Saint Macarius (Nevsky)
There are people who would like to save their souls, but do not know how to start this business. Many put off the concern for the salvation of the soul until a future time. Young people think, “It is too early for us to think about salvation; saving a soul is difficult, but we want to live, have fun. Later, when we are older, we will begin to think about the soul. People of mature age think: “Now it is impossible for me to think about the salvation of the soul. After all, to save the soul, you need to leave everything worldly and retire somewhere in solitude. And I have a family, a household, and I can't leave it. Someday later, when old age comes, then I will be saved.” And the old people think: “We have become old, we don’t have the strength to work for the salvation of our souls: we can’t fast, we’re not used to praying, they won’t accept us into the monastery. Let's live as we lived; sickness comes, then let us send for a priest and repent.”
This is how both young and mature age delay their salvation, and the old people do not take care of their souls. So deceive themselves and those, and others, and third. Just as the young do not begin their salvation when they reach adulthood, so, even in adulthood, having not begun salvation, they will not begin it even in old age; likewise, those who have reached old age do not have time to repent on their deathbed, for before the priest has time to arrive to them, they often leave this life unrepentant and uncleansed. Thus, youth, and maturity, and old age perish with their souls.
They all lose salvation, which was purchased at such a high price as the blood of the Son of God.
And they lose their salvation because they consider this matter too difficult, boring, the obstacles to that are insurmountable for themselves.
In fact, the salvation of the soul is not as difficult as it seems. All obstacles will be easily removed if people use the means already given to them as Christians. The main reason that people put off their salvation until a future time is that they lack determination - often because they do not know how to start this important business. How to do it? It is best to start salvation not from what is more difficult, not from the feat of withdrawing from the world, not from strict fasting and lengthy prayers, but from the easiest. The easiest thing is for the sinner to recognize his sinfulness, sigh about himself and turn to God with a prayer, albeit short, but fervent, like the following: “Lord, I am a sinner, I am perishing - save me!” This prayer must be repeated every day and at the same time think that you need to start your salvation. This thought about salvation will be the beginning leading to salvation. After that, you need to start cleansing your soul from those sins that have besieged it, just as various reptiles are stuck around a stinking corpse: flies, beetles, worms, etc. You need to take these reptiles out of your soul one by one and throw them away from you. In other words: you need to start fighting with your bad habits, with your vices, with your passions. But this struggle must start small. After all, we do not fall into grave sins suddenly, but we approach them gradually, starting from a small, almost insignificant incident. Let us see, for example, how a man became a drunkard. He almost did not notice the first case when he began to drink wine in the smallest amount. Here he was, young, sitting in the company of elders drinking wine. Here an opportunity arose for everyone to drink a common cup for the health of someone or on the occasion of some event or holiday. Everyone drinks - and a cup of wine is poured for him. What should he do? To drink from it or not to drink? Those sitting next to him say to him, sometimes even relatives, father or mother: "You, dear, do not drink, but only sip. And he obeyed, sipped, that is, touched his lips or drank one sip of wine. But this sip became fatal for him: after that, he began to boldly not only sip, but also drink, then drink, maybe at first half a glass, then a full cup, and the further, the more. He was already drawn to guilt. In any case, out of joy and grief, he began to drink, and then to drink without any reason, just because he was thirsty. And then the first, apparently innocent sip of wine made him a drunkard. What was his mistake? In that he should not have taken the first sip, and having done so, he should not have repeated it, and if he repeated it, then stop when he had not yet had a strong desire for wine. When he noticed this urge in himself, he had to resolutely resist it: he had to force himself not to fulfill the desire that appeared in him to drink, while it was not strong; then he should have prayed mentally to God that He would not let him become addicted to wine. If he had done this, he would not have been a drunkard.
Similarly, a person is trained to steal. Beware of taking without asking, secretly someone else's thing, even the most insignificant. Beware of concealing someone else's found penny. One Christian woman in her daily entry depicts the gradual habit of sin, beginning with an insignificant occasion and ending with a grievous fall:
“If, after committing a serious sin, I wanted to get to the reason that led me to such an action, and would first remember the thought that aroused lust, then the incident that gave rise to this thought, then I would see that it was almost nothing, a smallness, a trifle hardly noticeable . It was an ambiguous word which I heard and to which I smiled; it was an indifferent glance cast by me, from which my conscience, however, kept me; it was an unnecessary explanation, which I obtained from idle curiosity; it was prayer, which I neglected and which I replaced with another occupation, more entertaining; it was the work I left behind while I kept an eye on something indefinite in my mind... A week later, the same thing was repeated for a longer time - remorse became muffled and finally fell silent... Another week... but we won't continue: everyone who has experienced this can himself finish his story and bring out a moral.
From this story it can be seen how the most insignificant case, an ambiguous word and a smile about it, led a person to a grave sin.
This is the way of the fall. The same can be the return from a sinful life to repentance and correction.
For Mary of Egypt, this first great sinner, then a great worker, the beginning of the conversion was a certain force, unknown to her at first, which did not allow her to enter the temple of Jerusalem to worship the Life-giving Cross. Recognizing the power of God in this, she immediately gave a promise to correct herself and immediately went into the wilderness.
One man spoke about himself to the Monk Paul the Simple, that the reason for his appeal to God was the words he heard in church: Wash yourself, cleanse yourself; remove your evil deeds from my eyes(Isaiah 1:16). And with these words he began his salvation.
But these examples may seem inimitable to anyone: “After all, these were people who had achieved great holiness, they might have received special grace from God, and we are ordinary people.” No, and they were ordinary people - and if they received special grace, then after they had shown much zeal in the work of their salvation.
However, let's leave them and look for other examples that are more suitable for us. Here is the gospel prodigal son - how did he begin his salvation? From deeds of prayer and fasting? Not; he only came to his senses, changed his mind, and said to himself: I will get up and go to my father(Luke 15, 18), got up and went, and what happened next - you yourself know.
Get up and you, brother and sister, get up, go to the Father, fall down and say: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before You, accept me as a penitent and have mercy on me. From this moment on, begin to force yourself and do what your conscience commands.
Here is the gospel Zacchaeus - how did he begin his salvation? Is it not a promise to improve and satisfy in abundance all those whom he offended (Lk. 19:8)? Here again is an example for you, brother Christian, where to begin your correction.
And then what to do? Then, with God's help, begin the fight against vices according to your strength. First of all, find in yourself the main vice, which you loved very much and which you served as some kind of god. For example, you are used to drinking wine. Start the fight against this sin now, without postponing until the future time. When you are drawn to where your old friends will arrange a drunken binge, do not go there, decide to overcome your desire, which leads you to share drunken fun with your friends. It will be difficult at first - but you be strong, ask God for help; when you control yourself, then there will be great joy in your soul: know that you have won the victory over the devil's temptation. After that, it will be easier for you to fight sin. And then, the victory over sin will bring great joy to both your family and yourself. You will have much more fun with your family than when you shared your drunken fun with your friends.
There is much temptation during public amusements organized in towns and villages. Many young people die at these pleasure gatherings: in the cities - in theaters, masquerades, public gardens, in villages and villages - at parties, swings and other similar places. Young people are just as accustomed to this kind of amusements as the working people are to drunken drinking parties. Those who are accustomed to this kind of pleasure gatherings, amusement parks, gardens, parties and other places of temptation, need to fight these sinful habits in the same way as a drunkard with wine, a thief with theft. Just as one who has not drunk wine should beware of the first glass, so young people should be wary of the first entry into places of entertainment: some - to theaters, gardens, places of festivities, others - to parties, swings and similar gatherings. And whoever is already accustomed to this, he needs to use all the effort of the will to stop attending these pleasure meetings. At first it will be boring and difficult, but then, with the help of God, you can overcome yourself and regain peace of mind and the salvation of your soul.
So, go out to fight with your sinful skills, do not be afraid - God is your helper. Fight and pray. The salvation of the soul is the most precious thing. It is worth the trouble for him, even to the shedding of blood, if it were necessary!
There are people who would like to save their souls, but do not know how to start this business. Many put off the concern for the salvation of the soul until a future time.
Young people think, “It is too early for us to think about salvation; saving a soul is difficult, but we want to live, have fun. Later, when we are older, we will begin to think about the soul.
People of mature age think: “Now it is impossible for me to think about the salvation of the soul. After all, to save the soul, you need to leave everything worldly and retire somewhere in solitude. And I have a family, a household, and I can't leave it. Someday later, when old age comes, then I will be saved.”
And the old people think: “We have become old, we don’t have the strength to work for the salvation of our souls: we can’t fast, we’re not used to praying, they won’t accept us into the monastery. Let's live as we lived; sickness comes, then let us send for a priest and repent.”
This is how both young and mature age delay their salvation, and the old people do not take care of their souls. So deceive themselves and those, and others, and third. Just as the young do not begin their salvation when they reach adulthood, so, even in adulthood, having not begun salvation, they will not begin it even in old age; likewise, those who have reached old age do not have time to repent on their deathbed, for before the priest has time to arrive to them, they often leave this life unrepentant and uncleansed. Thus, youth, and maturity, and old age perish with their souls.
They all lose salvation, which was purchased at such a high price as the Blood of the Son of God.
And they lose their salvation because they consider this matter too difficult, boring, the obstacles to that are insurmountable for themselves.
In fact, the salvation of the soul is not as difficult as it seems.
All obstacles will be easily removed if people use the means already given to them as Christians. The main reason that people put off their salvation until a future time is that they lack determination - often because they do not know how to start this important business.
How to do it? It is best to start salvation not from what is more difficult, not from the feat of withdrawing from the world, not from strict fasting and lengthy prayers, but from the easiest.
The easiest thing is for the sinner to recognize his sinfulness, sigh about himself and turn to God with a prayer, albeit short, but fervent, like the following: “Lord, I am a sinner, I am perishing - save me!” This prayer must be repeated every day and at the same time think that you need to start your salvation.
This thought about salvation will be the beginning leading to salvation. After that, you need to start cleansing your soul from those sins that have besieged it, just as various reptiles are stuck around a stinking corpse: flies, beetles, worms, etc. You need to take these reptiles out of your soul one by one and throw them away from you. In other words: you need to start fighting with your bad habits, with your vices, with your passions. But this struggle must start small.
After all, we do not fall into grave sins suddenly, but we approach them gradually, starting from a small, almost insignificant incident. Let us see, for example, how a man became a drunkard. He almost did not notice the first case when he began to drink wine in the smallest amount. Here he was, young, sitting in the company of elders drinking wine. Here an opportunity arose for everyone to drink a common cup for the health of someone or on the occasion of some event or holiday. Everyone drinks - and a cup of wine is poured for him.
What should he do? To drink from it or not to drink? Those sitting next to him say to him, sometimes even relatives, father or mother: "You, dear, do not drink, but only sip. And he obeyed, sipped, that is, touched his lips or drank one sip of wine. But this sip became fatal for him: after that, he began to boldly not only sip, but also drink, then drink, maybe at first half a glass, then a full cup, and the further, the more. He was already drawn to guilt. In any case, out of joy and grief, he began to drink, and then to drink without any reason, just because he was thirsty. And, behold, the first, apparently innocent sip of wine made him a drunkard.
What was his mistake? In that he should not have taken the first sip, and having done so, he should not have repeated it, and if he repeated it, then stop when he had not yet had a strong desire for wine. When he noticed this urge in himself, he had to resolutely resist it: he had to force himself not to fulfill the desire that appeared in him to drink, while it was not strong; then he should have prayed mentally to God that He would not let him become addicted to wine. If he had done this, he would not have been a drunkard.
Similarly, a person is trained to steal. Beware of taking without asking, secretly someone else's thing, even the most insignificant. Beware of concealing someone else's found penny. One Christian woman in her daily entry depicts the gradual habit of sin, beginning with an insignificant occasion and ending with a grievous fall:
“If, after committing a serious sin, I wanted to get to the reason that led me to such an action, and would first remember the thought that aroused lust, then the incident that gave rise to this thought, then I would see that it was almost nothing, a smallness, a trifle hardly noticeable . It was an ambiguous word which I heard and to which I smiled; it was an indifferent glance cast by me, from which my conscience, however, kept me; it was an unnecessary explanation, which I obtained from idle curiosity; it was prayer, which I neglected and which I replaced with another occupation, more entertaining; it was the work I left behind while I kept an eye on something indefinite in my mind... A week later, the same thing was repeated for a longer time - remorse became muffled and finally fell silent... Another week... but we won't continue: everyone who has experienced this can himself finish his story and bring out a moral.
From this story it can be seen how the most insignificant case, an ambiguous word and a smile about it, led a person to a grave sin.
This is the way of the fall. The same can be the return from a sinful life to repentance and correction.
For Mary of Egypt, this first great sinner, then a great worker, the beginning of the conversion was a certain force, unknown to her at first, which did not allow her to enter the temple of Jerusalem to worship the Life-giving Cross. Recognizing the power of God in this, she immediately gave a promise to correct herself and immediately went into the wilderness.
One man spoke about himself to the Monk Paul the Simple, that the reason for his appeal to God was the words he heard in church: Wash yourself, cleanse yourself; remove your evil deeds from my eyes(Isaiah 1:16). And with these words he began his salvation.
But these examples may seem inimitable to anyone: “After all, these were people who had achieved great holiness, they might have received special grace from God, and we are ordinary people.” No, and they were ordinary people - and if they received special grace, then after they had shown much zeal in the work of their salvation.
However, let's leave them and look for other examples that are more suitable for us. Here is the gospel prodigal son - how did he begin his salvation? From deeds of prayer and fasting? Not; he only came to his senses, changed his mind, and said to himself: I will get up and go to my father(Luke 15:18), got up and went, and what happened next - you yourself know.
Get up and you, brother and sister, get up, go to the Father, fall down and say: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before You, accept me as a penitent and have mercy on me. From this moment on, begin to force yourself and do what your conscience commands.
Here is the gospel Zacchaeus - how did he begin his salvation? Is it not a promise to improve and satisfy in abundance all those whom he offended (Lk. 19:8)? Here again is an example for you, brother Christian, where to begin your correction.
And then what to do? Then, with God's help, begin the fight against vices according to your strength. First of all, find in yourself the main vice, which you loved very much and which you served as some kind of god. For example, you are used to drinking wine. Start the fight against this sin now, without postponing until the future time. When you are drawn to where your old friends will arrange a drunken binge, do not go there, decide to overcome your desire, which leads you to share drunken fun with your friends. It will be difficult at first - but you be strong, ask God for help; when you control yourself, then there will be great joy in your soul: know that you have won the victory over the devil's temptation. After that, it will be easier for you to fight sin. And then, the victory over sin will bring great joy to both your family and yourself. You will have much more fun with your family than when you shared your drunken fun with your friends.
There is much temptation during public amusements organized in towns and villages. Many young people die at these pleasure gatherings: in the cities - in theaters, masquerades, public gardens, in villages and villages - at parties, swings and other similar places. Young people are just as accustomed to this kind of amusements as the working people are to drunken drinking parties. Those who are accustomed to this kind of pleasure gatherings, amusement parks, gardens, parties and other places of temptation, need to fight these sinful habits in the same way as a drunkard with wine, a thief with theft. Just as one who has not drunk wine should beware of the first glass, so young people should be wary of the first entry into places of entertainment: some - to theaters, gardens, places of festivities, others - to parties, swings and similar gatherings. And whoever is already accustomed to this, he needs to use all the effort of the will to stop attending these pleasure meetings. At first it will be boring and difficult, but then, with the help of God, you can overcome yourself and regain peace of mind and the salvation of your soul.
So, go out to fight with your sinful skills, do not be afraid - God is your helper. Fight and pray. The salvation of the soul is the most precious thing. It is worth the trouble for him, even to the shedding of blood, if it were necessary!
Saint Macarius (Nevsky), Metropolitan of Moscow and Altai. "One for the need." Sermons, words, speeches, conversations and teachings. Volume 2
I intend, dear brethren, if God help me, to give you a short course of lectures on "How to Save Souls." The salvation of souls is the most important occupation of the Christian minister, and, of course, it should be the main aspiration of every true believer. Each of us should repeat with Simon Peter, "I'm going fishing," and, like Paul's, our goal should be, "To save at least some."
Let's start our discussion on this topic by answering the question: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAVE SOULS?
It may be useful first to answer the question of what is not the salvation of souls. We do not believe that the salvation of souls is to steal members from existing churches and then train them to pronounce our special "shibboleth". Our goal is to bring souls to Christ, not to convert them to our synagogue. Yes, there are those around us who steal sheep, and I can't say anything about them, except that they are not brothers, or at least do not act like brothers. Let them "stand or fall before their Lord" themselves. We consider it an extreme villainy - to build our own house at the expense of the ruins of a neighbor's mansion, and without any reservations we prefer to extract building materials for ourselves. I hope we agree with the generous view of Dr. Chalmers. When he was told that such and such events would not be of benefit to the Scottish Free Church, although they would contribute to the prosperity of religion in the country in general, he replied: "What is the Free Church in comparison with the spiritual good for all the people of Scotland?" Indeed, what is any church, or even all churches taken together as organizations, if they interfere with the moral and spiritual prosperity of the nation or create obstacles to the kingdom of Christ? We desire to see churches prosper only because God blesses the people through them, and not for the good of the churches themselves. There is such a thing in the world as selfishness, manifested in the zealous exaltation of our own religious party; May God's grace deliver us from this evil spirit! The expansion of the Kingdom of God should be more desirable than the growth of any one clan. Yes, we would like to do everything in our power to make those who are baptized in faith because we respect the ordinances of the Lord. We would labor diligently that those who believe in salvation by free will become believers in salvation by grace, for we would like all Christian creeds to be built on the solid rock of truth, and not on the sand of fiction; but at the same time, our goal is not a revision of opinions, but a regeneration of nature. We want to bring people to Christ rather than converting them to our specific understanding of Christianity. Our first concern should be that the sheep be gathered around the Shepherd, and after that we will have enough time to secure them to our various folds. To make people proselytes is an occupation suitable for the Pharisees; to give birth to people for God is the noble goal of the servants of Christ.
Further, we do not believe that the salvation of souls lies in the hasty inclusion of new names in the church list in order to show good results at the end of the year. This is done easily, and there are brethren who use much effort, if not skill, to achieve the desired results in this way. But if such a method is put at the center of all ministry, the results will be deplorable. Let us strive to bring truly converted people into the church and then teach them to observe all that the Lord has commanded. But we know that disciples should be taught, not just believers in name; and if you do not take this matter seriously, you can do more harm than good. To make an unconverted person a member of the church is to weaken and degrade the church, and therefore a seeming gain may actually be a loss. I am not one to condemn statistics, and I do not believe that statistics breed evil - on the contrary, they are very useful if they are accurate and if they are used legally. It is good if, through the statistics of decadence, people see the nakedness of the earth, and this causes them to fall on their knees before the Lord in prayer for prosperity; in the same way, there is no harm to workers if they are encouraged by seeing a report of the results of their work before them. It would be very unfortunate if we ceased to practice adding, subtracting, and counting results, for we must be able to determine our state quantitatively. It has been observed that those who oppose such accounting are often those brethren who are afraid that an unsatisfactory record will in some way be humiliating to them. This is not always the case, but suspiciously often.
I once heard a report from a certain church whose minister, who was famous for reducing membership to almost nothing, remarked rather cleverly, "Our church is looking up."
When asked what this meant, he replied: "Everyone knows that our church lies on its back, and therefore it has nothing to do but look up." When churches look up like this, their shepherds tend to say that statistics are pretty deceiving and that it's impossible to calculate the work of the Spirit and calculate the welfare of the church in numbers. However, the facts are such that you can calculate all this very correctly if the figures are written honestly and if all circumstances are taken into account; so if there is no growth, you can calculate fairly accurately that little work has been done; or if there is an obvious decline in the church, while the increase in the population of the society increases, you can calculate that the prayers of the church and the sermons of the minister were not among the strong ones.
Yet I maintain that any haste to acquire new members of the church is the greatest harm both to the prospective converts and to the church itself. I remember very well several young people who had a good moral character and a hopeful attitude towards religion, but instead of seeking their hearts and guiding them to genuine conversion, the pastor haunted them until he convinced them to publicly declare their faith. He thought that if they professed the faith, they would thus be more attached to holy things, and therefore he pushed them with a perfectly calm conscience, because they showed such great promises. He thought that testing too severely would alienate them, and thus, for the sake of quantity, he made them hypocrites. These young people are now much farther away from God and the church than if they had been put in their place and warned that they were unconverted. Great harm will be done to a person if he is accepted among the faithful without sufficient proof of his true regeneration. I am absolutely sure of this, because I speak on the basis of careful observation. Some of the worst sinners I know were once church members.
They were forced to make a confession of faith by excessive pressure from those who wished them well, but thought badly about the consequences.
Therefore, do not think that the salvation of souls is secured by an increase in baptisms or an increase in church membership. What is the value, for example, of such dispatches from the battlefield: "Last night, fourteen souls were under the strong influence of reproof, fifteen souls were justified, and eight souls were completely sanctified"? I'm tired of this public boasting, this counting of unhatched chickens, this display of dubious trophies. Leave this kind of soul counting, such empty attempts to ascertain in half a minute that which requires verification throughout a lifetime. Hope for the best, but even in moments of the highest spiritual uplift, be sober in your assessments. Of course, it is very good to talk to the seeking souls in person, in a separate room, but if after that you boast in vain, your boasting will offend the Holy Spirit and will be detrimental to your work.
I will also say, dear friends, that the salvation of souls is not a simple arousal of feelings. Excitement of the senses usually accompanies every great movement. And we can rightly ask whether this movement was really serious and powerful if it was like reading the Bible quietly in a cozy room. It is impossible to smash large stones without a rumble, or to wage war and make its participants sit silently like mice. In dry weather, the cart cannot move along the road without noise and dust; friction and excitation are the natural result of a driving force. In the same way, when the Spirit of God moves and stirs the hearts of men, there must be certain visible signs of this movement, although these must never be confused with the movement itself. If there are people who believe that the purpose of the movement of the cart is to produce dust, then they can take a broom and in a short time raise as much dust as a passing carriage; but this will be more annoyance than benefit.
Excitement of the senses is as much a side effect as dust, and by no means should it be considered the main goal. The woman who swept her house did it to find a drachma, not to kick up a cloud of dust.
Don't aim to create a sensation or "effect". Tears on the cheeks, sobs, screams, crowds of people after the end of the meeting, and other similar phenomena may well happen and accompany real feelings; but in no case should you plan all this in advance.
It often happens that those converts who were born with agitated feelings die as soon as the feelings go. They are like some insects that swarm on a hot day and die after sunset. Some converts are like frying pans that live in fire but run out of steam at normal temperatures. I do not like a religion that cannot do without a hot head or produces one. Show me the kind of piety that flourishes near Golgotha and not near Vesuvius. The greatest zeal in the name of Christ is compatible with common sense and prudence, while fury, merriment, and fanaticism are the product of zeal without reason. We must prepare people for reverent participation in the Supper, not for a ward in a lunatic asylum. I regret more than anyone that I have to give these warnings, but, bearing in mind the excesses of some evangelists, I cannot say less than I have said, although much more could be said on this subject.
What is true soul-winning for God really? Since this is about the use of certain means, what is the process by which the soul is brought to God and salvation? I understand that one of the main actions of this process is teaching man so that he may know the truth of God. Gospel teaching is the beginning of all true work with human souls. "Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."
Education starts the work, and it crowns it.
The gospel, according to the prophet Isaiah (55:3) is the following: "Incline your ear and come to Me: listen, and your soul will live." We are sent to evangelize, that is, to preach the gospel to all creation, but this cannot be done unless we teach people the great truths that God has revealed. The gospel is good news. If you listen to some preachers, you can come to the conclusion that the gospel is a sniff of a sacred potion to wake up sinners, or it is a bottle of liquor to fire up their brains. But it doesn't really look like such a thing. The gospel is news; it contains information and instruction on what a person needs to know, as well as promises of blessing for those who listen to it. These are not magic spells, not spells whose power lies in a certain set of sounds; but it is a revelation of facts and truths that require knowledge and faith. The gospel is a system of knowledge that requires the participation of the human mind; it provides food for thought and thought. Therefore, if you do not teach people something, then you can shout: "Believe! Believe! Believe!" - but what will they believe?
Each call requires an appropriate explanation. Or else: "Avoid!" What should be avoided? To answer this question, you need to know the biblical doctrine of the punishment for sin. "Come running!" But what to resort to? In this case, you must preach Christ, His wounds, that is, the clear doctrine of redemption through the substitutionary sacrifice. "Repent!" What to repent? Here it is necessary to answer the questions: "What is sin? What is its evil? What are the consequences of sin?" "Return!" But what does it mean to apply? By what power should we be converted? From what? For what?
The field for instruction is great if we are willing that people should know the truth that saves. "It is not good for the soul without knowledge!" Knowledge is both ours and the Lord's instrument to help people know the truth in such a way that they can believe it and feel its power. We should not try to save people in the dark, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we should try to turn them from darkness to light.
And yet, dear friends, do not think that when you participate in evangelism or special invocative ministry, you do not need to expound the doctrine of the gospel; on the contrary, in such cases you should put more emphasis on the doctrine of grace.
Preach gospel doctrines clearly, with feeling, simply, and sincerely, especially those truths that have a practical and practical application to the human condition and God's grace. It seems that some brave souls have got into their heads the idea that if a preacher speaks a word to the unconverted, he must deliberately avoid expounding the doctrines that should be preached to believers, because supposedly people will not repent if he proclaims to them all the will of God . But, brethren, this can lead to the absurd conclusion that in order to save souls, we must hide the truth and proclaim half-lies! It turns out that we must speak the truth for the people of God, because believers will not listen to anything else; and at the same time we must flatter sinners into the faith, exposing one part of the truth and hiding the rest until better times. A strange theory, although many support it. According to them, we should preach the redemption of the elect to the people of God, and the universal atonement to the outside world; we must tell believers that salvation is only by grace, but for sinners - that they, as it were, can save themselves; we should tell Christians that only God the Holy Spirit can convert, but when we talk to the unsaved we hardly mention the Holy Spirit at all. But that is not how we came to know Christ. If others understand this, then let them be a warning to us, but by no means an example.
The One who sent us to save souls did not give us permission to invent lies or suppress the truth. His work can be done without resorting to such suspicious methods.
Perhaps one of you will say, "But God, nevertheless, blesses unspoken truths and incoherent reasoning." I dare say that God does not bless untruth. He can bless the truth, even if it is mixed with lies, but the blessings will be much greater if the sermon is more in line with His Word. I cannot accept the idea that the Lord blesses evangelical casuistry, and in that case I did not speak too harshly, calling it the suppression of the truth. The departure from the doctrine of the complete corruption of man has already caused serious harm to many who listened to this kind of preaching. These people did not receive true healing because they did not know the truth about the disease they were suffering from. They weren't really dressed because nothing had been done to strip them naked. In the ministries of many preachers, the truth about the separation of man from God and how selfish and pernicious such a state is not fully revealed, because of which the condition of a person’s heart is not examined and his conscience is not awakened. People must be taught that if divine grace does not bring them out of their state of enmity with God, they will perish forever. They should also be reminded of the sovereignty of God, that is, that He is not obliged to bring them out of this state, and they have no merit before Him to ask for retribution or claim their rights, and if they want to be saved, then receive salvation solely by grace. The task of the preacher is to plunge sinners into utter helplessness, to force them to seek the One Who alone can help them.
Attempts to bring the soul to Christ, leaving it ignorant of the truth, are contrary to the design of the Holy Spirit; trying to save people with crackling phrases, excitement, or oratory is as unreasonable as trying to catch an angel with bird glue or bring down a star from the sky with music.
The best means to win souls is the pure gospel.
The weapon with which the Lord subdues people is the truth revealed in Jesus. The gospel is the best remedy for any extreme need, it is the arrow that can pierce the most hardened heart, the balm that can heal the hardest mortal wound. So preach it and don't preach anything else. Rely implicitly on this old, ancient gospel. You don't need any other nets to catch people; the nets the Lord has given are strong enough for the big fish, their meshes thick enough to hold the smallest ones.
Secondly, in order to bring the soul to Christ, it is necessary not only to instruct the listener so that he knows the truth, but also affect his heart so that he can feel it.
The mere instruction, which always appeals to reason, but leaves the feelings untouched, will, of course, be a lame service. "The legs of the lame man rise unevenly," says Solomon. In the same way, the legs of some preachers are lame, damaging their ministry. We once saw a limping preacher who had a long leg of doctrine but a very short leg of feeling. How terrible it is when a person can speak coldly about the eternal fate of the dead! Although he does not thank God for this, he does not need any heartache to think about the death of millions of human beings like himself. This is terrible! I can't stand it when I hear about the horrors of hell from the lips of people with a stern expression, harsh tone and an insensitive heart that betrays a dry mentor. Such people have dried up all kindness, sympathy and sympathy.
Lacking his own feelings, such a preacher cannot awaken them in others. People listen to his dry, lifeless statements and come to the conclusion that this preacher is "deep", then they themselves become just as "deep", in particular, they fall into a deep hibernation, as they spend the rest of their lives in contemptuous snorting about heresies, as well as pickiness to the words of even sincere people. May we never be baptized with such a spirit! Regardless of what I believe or don’t believe in, the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself remains in force for me, and God forbid that views or opinions so dry my soul and harden my heart that I would forget this law of love. ! Love for God is in the first place, but this in no way diminishes the obligation to love your neighbor. In fact, the first commandment includes the second. We must be concerned about the salvation of our neighbors because we love them, and we must speak to them in terms of the gospel of God's love because from our hearts we wish them this eternal good.
The sinner has not only a head, but also a heart; he has not only thoughts, but also feelings, and we must refer to both. A sinner cannot turn to God if his feelings remain untouched. If he does not feel remorse for sin, if he has no joy in receiving the Word of God, much cannot be expected of him. Truth must permeate his soul and paint it in its own color. The word should be like a strong wind that rushes through his heart and shakes the whole person, like a summer wind sways the ripening ears in the field. A religion without feelings is a religion without life.
Yet we must bear in mind the cause of these feelings. Do not play with the soul, arousing non-spiritual feelings in it. Some preachers are very fond of talking in their sermons about funerals, about dying children, and in this way make people cry because of ordinary natural feelings. Such feelings, it is true, can lead to something good, but do they have any value in themselves? What good is it when a mother's grief or a widow's grief is touched upon? I do not believe that our merciful Lord has sent us to make people weep for their departed loved ones, to dig up their graves anew and to awaken in their memory the pictures of grievous losses and grief. Why would He do this? It is certainly useful to relate the case of a dying Christian or a sinner, to illustrate the peace in the heart of the believer and the torment of the conscience of the unbeliever; however, the benefit comes not from the illustration itself, but from the truth that we prove. Natural grief in itself is not beneficial. We look at it as a hindrance that distracts us from higher thoughts; this is too high a price for sensitive hearts, unless we can compensate for it by grafting onto the trunk of natural senses spiritual impressions that will last for a long time. "It was a wonderful speech that really touched the heart," said one person who heard it. Yes, but what were the practical results of these feelings? A young preacher once remarked, "Weren't you shocked to see such a large congregation crying?" - "Yes," his sensible friend replied, "but I was even more shocked when I thought that these people would probably cry even more while watching the performance." This is true, and in both cases, crying can be equally useless. I once saw a girl on board a steamer who was reading a book and weeping as if her heart were breaking. But when I glanced at the title of the book, it turned out that it was one of those stupid novels that fill the shelves of railway bookstores. Her tears were a complete waste of moisture. So are the tears produced by the sentimental stories and stories of the dying that can be heard from the pulpit.
If our hearers weep for their sins and for the sufferings of Christ, let their tears flow in streams; if the cause of their tears is natural and not spiritual, what good have you done by making them weep? Perhaps there is some virtue in making people happy, because there is enough grief in this world; but what is the use of inflicting unnecessary suffering? What right do you have to go around the world and cut everyone with a scalpel just to show your surgical skills? A real doctor cuts tissue only for healing, and a wise minister stirs up painful feelings in the hearts of people, having in mind the only goal - the blessing of their souls. You and I must keep knocking on the hearts of the people until they break; further, we must preach about Christ crucified until the wounds of their hearts are bandaged; when this is done, we must continue to expound the gospel until their whole being is subject to the gospel of Christ. Even as you prepare, you will feel the need for the Holy Spirit to work in you. But this need will become even more evident when you step forward and talk about being born again, in which the divinity of the Holy Spirit is manifested to the highest degree.
I have already pointed out to you that instruction and impression are what is most necessary for the salvation of souls; but that's not all, as they are only means to achieve the desired result. A great deal of work must be done before a person can receive the salvation of a soul. Divine grace must work its miracle over the soul, far surpassing anything that can be done by human efforts. To all whoever we wish to bring to Christ, the written word applies: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The Holy Spirit must work a revival in those we love otherwise they will never be able to become the owners of eternal happiness. They must be quickened to new life, to become new creatures in Christ Jesus. The same power that resurrected Christ and created the world must act on them with all its might - nothing less than this can satisfy this need. They have to be born again, born again. At first glance, it may seem that no person is needed here at all; however, turning to Scripture, we do not find evidence for such a conclusion, on the contrary, many places say the opposite. Yes, we find in Scripture that the Lord is all in all, but there is no hint that for this reason one can do without means. The sovereignty and power of the Lord is more glorious when He does the work by means. He is so great that he is not afraid to honor the instruments he uses by speaking lofty words about them and endowing them with great power to influence others. Unfortunately, we can talk too little about the Holy Spirit, and I fear this is one of the most egregious sins of our time; and yet even the infallible Word of God, in which truth is always rightly balanced, magnifying the Holy Spirit, does not speak disparagingly of the person through whom God works. God does not think that His glory is so dubious that it should be maintained at the cost of diminishing human services. There are two passages in the Epistles that often surprise me when I read and compare them. Paul compares himself to his father and mother when he speaks of the new birth; he speaks of one of the converts: "...whom I have begotten in my bonds", and also of the whole church: "My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you." Brave claim! It is much bolder than modern theology admits, and than the most blessed minister can afford; and yet these words are sanctified, even more than that - dictated by God Himself by the Holy Spirit, and therefore they are not subject to criticism. God pours this mysterious power into His chosen vessels, and therefore we are called "workers with God"; at the same time, our responsibility follows from this, as well as the foundation of our hope.
Regeneration, or being born again, produces a change in the whole nature of a person, and its essence, as far as we understand, lies in the introduction and creation of a new principle within a person. The Holy Spirit creates in us a new heavenly and immortal nature, which in Scripture is called "spirit", and thus differs from the soul. Our concept of rebirth is such that the fallen nature of a person consists only of body and soul, and when a person is reborn, a new, higher nature is created in him - "spirit" - which is a spark from the eternal fire of God's life and love. This spark falls in the heart and remains there, and makes the one who received it "a partaker of the Divine nature." From now on, man consists of three parts: body, soul and spirit, and the spirit is the dominant force among these three. You all well remember this wonderful chapter about the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, where these differences are very well described in the following words: “A natural body is sown, a spiritual body is raised. soul living; and the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. But not the spiritual first, but the spiritual, then the spiritual" (v. 44-46). First we are in our natural, or spiritual, state of being, which was the first Adam; then, through regeneration, we pass into another state, and become possessors of a "life-giving spirit. Without this spirit, no man can see and enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, our fervent desire should be that the Holy Spirit visit our listeners and create them new people - that He would descend on these dry bones and breathe eternal life in those who are dead in sin.Until this happens, they can never accept the truth, for "the natural man does not receive what is from the Spirit of God, because he considers it foolishness; and cannot understand, because it [should] be judged spiritually." "Carnal thoughts are death, but spiritual thoughts are life and peace." A new, heavenly way of thinking must be created by the power of the Almighty, otherwise a person is in a state of death. Therefore as you see, there is such a great work before us, which we are absolutely unable to do by ourselves. Neither a minister, nor all of us put together, nor all the saints in heaven and on earth can save a soul - no one can regenerate even one - only soul. All efforts on our part will be the height of folly, unless we are in the use of the Holy Spirit and are not filled with His power. On the other hand, the miracles of revival that accompany our ministry are the best seal and proof of our calling. The apostles could refer to those the miracles that Christ did and which they themselves did in His name, and we refer to the miracles that the Holy Spirit works, because they are just as divine and real as those that created by the Lord Himself. These miracles are the creation of new life in the human heart, as well as the complete change of the whole being of those upon whom the Holy Spirit descends.
Since this spiritual life born of God in people is a mystery, let's talk in more detail about its more visible results, about the visible signs that accompany this life, because it is in their presence that we should be interested. First of all, the revival will be obvious if there is awareness of sinfulness. We believe that this is an absolutely necessary sign of the work of the Holy Spirit. New life, entering the heart, causes, first of all, a strong inner pain. It is true that in our day one hears of people who have been healed before they were wounded, and who have received the assurance of justification before they have wept over their condemnation, but the value of such healing and justification is very doubtful. This order of things is not consistent with the truth. God does not clothe a man unless he first strips him naked. He does not make him alive with the gospel unless he first puts him to death with the law. If you meet a person in whom there is not even a trace of awareness of his own sinfulness, you can be quite sure that the Holy Spirit has not yet worked on him, for "He, when he comes, will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." When the Spirit of the Lord breathes on us, He dries up all the glory of man, which is like a flower on the grass, and then reveals the highest and everlasting glory. Do not be surprised if this awareness of sinfulness is sometimes too sharp and disturbing, but, on the other hand, do not condemn those in whom it manifests itself less strongly, for wherever sin is mourned, confessed, abandoned and hated, we see the clear result of the work of the Spirit. Saint. True, many fears and doubts that accompany the realization of sinfulness do not come from the Spirit of God, but from Satan or from corrupted nature. Yet a true and deep awareness of sinfulness is absolutely necessary, and the preacher must achieve it, for where it is not felt, there the birth again has not yet occurred.
It is just as true that true conversion can be recognized by the sign simple faith in Jesus Christ. You do not need to say much about this, because you yourself are quite convinced of this truth. The exercise of faith is at the very center of the target you are aiming at. You will have no proof that you have won a man's soul for Christ until he has renounced himself and his merits and hid himself in Christ. Care must be taken especially to ensure that a person exercises this faith in Christ in order to receive full salvation, and not part of it. Many people think that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to forgive past sins, but they do not rely on Him to keep them in the future. They trust Him for their past years, but they do not trust Him for the years to come, when nowhere in Scripture does it say that Christ accomplished such a divided salvation. He either bore all our sins or none. He saves us either once and for all, or not at all. His death will never happen again. And therefore, either it really is a propitiation for the future sins of the believer, or the believer will perish, since there can be no question of any other redemption in the future, and the believer will certainly commit sins in the future. Blessed be His name, for it is said: "And in everything in which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified by Him." Salvation by grace is eternal salvation. Sinners must commit their souls to Christ for protection for all eternity, otherwise how can they consider themselves saved? Alas! Some teach that believers are only partly saved and must be dependent on their future efforts for the rest. Is this the gospel?
No I do not think so. True faith relies entirely on the whole of Christ to receive the whole of salvation. Is it any wonder that many new converts fall away if, in fact, they have never been taught to use their faith in Christ for eternal salvation, but have used it only for temporal conversion? Wrong explanation of Christ breeds wrong faith; and if such a faith languishes in its own impotence, who is to blame? They receive according to their faith: both the preacher and the possessor of partial faith must share the responsibility for the failure of their wretched, ugly faith. I would like to say this even louder, because such a semi-legal way of believing is very common. We must insist that the trembling sinner rely entirely and exclusively on the Lord Jesus forever, otherwise we will force him to conclude that he must begin with the spirit and end with the flesh: he will walk by faith in the past and by works in the future, which will lead to him to a fatal end. True faith in Christ embraces life eternal, she sees the fullness of salvation in the One whose one-time sacrifice sanctified the people of God once and for all. The feeling that you are saved and, moreover, saved completely in Christ Jesus, is not, as some believe, the source of carnal self-confidence and the enemy of holy zeal, but quite the opposite. Delivered from the fear that makes salvation himself more immediate subject than salvation from myself, and inspired by holy gratitude to his Redeemer, the regenerate man becomes capable of virtue and full of zeal for the glory of God. If a man trembles with a feeling of insecurity of salvation, then he directs his thoughts first of all to his own interests; but if he is established on the Rock of Ages, he has both the time and the desire to sing the new song that the Lord has put into his mouth.
And after that, his personal salvation is completed in the moral sense, because his "I" no longer dominates him. Therefore, do not rest until you see in your new converts a simple, sincere, and determined faith in the Lord Jesus.
Along with undivided faith in Jesus Christ, there must also be sincere repentance for sin. Repentance is an old-fashioned word, not often used by today's popular evangelists. "Oh," one minister once said to me, "but it only means a change of mind!" He obviously thought he had reached a profound conclusion. Yes, indeed, it is "only a change of mind," but what a change! This is a change of attitude to everything in the world! Instead of saying "this only change of mind,” I think it’s more useful to say that this is a great and profound change—it is, in fact, a change of the mind itself. But no matter what the literal meaning of the word in the original Greek, repentance is not a toy. the one given in the children's hymn: To repent means to leave the sins that we previously loved, And to show that we sincerely lament for them, Not repeating them anymore.
True conversion is in all cases accompanied by a sense of sinfulness (of which we spoke earlier under the heading Consciousness of sinfulness), regret for sin, that is, holy contrition for committed sins; hatred of sin, which shows that the power of sin is over; and also a practical aversion from sin, showing that the inner life of the soul governs the outer life. True faith and true repentance are twins: it would be futile to try to determine which of the two is born first. Just as the spokes of a wheel move all at the same time as the wheel, so all the signs of new life come into play when the Holy Spirit brings about regeneration.
Yet I emphasize again that true repentance must take place in man. A sinner cannot look at the Savior with dry eyes and a heart of stone. Therefore, set your sights on the contrition of the heart, the condemnation of the conscience, the turning away of thinking from sin, and do not rest until the whole mind has profoundly and completely changed its attitude towards sin.
Another proof that the soul is won for Christ will be seen in genuine lifestyle change. If a person does not live otherwise than he lived before - both at home and in society - then his repentance is deplorable, and his conversion is a fiction. Not only actions and speech must change, but also the spirit and character of a person. “But,” someone will say, “because grace often grafts even to a wild tree!” Yes I know that; but what are the fruits after this inoculation? The fruits will be those of the grafted branch, and not those of the original trunk.
“But,” someone else will say, “I have a terrible temper, and he suddenly gets the better of me. Then, when my anger passes, I feel very guilty. And although I can’t control myself, I’m pretty sure that I am a Christian!" Don't be too hasty, my friend, or I'll answer that I'm just as sure of the opposite. What is the use of cooling down quickly if in two or three seconds you have brought everything around you to a boil? If some person bruises me in anger, then my wound will not be healed by the fact that I will see how he regrets his crazy act. The irascible temper must be subdued and the whole man must be renewed, otherwise his conversion is doubtful. We should not call our flock to moderate holiness and say that if they reach these standards, they will be all right. Scripture says, "Whoever commits sin is of the devil." If we are in the power of any known sin, then this is a sign that we are slaves of sin, for "you are the slaves to whom you obey." It is in vain that a man boasts who harbors in his heart a love for any kind of sin. He can feel as he likes, he can think as he sees fit, but he is still "in bitter bile and in the bonds of unrighteousness" as long as at least one sin is the master of his heart and life. Genuine revival instills hatred for all evil; if a person takes pleasure in at least one sin, then such evidence does not leave grounds for the hope that a person is really regenerated. You don't have to use a dozen poisons to kill someone, just one is enough.
There must be harmony between life and religion.
To be a Christian is to renounce sin; if a Christian does not do this, then his very name is a deception.
One day a drunken man came to Roland Hill and said, "I am one of your converts, Mr. Hill." "It's possible," replied this shrewd and sensitive preacher, "but you're not the Lord's convert, or you wouldn't be drunk!" We must bring all our work to this practical test.
We must see in our converts also true prayer. If there is no prayer, one can be quite sure that the soul is dead. We are not obliged to call people to prayer in the sense that it is the greatest duty of an evangelist, or the only prescribed way to salvation; because our main slogan is "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." We can easily misplace prayer and make it a kind of work that a person must do in order to receive eternal life. I hope you try your best to avoid this. Faith is the greatest result of the gospel message; but, nevertheless, we must not forget that true faith always prays, and if a man proclaims faith in the Lord Jesus, but does not cry out to the Lord every day, we do not dare to believe in his faith and his conversion. The evidence given by the Holy Spirit to Ananias, by which He convinced him of Saul's conversion, was not, "Behold, he loudly expresses his joy and affection," but, "Behold, now he is praying," and in that prayer there was a sincere, contrite confession of sin. and a plea for forgiveness. May God grant that we see this sure proof in all who claim to be our converts!
In addition, in the convert should be visible readiness to be obedient to the Lord in carrying out all His commands.
It is a shame if a person declares himself to be a disciple of Christ, and at the same time does not want to know the will of his Lord on this or that issue, or even deviates from obedience when he knows this will. How can a person be a disciple of Christ if he lives in direct disobedience to Him?
If a new convert definitely and consciously declares that he knows the will of the Lord, but does not intend to do it, you must not indulge his presumption, but must directly assure him that he is not saved. Didn't the Lord say that "he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy to be my disciple"? If a person errs in understanding the Lord's will, he can be gently corrected, but any conscious disobedience is fatal, and tolerance for him will mean betrayal of the One who sent us. Jesus must be received not only as a Priest, but also as one's King; if there is indecision in this matter, then the foundations of piety have not yet been laid.
Faith must be obedient to the will of her Lord, just as she trusts in his grace; A forgiving God is at the same time a jealous God for His own holiness.
So you see, my brethren, that the signs that prove that a soul is saved are by no means unimportant, and one should not talk lightly about the work that must be done before these signs appear. He who brings souls to Christ can do nothing without God.
He must rely on the Invisible, so as not to be a laughing stock of the devil, who looks with complete disdain on anyone who dreams of conquering human nature with mere words and convictions. To all who hope to succeed in such a work with the help of their own strength, we wish to address the question that the Lord once asked Job: “Can you draw Leviathan with a fishhook and seize his tongue with a rope?
Will you put a ring in his nostrils? Will you pierce his jaw with a needle? Will you play with him like a bird, and will you bind him for your girls? Lay your hand on it, and remember the struggle: you will not go forward. Hope is in vain: will you not fall at one glance from him?" Depending on God is our strength and joy. Being in such dependence, let's go ahead and look for souls to bring them to Him.
I want to say that in the course of our ministry we will meet many failures in the work of bringing souls to Christ. There are many such birds that I thought I had caught; I was even able to put salt on their tail, but in the end they flew away. I remember one person that I will name Thomas the Careless. He terrified the village in which he lived. There were frequent fires in that area, and most people thought he was the culprit.
Sometimes he would go on drinking binges for two or three weeks, and then he would rage and rage like a madman. This man came to hear my sermon. I remember what a sensation it was when he entered the premises of a small church. He sat down on the bench and literally fell in love with me. I thought he repented for the first time that day, but he said that he had already been converted. Obviously, he really experienced true repentance, and outwardly completely changed his character, stopped drinking and swearing, and in many respects was an exemplary person. I remember I saw him pulling a barge with about a hundred people on board, whom he invited to my sermon; he was proud of his work, and sang as joyfully and happily as any of them.
If anyone said something against the Lord, he did not hesitate to beat him with his fist. As I left that place, I feared that grace had not yet done its work in this man; he was a wild red Indian type of person. I heard about him that he could catch a bird in the field, gut it and eat it raw. Such actions are not to the face of a Christian, this is not at all "what is kind and glorious." After I left this area, I asked about this man, and did not hear anything good about him. The spirit that kept him in good physical condition is gone, and he is worse off than before, if that's even possible. Now no remedy could touch him. The work that I did couldn't stand the fire, it couldn't even stand the usual temptation after the person who influenced it had gone away. When you leave the village or town where you preached, it is very likely that some of those who started out well will go back to the old way. They had good feelings for you, and your words had a kind of hypnotic effect on them, but when you left, the dog returns to his vomit, and the cleanly washed pig goes to wallow in the mud. Don't be too quick to count these supposed converts; don't take them into church too soon; do not greatly rejoice in their zeal, unless it is accompanied by the necessary degree of gentleness and delicacy, which shows that the Holy Spirit has really worked on their souls.
I remember another case of a very different kind. I will call this person Mrs. Maria Shallow. She was a young lady, not of great intelligence, but because she lived in the same house with several young Christian girls, she also claimed to be converted. I thought it was about time to accept her into the church, but then I decided to test it a little first. After a short time, she left her friends in the place where she lived and moved to a place where she had no one to help; and I have heard nothing of her since, except that she spent all her time in the finest clothes she could afford, and in company with young people. She is a type of people who do not have much intelligence in their heads, and if the grace of God does not fill this void, they will very soon return to the world.
I knew some people who looked like a young man whom I will call Smart Charlie- they are unusually smart in everything and anywhere, they are also smart in the fake religion that they undertake to profess. They play their part very smoothly; they try to preach and they're good at it. Whatever they undertake, they succeed without preparation, for them it is as easy as kissing their own hand. Take your time to accept such people into the church; they differ in that they have not experienced the feeling of humiliation because of their sin; they have no contrite heart, no sense of divine grace. They shout: "We're all right!" - and then go away; and you will be convinced that they will never reward you for your labors and experiences. They may use the language of God's children, even the best of His saints, they may even talk about their doubts and fears, but these "deep" experiences are enough for five minutes. They look smarter than they should, and if they get into the church, they can cause a lot of trouble, so keep them as far away from the church as you can.
I remember one who was very holy in his speeches, I will name him Ivan Krasnobay . Oh, how cleverly he could be hypocritical, entered the midst of our young people and then led them into all sorts of sins and crimes, and with all this he loved to meet with me and start a spiritual conversation for half an hour! This worthless man lived in open sin, and at the same time participated in the Lord's Supper, infiltrated into our public affairs and tried to be a leader in every good work! Brothers, be vigilant! Such people can come to you with money in their hands, like that fish with a coin in its mouth that Peter caught, they can be so helpful in your work! They speak so softly and they have such good manners! Yes, I believe that Judas was just that kind of person: he was very smart and deceived those around him. We must keep in mind that such people should not be allowed into the church under any circumstances, and should be kept outside by all available means. Maybe at the end of a meeting you mentally say, "What a great catch of fish!" But wait a minute. Remember the words of the Savior: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the sea and capturing fish of every kind, which, when it was full, they pulled ashore and sat down, gathered the good into vessels, and threw the bad out.” Don't count your fish until you've fried it; do not count your converts until you have tested and tested them. This may slow down your work a little, but later you will be sure of it. Do your work with restraint and thoroughness, lest the one who will minister after you say that he had to go through much more trouble to clear the church of those who should not have been admitted than you have been to admit them. If God gives you the ability to lay three thousand bricks in one day in His spiritual temple, you can do it; but to this day only Peter has been such a good bricklayer. Do not paint a wooden wall like a brick; let your whole building be true, strong and sure. Let your entire building for God be like that of the Apostle Paul: “I, according to the grace given to me from God, as a wise builder, laid the foundation, and another builds on [it]; but look how each one builds. For no one can to lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ, and if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one's work will be revealed; everyone's work, what it is, whoever's work that he built will stand, he will receive a reward. And whoever's business is burned, he will suffer damage; however, he himself will be saved, but so, as if from fire.
How to save the soul from eternal death - a collection of spiritual and moral articles. Compiled by priest Nikolai Uspensky.
On faith, hope and love for God
What is the Orthodox Faith
How Holy Faith Strengthens and Grows
Believe in simplicity of heart
Faith in God
Hope in God
You will trust in God and get rid of evil
Love for God
Where to find Jesus Christ
Who loves the Lord
Who does not love the Lord
That the faith of the Orthodox Church is the true faith
Who will separate us from the love of God
On Doubt in Works of Faith
Spirit of unbelief in Russia
Signs of disbelief
Why does faith weaken?
Don't be cold to faith
Beware of disbelief
Do not be discouraged, Christian, if moments of unbelief, doubts about the truths of faith are found upon you. This can and does happen to every believer.
About prayer and its power
How should we relate to recited prayer
How to Pray to God
Preparation for prayer
The very fulfillment of prayer
What to do after prayer
What is true prayer
On the Effect of Prayer (selected letters of St. Nil the ascetic)
On the need to pray constantly and without being lazy
Who should you pray for first?
Christian, don't let up in your prayer
About prayer before icons
About invoking saints in prayers
"Lord have mercy!"
Lord's Prayer
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Instruction to those who pray
An example of the saving effect of prayer
What to Do When Prayer Doesn't Come to Mind
night prayer
Blessed is he who has firm faith and knows how to pray fervently
"Praying is very difficult"
When you feel weak in prayer
Instruction on Prayer
An Important Note from the Holy Father on Prayer
How to save your souls from eternal death
Prayer in church and prayer at home
On Prayer in the Church of God
Don't tell people that God heard your prayer
Why is psalmody introduced into our lives and why the prophecies themselves are predominantly pronounced with singing
Examples of the Power of Prayer
About the sign of the cross and its power
About the sign of the cross in general
Why do we make the sign of the cross
The Power of the Cross
Reward for the veneration of the cross image
The power of the honest cross saves from drowning
About holy icons
About icons in general and their holiness
The use and veneration of St. icons based on the Holy Scriptures
On the use and veneration of St. icons in the Christian Church from the first times it says the Holy Tradition
The veneration of holy icons is sanctified by the miracles that the Lord was pleased to perform through them.
About the correct veneration of holy icons
About the veneration of the Holy Mysteries of Christ
About St. communion
The miraculous power of the Holy Mysteries
The fate of those who do not honor the Holy Mystery
The power of faith in the sacrament of St. Eucharist
How to Prepare and Receive Holy Communion
About the veneration of Sunday and holidays
On honoring Sunday
Sunday is the day of the Lord
Holiday rest is essential for human well-being
How to spend holidays
Sunday afternoon in London
Working on holidays is a sin
"Poor man, why don't you rest on Sunday?"
The word of God and its power
The Word of God is the greatest good for the human heart
The word of God is food for the soul
About the Holy Bible
Judgment on the Bible Do you have a Bible
When to Read the Bible
In what order to read the Bible
About the gospel
The Book of Eternal Life
What to Do When You Don't Understand Something While Reading the Bible
The Power of the Word of God
Miracles and their power
About miracles
Miracles are unceasing
Gospel Healing Miracles
Christian family life
A few words to those entering into marriage
True Christian marriage and what it is like for us
Christian family life
About family well-being
How to Call on God's Blessing
Family troubles - as the cause of the disasters of the peasants
Childhood and adolescence is the most convenient time for teaching children our rules of piety
Parents, teach your children to pray
Youth is a happy time
On the obedience of children to parents
The Importance of the Fifth Commandment of the Law of God
Responsibilities of the Fifth Commandment
Examples of deep obedience and devotion to superiors and mentors
Explicit punishment of God for disrespect to parents
What kind of legacy should parents leave to their children?
Spoiled children
To you, fathers and mothers, my word
Exhortation to the youth
A warning, especially to the youth, against indulgences of disobedience and false interpretations
The Pastor's Instructions to Spiritual Children
Father's advice to son
What should parents do with their daughters
Women's passion for dress
Don't worry about clothes and outfits
How ordinary people look at a woman
For the comfort of the sick and grieving
Diseases and their benefits
What to do in times of grief
"Be Patient in Grief"
“Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has blessed you”
A few words offended
The murmur of people to a bitter fate
Troubles and hardships are our well-being. God is our refuge
Our idols
Modern idolatry
spiritual idolatry
About wealth
Wealth and poverty
How to get richer
What is the true wealth of a person
Wealth is a great gift of God, a great mercy of God.
“Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich or when the glory of his house is multiplied”
Wealth troubles
How to deal with wealth
Smart wealth management
Rich and Lazarus
Consolation to the poor
Sin of avarice
The Lord punishes the cruel money-lovers
About envy
About pride
about the same
Pharisee and publican in a Christian temple
Remedy for pride
Pride and vanity
Teaching against selfishness
About drunkenness
Terrible sins
"Do not get drunk with wine, it contains fornication"
What causes greed for wine
A lesson to the common people against drunkenness
The fruits of drunkenness
Gracious cure for drunkenness
Drinking cure
The usual excuses of the people from sobriety
Punishment of the Lord for a dissolute life
The sins of our time and unkind customs
card game
"We are dark people"
About bad thoughts and temptations
bad thoughts
About temptations
How to deal with temptations
How to avoid temptations
What are the souls of those infected with passions like?
Our Temptations: Wrestling with the Flesh and the World
The life of an evil man, partial to the world and the flesh
How to deal with passion
The world lies in evil
The nets of the devil
A powerful weapon against the devil
About death and afterlife
scary word
What is death
Horror of death
Death, grave, destruction
The hour of my death
The hour of death, who will escape you
The unknown hour of death
Every person is determined to die and then stand before the Judgment of God
Like St. martyrs looked at death
How do we face our own death?
How to prepare for death
Wonderful sayings of the great righteous before their death
A dying man's view of his past life
True Christian Death
Death of a sinner
About why sometimes good and honest people die a bad death, and evil and vicious people a good death
How should one spend the last days and hours of life
The necessity and benefits of commemorating the dead
Benefits for the souls of the dead from commemoration at the liturgy
About the need to give alms for the dead
Benefits of visiting a cemetery
Sky
About the afterlife
afterlife
About our afterlife
The revived dead woman - a messenger from the underworld
Last Judgment
We'll see you again in eternity
View other books
Date of publication or update 05/01/2017
How to save your souls from eternal perdition.
Do you want to be freed from slavery to passions, to endure illnesses, sorrows and calamities of life complacently and easily? Turn diligently all with prayer to the Mother of God, ask yourself Her high assistance, Her consolation, ask fervently, relentlessly, as if you saw Her before your eyes in Her divine glory; and you will surely receive Her help; She will surely overshadow you with Her cover.
You yourself will see it, feel it: it will be so easy, peaceful, fun for you. And if you don’t get it, blame yourself: it means that you prayed insincerely, unworthily. Who is more to intercede for us, who is more to listen to our prayers, if not the Mother of God?
Although She is now in heaven, in all heavenly glory, she is from us, from our sinful earth; She lived here, like us, and also experienced many sorrows; how can she not listen from there, how can she not stand up for her own? Just do not, never need to forget that She is the Most Holy One and does not like lawlessness.
Therefore, asking in our prayers for Her intercession with God for us, let us try to be far from any sin, like uncleanness, which turns away from us both the eyes and the hearing of the Intercessor and brings heavenly wrath upon us (from the teachings of Archpriest I. Sergiev, v. 1).
