Love for God and service to him. Confidence in God's Love

My present sermon will be somewhat unusual for me, for up to now I have spoken only to believing Orthodox Christians. Today I will have to read my speech to a much more diverse audience. But this is even interesting, because how else to taste the taste of wine, if not to drink it? Jesus said, "Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" And I hope with all my heart that after listening to me, you will find this happiness and harmony of your souls.

The topic of my sermon, oddly enough, will be love. But wait, do not say that everything has been said about love for a long time, and there is nothing to discuss here. Let me disagree with you.

Love is eternal, it existed even before the Lord created this world, for God is eternal, and God is love. The first people were created for the love of God. The Bible book "Song of Songs" is entirely devoted to the love of King Solomon. Love for people prompted Jesus Christ to sacrifice himself for the salvation of mankind.

The apostle Paul said, "God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and love, and soundness." So you should not consider this "spirit of love" as some kind of mysterious guest that visits a person, takes possession of his whole being, causing a storm of enthusiastic feelings and a terrible attraction. This is not true. I agree that love is a wonderful, incomparable feeling. But, one way or another, it must be comprehended, both rationally and empirically. My point is that the frivolous feelings that reign in the world today have little to do with true love, the kind of love that encourages people to become husband and wife, build a happy family, raise children and avoid divorce.

Open your eyes! Look around! Look around! Isn't that what John wrote about in his Apocalypse: fornication, and adultery, and immorality! In this world, there seems to be no place left for love and family. Many narrow-minded people would say: “But why love and marriage to a modern person?” What do you mean why?! Is modern society really a poorly organized, shattered structure that smells of drugs, alcohol, pheromones and is illuminated by red lanterns?! Has mankind now returned to the Stone Age, to the time of promiscuity, when everyone slept with everyone else?

In most developed countries, the institution of marriage is collapsing, or at least in crisis. Many marriages end in divorce. Incomplete families make up 20% of the total number of families. And this despite the fact that when parents divorce, the most innocent creatures suffer - children. In his stunning epistles, Paul wrote: "Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies: he who loves his wife loves himself." What, was the apostle not right? Does love really end only in bed, without going beyond promiscuity and dubious relationships?

A lot of young people today start their families this way. Having met, we met for about two months, got a little idea about each other and decided that they would live together. Everything! Just live together. And how do they explain it? Yes, it’s very simple: they say, suddenly we don’t get along in character, fall out of love with each other, decide that we can’t be together. Then there is nothing easier than to disperse. But if nothing so terrible happens, then we'll see, maybe - and we will register our relationship. But for the most part, such relationships end in divorce, but in essence, nothing. There were two loving hearts, and no. And it’s also good that during their life together, young people did not make a child! Otherwise, he will suffer the most. But parents don't care. And the whole tragedy happened due to the fact that once they did not give a damn about love, they decided that it was no more important than a cigarette: you can smoke it and throw it on the dirty asphalt. And they themselves are to blame for this. No one is to blame: neither God, nor others, nor the Church, nor anyone else - only they are responsible for everything.

So it turns out that we have real, strong families - once or twice and counted, and then some still shout: “We don’t need families, we don’t need love!” Well, you don't have to and you don't have to. Only I want to ask such air shakers: “Where did you come from? After all, someone gave birth to you? And if I gave birth, then I hope not in a public toilet at the station, or not in the gateway of the red light district, and certainly not in a nightclub, right on the dance floor? I am sure, I swear to you, that it is not. You were born by a completely normal woman, under normal conditions, and for sure - you are the fruit of pure and strong love of your parents. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here and listening to me.

One of the letters of the New Testament says: "All that was written before was written for our instruction." So let's turn to the Holy Scriptures, namely, to the speeches of the Apostle Paul, already mentioned by me in this sermon, his First Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 13, for it is not without reason that he is called the "Apostle of Love."

So, now we will talk not only about family love, for I sincerely hope that each of those sitting here shares the biblical truth “a man will cleave to his wife, and two will become one flesh.” Now spiritual love, love for one's neighbor, will be added to the love between a man and a woman. And in no case should these two manifestations of love be separated, for remember: God is love and God is everything in this world and God is one, therefore love is one and never ceases, no matter what happens and no matter what crazy speeches are uttered.

Paul says: “faith, hope, love; but the love of them is greater. So what's so difficult about it? Believe! And according to your faith, you will be given the hope of salvation. Hope! For your hope will surely bring love with it. So love, because in essence only love rules the hearts of good people, through love it is easiest to know God; remember that he loved us so much that he gave his only-begotten son as a sacrifice for our sins! Believe, hope and love, because since the creation of the world people have believed, hoped and loved. So it was and so it will be!

But what is neighborly love? Let me take as an example the pure love of a man and a woman. What does Scripture say? That love is merciful, long-suffering, not exalted. And from myself I will add: and sacrifices himself for the sake of his beloved. So, if love is mutual, then let it endure everything; if for some reason she cannot endure everything, then love is weak and cannot be called real.

Take care of love, for there will be nothing better than love in your life, for there is nothing and no one better than God, and God, I repeat, is love. Nothing will replace love for you: no drugs, no alcohol, no music, no dubious entertainment, no promiscuity; and if you do not know how to love, then there is no more unhappy person in the world, I swear to you. Love is fragile, like a reed, and tender, like lily leaves, hide it from the harmful effects of everything evil and devilish. Is it true that when a candle is burning in your hands and the wind blows, do you not shelter its flame from the wind? So hide your love from the winds of life, otherwise they will extinguish it and plunge your entire existence into darkness.

Let me tell you another story. When he was a student of history, this man met one girl, beautiful, smart and kind. After some time, love was born between them. And what would you think? Young people got married and began to live together. I'm sure at first the love between them was the most real! But soon the same worldly winds appeared: boring working days, new acquaintances, minor problems. These people did not save their love, they allowed it to be torn into small pieces. And to whom? To ourselves! It's easier than ever to take out anger and fatigue on your neighbor, and you try to love him, no matter what, despite all the troubles of life! Try to take care of your loved one, not noticing the speck in his eye, and even pulling the log out of your own eye! This is what is difficult, this is what requires strong faith and strong hope!

Unfortunately, such a story is not uncommon today, and, sadly, it is being repeated more and more often among young people. But I sincerely hope that the hearts of all who sit here are not made of stone, but of flesh, and at least a small part of my sermon has touched these hearts. And this is the most important and comforting thing for me.

Finally, I want to say that everything I said today was not unfounded. Not at all. My sermon today before you, who so kindly agreed to listen to me, is based on the immortal truth of the Holy Scriptures and in my strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to us:

GOD IS LOVE.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen.

Zhanna Zakharova 2012

The one who knows how to love is the creator

Scripture passage: Colossians 3:14

Today, taking advantage of the opportunity and honor given to me by God to stand in this pulpit, I will affirm that the one who knows how to love becomes a creator. He can create everything new in himself and around him.

Is there anyone in this room who needs a word of love? Someone may not feel that he is loved, who feels a lack of love in his life.

I look forward to your most active participation in today's meeting. If your heart will respond to what I say - say out loud "Amen", raise your hand, nod your head.

Today we will not just parse the word, we will work together on ourselves. This is what we come here for. Praise God and change according to His word And if you have any questions, write it down for yourself, we will discuss it after the service.

I know that some believers are, to put it mildly, embarrassed when they see a woman instead of a preacher. Someone, perhaps, will think now: “Well, a woman, in the spring she was drawn to romance, she is going to talk about love.” Those who think so are in for a surprise.

Meanwhile, love is one of the three Christian virtues. And - the main one. What are the other two? Any ideas?

1 CORINTHIANS 13

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have no love, then I am a ringing brass or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but have no love, then I am nothing.

3 And if I give away all my possessions, and give my body to be burned, but have no love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, does not pride itself,

5 does not act disorderly, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil,

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

10 When that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease.

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child; and when he became a man, he left the childish.

12 Now we see, as it were, through a dim glass, guessingly, then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, just as I am known.

13 And now these three remain: Faith Hope Love; but the LOVE of them is greater.

God has order in everything and always. If only we knew and understood this order. He tells us about three Christian virtues: faith, hope and love. They are interrelated, but still they are not the same.

Each has its own peculiarity. Faith is different from hope. Hope, for example, does not heal. If you keep saying I hope I get well, it will be a long wait. Maybe until the end of his days. If you say, I hope that there is a God, then it is said about you that he who doubts is like a wave of the sea and let him not hope to receive anything from God.

Another thing is when we say: “I believe that I am saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ”, “I believe that by His stripes I was healed”, “I believe that my name is written in the Book of Life in Heaven”. Hope cannot please God. The only way to please God is by faith.

But - this does not mean that hope is useless things, this should be treated with disdain. No. She is also from God. In what cases should we hope and for what? Let this be your homework.

Despite the fact that believers, non-believers, romantics, skeptics, poets, writers have written volumes about love about love. And there is no single answer to the question of what love is. Believers, already so, habitually, somewhere even routinely say God is love. Well, the most savvy will cite a bunch of quotes from the Bible about love, since there are a lot of them. Someone counted, like 76. I didn't count.

People manage to justify their mistakes, their stupidities with love, they try to justify fornication and adultery with love. After all, someone thought of this, to say: “Love is evil, you will love and ....” I don’t even need to continue, because everyone already knows. Love is evil... Yes. Is love evil? The World Health Organization has included love in the register of diseases under the name "disorder of habits and desires." Some wonder if this love even exists? It's like asking if there is a God?

One philosopher wisely remarked: "It is much easier to love the whole of mankind than your nearest neighbor." Look at your nearest neighbor. Ask yourself, do I love him? Just be honest. You don't have to say anything out loud. It's so for yourself. Useful a little later.

Many want to walk in love, they want to love people, they know that a Christian must love, must cover everything with love. But how to do it? Does not work. Can't I love him? Well, why should I love him? It doesn’t suit me to force myself ... Well, I don’t feel love for him. That's right, you don't feel it. Because the biggest misconception is to mistake your own feelings for love. Because feelings can come and go, often we cannot control them.

"Love Serve One Another" says in the letter to the Galatians (5:13), and in the letter to the Romans (12:9) warns us: "Love, let it be unfeigned."

Like or not really the one who sits behind, side, front. That's fine, leave him alone and take care of yourself.

Now let's make a breakthrough in understanding why love fails. Forcing yourself is useless. Your love, as it is said, let it be unfeigned.

God proved His love to us by giving His Only and Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ for us. The Lord Jesus proved His love to us by giving His life for us.

BUT WE CAN ONLY GIVE OTHERS WHAT WE HAVE.

We get irritated, offended, we talk to others, like controllers on a train, we offend someone, then we repent, we get upset, we feel guilty, we ask for forgiveness, we pity others, in the end we feel terribly sorry for ourselves. Prayed, suffered, recovered .... And we went around in a new circle. And all because there is no love in the heart. It should be, but it isn't. Why does one have it and the other doesn't?

The breakthrough in my understanding of the question of why some have love and others do not, occurred when I realized I DID NOT REALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD LOVED ME MYSELF. BECAUSE I NEVER SERIOUSLY, REALLY TAKEN HIS LOVE FOR MYSELF. I've heard a thousand times, God loves you, God love. But this word did not become my flesh, I did not put on it. That's why I chose from many Bible quotes about love - this one: “Most of all, put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfection.” She calls to action. Get dressed, get dressed.

If today you cannot accept a person as he is, then you have not fully realized and have not accepted that God loves you yourself, despite what you have done. God doesn't always love what we do, but he always loves us.

If you cannot forgive a person for his imperfection, then you have not yet realized that God accepted and forgave you yourself, not for your dignity, and therefore He cannot but love. If you don't accept it, then you have nothing to give. You have not received anything, therefore you have nothing, and therefore .... Let's look again at Corinthians 13,

The way you treat people shows how you think God treats you. Not how He really feels about you, but how you think He feels about you. And we must see ourselves through the eyes of God, then we will look at others differently.

By believing that God truly loves you personally, you, as God, will hate sin but love sinners. And try to do for him what God did for you. He covered your sin with His love, He put love above judgment.

We read in Corinthians 13, verse 2, "If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but have no love, then I am nothing."

You can imagine the level of faith that can move mountains. 4th, 5th... And God says, all the same, I'm nothing without love... Tell yourself loudly - I'm nothing without love. If a person comes up and tells you: “You are nothing,” it’s insulting. But when God says - you are nothing, then this must be accepted as a manifestation of His love and desire for you to become - everything. Can a person who grows in faith remain nothing. Maybe. This is very well illustrated in the sermon series "Spiritual Love" by Pastor Jaerock Lee.

Faith grows by hearing, it is strengthened by seeing signs and wonders. Remember, they won't believe until they see it. And spiritual love can grow when we put effort into it. The Word of God says that faith works by love. Love must work. See how much work - to be merciful, to endure ...

Ask yourself now, in what situation do you annoy the most? Shout, quarrel? And in what situation do we get scared? I will tell you a short parable. Fear knocked on the door, love asked: “Who is there?”. But no one answered. Then she opened the door and saw that there was no one there.

Perfect love casts out fear.

The problem of fear, depression, conflicts in the family lies in the lack of love in us. We can walk by faith, affirm that you and your house will be saved, proclaim, believe that the husband will be a priest in the house, and every knee in the family will bow before the Lord.

And tell me honestly, doesn’t it happen that we simply bring our unsaved relatives, friends with intrusive, edifying conversations. They already shy away from us, once again they don’t want to communicate with us, they don’t invite us to visit. They do not listen to us, and if they listen out of politeness, they do not hear. And it happens even worse - they insult, threaten, expel. Do you know why they don't listen to us? Why are they still not here with you, although you believe that they will come and hope. If we do not act in love, then our faith is fruitless!

IF WE HAVE NOT ACCEPTED GOD'S LOVE INTO OURSELVES, THEN THERE IS NO AUTHORITY OF THE CREATOR IN OUR WORDS.

Before ascending to heaven, the resurrected Jesus Christ said to his disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt. 28:18)

When Pontius Pilate told Jesus that it was in his power to crucify him or let him go, Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over Me unless it was given to you from above."

What is the connection between power and love? Very simple. GOD IS ALL POWER, AND GOD IS LOVE, it means that if you put on God's love, accept it, then it enters you along with the power. One of the criteria of power is responsibility.

After all, God does not just reign, He sits on the Throne. God is not a wedding general. He works. He moves among us. He performs miracles, heals, changes people, saves. See how responsibly God approached creation. He first prepared everything necessary for man, and even more than that, and then he created man himself. He did not create it when there was still darkness on the earth. Wander in the dark as you wish.

The easiest way to believe that God loves you is to look around you. God's love for us is shown at every step. God could have created one type of tree, one type of flower, one type of butterfly. For the biological balance of the planet, this would be enough. After all, he wanted to please us. He decorated this planet as parents decorate a room for their baby, making sure that it was not only safe, but also cheerful, beautiful.

GOD CAN'T NOT LOVE, BECAUSE THIS IS HIS CREATOR NATURE.

God, loving us, used his power and changed us. He said, "He who loves me keeps my commandments". If we ourselves do not want to be subject to God's commandments, do not be surprised if others do not obey us.

Jesus was given all authority. People around noticed that He did not teach like the Pharisees, but as having authority. He just did it with love. The Father knew that the Son's main motive was love for people. If the motive of your words, actions is love, then speak, act. Then there will be power in your words, and they will bear fruit. If not, it's best not to say anything. Those who do not know how to love open the doors to the devil in their lives. Put on first love, which is the bond of perfection. Build your homes with love, build your relationships on love at home, in church, at work. Because we have a responsibility for this before God and before people.

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Have you accepted this word about love today, has it fit into you? Then

Sow love and you will reap more love. Sow right now, you can stand up, walk up to someone or turn to your neighbor and tell him lovingly what you yourself would like to hear. Pass on what you received. You have a couple of minutes, and then we will pray together.

Priest John Pavlov

30. About love for God and neighbor

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in response to the question of one teacher of the law, which commandment is the most important in the Law of God, answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is like it: love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” From these words of the Savior it is clear that the one who fulfills the commandment of love, that is, learns to love God and neighbor, will fulfill the entire Law of God. Therefore, all those who want to please God must constantly ask themselves the question: do I fulfill these two most important commandments - that is, do I love God and do I love my neighbors?

How can we tell if we love God? The Holy Fathers indicate signs of such love. If we love someone, says St. Silouan of Athos, then we want to think about it, talk about it, be with it. If, for example, a girl falls in love with some young man, then she constantly thinks about him, and all her thoughts are occupied with him, so that even while working, studying, eating or sleeping, she cannot forget him. Let's try to apply this to ourselves: here we are, Christians, who should love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength - how often do we remember God? Do we think of Him while we work, eat, or sleep? Alas, the answer to this question will be disappointing - we do not remember God very often, or even, one might say, rarely. Our thoughts are almost always occupied with anything but God. Our mind has stuck to the earth, to earthly cares, earthly vanity. Even when we are praying or attending a service, our mind often wanders in an unknown place, along the crossroads of this world, so that we are present in the temple only with the body, while our soul, and mind, and heart are somewhere far beyond its borders. And if this is the case, then this is a sure sign that we do not love God enough.

How else to check whether we are fulfilling the first commandment, that is, whether we love God? To do this, you need to pay attention to how we fulfill the second commandment - about loving your neighbor. The fact is that these commandments are inextricably linked, and it is impossible to fulfill the first without observing the second. If someone says: “I love God,” but does not love his neighbor, then such a person, according to the word of the apostle, is a liar. So we, if we think that we love God, but at the same time do not love our neighbor, that is, we quarrel, do not forgive insults, have hostility, then we deceive ourselves, for it is impossible to love God without loving our neighbor.

We should also clarify the question of who our neighbor is. Of course, in a broad sense, our neighbors are generally all people, without exception. However, in a narrower and more important sense for us, neighbors are those who are constantly close to us, who surround us every day: members of our family, closest relatives, friends and colleagues at work. In the first place, of course, we should put our family. It is them that we first need to learn to love as ourselves. Show your love first of all in your home and in your family, say the holy fathers.

There are people who loudly declare their love for man and humanity, but at the same time they are in a state of misunderstanding, hostility, and even open enmity with their closest relatives. Such a state, of course, is self-deception, in which the desired is mistaken for the real. After all, before talking about love for humanity, we need to learn to love the people closest to us - relatives, friends, neighbors and colleagues. And we must learn to do this without fail, otherwise we will not fulfill the second of the two most important commandments, and if we do not fulfill the second, we will not fulfill the first either, for it is impossible to love God without loving our neighbor.

So, first of all, we must learn to love our neighbors, no matter how difficult it may seem to us. And sometimes it really is very difficult, because our neighbors are not always angels. Many, for example, may say: the neighbors want to kill me from the world - how can I love them? Or: the boss at work eats me up, constantly finds fault with everything - how can I love him? Or even about the family, many will say: my husband is a drunkard, and there is no life from him ... my daughter wants to get rid of me, send me to a nursing home ... I am raising a grandson who is a drug addict, and there is no way with him. Is it possible for us to love such people?

However, if we want to be true Christians, if we want to imitate Christ and the saints, we must learn to love these people. Of course it's difficult. But Christianity is not some easy, simple and convenient thing. Christianity requires feat. It is no joke to say: after all, the path of a Christian makes a person a son of God, the owner of His inexpressible blessings, an immortal celestial being, an heir to the eternal glory of the saints. After all, this is no small matter. In the book of the Apocalypse, the Lord promises to seat true Christians on His throne next to Himself. Just think: to sit next to God on His throne - is this a small thing? Is it not greater in its grandeur than anything that can be imagined? And if the reward promised by the Heavenly Father is so great, then is it any wonder that it is not always easy for us to fulfill His commandments? After all, even in ordinary earthly life, victory is not given without labor, without a stubborn struggle, without extreme effort.

The Lord, who gave the commandment to love our neighbors, of course, knows that these neighbors are different, that they often do not love us and treat us badly, and sometimes openly hostile. And therefore the Lord, as it were, reinforces the commandment of love by commanding us to love even those who are hostile to us, to love our enemies. He says: if you love only those who love you and treat you well, then what is your reward? Why reward you then - after all, both pagans and those who are alien to the true faith love those who love them.

It is easy to love those people in our circle of acquaintances who are rich, strong, polite, witty, and well disposed towards us. This is easy because communication with them is pleasant and enjoyable, and often some practical benefits. But such love, if you look deeply, is not real, insincere and untrue love, for real love is always disinterested, it, according to the apostle, does not seek its own and loves not for some pleasant and advantageous qualities, but disinterestedly - when there are no such qualities. and even there are opposite qualities. Only such love is Christian and true, only it is a sign that we are walking in the path of Christ. This is how God loves - after all, He loves us not for some great virtues and virtues that do not exist, and not for the benefits that we bring to Him, for what can we give Him? - but loves us as we are - fallen, obscene and sinful. Such love is perfect love, and it is the destiny and sign of the perfect.

The Lord also calls us to such perfection: be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect, He says. And again: be holy, for I am holy. According to St. Silouan, the main sign of the truth of the path for a Christian is his love for enemies - for those people who do not love him, they annoy him, from whom he suffers. And often these people are our close relatives. After all, if there is no life from a drunken husband, or a dissolute daughter kicks out of the house, or a drug addict grandson has sold all things, then these are precisely the people who are subject to the commandment of love for enemies. For in a sense it can be said that by their behavior they have become more like enemies than relatives. And by virtue of this commandment, we must love them if we want to be true Christians and achieve perfection. Yes, these relatives behave like enemies, but we have been commanded to love not only relatives, but also enemies, and to be perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Christ prayed on the Cross for His crucifiers, and therefore, even if our neighbors begin to crucify us, then, imitating Christ, we must love them and pray for them.

Of course, this is not easy, and such a test is truly a fiery test of our faith, patience and Christian love. It is impossible for a person to do this on his own, but everything is possible for God, and if, in spite of everything, we try to love these people close to us, patiently endure the sorrows they cause, if we force ourselves to pray for them, pity and treat them kindly. good, then we will be imitators of the Lord God Himself in His perfections, and then the Lord, seeing our struggle and patience, will Himself help us in bearing the cross and already in this life will give His Grace and spiritual gifts. As for the reward in the Next Age, it will be so great that we will not at all remember the sorrows that we suffered on earth from people, and if we remember, we will thank God for them, for we will see that it was for our patience that they were honored we are eternal glory in heaven.

Of course, the examples referred to are extreme, but even in such cases we must love those who cause us much grief. Moreover, we must love all other people. Indeed, very often we do not know how to love even those of our neighbors who have done nothing wrong to us. We treat them with hostility, we do not love them, we condemn and slander. And by such behavior, we undoubtedly serve the demons and become like them. Saint Silouan directly says that if you think evil of people or treat someone with hostility, then this means that an evil spirit lives in you, and if you do not repent and do not correct yourself, then after death you will go where the evil ones are spirits, that is, to hell.

And it must be said that such a danger threatens some of us, people who seem to be church people, who confess and take communion. Imagine, brethren and sisters, what a nightmare, and horror, and shame it will be if we, baptized people, attending the temple, knowing the commandments of God - in a word, having everything that is needed for salvation - if we go to hell ! After all, those who are there - atheists, theomachists, Satanists, lechers, villains - will laugh at us, they will say: well, we didn’t know anything, we didn’t go to church, we didn’t read the Gospel, we lived without God and without the Church - that's why you got here, but what about you? How did you get here? After all, everything was given to you in order to fulfill the will of God in your life, and despite this, you ended up in hell? ..

Holy Scripture reveals to people that God, the Creator of the universe, is love. And it calls us to become like our God, to become like Him. Since God is love, then we, if we want to come to Him, must learn to love. Christian perfection is love, disinterested love, not for something good that people do to us, but love for everyone, even for enemies. St. Isaac of Syria says that the sign of those who have reached Christian perfection is this: if even ten times a day they are burned for love for people, they are not satisfied with this and do not calm down, but would like to be burned a hundred or a thousand times more for the sake of love. As an example, Saint Isaac pointed to Abba Agathon, who, seeing a leper one day, said that he would like to take his decaying body for himself, and give his own to him. And do not think that this leper was some kind of perfect suffering swan. No, most likely, it was an ordinary vagabond, perhaps a very sinful one, perhaps a drunkard or a thief - and Abba Agathon wanted to give his holy body to such a person! And I certainly would, if I could.

Such love is Christian perfection; God, the Creator of the universe, loves with such love. Christ walked in our world through such love - after all, this is exactly what He did with the fallen and corrupted human race: He united with its nature, took to Himself its body leprous with death, and to him, fallen and sinful, gave Himself - His nature, His Divinity, His glory and immortality. And we, Christians, must imitate Christ in this, must learn from Him the perfect Divine love, strive for it, achieve it. “Achieve love,” says the holy Apostle Paul. And let us not be embarrassed by the fact that this ideal seems to us infinitely far away, that we do not feel such love in ourselves and do not have the strength for it. The Lord would not give us the commandment to love if it were impossible to fulfill it. Yes, our selfishness, our pride, our inability and unwillingness to love, our constant and deep inclination to hostility - all this, like unliftable mountains, burdens us, and it often seems that no forces can move these mountains from the soul. However, we must remember that it is to us that the words of Christ are addressed that what is impossible with men is possible with God. And therefore, let us not become lazy, brothers and sisters, but let us try, albeit to a small extent, but still do deeds of love, let us strive for it, let us, according to the words of Elder Paisios of Athos, try to move from the soul the mountains of passions that prevent us from loving, - no matter how big they seem. And then, seeing our efforts and faith, the Lord Himself will move them, and in their place will kindle the flame of perfect love, which makes a person a new creation, sanctifies, elevates to heaven and likens the Lord God Himself, for God, our Heavenly Father, is love. Amen.

Deacon Alexander Rastvorov

Today the Holy Church offers us the gospel reading about the main commandment that God gave to man - that we must love God and our neighbor.

And one of them, a lawyer, tempted Him, asked, saying: Teacher! what is the greatest commandment in the law?Jesus said to him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind:this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is like it: love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Gospel of Matthew chapter 22)

It is not easy to talk about love, because it is hard to give yourself a truthful answer whether I myself fulfill the commandment of love and to what extent.

Many are bored to hear about the commandments,especially so with the young andvery young parishioners:this can be done, then it cannot be done;commandments, canons, norms…

In life, there are enough various restrictions and regulations, parents strictly regulate every step. For young people, this is probably still excusable - due to the fact that they live in obedience and can be carefree to some extent, but for us it is unforgivable.

Why does this happen, why are we indifferent in our hearts to the word of God? For completely understandable reasons. Because we do not feel their need, an absolute necessity for us, but also because in everyday life we ​​manage somehow, based on our habits and concepts of good and bad.

We sacredly comply with the order not to park the car in the center of Moscow in the wrong place - the fine is large, and even the car will be taken away: pay again, waste time. We are afraid and observe, do not violate.

But today the Lord speaks to us not about some kind of prohibition and prescription, even a very important one, but about the most necessary thing, about that, without which we become absolute empty shells, without which we will not receive any blessings from God, and all our deeds will be an unnecessary waste of time and effort; without which we will prepare ourselves for punishment, we will receive a fine that we cannot pay with anything.

The Lord says that love for God and man are the main commandments, the main deed of our life, from which all other deeds are born and to which all our actions, thoughts and prayers should be directed.

If someone was lucky in his life to communicate with people who have acquired high virtues and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, then he can testify that a person wants to be near them, listen and obey them. Not just because they understand us, show us the gifts of insight or healing. But because they truly love us, they actively fulfill the commandment of love. The heart feels it and trembles. And their love heals the soul, gives wings, incinerates any worldly fear. Unfortunately, there are not many people around us who truly love us. Why? Because there are not so many people in the world striving for God with all their might.

Saint Isaac the Syrian says that those who love this world (by the world he means passions) cannot acquire love for people. However, “when someone acquires love, together with love he is clothed in God Himself.”

Sometimes it seems that the world around us is frighteningly complex, and with great difficulty we get settled in it, study, look for a job, and support a family. But how could we, behind all professional achievements, communication skills and other skills necessary for life in modern society, not forget about the main commandment - about love! Sometimes you carefully look at a person, mentally remove external clothes, social status, some skills and acquired abilities, conceit formed by origin, education and position - and often there is almost nothing left, you can not see a loving heart.

Some people take the commandment of love lightly, without any reason believing that they certainly fulfill the commandment, love God and everyone around (well, they can’t stand, of course, a couple of people - a neighbor, boss, relative some), and so - they love everyone. And the fact that they have passions, various sins - this, in their opinion, does not particularly interfere with love, it has nothing to do with the commandment of love.

Is it possible to have genuine Christian love and deep-rooted passions at the same time? Of course not.

From childhood we can have a good patient disposition and other positive qualities inherited from our pious ancestors. But this is not yet love. These are only good seeds that need to be grown.

Of course, one cannot simply acquire love for one's neighbor. Want and love. However, since the Lord calls us to love, since He says that this is the first and main commandment, we are obliged to believe in Him and strive for it.

The Holy Fathers figuratively say that Love, aroused by something, is like a stream filled with rain, which dries up when the rain stops. But love, which has God as its culprit, is the same as that which spouts from the earth

About God's Love and Our Responsibility

Alexander Sorokin / 04/07/2013.

Today we will talk about God's love, but not only, and about our responsibility before God.

Why such a topic?

Lately God has shown me how much I need it. But I think not only me, but all of us.

(Mat. 22:36-40)

Teacher! what is the greatest commandment in the law?

Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is like it: love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

From these words of Christ we see that to love is the basic command from God, and thus to love is our greatest responsibility.

Upon the command to love depends the fulfillment of the whole law of God, for "Love is the fulfillment of the law."

This means that we can fulfill the law if we have love.

(Rom.13:10)

Love does no harm to the neighbor; so love is the fulfillment of the law.

Christ also explains who the neighbor is through a parable in Luke 10 ch. We will not read it out, but it is clear from it that our neighbor is the one who needs help, and we must help him from the opportunities that we have.

But Scripture says: "the thought of the heart of man is evil from his youth"(Gen. 8.21).

And indeed it is. My life without God is proof of that.

Everything that I did, working hard, making efforts to improve my life, life, providing for my family, did not bring me peace and satisfaction.

There was always something missing. And what exactly was missing, not me and no one could explain to me.

I thought that I loved my loved ones, but now in the light of the love of Christ, I understand that I was simply not able to love.

It is very important to understand that if we do not learn to love, then we will not be able to forgive. And unforgiveness is a sin.

(Mat. 6:14,15)

For if you forgive people their trespasses, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses.

We are more inclined to judge others than to look at ourselves. Our selfishness always justifies us and blames others.

Let's look at two examples from Scripture of how Christ loves us:

(John 8:7-11) Speaking of a woman taken in adultery:

When they continued to ask Him, He raised himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him first throw a stone at her. And again, bending low, he wrote on the ground. And they, having heard [this], and being convicted by their conscience, began to leave one by one, beginning from the elders to the last; and Jesus alone was left, and the woman standing in the midst. Jesus, rising up and not seeing anyone but a woman, said to her: Woman! where are your accusers? nobody judged you? She answered: no one, Lord. Jesus said to her: Nor do I condemn you; go ahead and do not sin.

Here we see how Christ convicted both the accusers and the woman of sin, but did it with love, did not accuse or judge, but showed a way out, saying "Go ahead and don't sin".

But we do not always do this, there is a desire to condemn. The problem is that human judgments without love cannot achieve results.

(Luke 15:21-24) The parable of the prodigal son when he returned to his father

The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: Bring the best clothes and dress him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring a fattened calf, and kill it; Let's eat and be merry! for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they started having fun.

Speaking of God's love for us, we have no right to give people false hopes that God will have mercy on everyone, whether you sin or not.

In these two stories, we clearly see repentance, both in the woman and in the prodigal son. Sincere repentance and awareness of one's sin before Christ is a condition for God's mercy.

(Mat. 7:21-23)

Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord, Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? and did they not cast out demons in your name? and did not many miracles work in your name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity.

There are many places in Scripture where God warns about the punishment of sinners, so it is unwise and very dangerous not to notice our responsibility for our lives.

We must be very attentive, both to ourselves and to others.

By the grace of God, we are not left in the dark about these matters.

God left us in His Word specific advice on how to act in order to receive God's mercy and love:

(Col. 3:5-7)

Therefore, put to death your earthly members: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, in whom you also once converted when you lived among them.

Here we see a very radical and harsh command "mortify your members on the earth" and there is a listing of open and obvious sins that need to be removed from life.

A person cannot even be called a Christian if he practices even one of these sins.

God is angry with such people, and these sinners cannot count on the love of God.

(Col. 3:8,9)

And now you lay aside everything: anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language of your mouth; do not tell lies to one another, putting off the old man with his deeds

In these verses we see the command "postpone" in the Greek, Paul uses a word that means "take off clothes."

Those. we are talking not just pushing aside, but that it needs to be thrown off oneself.

That we must discard and touch no more. The sins of the tongue are listed here, the sins of the flesh were listed earlier.

But these are not just sins of the tongue. As the Bible says "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". Those. these sins are manifestations of our evil nature.

If you want to know if a person is a Christian or not, then look at him in some difficult situation. How he behaves.

For example, if a person was insulted or offended. Then, as a rule, the unregenerate person will respond with angry words.

If a person who calls himself a Christian behaves in the same way, showing anger, then he cannot be a Christian.

Paul says so "having put off the works of the old man" in other words, to have the works not of a Christian, but of any sinner.

(Col. 3:10-15)

and put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge in the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all. So put on (Once again, Paul draws attention) as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, in mercy, goodness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, condescending to one another and forgiving each other, if anyone has a complaint against anyone: as Christ forgave you, so you too. Above all [put on] love, which is the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you are called in one body, and be friendly.

Here the Word tells us "put on", i.e. put on new clothes. What clothes?

"Clothes of the Chosen of God" : mercy, goodness, humility, meekness, long-suffering.

But with what powers can we do it? By your human efforts? Of course not.

The man does not have the strength to do so. This power is only in Christ.

When Christ forgives a person, God gives him his grace.

The grace of God is a broad concept. I want to tell you how this grace manifested itself in me:

Before Christ forgave me, there was an inexplicable longing and anxiety in my heart, because I did not understand what would happen in the future.

In general, a lack of understanding of the meaning of life. And this is very depressing.

But when the Lord forgave me, there was an understanding: how deceptive my views were, and in general, in what kind of deception this whole sinful world lives.

The burden of accusations of sins fell, and here instead of melancholy, peace and the love of God appeared in the heart. This didn't happen before. And now there is.

It cannot be invented, or brought up in oneself, or achieved by suggestions. Only Christ can do this.

(Rom.5:5)

but hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.

Amen! "God's love has been shed abroad in our hearts(Christian) by the Holy Spirit given to us."

And this love can not be exchanged for anything.

(1 John 3:1)

See what kind of love the Father has given us so that we can be called and be children of God. The world does not know us because it did not know Him.

This is the most valuable thing in the world.

God gives us a heart capable of loving and forgiving, i.e. we get this opportunity and ability. But how we use this opportunity depends on us.

(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but have no love, then I am a ringing copper or a resounding cymbal. If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and know all the secrets, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that [I can] move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I do not have love, it does not profit me at all.

Here the Lord speaks to us about those deeds that are not accompanied by love. God is glorified not by the number of good deeds, but by the heart with which we do them, and in general, how we live every day, hour, minute.

(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.

God wants us, living a holy life, not to testify by some grandiose merits or deeds, but daily and hourly simply show love in ourselves, i.e. Christ himself.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the love of them is greater.

Why love is greater because it is the result of our faith and hope.

So, to summarize what we talked about today:

1. Whoever loves has fulfilled God's will.

2. Christ showed us an example of His love by dying for us on the cross to give us a new heart in which love lives.

3. God has not left us in ignorance and gives instructions in His Word on what we should do.

4. By the grace of God, we have not only received forgiveness, but also the ability to love.

5. “... in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working by love». (Gal.5:6)

6. Loving is our greatest responsibility. “Most of all put on in love that is the totality of perfection» (Col. 3:14).

7. “As the Father loved me, and I loved you; abide in my love» (John 15:9). Don't rest on your laurels, but watch constantly in the love of Jesus.

"... looking to Jesus as the author and finisher of faith..." (Heb. 12:2).