"You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people of renewal"

(1 Peter 2:9)

 Beloved Christians! When I think of the honor with which the Lord has vouchsafed man, I cannot be fully amazed at God's goodness and His love for mankind, and, reflecting on this, I cannot exclaim with the prophet: "Lord, what is man, that Thou hast revealed Thyself to him? Or the son of man, that Thou thinkest of him" (Psalm 143:3)? The honor and nobility that the Loving Lord vouchsafes to people, true Christians, are so great and lofty that it is impossible not only to describe it, to explain it in words, but also to understand it intellectually. "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of renewal" (1 Peter 2:9), the Apostle says to true Christians. From this we see the incomprehensible goodness and love of God for man. But let us look and present to our inner eyes the honor and nobility of Christianity, in order to be jealous of it with zeal to seek it. Open the ears of your souls, and listen to the word about true Christians: 1) They are called and are children of God. What is more glorious than this name for a man? The Apostle of Christ is worthily amazed at this, and with admiration he says to Christians: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be the children of God" (1 John 3:1). That is why Christians pray to God as to their Father, and with one voice they lift up to Him: "Our Father, Who art in heaven," and so on. Oh miracle! Sinners say to the Most Holy God: Our Father, and so on. O great nobility and honor and consolation, beloved Christians! The Father of the Only-begotten Son of God is our Father, His God is our God, as He Himself says to our great consolation: "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" (John 20:17). (2) True Christians have a close union and fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The Apostle of Christ assures us of this, saying: "Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). How great it is, you can see for yourself. People consider friendship and fellowship with an earthly king to be something great, and how incomparably greater is the privilege of having fellowship and friendship with God, who is "King of kings and Lord of lords, and dwelleth in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:15-16)! Oh, how excellent are the goodness and love of God! Look and see, Christians, Christian nobility and dignity: they have communion with God, the Great and Incomprehensible. O Lord, above all word and understanding, Thy wondrous goodness and love for mankind have multiplied towards fallen and poor people. 3) In true Christians, as in living temples, the Heavenly God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit lovingly dwell. The Lord says about this: "Whoever loves Me will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). What can be more honest and noble than that soul in which the Triune God graciously and grace-filled dwells? It is honorable for people to receive the earthly king into their home, but it is incomparably more honorable to receive the King of Heaven into the house of their souls, and to have Him living in it. And what can be more blessed than that soul, in which, as in His temple, God lives? In it is the paradise of sweetness and joy, in it is the kingdom of God. O blessedness! Oh, dignity! O nobility of the Christian soul! The Loving, Beginningless, Infinite, All-Good, and Uncreated Nature – God – deigns to live better in the holy Christian soul than in heaven or in any other church. O Most Gracious and Beloved God, our Creator and Creator! Come and visit our embittered souls, souls created in Thy image and likeness! 4) True Christians are the spiritual members of the most heavenly Head, Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Of this the Apostle says: "We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30). Holy Christian souls, lift up your eyes and see where your Head sits? At the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. Who is he revered and worshipped? Angels and Archangels, and all the heavenly Powers and all creatures. "And God exalted Him, and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:9-10). You are the spiritual members of this exalted Head. The Head is glorified, and its members also partake of its glory. This is the glory of true Christians, this is their nobility and dignity! They are the spiritual members of the exalted Head, Jesus Christ. 5) The souls of true Christians are betrothed, like brides, to the Immortal Bridegroom Jesus Christ. The Apostle testifies to this: "I have betrothed you, Christians, to one man, that I might present you to Christ as a pure virgin" (2 Corinthians 11:2). This mystery is great. The bridegroom is glorified, and his bride also shares in his glory. What is more glorious and noble than Jesus, the Son of God? What is nobler and dearer than the Christian soul, betrothed to Him as a bride? 6) True Christians are heirs of God, "joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), to them belong the eternal and heavenly kingdom and all good things: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). All these and other names and titles of true Christians, which the Holy Spirit ascribes to them. And so, you see the glory and nobility of Christianity. All the glory of this world before this is like pus and corpse. Know that there is no one nobler and more glorious than a true Christian. This nobility and glory were earned to us by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by His suffering and death, given them by His Heavenly Father, accomplished by the Holy Spirit, and received their true repentance, coupled with faith. This nobility and glory here, in this world, is gained or destroyed. It is acquired by true repentance and faith, and is destroyed by unrepentance and unbelief. O you who seek the vain glory of this world, who boast and exalt yourselves in your nobility, in your names and titles! Turn your inner eyes to the glory and nobility of Christianity, and seek it, that you may be truly noble and glorious! The glory of true Christians is not seen now, but is only comprehended and known by faith. It will be revealed in the revelation of the children of God. Beloved," says the Apostle, "we are now the children of God, but it has not yet been revealed that we will be. We only know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him" (1 John 3:2). "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:43)! Amen.

Homily 19: On Sin

 It is impossible to sufficiently mourn the corruption and wretchedness that followed in human nature after the fall. There is nothing more harmful to man than sin, but man is not so inclined to anything as to sin — man, I say, is a rational creature of God, by God's special counsel: "Let us make man" (Genesis 1:26), created in the image of God and created in the likeness. Oh, how much our adversary has infected us, O people! How the serpent has damaged our pure and immaculate nature with its deadly venom! Man irresistibly strives for every sin. This misfortune and wretchedness of ours is lamented by the prophet: "Man, being in honor, did not understand these things, but was made equal to senseless beasts, and was made like unto them" (Psalm 48:13). Indeed, man has become equal to senseless cattle and has become like them. Cattle are proud and haughty, and we see the same in man. Cattle are angry and angry, and man is angry and angry. If cattle envy, man envies too. Cattle fight against cattle, and man fights against man. If a cattle is stolen, a man also steals. Cattle are overeaten, and humans are also overeaten. Cattle do the will of lust, and man does the will of lust, etc. And what is most bitter of all: all those passions that are separately present in each animal are found in one person. He is proud and arrogant, he is angry and malicious, he is envious, he is lustful and capricious, he is gluttonous, he desires the good of others, and so on. O dear creature of God! Where is your beautiful beauty, the image of God and the likeness? Where is your holiness, chastity, and truth? "And man, being in honor, did not understand this, but became equal to senseless beasts, and became like them." The holy Apostle terribly describes and presents to our inner eyes a man, a man who has not been renewed by God's grace: "There is not one righteous, not one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God; all have gone astray, they are worthless to one; there is no one who does good, there is none. Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues; the poison of adders is on their lips. Their lips are full of backbiting and bitterness. Their feet are quick to shed blood; destruction and destruction in their ways; they do not know the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10-18). But let us see how great an evil sin is, although man loves it, and thus it is more convenient to avoid sin. 1)

Oh, verily, incomprehensible evil is sin, for by it the incomprehensible majesty of God is offended! 2) No one can take sin away from a person, except the Son of God. In order to take away sin, He came into the world, suffered and died in order to destroy sin. "For this very reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Glory to His love for mankind! (3) Sin creates death, "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Thus our forefathers sinned in Paradise and died a death, and would have been dead forever, if Christ, the Son of God, had not made them alive with His Blood. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8), for His holy Blood, shed for the whole world, both now and since the beginning of the world, was healing for the revival of every sinner who believes in Him. 4) For a sin committed, a person is severely and fiercely tormented by conscience, so that often a person kills himself, unable to endure the torments of conscience. 5) There are temporary punishments for sin, such as famine, fires, wars, pestilences, diseases, earthquakes, and so on. "Death, murder, strife, sword, calamity, famine, brokenness, and blows are all for the wicked," says Sirach (Sir 40:9-10). "Sins are the cause of all evil," says St. Chrysostom. You see what a great evil sin is, evil more evil than any evil. Oh, verily it is better to walk naked than to sin; It is better to sit in captivity and prison than to sin. It is better to be in wounds and in all kinds of illnesses than to sin. It is better not to see the light and sit in darkness than to sin. It is better to endure mockery, ridicule, reproaches, reproach, beatings, and wounds than to sin; it is better, finally, to endure any evil that can be in this world than to sin! For each of these evils torments only the body, and torments only temporarily, for death puts an end to all sufferings; then every calamity will end. But sin torments both the body and the soul, and will torment forever without end. For sin is the cause of every calamity that happens in this world, as stated above. If there were no sin, there would be no calamity. Sin began in the world, and all sorts of disasters followed. Sin is sweet to people, but bitter are its fruits. Bitter seed brings forth bitter fruits and fruits. Beloved Christians! We come to know sin in order to avoid sin, for everyone avoids the evil we know. People know that poison harms, and they evade it. They know that the serpent kills with its sting, and they beware of it. They know that robbers rob and kill, and avoid them. We, beloved, also come to know sin and the evil that comes from sin, and we will certainly avoid it. For sin harms more than any poison, sin is more poisonous than any serpent, sin strips us naked worse than any thief, deprives us of temporal and eternal blessings, and kills body and soul. These are the fruits of the bitter seed of sin. Sin is anger, rage and malice. Sin is pride, arrogance, arrogance, arrogance, and contempt for one's neighbor. Sin is slander and condemnation. Sin is shameful speech, foul language, foolish speech, blasphemy, and every rotten word. Sin is lies, cunning, deceit and hypocrisy. Sin is drunkenness, gluttony, and all intemperance. Sin is theft, embezzlement, robbery, violence, and every unrighteous appropriation of someone else's property. Sin is adultery, fornication, and all uncleanness. In short, every transgression of the law is a sin and an evil, which is far more harmful than any evil that does any harm to our body. For such evil only damages our body, but sin damages and kills both body and soul. Sin is more evil than the demon himself, because sin made the demon a demon a demon; At first he was a good and bright angel, but he was damaged and darkened by sin. Whoever does not know sin as a great evil now, and who does not guard against it, will learn in the future age by experience and practice how fierce evil sin is, but it will be too late and useless. Therefore, in the present age it is necessary to recognize this evil and guard against it. Christ, True Light, Enlightener of the blind, enlighten also our heart's eyes, that we may know sin and turn away from sin! The beginning of salvation is to know one's misfortune. Amen.

Homily 20: On the Struggle Against Sin

 All Christians who want to be true Christians and receive eternal salvation in Christ Jesus absolutely need podvig against all sin, in order not to allow themselves to be possessed by it. "Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts," says the Apostle to Christians (Romans 6:12). Their faith demands this of Christians, according to the words of the Apostle: "Show me thy faith by thy works" (James 2:18). They must listen to God, in Whom they believe, and not sin, and live for God, and not for sin. This is required by holy Baptism, by which we have been renewed for the holy Christian life. They demand the vows given at Baptism, by which they promised to serve the Lord faithfully and truthfully. The work of salvation is required, since for those who break the law and do not keep their vows given at Baptism, holy Baptism is useless, as if they had lied to God. Reason about this, Christians. A Christian is known not from the words: "Lord, Lord," but from podvig against every sin. He is a true warrior who stands and struggles against the visible enemy. In the same way, a true Christian is one who constantly carries out the struggle against sin. But let us see why a person sins, and then it will be easier to resist sin. There are five causes of sin: 1) Corruption of human nature. Man is conceived in iniquity, and is born in sins, as the Psalmist says: "In iniquity I was conceived, and in sins my mother gave birth to me" (Psalm 50:7). Sinful passions, with which a person is born, incline and draw him to sin. "Poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) Corruption and wretchedness entered into man from the fall of Adam, and inclines man to all sin. Children are born like their father: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6). But Christians, by the power of holy Baptism and the vows given at that time, must stand and struggle against inclinations and passions, and not allow them to turn into deeds. 2) The devil leads a person to sin. The Apostle speaks of this and exhorts Christians to guard against him: "Be sober, be watchful, for your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him with firm faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9). The Apostle Paul says the same thing in another place: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:10-12). These invisible enemies are always on the alert to our destruction, O Christians, and try to lead us to every sin. Therefore, we should not slumber either. 3) The temptations of the world also lead to sin. We see this growing evil. One does something, the other sees or hears it, and recklessly imitates it. Temptation is like a pestilence, which begins in one person and infects many who live nearby. "Woe to the world because of temptations, for stumbling-blocks must come; but woe to the man through whom the offense comes" (Matt. 18:7). 4) The cause of sin is the unkind upbringing of children. Such children, having grown up, strive for all evil. This comes from the negligence of parents. Pay attention to this, fathers and mothers! 5) Human habit strongly attracts to sin. We see this evil, we see that drunkards always strive for drunkenness, kidnappers for theft, fornicators and adulterers for uncleanness, slanderers for slander, and so on. For their habit, like a rope, draws them to sin, and like one who is hungry for bread and thirsty for water, they strive for the sin to which they are accustomed. Spurred on by habit, people sin. A Christian who wishes to be saved and to show his faith from works must certainly struggle against it. All these opponents of our salvation are fierce. Cruel is "the flesh with passions and lusts" (Gal. 5:24), which desires that which is contrary to the spirit (Gal. 5:17); the devil is an adversary, who constantly seduces and fights us; fierce are the temptations by which the lust of the flesh, like fire by the wind, is fanned and kindled. But for one who is accustomed to evil, habit is the fiercest of all, it is like second nature for man. I confess that the feat against the above-described opponents is difficult for everyone, but it is necessary and honorable. Many struggle and conquer people, but become captives and slaves of their passions. There is no more glorious victory than oneself and it is a sin to win. There is no crown and triumph without victory, and there is no victory without podvig against enemies. Beloved Christians! Let us enter into this podvig, so that with the help of Christ we may gain victory, and receive from Him a crown of goodness, and we will triumph eternally in His kingdom. Help in the struggle against sin can be found in the following. 1) To listen and heed God's Word. It shows sin and virtue, leads away from sin and encourages virtue. For "all Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For "the Word of God is a spiritual sword" (Ephesians 6:17), with which the enemy of the soul is cut. (2) God is present in every place, and wherever we are, He is with us; and whatever we do, we do before Him and with His holy eyes. How, then, shall we commit iniquity before God, and transgress His holy law in His sight? We are ashamed and afraid to commit outrage before the earthly king and the inferior authority, how much more should we be ashamed and afraid to show outrage before God, for any sin is outrage before God. 3) Remember the end: death, the Judgment of Christ, hell and the kingdom of heaven – all this leads away from sin. "In all your works," says Sirach, "remember your end, and you will never sin" (Sir 7:39). 4) Avoid occasions that lead to sin, such as banquets and feasts, evil and obscene conversations. For "evil associations corrupt good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33). 5) Keep in mind and remember that during the very act of sin a person can die and perish. Thus Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, pursued in the footsteps of the Israelites, and wanted to do them evil again, but in that very lawless deed he perished (see Exodus 14:27). Thus Absalom, the son of David, desired to kill his holy father, and in that desire he perished (2 Samuel 18:9). We see the same thing now: we see that fornicators and adulterers are smitten during the most abominable deed, blasphemers at the time of blasphemy, thieves and kidnappers during theft, and other lawless people receive according to their deeds. Thus the righteous judgment of God smites the wicked, so that we may fear to sin and commit lawlessness. 6) To think that Christ, the Son of God, was tortured for sins and died. "He was manifested for our sins, and bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). Are you, Christian, to do what Christ, the Son of God, drank the bitterest cup of suffering for, and so "crucify the Son of God in you again" (Hebrews 6:6)? 7) Not to look at what people do, but to listen to what the Word of God teaches. For thus we avoid the temptations of the world. "Great is peace to them that love Thy law (Lord), and they shall not be offended" (Psalm 118:165). Christian, love the Law of God, and the temptations of the world will not harm you. 8) Our efforts and struggles against sin have no power without God's help. Therefore, we should try and pray that the Lord will help us in such an important matter. God helps those who strive and care, strengthens those who struggle, and crowns those who overcome. Beloved Christians! We see our spiritual enemies, who want to destroy us not temporarily, but forever, and we also see help in the struggle against them. Let us stand, let us stand strong, and let us be strengthened by the power of the Almighty Jesus, our Saviour, and let us not allow Him to possess us, then we shall be crowned with the crown of victory from the Founder of the Feat of Jesus! Lord Jesus, Conqueror of death and hell, help us! Without You we can do nothing, with You we can do anything. Amen.

Homily 21: On the Threats of God

 We see the threats written in the Holy Scriptures, through which God threatens unrepentant sinners with temporal and eternal punishment. For as a king, who cares for the good state of his state, issues a useful decree, and declares in the decree what his subjects should and should not do, and in the decree he also prescribes the punishment of transgressors, saying, This and that shall be done by those who transgressed the decree, so the King of heaven, the Lord God, has issued His holy and righteous law to all men, that they may live and correct themselves according to the rule of this law. and what He forbids they avoided, and what He commanded, they would do. And to the transgressors of the law he declared temporal and eternal punishment: "Already the axe lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matt. 3:10). "But the fearful, and the unfaithful, and the filthy, and the murderers, and the fornicators, and the sorcerers, and the idolaters, and all the liars, shall have a portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. This is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). "If ye are not converted, he will sharpen his weapon, he has drawn his bow and prepared it, and in it he has prepared instruments of death, he has made his arrows for those who are burned" (Psalm 7:13-14). "He will bring down a snare upon sinners: fire and brimstone, and a stormy spirit, their portion of the cup" (Psalm 10:6). "Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). These and other threats of God are terrible to us, but they show us God's great love for mankind. Because nothing turns a sinner to repentance so much as threats of execution. Through the promise of good things, God calls us to Himself and eternal salvation, and through the threat of execution, He urges, coerces, and convinces. That is why He threatens sinners because He does not want to destroy them. That is why He manifests His wrath, so that we may correct ourselves by the fear of this wrath and avoid eternal punishment. For if the fear of the earthly king turns us away from much evil, then how much more is the fear of the Heavenly King able to turn us away from all evil and move us to repentance, if we often reflect on His righteous wrath against sin and on His terrible threats. Truly, by the fear of execution, as with a rope, a person will be bound and restrained, and will not be moved to any evil. Truly, he will not want to sin when he sees before his intelligent eyes the eternal fire prepared for him for sin. Verily, the remembrance of the plague will not allow you to be executed, and the reflection of hell will not allow you to enter hell. Truly we owe much to our God, beloved Christians, and for this His love for us, that He has announced to us about Gehenna and other plagues. For we are moved to repentance more by the threat of execution than by the promise of good, as stated above. But open the ears of your souls and give heed to what I want to offer you. It is dangerous, very dangerous, to despise God's threats, and not to repent, and not to correct oneself. Know for sure and do not doubt that he who despises His threats will actually recognize God's punishment. There is nothing more dangerous than to despise what God threatens. He will fall into hell who does not think about hell. He who despises this death will not escape eternal death. The wrath of God is recognized by the one who does not fear the wrath of God and does not repent. "Our God is a consuming fire. It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31)! "God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7). What a man sows, that he will also reap. Verily, God is Merciful and Loving to mankind, but He is also Righteous, for He will reward all according to their deeds. Sinners, let us put into memory and repeat this word: it is dangerous to despise God's threats! God threatened our forefathers in paradise: "You will die in the hour when you eat of the commanded tree" (Genesis 2:17). The forefathers despised this, and died a death. The wicked who lived in the time of Noah despised God's threats, and perished from the Flood. The Sodomites despised it, and were burned with fire. Even now sinners despise and perish. The wicked were drowned in the flood, who did not believe the preaching of the righteous Noah about repentance. What can we expect for today's wicked, scoffers, and those who despise the Law of God? They too will plunge into the most terrible flood of eternal perdition. He burned the Sodomites with fire from heaven for their abominable impurity. What can fornicators, adulterers, and other desecrators hope for now, except the fire of hell, in which they will burn and not burn forever? Many of the Israelites in the wilderness were smitten because of their iniquities, and did not reach the promised land. The same will happen to lawless Christians, they will not be admitted into the kingdom of God. For "outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does unrighteousness" (Rev. 22:15). And this is what the Lord says: "If you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way" (Luke 13:5). Sinners! Listen to this word and repent! Temporal perdition is terrible, but eternal perdition is much more terrible. Therefore, let us fear destruction, and repent, and escape it! The Ninevites feared the destruction that was to follow them, repented, and did not fall into perdition, but received mercy from the Loving God. Let us also turn with all our hearts to our God, and repent, and cease to irritate Him with our sins, and receive mercy from Him. Amen.

Homily 22: On Pride

 "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"