You will walk confidently like a lion; you will live in all joy and delight of the heart; and everlasting joy shall be upon thy head; thou shalt find joy and gladness; sorrow and sighs are removed (Isaiah 51:11). Then thy light shall be revealed like the dawn, and thy healing shall soon increase, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall follow thee. Then you will call, and the Lord will hear, you will cry out, and He will say, Here I am (Isaiah 58:8-9). I, I Myself, blot out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Remember me; let us sue; thou shalt speak, that thou mayest be justified" (Isaiah 43:25-26). Though your sins be as scarlet, as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, as white as wool (Isaiah 1:18)."

Then Joasaph said to Barlaam: "All that has been said is so beautiful and worthy of wonder, that I believed and hated idols with all my soul; and before your coming I had distrusted them, but now I am finally convinced of their inadequacy, having learned from you all the absurdity of idolatry and the madness of their worshippers. Therefore I desire to become a servant of the true God, if only He does not push me, unworthy, away for my sins, but forgives me everything, being humane and merciful, as you teach. I am ready to be baptized and keep everything that you prescribe. But tell me, what should I do after baptism: is faith alone enough for salvation, or is there something else needed?"

На это Варлаам ему отвечает: "Выслушай, что надо делать после крещения.

Если же вы духом водитесь, то вы не под законом. Дела плоти известны, они суть: прелюбодеяние, блуд, нечистота, непотребство, идолослужение, волшебство, вражда, ссоры, зависть, гнев, распри, разногласия (соблазны) ереси, ненависть, убийства, пьянство, бесчинство и тому подобное. Предваряю вас, как и прежде предварял, что поступающие так царствия Божия не наследуют. Плод же духа: любовь, радость, мир, долготерпение, благость, милосердие, вера (Гал.5:16-22).

После крещения нужны освящение души и тела, смирение сердца, сокрушение о грехах, человеколюбие, милостыня бедным, бодрствование и постоянное раскаяние во всех совершенных грехах. При соединении одного с другим, восхождении от одного к другому, это, подобно ступеням лестницы, приводить душу в царствие небесное. Таким образом, вот что нам предписано исполнять и как жить после крещения, противного же этому следует избегать. Если же мы, познав истину, будем все-таки творить прежние суетные, греховные дела и подобно псам набросимся на собственное рвотное, то на нас сбудется сказанное Господом: Когда нечистый дух выйдет из человека, то ходит по безводным местам, ища покоя, и не находит. Тогда говорит: возвращусь в дом мой, откуда я вышел; и пришедши находит его незанятым, выметенным и убранным (Мф.12:43-44), но пустым и не наполнившим еще себя богатством добрых дел. Тогда идет и берет с собою семь других духов, злейших себя, и вошедши живут там; и бывает для человека того последнее хуже первого. Так будет и с этим злым родом (Мф.12:45).

Крещение, смывая водою грязь грехов, уничтожает всякий их след, и на будущее время оно для нас есть несокрушимая стена и славное оружие против врагов. Сила его не уничтожится даже последующими новыми прегрешениями, для очищения которых не требуется нового погружения в купель, ибо мы исповедуем единое крещение. Потому следует всеми силами остерегаться, чтобы снова не осквернить себя прегрешениями, но соблюдать заповеди Господа, сказавшего: Итак, идите, научите все народы, крестя их во имя Отца и Сына, и Святаго Духа, уча их соблюдать все, что Я повелел вам; и се, Я с вами во все дни до скончания века (Мф.28:19-20). В своих заповедях блаженства Христос назвал блаженными нищих духом. Их же признал и достойными царствия небесного.

Он дал такое общее правило поведения для сей земной жизни: Так да светит свет ваш пред людьми, чтобы они видели ваши добрыя дела и прославляли Отца вашего Небеснаго (Мф.5:16).

The law of Moses, given to the Israelites, reads as follows: "Thou shalt kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exodus 20:13). But Christ says: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to judgment; Whoever says to his brother, 'Raka,' shall be liable to the Sanhedrin; but whoever says "foolish" is subject to hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matt. 5:22-24).

And a little further: "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Thus, He even called longing desire adultery. Since the law persecutes oath-breaking, Christ forbade oaths altogether, commanding that one's words be confirmed only by "yes" and "no." You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, Resist not evil. But whoever smites you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him also. And whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give him also your outer garment. And whoever compels you to go with him one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. that ye may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He commands His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:38-45); and, "Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured unto you also (Matt. 7:1-2).

Lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your soul what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body what you will wear. Is not the soul more than food and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into the garner, and your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Are you not much better than they are" (Matt. 6:19-21, 25-26). By this it is said that He who gave us soul and body will give us both food and clothing, if He feeds the birds of the air, and clothes the grasses of the field in such beauty. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. So, don't worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will take care of his own. Enough for each day its own care (Matt. 6:33-34).

In all things, therefore, whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them, for this is the law and the prophets. Enter in by the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way, which leads to destruction, and many go through it. For strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few find it (Matt. 7:12-14). Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! God! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whosoever loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matt. 10:37). All these and similar things the Lord commanded the Apostles to teach the faithful, and we must observe what has been said in order to attain perfection and crowns of immortality, which our Lord, the righteous Judge, will give on the day of His second coming to all the righteous."

Then Joasaph said to the elder: "If, with such a strict requirement of irreproachable behavior, it happens to me that I violate one or two of the commandments, then I will not achieve my goal at all, and all hope will be in vain"?

Barlaam answered him: "No, this is not how we should judge this, for the Word of God, having become man for the salvation of the human race, knowing the weakness and pitifulness of our nature, did not leave our illness incurable, but, like an all-wise Physician, gave repentance as a cure for this disease; Considering the precariousness and fallacy of our way of thinking, He made repentance the means of obtaining the forgiveness of sins. After we have come to know the truth, have received sanctification through water and the Holy Spirit, and have been cleansed of the filth of sins without any difficulty, then, if after that we have to fall into sin again, there will be no other spiritual rebirth through baptism, i.e. through immersion in the font with the descent upon the baptized person of the gift of the Holy Spirit (for this gift is given to us only once). But then the forgiveness and cleansing from sins is accomplished by the mercy of God, through sincere repentance, through hot tears and tireless labor. By the mercy of the Lord, prolonged contrition and streams of tears are like baptism, which has saved many who have already sinned from destruction, since there is no sin that can overcome God's love for mankind, if only we wash it with tears and repentance. But man must hasten with repentance, so that premature death does not force us to leave this world stained with sins. For in hell there is no longer a place for repentance and contrition for sins, but with them one can atone for one's sins during one's lifetime. It is impossible to count all the cases of God's compassion and measure the full depth of His mercy, but it is possible to count human sins and judge the degree of their gravity. These measurable and innumerable sins cannot defeat the immeasurable compassion and mercy of God, which have already been expressed in many cases. Therefore, we are commanded not to despair of our sins, but to trust in the grace of God and repent of our transgressions, the remission of which is subject to the love of Christ, Who shed His Blood for our sins. From many places of St. In the Scriptures we learn about the power of repentance, especially from the parables and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ: "From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven draweth nigh' (Matt. 4:17). He testifies especially strongly to repentance in the parable of the lost son, saying: "A certain man had two sons; And the youngest of them said to his father, Father, give me the next portion of my possessions. And the father divided the estate among them. After a few days, the younger son, having gathered everything, went to a distant country and there squandered his possessions, living dissolutely. When he had lived through everything, there was a great famine in that country, and he began to be in need. And he went and joined one of the inhabitants of the country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he was glad to fill his belly with the horns that the pigs ate, but no one gave it to him. And when he came to himself, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have bread in abundance, and I am dying of hunger!" I will arise, and go to my father, and say to him, Father, forgive him! I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no longer worthy to be called thy son, receive me among thy hired servants. And he got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion; and running, he fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, "Father, forgive him! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants, Bring the best garments, and clothe him, and give a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring a fatted calf, and kill it; let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; disappeared and was found. And they began to rejoice (Luke 15:11-24). This is how He taught us about repentant sinners.

In another place He again speaks of a good shepherd who had 100 sheep, who, having lost one sheep, left 99 and went to look for the lost one. When he found her, he took her on his shoulders and carried her to the others. Summoning his friends and neighbors, he made a feast as a sign of joy at his find. The Saviour says thus: "I say unto you, that thus in heaven there shall be more joy over one sinner who repenteth, than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of repentance" (Luke 15:7). Even Peter, the rock of faith, sinned during the most salvific suffering of Christ, denying his Teacher for a short time (how pitiful and weak human nature is in general). But immediately, remembering the words of the Lord and leaving the courtyard where the Savior was, he wept bitterly, and with his hot tears again gained victory over evil, making amends for his defeat. And the enemy of good, having triumphed instantly, fled far away from him with cries and shame, for Peter was experienced in the struggle against evil. Although he fell, he was not rejected or despaired, but, having recovered from his defeat, he brought hot tears and sincere contrition, and he again became a rock of faith in the assembly of the Apostles. Thus, as a universal teacher, Peter also became a model of repentance. When, after His Divine Resurrection, Christ asked three times: Simon Jonah, do you love Me, the Apostle answered: Yes, Lord, you know that I love You! (John 21:15).