83. Зачем ты здесь?

It happens that a person, seeing an acquaintance who has come to a village, or a city, or some other place, asks: “Why are you here?” So you can ask a Christian who entered the Holy Church or Christianity for the sake of salvation, but does not care about salvation. You can ask him: “Tell me, why are you here?” Why did you enter Christianity, but do not live like a Christian? You have entered the vineyard of Christ, but do not cultivate it? You have joined a holy society, but don’t live holy? Why are you here? After all, you did not come here to collect wealth, gold and silver, not to seek honor and glory, not to please the flesh and the world, not to serve sin and passions, but to serve and please Christ the Lord and thus receive salvation. “And Christ died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again for them” (2 Cor. 5:15). Remember what vows you made to God when you entered Christianity, how you renounced Satan and all his evil deeds, how you renounced the world and all its whims, how you promised to serve Christ, the Son of God, who died for you and rose again. Where are your vows now? Remember how the servant of God greeted you then with the great mercy of God: “washed, justified, sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.” Where are the vows that you made to God and before God and His Holy Church? Where is the truth and holiness that you received freely, without any merit of your own, and by God’s grace alone? Show me her from your deeds. You have received holiness - where is it? Why don't you live holy? You got the truth. Where is your truth? Why don't you do the truth? You washed yourself from the filth of sin in the holy bath - why are you again defiled by sins? “It happened” to you, according to the proverb: “a dog returns to his vomit, and a pig that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22). Just as a farmer goes out into the field to cultivate the land, a merchant comes to his shop to trade, a student comes to school to study, a judge comes to the court of law to judge and seek the truth, a warrior goes into battle to fight against enemies and defend his Fatherland, so a Christian enters into Christianity to live holy, to please Christ the Lord, and with faith in Him, to seek eternal salvation from Him. “Following the example of the Holy One who called you, be holy in all your actions. For it is written: “Be holy, for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:15–16). Why are you here, Christian, you who defile your body and soul with uncleanness. You, who breathe the spirit of malice and vengeance against your neighbor. You who stretch out your hand to steal other people's goods. You who shed the tears of widows, orphans and other poor people. You, who slander your brother, and strike him with your tongue like a sword. You who lie, deceive and deceive your neighbor with your cunning, etc.? All this, like darkness from light, is removed from Christians. Why are you here? Why do you mix light with darkness? What does light have in common with darkness? “God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Christian! Remember your vows given at Holy Baptism, which you made not to man, but to God. It's scary to lie to God! God cannot be mocked. He will exact your vows from you when He calls you to Himself for Judgment. There you will see to whom you lied and to whom you did not keep your vows. Remember this now, and repent, and do deeds worthy of your vows. May you not appear at that Judgment with lies and may you not share the fate with the liars. “Their part is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone... This is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). “Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). You might be interested in: