Sunday adelaja "the great power of holiness." A sage with a big heart

I remember how I absentmindedly opened on the Internet materials about the death of the elder: biography, memories, impressions ... There were many touching ones. And in one place, at random, I got into the discussion of news. Someone asked: "Who is this - Archimandrite Kirill?" And he received the answer: "Well, I read his sermons - nothing special ...".

Wow - someone is evaluating Father Kirill (Pavlov) by his sermons! I grin sadly and remember the anecdote: "Grandma, have you seen dinosaurs?" Because there are many people for whom Elder Cyril is history, I begin to feel like a contemporary of the Egyptian pyramids ...

For the first time at the elder

For the first time I came to my father Kirill 27 years ago. I came to Moscow to see a woman who had been in the church for a long time, very hospitable and energetic. Having come to faith herself with a difficult search, she understood everything at a glance - doubts, thirst for knowledge, throwing among extremes. After talking for a short time, she told me, as if explaining everything:

And go to Father Kirill!

In response to my dumb question, she had to explain for a long time who the elders were in general and Father Kirill (Pavlov) in particular. I'm not sure if I understood half of what I said then, but I was imbued with something.

An elder (or eldress) is a spiritual person who, for the holiness of life, has received from God the gift of edifying other people.

To edify? I asked uncertainly.

Well, yes ... be good.

I see ... How does he know what is good for me?

It's a GIFT.

There are mechanisms of spiritual life, and these mechanisms are objective.

Later, through churching and communication with spiritual people, it became clear that they do not always broadcast with a prophetic gift; a lot is said simply from their own experience. There are some, relatively speaking, mechanisms of spiritual life that a person has learned personal experience fight against evil. And these mechanisms are objective, because a good connoisseur of them can help others by sharing their experienced knowledge.

But then, going to the elder for the first time, I was sure that he would simply make a kind of spiritual x-ray of my soul and give me all the diagnoses with recommendations.

By that time, I had been helping in the church for almost a year, but mainly at a construction site, as a volunteer. I wore jeans, and if I did something in the church, the compassionate grandmothers would give me a long work robe - to protect me from the uncomfortable.

And then I was confronted with the fact that it was impossible to go to the Lavra in trousers. I kind of already heard something about humility and say - well, okay ... but I still don't have a skirt, except for one very light summer one.

It was then January or February - it was cold. A new acquaintance sighed doom and overnight sewed me a warm skirt. She gave a bunch of valuable advice on getting around in the Moscow region and the Lavra, and after dark sent to Sergiev Posad (then still Zagorsk). The road, searches, several hours of waiting in line - and the priest opened the door and said: "Come in."

Why do people go to the elder? Most often, to ask for advice ... It is not clear why, because almost no one is going to follow it.

Father, I don’t know where I should go to study, since interest in my former profession has been completely lost ...

Batiushka asked several questions that did not mean anything, from my point of view, and fell silent. I was warned that the elder may be silent for a while, as he will pray. Therefore, at this time it is better for me not to crackle.

I don’t remember what was in my head then, but I didn’t dare to "pop". The elder was silent with concentration for half a minute, and then suddenly and somehow even joyfully said:

Go to the regency.

Regency ?!

I already knew that the regency class at the Moscow Theological Academy prepares those who sings in the kliros themselves and (which was even more terrible for me) directs other singers and reciters. Of course, the position of the singers, and even more so the choir in the church, is always honorable, but music was for me a phenomenon from a parallel reality - I firmly knew that I had neither hearing nor voice!

Here is such a perspicacious old man!

Stunned, I exclaimed:

Yes, I will not sing "Lord, have mercy"!

Father for some reason chuckled cheerfully and asked:

Don't you want to be a doctor?

Hour after hour is not easier ... In complete confusion, I blurted out the first (and only) thing that I associated with the art of medicine:

I'm afraid of blood ...

Father shook his head and made one last attempt:

A teacher?

The truth was that the profession of a teacher was in one of the last places in my attractiveness - somewhere in front of a ballerina and a miner. I didn’t even answer this ridiculous proposal, I just shrugged my shoulders.

What do you want? - asked the priest.

I mumbled something about the history department.

Well, go, go, - the elder gave me a broad blessing and went to the door - to let the next visitor in.

I left the elder in complete bewilderment ...

A year later, I entered the catechism faculty of the Theological Institute; specialty - teaching the basics of faith for adults. I also teach teenagers, and in last years more and more often it is necessary to communicate with children of middle and elementary grades. Conscious Christian life has led to the conviction that teaching is one of the most blessed of God occupations: when it is done responsibly, then it can turn from a profession into a real ministry.

The same is true of the matter of healing. And if I regret anything in my life, it is that I did not receive a medical education. Now I understand that not every doctor is obliged not to be afraid of blood. But every minister of the Church should know that people have diseases not only bodily and spiritual, but also mental. And the Providence of God endowed me with acquaintance and informative communication with amazing specialists, real luminaries of medicine.

True, I could not master the musical notation and sing my part on my own, but my low voice was highly appreciated in the female choir, and I sang confidently behind the presenters. And as a reader, for a long time I had few equals - at the visits of the Patriarch, they always asked me to read. Even now, when the voice has almost disappeared, I am still sometimes useful in the kliros. For many years, she also bore the obedience of the preceptor - in monasteries, not the regent, but the preceptor is responsible for the orderly and nobleness of the divine services ...

How could Father Kirill see all these possibilities and abilities then, during those ten minutes of conversation and thirty seconds of silence? This cannot be explained either by experience of life, or by intelligence, or by discernment. Such things happen only by revelation - when God reveals something to His chosen ones. And this miracle happened then before my eyes in the tiny reception room of Elder Kirill. But I didn't understand anything.

Even afterwards I had occasion to get to the priest, six or seven times in my life. These were already deliberate visits, and their fruits were the most amazing. Consolation when it seems that sorrow has trampled the soul irrevocably; appeasement when grievances are torn into a weight flap ...

And now father Cyril is gone.

Father Kirill's humility was amazing

I remember from the first visit that the priest had some kind of purely peasant appearance, which, according to the descriptions, Russian peasants of the beginning of the 20th century appear to be. Short, lean, with heavy work-worn hands. By the time I got to him for the first time, he was already quite old and decrepit. Of course, they no longer entrusted him with difficult obediences, but it was obvious that in his youth and maturity this man worked a lot and even hysterically.

Then I heard many picturesque descriptions of the feats that the priest performed in the war. Most of them were invented by the reverent admirers of the elder. As usual, people did not see the real feat of war in these weary hands, in hopelessly chilled lungs, in a sick heart - they did not see it, and therefore they came up with beautiful fairy tales.

The father himself did not talk about awards or exploits. They said it was on a vow. When he entered seminary in 1946, in order not to receive additional obstacles from the delegates, he hid his awards. However, maybe these are also myths ... But the humility of father Cyril was amazing, and no myths about his humility can even reach the foot of his true height.

All his life he was weak, and he was sentenced to death five hundred times ... But he lived and lived

And it seems like he was weak all his life, and did not leave hospitals for months, and he was sentenced to death five hundred times in the last 40 years ... But he lived and lived ...

The war has passed - at the forefront for three years, the lungs have chilled already in the trenches of Stalingrad, wounds, frostbite, concussion. And after the war - Bandera forests, the funeral of comrades tortured by this beast. Then - hungry post-war years, merciless pressure Soviet power bullying in newspapers. And monastic labors, and the countless stream of suffering people ...

For the last 13 years, bedridden, the priest hardly spoke - every word was given to him with immeasurable effort. And people did their best to get to him and just stand there! Stand silently. And leave refreshed and comforted. This is the power of holiness. And all Orthodox Russia begged the Lord to leave such a lamp on earth for a longer time.

Father was ill all his life and did not spare himself. And he died at the 98th year of his life.

Died ... Father Kirill (Pavlov) died ... it was hard to believe.

An entire era has passed.

The fate of God

It is not surprising that people who have become a church in this century often do not know about Fr. Cyril. Even before he came down with a stroke, he was very weak, and it was not easy to get to him. If at the beginning of 1991 I came to see the priest "in the order of the general queue," then from the mid-1990s the doors to the elder were relatively easy to open only for those who were heavily burdened with church positions and, as a rule, had long been nourished by the priest.

True, the flow of this category of people was countless. It is not surprising that several dozen bishops gathered for the elder's funeral service alone - all these are people who were spiritually nourished by Father Kirill.

But, in general, “ordinary” believers could also get to the priest - when the Lord judged them to be comforted in hard trials.

My friend came to my father in the summer of 1995 by the most complete miracle. She experienced a terrible disappointment in the priest, to whom her entire family turned in the most reverent way for five whole years. And so they literally poked their noses into the most cynical disbelief of the "confessor" in his most immoral consequences ... Here already unctuous arguments about the enemy's slander, which the ecstatic church aunts love so much, became completely irrelevant. And the girl trembled on the verge of despair ...

At that time, we were graduating from the Theological Institute (now PSTGU), and she also worked as a nurse in the First City Hospital from the St. Dimitry Sisterhood.

And on some "day" the head of the department says that it is necessary to accompany the patient to "Pirogovka". No one really wanted to wander around Moscow in the heat; all quickly turned away and pretended to be deaf. And Nina remained standing in front of the manager, in her usual slowness and timidity.

The day before, she went to Abbot Longin (now Metropolitan of Saratov) at the Lavra courtyard - in full confidence that he would tell you how to get to Father Kirill. He, indeed, met right on the doorstep of the courtyard and said that he would not get to Father Kirill - he was in the Pirogov hospital, in ward No. N. She still thought what a puzzle: "You won't get there, but here are all the coordinates for you."

And then, already in the ambulance car, it dawned on her that she was going to the Pirogovskaya hospital. With siren and flashing lights.

But it was clear that neither the siren nor the flashing lights would help to get into the ward of Father Kirill: guards had long appeared in the hospitals, there was another post on the floor where the priest lay, and the cell attendant lived in the ward with the elder - both the nurse and the orderly, and a secretary, and an additional obstacle for irrepressible visitors.

Having handed over the patient in "Pirogovka", Nina was filled with desperate determination and asked the driver: "Will you wait?" He replied: "Yes, my head will be torn off!" Then, after all, there were almost no traffic jams, there was nothing to write off the strong delay.

Nina waved her hand and said:

Okay, go ... I'll get there somehow.

But as?! She stood in the courtyard of the hospital in the uniform of a nurse, there was no money even for a tram, and she had to get through the huge city. And the bosses will regard her absence as a straight absenteeism!

But you can easily understand it - when the soul is in such suffering, then for the sake of relief from them a person is ready to sacrifice comforts ...

She walked through the hospital and was never stopped. Although the uniform was unusual for Pirogovka, the guards and staff glanced over the red cross on the headscarf and averted their eyes - as if they had seen it all their lives.

At the knock, a cell attendant came out of the room and asked who she was and how she got here.

Don't touch her, she has her own ways. Let him wait.

Father Kirill called Nina, and for 40 minutes they talked about what worried her

The door was closed. For a while, the monks could be heard from there singing the canon. Mother of God... Then Father Kirill called Nina, put her a chair, and for 40 minutes they talked about what worried her.

The attendant behind the father's back defiantly stretched out his hand several times and jabbed his finger at the dial of the wristwatch. His duties included chasing uninvited guests who broke through to the chamber by hook or by crook. Father was sick, but people unceremoniously demanded to babysit their often petty squabbles.

But here the elder, it seemed, did not want to let the visitor go - he spoke a lot affectionate words, praised the form of the sisters of mercy ... And gradually all the load from the soul of the poor girl flew off and disappeared. It is scary, of course, when the one who seemed to lead you to Christ sold Him with a cynical grin. But here sits a man who is not just devoted to Christ, but with whom Christ is here, very close - you just feel His presence! Even words, by and large, are not needed.

She went out into the hospital yard, not feeling the ground beneath her. I flew out. I was also ready to go through the whole city: in a medical gown and on foot. And in the courtyard, their driver was just starting the car - he was detained for some reason. Dazed by this combination of circumstances, she jumped into the ambulance a second before departure. My soul was bursting with fear and amazement.

Aliens and strangers
I want to talk to you about practical things: about how we, Christians, to behave with unbelievers, be it our household, employees, bosses and other people.

The Apostle Peter was able to give an exhaustive answer to this question in just six verses of one Epistle: "Beloved, I ask you, as strangers and strangers, to move away from carnal lusts that rise up against the soul, And to spend a virtuous life among the pagans, so that they, for that, for that they revile you as evildoers, seeing your good deeds, and glorified God on the day of your visit.Therefore, be submissive to every human authority for the Lord: whether the king, as the supreme power, or the rulers, as sent from him to punish criminals and to encourage those who do good,

For this is the will of God that, while doing good, we should block the lips of the ignorance of insane people - As free people, not as using freedom to cover up evil, but as servants of God. Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king, " 1 Peter 2: 11-17.

God brings people into His Kingdom through faith, which is available to every person. But faith is a matter of decision. The person himself makes the decision - to believe in the Lord Jesus or not. When he chooses faith, God finds him, saves him, but does not take him to heaven, but still leaves him here on earth, according to certain reason... We, of course, understand that now our homeland is in heaven, and the Kingdom of Heaven is our home, in which the Father is waiting for us.

That is why we see such a strange address to us by believers: “Beloved! I ask you as strangers and strangers. " Note, not as Ukrainians, Americans, Africans or Russians, because our homeland is no longer in one of the earthly countries: we were born again from the Spirit of God, therefore our real, permanent citizenship is in the spiritual world.

Born of the Spirit

The Bible says that "what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit", John 3: 6... All people were born of the flesh, and this means not only from a woman - our earthly lineage stretches to Adam, who sinned first and “thanks to” whom we are all born in sin from generation to generation, carrying the burden of this terrible inheritance. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His Blood washes away this inheritance from us: we are born again - of the Holy Spirit, and become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our earthly citizenship is a temporary phenomenon. That is why we do not want to do the way the world does. And this is our desire - God does not force anyone: He gave us free will. If God forced all people to repent, then a person would no longer be a person who differs from other creatures in freedom of choice, but rather some kind of zombie: "Do this, do this ..."

Deciding in favor of God is not a one-time act

However, a person is a person - he thinks and makes decisions himself. God gave him this ability, endowed him with reason. But making a decision in favor of God is not a one-time act: salvation is not the barrier behind which the flesh no longer has the right to vote - every day until the end of earthly life we ​​will have the opportunity to choose whom to obey, because the flesh, which we all served time, our decrepit nature will still want to do as it used to. Having been reborn, we have become a new person, filled with the Holy Spirit, and we have something to oppose the flesh and act according to our conscience: we have faith, the anointing, the Word of God - we have everything to silence this “garment”.

When God addresses us as strangers and strangers, He means that we are no longer carnal people, but spiritual people, and we must act in the spirit, and not as the people of this world live. Therefore, we must be careful to "move away from the lusts of the flesh." Carnal life is the lot of this world. When a person is born a second time, he is born into the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritually and no longer wants to be a slave to sin and flesh.

Before repentance, we thought about our life and tried to forsake some sins, to change in some way, but we were not able to resist ourselves. However, now God has changed our inner being and has given the strength to live right. There is no heroism in using alcohol, drugs, smoking, lying, doing nothing or betraying someone - all these are works of the flesh, which means primitivism, beggarly thinking. Everyone is capable of this - from a minister to a homeless person. But only people of high disposition are capable of not drinking, smoking, not overeating, not being lazy, not injecting drugs, not walking, not fornicating, and only from a spiritual position can a person with the power say “no” to sin, and this will have a resonance.

By our behavior we determine where we will spend eternity. For example, I have already decided on this issue, but many people, even believers, behind the bustle of everyday life “do not have time” to think about their souls, or maybe they don’t really believe in the existence of hell and heaven - they don’t care. However, it would be better if they were still worried right now, because later it will be too late.

The most dangerous enemy

So our greatest danger in this world is carnal lust. God admonishes us: beware, be vigilant, flee from carnal lusts. Because they rise up against the human soul and destroy it. Having surrendered himself to the service of fleshly lusts, a person begins to degrade.

Every sin, every carnal lust lowers the quality of life and rises up on the soul of a person, steals it. That is, as soon as you give yourself up to sin, you lose all perspectives. Even if you here on earth do not feel that you are already lost, then after death you will receive what you deserve. Therefore, our greatest struggle is directed against carnal lusts, and not against neighbors, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, or other relatives. We must work on ourselves in order to live righteously, according to the Word of God. If you are zealous for good deeds, nothing and no one can harm you - this is God's promise: "And who will harm you if you are zealots of good?"
1 Peter 3:13.

If you do not serve evil, if you do not have evil thoughts, intentions, do not speak evil, that is, if there is no evil in you, then Satan will have nothing in you and cannot harm you. The devil could not find anything of his own (evil) in Jesus - no clue, because Jesus was pure. Therefore, although the scribes and Pharisees were tracking Him down and “caught”, the “fellow countrymen” from Nazareth wanted to stone Him, He left without hindrance. This suggests that a godly life in itself, the righteousness of God will save you from most of the troubles in this world.

A person may think that he has never done any harm to anyone: he did not rob, did not particularly offend anyone, almost did not drink, did not smoke, but this does not mean that he is not a sinner. Because of Adam's sinful nature, everyone inherited a sinful nature. And only when we come to God, He forgives us all sins and gives His righteousness, that is, we become joint heirs with Christ, and not with Adam. Therefore, we must become zealots of good: just do your job and do not worry about who hates you, who is chasing you - they will not be able to harm you.

A man cannot do evil to you, and as for the devil, this is generally a defeated enemy. Scripture says that God "having taken away the strength of principalities and powers, imperiously subjected them to shame, triumphing over them in Himself", Colossians 2:15. So the only enemy we can lament about is our own flesh, which almost no one sees as an enemy. A person is accustomed to consider an enemy that threatens him from the outside, and it is his flesh, identifying himself with it, so while he takes such a position (carnal), he will not agree that his “favorite” part is his enemy. Only when he comes to God does a person begin to understand that he is a spirit and that he is not a debtor to the flesh.

Of course, we live in this world where everything is focused on the flesh, and the devil presses on us. Someone stepped on your foot in the subway, and the flesh wants to react: either swear, or also step on the offender's foot, or hit. At home, the husband offended his wife (or vice versa), she could not restrain herself and spoke out, and he replied - feuds began and came to a divorce. And then they say, "The devil destroyed my family." Are you sure? See what the Scripture says about this: “Where did you get your enmity and strife? is it not from here, from your lusts, which are at war in your members? ”, James 4: 1.

Thus, if you can win victory over yourself, over your flesh, you will automatically win the war, because attempts to attack you from the outside will not be successful either for the devil or for people. Most believers testify that after repentance, when many sins were gone from their lives, many problems disappeared along with sins.

God expects you and me to live here on earth, like aliens and strangers, like foreigners, and always remember our homeland - the Kingdom of Heaven. I know that many do not do this - do not think about the sky at all; well, maybe only sometimes - in critical situations. But you must live on earth as wanderers and aliens and constantly think about heaven, being ready at any moment to leave this place of "business trip" painlessly - so that it would not be a disaster either for you or for your relatives - on the contrary, it should be a homecoming holiday. And since our God is holy and the place where He dwells is also holy, then we should try with all our might not to be defiled, not to get dirty, to keep ourselves clean.

Light and salt

"And to lead a virtuous life among the Gentiles, so that for what they curse you as evildoers, seeing your good deeds, they glorify God on the day of visiting", 1 Peter 2:12.

The Bible says that we are the salt of the world, that is, without Christians, this world will lose its taste. We are the light for the world, and not only when we preach and the Word of God drives away the darkness. God wants you and me to be always light, so that our way of life is the embodiment of God's Word, that is, that we preach not only in the pulpit, but also in our daily life.

If I am light, then my behavior, my relationships with people, my actions, my work should be light - they should bring God's order to every place where I go. We are not supposed to learn from this world, but this world is called to learn from Christians, and we must “set standards” for this world - standards of order, cleanliness, etc. We simply have to live in such a way as to reveal Christ to others, so that people would want to imitate us, as we do Christ.

God didn't find you just to go to church. The house of God is not a club of interests, it is the house of the redeemed, where God teaches them to shine in this dirty, disorderly world, showing him an example of a godly life, driving away the darkness. God found you to be the answer for someone. First of all, He found you in your family, because your relatives have already suffered enough in the dark, and someone has to bring light there. God found you at your work, because your co-workers are in dire need of light, of God, and it is you who can meet this need by leading a “virtuous life,” that is, a life filled with good fruits and right deeds.

Of course it won't come overnight. A person cannot be transformed the next day after repentance, so he needs to go to church so that he can be sanctified and grow to such a spiritual level that corresponds to the degree of readiness to enter a vocation. But you should not think that this and all that no longer needs to grow on the promised land - you need the most suitable soil for this, and the light of a person there should become brighter and brighter, and he should approach God more and more, therefore the process of sanctifying the believer and continues throughout life.

We all know that most of the representatives of this world, including those who teach others in schools, institutes and academies, do not themselves know how to live, do not understand life. Therefore, God, who is the Author of life, selects people, saves them from sins, troubles and teaches them the basics of life through the Bible, so that they can then go to the sinful world and show people in practice - through their words, actions, attitude towards people that there is true life. Thus, we do not have to become educators or orators in order to teach someone, we just need to live right, pleasing only God. Of course, they will make caustic remarks to you, you will annoy someone, and they will begin to speak out about you, but inside they will all respect you, because they know that what you teach is correct, although they themselves do not live like that. can.

We don't have to become educators or speakers to teach, we just need to live right, pleasing only God

So you should not be ashamed of the fact that you do not drink, do not smoke, do not commit fornication. Attempts to knock you out of the saddle with caustic remarks like “village”, “retarded”, etc., are made by people in order to persuade you to become like them, otherwise you, like a living reproach for them - each time by your very presence remind to the world about his sin. From your light, the sins of others become so obvious that they themselves cannot withstand this “spectacle”, so that someone repents, and someone, unfortunately, becomes hardened. Do not be afraid of them, even if they start to persecute you - Jesus also had to endure persecution.

As you can see, God did not promise us universal approval, on the contrary - He warned that the righteous would be persecuted, scolded, and slanderous, so it’s better for you to learn how to react to all this correctly, because it’s natural. And how else do you think the darkness should react to light: it is either absorbed by it, or recedes and thickens. This will be done by your family, neighbors, friends, colleagues.

However, if you do not back down and continue to live according to the Word, showing an example of a high moral life, then they themselves will be put to shame. By slandering and scolding you, they cannot deny that you good man... “Have a good conscience, so that those for which they speak evil of you as evildoers may be ashamed and reproach your good life in Christ”, 1 Peter 3:16.

You see, all people understand that you need to live right, but they do not have the strength to do it, and at the same time, they cannot admit that you are better than them. They think that believers limit themselves in everything, suffer, suffer from it, but endure ... But this is not so! We do not suffer, limiting ourselves - we just accepted new life directly from its Author itself. We must show and convey this to the world: such a life is a pleasant life.

We have no right to quarrel with the world, being like it, proving something. How will we then differ from unbelieving people ?! We will only prevent them from turning to God.

So, the calling of a Christian is to become an example of a beneficent life, so that people who do not even understand you, who scold you, can glorify God for your good deeds. We have no right to quarrel with the world, imitating it, proving something. How will we then differ from unbelieving people ?! By this we will only prevent them from turning to God. A person who calls himself a Christian, but himself lives in the flesh, will bring himself and his neighbors many troubles, "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live", Romans 8:13.

The truth is that carnal deeds lead to death, but living in the spirit, a righteous life, leads to life.

I have already spoken a lot about exaltation, but I will repeat once again: “Righteousness exalts the people ...”, Proverbs 14:34... We pray and ask God for exaltation, but prayer does not exalt. You can pray for it for years, but God will not raise you above your standard of living, because spiritual law reads: "Righteousness exalts" and "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." No matter how you want, God will not lift you up simply by prayer, neither in the church, nor in the world, anywhere ... Even if you are the most spiritual, pray best of all, all the same, only righteousness, life according to the Word will exalt you. You cannot get over the Word. Therefore, let us be Christians, not only in words, but also in deeds.

Even if you are the most spiritual, pray best of all, all the same, only righteousness, living according to the Word will exalt you

"So, be submissive to every human authority ..." 1 Peter 2:13. Very often we think that in this verse we are talking only about the president, about the government, about the law, and yet it is written: "... to every human authority." In the family, the head (boss) is the husband (dad). Children should not dictate conditions to mothers and fathers, what and how to do: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this [requires] justice", Ephesians 6: 1... If the wife does not obey her husband, there will be no order in this family, because the children will automatically cease to obey the mother. If the wife neglects her husband, the children will do the same with the mother, because God's order is violated.

Do everything as for the Lord

My advice to you, dear reader: don't look for a quick and easy promotion - easy to get, easy to lose. You need to try to earn something for real, by working hard, if you want this something to stay for a long time and you appreciate it, "So whoever wants to be great between you, let him be your servant; and who wants to be the first between you , let us be your slave ", Matthew 20: 26-27.

There is a difference between a “servant” and a “slave”: if a servant has free will, personal property, payment for service, then the slave is the master's property and is guided by his desires, and has nothing of his own. And Jesus says that only such a person will become the first, that is, the one who subordinated his will to the boss and serves him without discontent and objection. Of course, you can serve and still become something great, but not the first. One of God's blessings says: “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail, and you will only be on top, and not be below, if you obey the commandments of the Lord ...”, Deuteronomy 28:13. Therefore, the Bible says that we must obey our leaders. If you consider yourself to be 100 times better than your boss because he drinks, walks, etc., that is pride, and God opposes the proud. If you cannot sincerely serve a person, especially your boss, whom God commanded to honor, then how are you better? Humble yourself and start serving diligently, then it will become clear who is better.

We are obliged to obey both the unbelieving ruler and the unbelieving president, for it is written: "... be submissive to all human rulership, for the Lord: whether to the king, as a supreme power, or to the Rulers ... For this is the will of God that we, doing good, block the lips of ignorance crazy people, - As free, not as using freedom to cover up evil, but as servants of God. Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Servants, obey your masters with all fear, not only good and meek, but also severe. For it is pleasing (to God) if someone, thinking of God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly, " 1 Peter 2: 13-19.

Unjust suffering

If you are suffering for God's sake, and not because of sin, then that is pleasing to the Lord. Many people make scandals if someone does not accept their innocence. But at this particular time you don't have to do anything at all. God sees that you are right, endure sorrows unfairly, thinking about God, about His commandments, therefore He is with you. Christians should have no other sorrows than for God's sake - these are suffering with honor. And those sorrows that we endure because of our stupidity, because of sin, are shameful and hard to endure.

The Apostle Peter writes: "... But if, doing good and suffering, endure, it is pleasing to God, for you are called to this; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that we follow in His footsteps ..." , 1 Peter 2: 20-21.

Deeds and sins do not glorify either God or man. But when you do good, you please God, and if you also suffer at the same time, then glorify God. Dear ones, do not be afraid to suffer for righteousness, for good - rejoice at the privilege of suffering for the name of the Lord. Jesus suffered undeservedly, Righteous for sinners, so God gave Him a name that is above every name.

When we do good, we please God, and if we also suffer at the same time, then we glorify God. Goodness blocks the lips of insane people. So, obeying rulers and authorities, even the harsh and unbelievers, and doing good, we thus become the light of this world.

Earlier I did not even suspect how many Christian women suffer because of their unbelieving husbands, but, enduring these undeserved insults and humiliations, they acquire them for God without words. I emphasize - without words, because if you swear like them, argue, then they will never come to God. But if you still continue to do good, cook for them, help, treat them politely, then it will close its mouths to the ignorance of the husbands and lead them to God.

God wants us to overcome evil by our good deeds and bring other people to God. Agree, we are free people: we can drink or smoke if we want, but we do not use our freedom to cover up evil.

There are, of course, people who use the church to cover up their evil deeds, but God will reveal them anyway, and they will lose more than they had.

Rudeness, which flourishes in the world, does no honor to anyone and humiliates, and yet every person is worthy of respect, even if he is an alcoholic or a homeless person. As Christians, learn to respect everyone: both at work and at home in your family; learn to honor both small and large, and poor and rich; just learn to be noble people who show everyone the respect they deserve.

Brothers and sisters, we are all members of one Body - the Universal Church, the Body of Jesus Christ, and God wants us to love one another, because He has poured His love into our hearts by His Spirit.

If a person is not afraid of God, then he is still a very unwise person, because it is written: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If a person is not afraid of God, he will stop at nothing, let alone sin. Notice that on this list, God is the only one we should fear. We must love and respect people, but we are not afraid of people, because the righteous man is brave like a lion.

Dear friend! This book does not cover all the paths of holiness. All the nuances that I tried to illuminate are just “streams” that flow into one powerful “river” of God's love, because it is written in the Bible that love is the totality of perfection. Walk in love is the most excellent path to sanctification.

Making a decision in favor of God is not a one-time act: salvation is not a barrier beyond which the flesh no longer has a say. Every day, until the end of earthly life, we will have the opportunity to choose whom to obey, because the flesh, which we have served all the time, our old nature will still want to do as it used to.

Only from a spiritual position can a person with the authority say “no” to sin, and this will have resonance.

A godly life in itself, the righteousness of God will save you from most of the troubles in this world.

If you can win the victory over yourself, over your flesh, you will automatically win the war, because attempts to attack you from the outside will not be successful either for the devil or for people.

God, who is the Author of life, selects people, saves them from sins, troubles and teaches them the basics of life through the Bible, so that they can then go to the sinful world and show people in practice - through their words, actions, attitude towards people - that there is true life.

The Christian's vocation is to become an example of a beneficent life, so that people who do not even understand you, who scold you, can glorify God for your good deeds.

Christians should have no other sorrows than for God's sake - these are suffering with honor. And those sorrows that we endure because of our stupidity, because of sin, are shameful and hard to endure.

Introduction. "Be holy, for I am holy"
Chapter 1. The Valuable Power of Holiness
The glory of the end times
"... Some of you do not know God"
Where is the sacrament of consecration performed?
The essence of holiness
Holiness Brings God's Glory
Run from sin
The level of holiness determines the level of service

Chapter 2. Walk Before God
The highest calling
Always “keep” God by your side
Learning the Word
Communication
Walking in the Spirit
Spiritual thoughts
Covenant
A different fate

Chapter 3. The Secret of the Immaculate Walk
Righteousness of Noah
David's Confidence
The main thing is to realize who I am
Where to start?
God's heroes
Love

Chapter 4. The Struggle for Holiness
Take a firm stand
Life is a fight
Sin dishonors a person
How sin destroys
and destroys our lives?

Chapter 5. Keep Yourself From Idols
Paternal care
The essence of idolatry
The first commandment
Second commandment
How to keep yourself from idols

Chapter 6. Called to Godliness
Royal Priesthood
The gift of righteousness
The Will of God Is Your Sanctification
Godliness is the basis for prayer
Jesus' Teachings on Righteousness
Don't hide with your righteousness
Paths of holiness

Chapter 7. Spirit of Grace
Do not offend the Spirit of Grace
The origins of the curse
Functions of grace

Chapter 8. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit
The pledge of our heritage
Rejoice if you are convicted
What should we do?..
"Inner Inspector" from the Lord
Other functions of conscience
Accusation

Chapter 9. Temptations
The Believer Always Has Hope
Trust Only in the Lord
Endure suffering with dignity
Wait for God's visit
Vigilance is an important condition for deliverance
How to avoid traps
Safety rule
Paths of apostasy

Chapter 10. Humility,
which opens God's heart
"... And the glory of the Lord filled the house"
"Crying holiday"
Turn from the wicked ways
Narrow path
The depth of God's gaze
Humility
How to determine the level of humility?
True Humility Leads to Exaltation
Paul's humility
The humility of Solomon

Chapter 11. Fear of God ........
The fear of God and the fear of man
Don't play with God
Hate lawlessness
The worst enemies
Fear the One Who Can Ruin
soul and body
"Framework" of relationships in society

Chapter 12. Righteousness Raises the People
The paths of the world to exaltation
Lawlessness is a dishonor to the people
Living heritage
Blessings of the Righteous
The throne of the king is confirmed by the truth
The paths of democracy
Righteous Judgments
Jerusalem, Jerusalem ...

Chapter 13. Covenant of chastity and purity
How to protect yourself?
Why a covenant?
Covenant

Chapter 14. The Light Shining in the Dark
Aliens and Wanderers
Born of the Spirit
The most dangerous enemy
Light and salt
Do everything as for the Lord
Unjust suffering

I am delighted to be publishing the book The Great Power of Holiness, because often believers do not understand the meaning and importance of holiness in the Christian walk. Holiness is not always what we consider to be holiness.

God's understanding of holiness differs from ours, human understanding, therefore, in the pages of the book “The Great Power of Holiness”, we, examining the Scriptures, learn what holiness is in the understanding of God and how to achieve it. The Bible tells us to strive for holiness, without which no one will see God, and also warns that only pure in heart God will be seen. I believe that this book will help us see God.

God bless you!

Senior Pastor
Sunday Adelaja

Relics is an Old Slavonic word, power means a grave. In giving reverence to the saints of God who have departed with their souls to heaven, the holy Church also honors the relics or bodies of the saints of God remaining on earth. V Old Testament there was no veneration of holy relics, since a dead body was considered unclean. In the New Testament, after the incarnation of the Savior, the concept of Man in Christ and the concept of bodies as the dwellings of the Holy Spirit are exalted. The Lord Himself - the Word of God - became incarnate and took on a human body.

Christians are called to ensure that not only their souls, but also their bodies, sanctified by Holy Baptism, sanctified by Church Sacraments, become true temples of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul says: "Do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you." And therefore the bodies of Christians who live a righteous life or who have become saints by accepting a martyr's death are worthy of special veneration, respect, and honor.

The veneration of the holy remains is expressed in the following:

• reverent collection and storage of the remains of the saints of God,
• solemn opening and transfer of holy relics,
• building over them temples, chapels,
• the establishment of festivities in memory of their opening or postponement,
• the constant rule of the Church to place the relics of saints in the foundation of the altars or to place the holy relics in the holy antimins (sacred plate), which depicts the Savior taken from the Cross surrounded by Holy Mother of God... St. relics for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

This is a natural celebration of St. The relics and other remains of God's saints finds for himself a solid foundation in the fact that God Himself was pleased to honor and glorify with countless signs and wonders testified in the continuation of the entire history of the Church. Honoring the holy relics, we believe in the powerful intercession and intercession of the saints, whose holy relics are before our gaze, arouse in our hearts a feeling of closeness to us the saints of God themselves, who once wore these bodies.

We read "Sarov Celebrations" about the first glorification of the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, written by Archpriest. Vasily Boschanovsky: “Everywhere in the Monastery and beyond the Monastery there are a sea of ​​heads. Almost everyone was standing with lighted candles. Most of all, the space was occupied along the supposed path of the procession of the Holy Relics of the Monk. Here, on both sides, there were all sorts of crippled, aching, ailing. Before me was a large group of unfortunate sick people; at their feet lay some kind of living lump, constantly emitting a plaintive, drawn-out groan. Near him stood a middle-aged woman (the mother of a lump lying at my feet). Ardent prayer exclamations: "Reverend Father Seraphim, pray to God for us", "Help", "Heal", "Heal" - echoed from all sides. The strength of the people's faith has reached the extreme of its tension. Hundreds of thousands of believers merged in prayer. They asked for Heaven, they prayed to God, they asked for the Reverend. The Holy Russian soul stood in prayer delight. With the first sounds of church chants, pleasing the Monk, news of the healing of one, the other, the third rushed from all sides. The holy relics of Father Seraphim, transferred into a precious shrine and highly ascended, came closer and closer to the main monastery church. But then they caught up with the group of unfortunates at my feet. All: eyes, hands, hearts - are directed to the holy tomb; All have one desire: Father, Reverend, Father, Seraphim, help! "...

At that moment, the little ball that lay at my very feet shuddered violently; groaning, stretched out and, standing on his feet, quietly said: "Mom, I'm healthy." I, and everyone around me, shocked by what had happened, froze for a minute - dumbfounded. The great miracle of God's mercy took place before our eyes. Having come to our senses, we could only utter the words of the psalmist: "Wondrous is God in His saints, God of Israel!"

Father Seraphim of Sarov used to say to monks and laity: "When I die, come to my coffin, and I will help you." The relics are able to neutralize radiation, heal the sick and crippled. A patient who was preparing for the operation recalls: "he venerated the relics of his beloved and highly respected Seraphim of Sarov and involuntarily the question arose:" Father Seraphim, do you hear that I have come to you? " And the great Russian saint healed me. He answered my question not with contemplative, but with effective love. Upon returning home, everyone inquired about my health. I answered: “The operation was successful. The name of the great doctor is Seraphim of Sarov. "

An article from the manual “Diaconal ministry of a sister of mercy to the suffering. Part I-I"- 2007

Chapter 10 Living in Holiness: What Most Christians Don't Know About HOLINESS! The book The Messianic Church is being restored!
June 18, 2010

Dr. Robert Heidler

"Be holy before Me, for I am holy, the Lord" Leviticus 20:26

The next fundamental truth to which we would like to draw attention is holiness.
God gave the Jewish people a great revelation of holiness. And it is precisely this that is fundamental in their definition as a people! The Jews were originally intended by God to be a HOLY people (Ex. 19: 6)!
In Leviticus 20:26, God commands the Jewish people: "Be HOLY before Me, for I am holy, LORD." Most Jews, even today, have a fairly clear idea of ​​what it means to be holy.

Misunderstanding of holiness

Surprisingly, most Christians have no idea what holiness is. We read about Holiness, talk about it and sing about it, but few take the time to study what it is.
Over the years, Christians have developed many strange notions of holiness. One of the common ideas about holiness is "to be different from the world." Earlier, in the 40s and 50s, Christians who wanted to be saints tried to look different. They wore clothes and hairstyles that were out of fashion for a long time, and they thought it made them holy!
Some Christians thought they should sound different! In the 1960s, it was unheard of for a guitar to play in church. The guitar was considered a "mundane" instrument as it was often played by non-believers! To be a HOLY means to worship with the accompaniment of organ or piano.

Some thought that holiness meant avoiding the activities of this world. Christians have made a list of "worldly" activities to avoid. "Do not smoke, do not drink, do not swear, do not chew gum and do not communicate with those who do it!" Often they also added: "Do not watch movies, do not go rollerblading, do not use makeup and do not play cards!" The main idea was that if you avoid the occupations of this world, then it makes you HOLY!

Fortunately, the idea that being different from everyone else makes you holy is out of fashion. Christians today are more likely to think that holiness means "being good." They think that if they lead a righteous and moral life, they will achieve holiness. But this is also not a precise definition.
A decent life, while very important, does not make you a saint. Stop and think about what God calls "holy." God called the fireproof bush "holy". This did not mean that this bush sinned less than other bushes! God called Sinai His "holy" mountain. But Mount Sinai did not become a holy mountain because it was more moral than other mountains!
Holiness is not about how moral or good you are! The essence of holiness lies in a completely different dimension.

What is holiness?

Several years ago, John Dixon, our Glory of Zion worship minister, made an interesting statement. He said, “The opposite of a saint is not sinful or evil. The opposite of a saint is ordinary or ordinary. "
This statement surprised me. Like many Christians, I have used the word holiness as a synonym for righteousness. Living a “holy life,” I assumed, meant leading a good, moral life, avoiding sin as much as possible.
When I heard John's statement, I decided to study the word “holiness” myself to understand its meaning. I was surprised at what I found!
I found that in 45 years of my Christian life, attending church every Sunday, graduating from one of the best theological seminaries, I never really learned what holiness is!

I studied the Greek and Hebrew words for "holiness" in the original Bible, looked at how they are still used in the Bible, and found that John was absolutely right! Holiness does not mean sinlessness. Holiness means "separation from the ordinary" or "rise above the norm." The most better definition the word "saint" is the word "special"! Treating something like a saint means treating it as special!

We see this in the early chapters of Genesis. The first time God called something HOLY in the second chapter of Genesis. This happened when God blessed the seventh day and designated it as "HOLY".

Calling the seventh day “holy” did not mean that days one through six were worldly, bad, or sinful! The first six days were good days... God said they were quite good. But they were not saints. They were just ordinary days. God separated the seventh day from the rest and said: "This day is SPECIAL."

In the tenth chapter of Leviticus, God instructs Aaron about serving in the tabernacle. He told Aaron to be especially careful to distinguish the "sacred from the unholy." God said: "Do not treat the SACRED as ORDINARY!"
If Aaron had brought his clothes to the tabernacle, washed them there in the laver, and hung them to dry on the ark of the covenant, he would have defiled the sanctity of the tabernacle! He would treat very sacred things as ordinary!
To be holy is to be "separated from the ordinary." If something is “holy,” then it is meant for a specific purpose and deserves special treatment. To treat something as a HOLY means to treat it with WORSHIP.

When Linda and I got married, we had two sets of porcelain plates: our "ceremonial set" and our "everyday set". We loved our everyday plates. They were painted in gold and orange tones and had large flowers painted on them, a style that was very popular in the 70s. We used these plates every day. But we usually dealt with them. Sometimes we dined from these plates right on the living room floor in front of the TV. We didn't always put them in the sink with care. The way we treated them eventually started to look worn out, the edges chipped off in some places, and we had to throw them away and buy new everyday plates!

Our "ceremonial set" of porcelain plates was beautiful and very elegant. It was reserved for special events. When we used it, we treated it with great care and always put it in the hotel locker. And these plates are still as beautiful as they were when we first got them.

Our everyday plates were very nice, but they were REGULAR. Our "showcase" of cymbals was SPECIAL. If I took a plate from our "ceremonial set" and put it on the floor for our dog to eat from it, my wife would be very upset, and quite rightly! After all, I, in that case, did not treat this plate with the HONOR it deserved!

The essence of a life of holiness is not about being good or not like others, it is about showing HONOR! It is about treating the SPECIAL in a special way!

The importance of holiness

In Deuteronomy 23:14, God gives a warning: “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and deliver your enemies into your hand, and therefore your camp must be holy, so that He does not see anything shameful about you and does not turn away from you."
Holiness is very important to God. If we do not walk in holiness, then His presence will depart from us!

Holiness is the key to living in God's presence and power! In His Word, God has designated certain things as holy. He asked us to treat them in a special way. When we honor what is holy, then we walk in holiness and His presence is in our midst! Holiness is the key to supernatural life!

How holiness works

In His Word, God has designated certain things as holy. Calling these things holy, He said: “Show special HONOR to these things. Do not treat them usually. "
When God identified these things as HOLY, He combined them with the principles of the covenant. When we HONOR what God calls holy, we connect with these covenant principles, and this takes us into the supernatural dimension of life.

Let's take a look at some examples of the things the Bible calls holy. In His Word, God calls these things, and many others, holy:

God's Word Tithing Other Christians
Apostles Prophets Spiritual Leaders
Marriage His Name Place of Worship
Your body is Shabbat Israel

When we choose to HONOR these things (treating each of them as SPECIAL), it separates us from the ordinary. God's promise is that if we honor what is holy, we enter into the blessings of the covenant and experience the supernatural dimension of life. Let's take a look at some examples.

Holy money.

Do you know that money can be holy? Some money is sacred! In fact, God has designated tithing (one tenth) of your income as sacred. Leviticus 27: 30-32 tells us, "And every tithe belongs to the LORD: THIS IS THE LORD'S SHRINK."
This means that if you made $ 10, one of those dollars — your tithe of income — is sacred. And this applies to any form of income. If you are a farmer, one tenth of your harvest is holy! If you raise livestock, one tenth of your livestock is holy.

The third chapter of the prophet Malachi tells us about reverence for tithing as a holy thing. We venerate it as a shrine when we “bring it to the house of the storehouse ...” The tithe was to be brought to the temple storehouses to provide for the needs of those who served in the temple.
God also connects tithing with covenant promises. He says: “If you treat tithing as a holy thing, He will“ open the openings of heaven for you and pour out blessings on you to an abundance ”(Malachi 3: 10-11).

So, if God has defined tithing as a shrine, we have a choice: we can treat tithing as a shrine (treat it especially), or we can not treat it as a shrine! We can treat it like the rest of our income.
The choice is ours. You won't go to hell for not tithing! But honoring tithing as a sacred thing will set you apart from the world in terms of your finances.
Honoring tithing will allow you to enter the principles of the covenant and will open the door to supernatural provision.

Holy time.

God has designated one seventh of your time as holy.
Genesis 2: 3 tells us, "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." In the Ten Commandments, God gives the following instruction: “Remember the seventh day and HOLY it” (Exodus 20: 8-11).
Again, Shabbat observance is not a requirement for salvation! You can work seven days a week and still go to Heaven! And if you work seven
days a week, you can go to Heaven even faster. You, in the truest sense of the word, will work to death!

But honoring the Shabbat connects you to the principles of covenant blessings. God promised: “If you call the Sabbath a delight and honor it, you will have joy in the Lord, and I will raise you up to the heights of the earth and let you taste the inheritance of your father Jacob” (Isaiah 58: 13-14).

Holy places.

The places where God manifests His presence are holy places. The fireproof bush was holy. Mount Sinai was holy. The tabernacle and temple were holy. Places of worship are holy. Honoring holy places joins us in God's covenant blessings. From the book of the prophet Haggai, we learn that the people of Judah neglected to work in the temple in order to build their own houses... As a result, God's provision was withheld from them. And they lived in scarcity!
Another example is Solomon. He showed great respect for the temple of God, spent his own funds to build it. As a result, he experienced excess and abundance for the rest of his days.
When we honor what is holy, we enter into blessing!

Holy people.

God has identified many groups of people as saints. Apostles and prophets are saints (Eph. 3: 5). The Jewish people are a holy people. Your brothers and sisters in the Lord are saints. Your husband, wife, parents and children are sacred to you.
The Bible gives us directions on how to honor each of these groups accordingly. The Bible also gives us a promise: if you honor those whom God calls saints, you will receive God's blessing!

Studying the subject of holiness has brought me a new understanding of Scripture that has excited me for a long time. This is the story of Elijah and the widow described in Kings 17: 13-15. This story took place during a famine in that land. God sends Elijah to the city of Zarepta and tells him that the widow will take care of him. Elijah comes to the city and discovers that the widow is about to cook her last meal. Her resources are completely depleted! There was only enough food to cook a small meal for themselves and their son, and after that they would starve!

In such a tragic situation, Elijah makes an incredible demand. He says to the widow: “Feed me first! And then you and your son sing! " How could Elijah go to a starving woman and ask her to feed him before she feeds herself and her son ?!

But Elijah understood the actions of God. He knew that if the widow honored the prophet, she would discover the source of God's blessing. God promised: "Honor the prophet and you will receive the prophet's reward!" (Matthew 10:41). Elijah gave the woman the opportunity to enter the realm of miracles!
When the woman chose to honor God's prophet, God began to miraculously multiply her resources. She and her son experienced supernatural provision in the midst of a famine!

Holiness illustration

I think the Internet has provided us with a wonderful example of how holiness works! Suppose you open different pages on the Internet and come across the following entry:
When we honor what God calls holy, our lives are connected to the principles of the covenant, which releases a great blessing for us as a result.
Have you noticed something familiar? If you saw a word underlined in this way on the Internet, you would understand that the word “holy” is a reference to something. Such links are special highlighted text or a word, usually underlined and highlighted in a different color. And such a link, of course, is special not because it is underlined and highlighted in a different color, but because it leads to something that is not visible now! You can click on other words on the page, but nothing happens. But if you click on the link, AN ABSOLUTELY NEW PAGE WILL OPEN FOR YOU!

This is an illustration of how holiness works. You can read many things in your life:
A sports team A rock group A book author A movie star A hobby A computer brand

Or what God calls holy.

When you honor most things, you are not getting any benefit! But when you choose to honor what is sacred, new orbs of blessings open up to you! Honoring a saint separates us from the world and lifts us into supernatural realms, where we enter into God's covenant blessings.

The source of true holiness

Where does holiness come from? Stop and think about the things that God calls holy. What made the fireproof bush holy? What made Mount Sinai holy? What made the Most Holy Place holy?
The answer is: the presence of God.

Now think about this: When you put your trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you. God's presence is within you right now. This means that YOU are saints! You are SAINTS.

You are holy right now. You are holy no matter what you do. Remember that holiness does not mean sinlessness!
Many Christians confuse holiness with righteousness. Righteousness means being PURE. This means you have removed the defilement of sin from your life. God wants us to live righteously.
But holiness is in another dimension. Holiness is that you are SPECIAL. Because you trust in Jesus, you are a saint even when you sin! In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes to the churches in Corinth to correct many of their mistakes. The problems of the Corinthian church included immorality, drunkenness (during the Lord's Supper!), Strife, and more. In the letter concerning their sins, however, the first thing Paul writes about is reminding the Corinthians that they are SAINTS (1 Cor. 1: 2)!
You ARE saints! God wants you to start living holy!

Earlier in this chapter, I used the example of our "ceremonial set" of porcelain plates. Our “ceremonial set” was special. However, after a meal, our “dress kit” doesn't look pretty at all! There are still food leftovers on it! He's dirty. It needs to be washed. But still he is special! It's all the same - our "ceremonial set".
Our everyday plates are ordinary. We keep our daily plates clean, but they still stay ordinary. This is the difference between holiness and righteousness.

Righteousness means being clean. Holiness means being special.

Our “dress up” set of plates remains special, whether clean or dirty. Due to the fact that our "ceremonial set" is special, we treat it with care, even when it is dirty. We wash these plates carefully to bring them back to their beauty.
You are God's "ceremonial set"! You are special to Him even when you don't live to please Him.

Jews today are STILL GOD'S HOLY PEOPLE, even in spite of their unbelief!

Living in holiness

A holy life begins with knowing that God has made you holy:
You are a saint (Romans 1: 7)
You are no longer just carnal (1 Cor. 3: 3)
The Spirit of God dwells in you (Rom. 8: 9)
You are partakers of God's nature (2 Peter 1: 4)
Resurrection power dwells in you (Rom. 8:11)
You have a purpose and purpose (Jer. 29:11)
You have been given supernatural powers and you are called to live like a supernatural person! (1 Cor. 12)

As God's HOLY man or HOLY woman, you can start LIVING in the realm of holiness! You will learn to show RESPECT! You will learn to be especially sensitive to what God calls HOLY (including yourself)! As you HONOR what is HOLY, you will enter into supernatural favor and blessings for God's holy people!

How to live in holiness?

Holiness is about showing respect.
Reverence is a little known concept among Christians. Some Christians love to gossip and criticize. They respect neither each other nor the ministers. And then they are surprised - why God's blessing and power is not visible in their lives!

To live in holiness means to show honor where it is supposed to be done.

It means honoring your parents, because God brought you into this world through them. It means honoring your spouse as your covenant partner. It means to show honor to those whom God has appointed as ministers.
To live in holiness is to honor the name of God. This means treating Shabbat as a "separate" day. It means treating your body as a holy temple of the presence of God. It means honoring marriage and talking about it with dignity. It means treating other Christians with respect just because they also know Jesus!
This means showing respect to the Jews as to God's chosen people.
If you live in HOLINESS, honoring where it belongs, then God's PRESENCE will fill your life, and His BLESSINGS will be poured out on you!

STEPS TO RECOVERY!

Holiness has nothing to do with legalism, to be different from other people, or just to be good! Holiness is all about showing reverence.
The word reverence was not often used in our Christian vocabulary. But God wants us to start thinking about when and how to show respect!
First, we need to learn to honor God. He is the most Holy. We see one way of honoring God from the principle of offering the first fruits. We honor God by giving Him the first of our income. In the Old Testament, when harvest time came, the first sheaf of wheat that was cut in the field was referred to the temple as the "offering of the first fruits." It was offered in addition to tithing. The offering of the first fruits was not supposed to be great, but it was a special way of honoring God - bringing Him the first of what we receive!

Several years ago, in our family, we began to practice the "first fruit bearing" practice. Every time we saw an increase in our income, we took the first of these additional income and brought it as the first fruit offering to honor God. The results were incredible. We noticed that God began to pour out blessings on our finances when we gave Him special honor in this way!

We also honor God as our first time. At the beginning of each month, the Jews have a special celebration of the "New Moon" (new moon). People gathered at the beginning of the month for praise, prayer and celebration before the Lord. Thus, they honored God by choosing to dedicate the first time of the month to Him!
Our church has begun holding monthly “firstfruits gathering” celebrations to honor God at the beginning of each month. If your church doesn’t have anything like this, why not host a “worship night” in your home to celebrate and rejoice in God's goodness at the beginning of each month? When we choose to give God the first thing in our lives, we honor Him in holiness.
It is also very important to honor people and those things that God has identified as holy. Ask God to show you how to honor what is holy in your life.

As we live in holiness, we can experience more and more God's power and blessings!