: put only a sign, and the abiye will run away from you. We hear that John the Theologian says: Satan is bound for a thousand years (Apoc. 20:2). What is he bound by, if not by the power of the cross? How can scum harm you if you are tied up? And if he does harm, you bind him, that is, put on yourself the sign of the Cross of the Lord, and he will be bound. Does the devil inflict thoughts, and does your mind think evil things? Place the sign of the cross on your mind, and it will run away from you. Does Semo and Ovamo compel you to turn your eyes? Make the sign of the cross, and he will run away from your eyes. Does it sit on the tongue, or on the lips, so that you can talk about vain things? Marry him with the cross... St. also advises you this. John of Damascus, speaking about the cross of Christ, that this sign was given to us on our foreheads, in the same way that circumcision was given to Israel as a sign. This faith distinguishes us from the infidels, this is a shield and victory over the devil, this is a seal, so that the all-destroyer will not touch us. Likewise St. Ephraim (in word 103) says: let us place the sign of the life-giving cross on our foreheads, and on our foreheads, and on our lips, and on all our hands; - Let us mark ourselves with this, and let us arm ourselves with this. Also St. Chrysostom confirms: we will write the cross on our foreheads and in our thoughts with much care; below, it is appropriate to simply draw it with a finger; but first of all by will with much faith. And even if you imagine it in your sight, no one near you can fight against unclean spirits; it is in vain to use a sword, which will receive an ulcer. If we, looking at the places where the condemned accept execution, are horrified: think how much the devil and demons suffer, in vain the weapon with which Christ crushed all their strength and cut off the head of the dragon... And Constantine the Great - when he could not defeat Maxentius, the sign of the cross appeared to him in heaven, and a voice was heard: hereby conquer. And when Constantine commanded to write the sign of the cross on the weapons, then he defeated his enemies.” The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved the power of God is (1 Cor. 1:18). For a spiritual person strives for everything, but a natural person does not accept even the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:15). “The word of the cross,” says St. John of Damascus, there is madness for those who do not accept with faith, and do not reflect with faith on the goodness and omnipotence of God; but experience the Divine with human and natural reason. Everything Divine is above nature, words and understanding. Eg. whoever begins to reason about how and why God brought everything from non-existence into existence, and wants to comprehend this with natural reason, will not comprehend. Because such knowledge is spiritual, demonic. But whoever, guided by faith, will reflect on the goodness, omnipotence, truth, wisdom and righteousness of God, for him everything will be smooth and even, and he will find the straight path. Every action and miracle-working of Christ is extremely great, divine and amazing, but most amazing of all is His honest cross. For no other than that, as soon as through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, death is abolished, ancestral sin is resolved, hell is deprived of spoils, resurrection is given, we are given the power to despise the present, and even death itself, the path to primeval bliss is prepared, the gates of paradise are opened, our nature is seated at the right hand of God, and we have become children and heirs of God. All this was accomplished by the cross. Because we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3). And as soon as we were baptized into Christ, we put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). Christ is God's power and God's wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24). Thus, by the death of Christ, or the cross, we are clothed with the hypostatic wisdom and power of God” (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 1844, pp. 241, 242). “Why was the economy of the incarnation accomplished by the cross? asks Saint Basil the Great. And he himself answers: So that those who are being saved will be gathered from the four wings of the earth. For the cross is divided into four parts, so that each part of it faces one of the four parts of the world. But death on the cross is preferred, or so that all parts of the world are brought to salvation by parts of the cross, go because before the wooden cross, an extended, mental cross was erected to the whole world, in the midst of which the four parts of the universe are in contact, and the power of which, contained in the environment, passes through the four parts... Therefore, Paul, being from among the dead of Israel and the squandered of Judah, as soon as he understood the sign, raised by Jesus into the tongues, he came to the cross and said: Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14). (Creation of St. Ot. Vol. 11, part 2, 1845, p. 356). “The cross is a shield, a weapon against the devil and a sign of victory over him. It is a seal so that the destroying angel does not touch us (Ex. 12:23), as Scripture says. He is for those who lie down a rising, for those who stand - a confirmation, for the weak - a support, for those who flock - a rod, for those who convert - a guide, for those who prosper - a bringing to perfection. He is the salvation of soul and body, the reflection of all evils, the giver of all blessings, the destruction of sin, the plant of resurrection, the tree of eternal life (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 1844, p. 243).” I. Come, all who love God, the Church sings on the Feast of the Exaltation, the honorable cross lifted up in sight, let us magnify collectively and give glory to the One Savior and God, crying out: crucified on the tree of the cross, do not despise those who pray to us. We erect the cross, and on it we command all creation to sing the most pure passion of the Ascended One. For this reason, having killed us, he revived the slain and fertilized (see Art.). II. Today we have a holiday and a triumph, says St. Zlatousty. Don’t be surprised that we celebrate in honor of the Cross... The Cross previously represented condemnation and execution, but now it is a precious and coveted object for us. Previously, the cross was dishonor and punishment, but now it is glory and honor... The cross is the head of our salvation. The cross is the culprit of countless blessings. Previously inglorious and rejected, we, for the sake of the cross, are again accepted into the number of the children of God... So we rightly celebrate this day.” III. Soon after the death of the Redeemer, Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed by the Romans. All objects reminiscent of Jesus Christ were destroyed by malice. The cross on which He was crucified was hidden in the depths of the earth, and remained in oblivion for a long time... The happy century for Christianity has come - the fourth. Constantine the Great, emperor of the east and west, who repeatedly experienced the power of the cross, believed in the Son of God. Helen, the mother of the emperor, was moved by a holy desire to find the cross of Jesus and worship it. After many searches, they finally find the desired treasure... Jesus Christ was crucified between two thieves: three crosses were found together, which, on the advice of Macarius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, were placed, one after the other, first on the sick woman, then on the dead man; the first two did not produce any miracle; when the third was placed, the sick woman received healing, and the dead man was given life back... This miracle indicated the true cross of Christ, which at the same time was given reverent worship by the believers, who flocked in countless numbers when it was erected by the Patriarch for worldwide contemplation. After this wonderful event, the penalty of the cross was abolished, the cross became the power of the rulers of the earth and the decoration of their diadems, the beauty of the Church, the honor of military signs, the reward of merit and deeds, the object of worship in heaven and on earth... Worthyly, the cross constitutes many celebrations for us throughout the year. Question How Saint Tikhon defines St. Baptism, sets out its external belonging and the grace imparted in it? Rep. I. Baptism is a mystery in which, through threefold immersion in water, with the pronunciation of the thrice-holy name, the sins of the baptized are washed away by the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit. Let this mystery be accomplished; three things must be observed: 1) the priest must pronounce the form, or fulfillment, that is, these words: the servant of God is baptized, etc., together with immersion. 2) The recipient must be Orthodox, not a heretic. 3) If the person being baptized is of full age, and able to understand and speak, let him himself be denied and answer the priestly questions (Part 1). II. Saint Tikhon explains the power or grace imparted in Baptism this way: “let’s see, he says, what we were before baptism and what we became after baptism, so that from now on we can accept living consolation. Before baptism we were removed from God, but through baptism we came closer to God. Before baptism we were enemies of God, but through baptism we were reconciled to God, and God was reconciled to us. Before baptism we were children of the wrath of God, but through baptism we became vessels of God’s mercy. Before baptism we were children of darkness and children of the devil, but through baptism we became children of light and children of God. Before baptism, those who were defiled were sins, but through baptism they were washed, sanctified and justified. Before baptism, the doors to eternal life and the heavenly kingdom were closed for us, but through baptism they opened and those who guard the grace of the Holy Spirit without restraint enter. Baptism. This highest mercy was earned for us by the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Blessed be His name with the Father and the Holy Spirit! III. Our spiritual birth in the font of St. baptism, according to the teachings of St. Tikhon, differs in many ways from carnal birth. So carnal birth belongs to: pride, arrogance, conceit, contempt for one’s neighbor. Spiritual: humility, humiliation, humiliation of oneself for the glory of God. The characteristic of carnal birth is unbelief, and that of spiritual birth is faith. Carnal birth belongs to: fearlessness, disobedience, resistance; – spiritual: fear, humility and obedience. In a word: evil and wickedness belong to the carnal; to the spiritual - good behavior and piety. Let's look around, Christian brethren, will we show the fruits of the new birth? Is it not the old that is still active in us? The blessed fruits of St. Saint Tikhon explains baptism in the article: Bath. We see, he says, that people, having entered the bathhouse, are washed from filth and bodily impurities and leave the bathhouse clean and dressed in a white shirt. So Christians, having entered the bathhouse of St. baptism, they are washed from the filth of sin, they are cleansed, they are sanctified, and they are clothed in the bright and precious garment of Christ’s righteousness, like royal purple, and they become sons of the heavenly King: you have been washed, says the Apostle, you have been sanctified, you have been justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:11). Therefore St. Baptism from the Apostle is called the washing of rebirth. Because in baptism we are born again and made a new creation. Blessed be God, the gracious taco!.. Question What blessings are we granted in St. baptism? Rep. All that Christ has earned for us through His suffering and death: 1) we receive remission of all sins, no matter what the baptized person has: I will sprinkle clean water on you and be cleansed from all your uncleanness (Ezek. 36:25). Therefore St. ap. Peter exhorts: repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). And St. The Apostle Paul greets those who are baptized: you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). 2) We are freed from death and the devil’s power, and we enter the kingdom of Christ the Son of God, we become the sheep of the Holy Spirit. flocks and members of the Holy Church; 3) we become heirs of eternal life and bliss, according to the false promise of the Savior himself (Mark 16:16; Titus 3:5–7). Question In baptism, those of age who have sins receive remission of sins. And what are the sins in babies? Rep. The Holy Prophet of God David responds to this: I was conceived in iniquities and my mother gave birth to me in sins (Ps. 50:7). You see that both he and we are conceived and born in sins. Therefore, infants also require washing from sinful defilements (i.e., original sin), so that, having been cleansed, they enter the eternal belly (Book V ΙΙ). Note Saint Demetrius of Rostov for redemption from the legal oath thus appeals to the Redeemer: I thank You, my Lord, the most generous benefactor, as for my sake he was beaten, dishonest, spat on, strangled, bound, thorned