Who will enter the kingdom of heaven? Who will enter the kingdom of heaven? Nothing evil will enter the kingdom of heaven.

(revelation)

Thus says the Lord!
27 And nothing unclean will enter into it, nor anyone who practices abomination and lies, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev.21:27)
People are used to hearing these words, but have never fully realized their seriousness and what these words really say. They eat and drink with insatiability the evil and vices that the devil taught them. People hate each other with fierce hatred and everyone pulls the blanket over themselves. Such, in fact, are the children of the devil, but in their blindness they call themselves My children. The devil is happy about such deception of people - he is glad about their blindness and lack of foresight and supports them in their faith.
1 Where do you get hostility and strife? Is it not from here, from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You desire and do not have; you kill and envy - and cannot achieve; you bicker and quarrel - and you do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, but to use it for your lusts. 4 Adulterers and adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity against God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain: “The spirit that dwells in us loves jealously”? 6 But grace gives all the more; That is why it is said: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you; Cleanse your hands, you sinners; straighten your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be afflicted, weep and howl; Let your laughter turn into crying, and your joy into sadness. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 11 Do not curse one another, brothers: whoever curses his brother or judges his brother, the law reviles him and the law judges him; and if you judge the law, then you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver and Judge, able to save and destroy; and who are you who judges another? (James 4:1-12)
Do you really think that I will close My eyes, pretend that I do not notice your evil motives and allow evil to penetrate into heaven? This would only mean that I, through the impurity of My people, would invite the devil into My Kingdom. But I did not cast him out of heaven in order to establish him again in my Kingdom! This is not why I, God, paid a great price with My Son so that evil would not destroy My entire creation!
The whole world lies in evil - the world is infected with evil, for it is ruled by the prince of this world - Satan. And if My children do the works of the devil, then they are his allies, not Mine. Such people are already defiled by evil and uncleanness, and the only question is My mercy: For I still extend the time of grace and give the people the opportunity to repent and be holy. But time slips away like sand through your fingers, and many, overwhelmed by their great vanity, will not have time to realize the depth of My holiness and the severity of My commandments. They will continue to run about their business until it is too late: for their awareness, repentance and forgiveness!
And therefore, now again and again I warn and warn My people: - Stop and come to your senses! For you are not illuminated, purified, pure and holy as you should be for My Kingdom! Your clothes are stained with the sins and vices of this world, and if My Bride does not wash herself and her clothes in time, then I cannot take her to Me!
I am preparing mansions in heaven for My people, but Mine Heavenly Kingdom- this is the Kingdom of truth, love and purity! The love of the entire universe will come closer to Me, for I am Love! The evil of the entire universe will draw closer to the devil, for he is the world's evil! Love attracts love, evil attracts evil, and they become closer in kind. But My people manage to live in a mixture, between evil and good, for they all eat from the same tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They strive to recognize and choose on their own, without Me, what is evil and what is good. But without Me and My Holy Spirit, teaching the truth, this is impossible for a person! Therefore, all My people are mired in darkness, and wander like blind people among good and evil; They take evil for good, and evil for good. And it turned out that everyone now has their own understanding of good and their own understanding of evil, but this is not my truth!
Therefore, I call you to Me, for I am Truth and Love! And if you recognize and know My truth, settle in Me and be holy in Me! And if you settle in Me while you are still on earth, then you will always be where I will be!
But if some of you are accustomed to living on earth in the kingdom of darkness, vice and permissiveness. Then won’t My Kingdom seem like a prison and hell to you, for this will not be your atmosphere of comfort!
So, do not be deceived, for nothing unclean will enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Evil will never again dwell in heaven, for I have cast out from heaven the one who gave birth to evil among the inhabitants of heaven.
Do My people still need an explanation that no one with even the smallest vice will enter My Kingdom? And while there is still only one single opportunity for all people in the world to be freed from sins; This is to repent, accept My sacrifice for your sins and entrust your life to Me! For only in Me is there the safest place for every person from the devil and his temptations!
So, while there is time, come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest!
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30)
Amen!

The book is a philosophical study on spiritualism. Explanations are given of the moral foundations of the teachings of Christ, their coordination with spiritualism and their application to various situations in life.

* * *

The given introductory fragment of the book The Gospel Explained Spiritualism (Allan Kardec, 1865) provided by our book partner - the company liters.

Chapter 4. No one will enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again

1. When Jesus came to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am? They said: some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He says to them: Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Then Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Matt. 16:13-17; Mark 8:27-30)

2. Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that Jesus did and was perplexed: for some said that it was John who rose from the dead; others that Elijah appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets was resurrected. And Herod said: I have beheaded John; Who is this one about whom I hear such things? And I sought to see Him. (Mark 6:14,15; Luke 9:7-9)

3. And His disciples asked Him: How come the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered and said to them, “It is true that Elijah must come first and arrange everything; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wanted; so the Son of Man will suffer from them. Then the disciples realized that He was talking to them about John the Baptist. (Matt. 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13)

Resurrection and reincarnation

4. Reincarnation was part of Jewish dogma under the name resurrection; only the Sadducees, who believed that everything ends with death, did not believe in him. The ideas of the Jews in this respect, as in many others, were not clearly defined, because they had only a vague and incomplete idea of ​​the soul and its connection with the body. They believed that a dead person could be resurrected, but they were not aware of exactly how this could happen; under the word Sunday they meant what spiritualism more sensibly calls reincarnation. Indeed, under resurrection implies the return of life to a body that has already died, which, as science proves, is completely impossible, especially when parts of the body have long been destroyed and scattered. Reincarnation- this is the return of the soul or spirit to bodily life, but in another body, newly formed for it and having nothing in common with the previous one. Word Sunday could thus refer to Lazarus, but not to Elijah and the other prophets. If, therefore, according to their belief, John the Baptist was Elijah, then the body of John could not be the body of Elijah, because John was seen as a child and his father and mother were known. John could have been Elijah reincarnated, but not resurrected.

5. Among the Pharisees there was someone named Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews; he came to Jesus at night and said to Him: Rabbi! we know that You are a Teacher who came from God; for no one can do such miracles as You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again (again), he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he really enter his mother’s womb another time and be born? Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Do not be surprised at what I said to you: you must be born again (again). The spirit breathes where it wants, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes: this is what happens to everyone born of the spirit. Nicodemus answered Him: How can this be? Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and do you not know this?” Truly, truly, I say to you: We speak of what we know, and we testify of what we have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony; If I told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? (John 3:1-12)

6. The idea that John the Baptist was Elijah and that prophets could be reborn on earth is found in many places in the Gospel, among other things in the cited verses. (items 1, 2, 3). If this belief had been an error, Jesus would not have failed to fight against it, as He fought against others; on the contrary, He sanctioned it with all his authority and made it a principle, as necessary condition, saying: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (again)”; and He insists on this, adding: “Do not be surprised that I say that you must be born again (again).”.

7. Words: " Unless one is born of water and the Spirit", were interpreted in the sense of renewal by water at baptism; the original text simply reads: " Not born of water and the Spirit", while in some translations the word "Spirit" is added " saint”, which does not answer the same idea at all. This fundamental disagreement stems from the first interpretations of the Gospel, as will in time be positively proved.

8. To understand the true meaning of these words, it should be noted that the word water was not understood only in its true meaning.

The knowledge of the ancients in the physical sciences was very imperfect; they thought that the earth came out of the water; that's why they thought water the original absolute element. Thus, the Book of Genesis says: “The Spirit of God was upon the waters; hovered over the surface of the waters”: and that the firmament was created in the midst of the waters; that the waters under the sky gathered into one place, and the dry element appeared; that water produce animals living and swimming in the water, and birds flying above the earth and under the sky. According to this belief, water became a symbol of material nature, just as Spirit became a symbol of mental nature. Therefore, the words: “ unless one is born of water and the Spirit", or " from water and from Spirit“mean: “unless someone is born with his own body and his own soul.” In this sense they were understood in principle.

This interpretation is further confirmed by the following words: “ that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" Jesus makes a positive distinction here between spirit and flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh - clearly means that only flesh produces flesh, and therefore the spirit is independent of the flesh.

9. « The spirit breathes where it wants, and you hear its voice, but you don’t know where it comes from and where it goes." These words may refer to Spirit of God giving life to whom He wills, or to the soul of man; in this latter interpretation of the word “you do not know where it comes from and where it goes”; it means that it is unknown what happened to him and what will happen. If the spirit or soul were created at the same time as the body, they would know where it came from, since they would know its beginning. In any case, this passage of the Gospel serves as a sanctification of the principle of the pre-existence of the soul, and therefore of the plurality of existences.

10. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom Heavenly force he is taken, and those who use force delight him; for all the prophets and the law prophesied before John. And if you want to accept, . Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. (Matt. 11:12-15)

11. If the principle of reincarnation expressed in the Gospel of John could, strictly speaking, be interpreted in a purely mystical sense, then the same cannot be said about the words in the Gospel of Matthew, which have a very definite meaning: “ he is Elijah, who must come"; there is no figurativeness or allegory here, this is a positive statement “ From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been taken by force." What do these words mean if John was still alive at that time? Jesus explains them by saying, “And if you will accept, he is Elijah who must come.” So John was none other than Elijah; Jesus alludes to the time when John lived under the name of Elijah. “Until now the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken by force” - his other allusion to violence in the law of Moses, which demanded the destruction of the infidels in order to achieve the Promised Land - the Jewish Paradise, while according to the new law the Kingdom of Heaven is acquired by mercy and meekness.

Then He adds: “ Those who have ears to hear, let them hear" These words, so often repeated by Jesus, clearly prove that not everyone was able to understand certain truths.

12. Those of our people who were killed will live again: Those who were killed among Me will be resurrected. Awake, you who live in the dust, from your sleep and sing praises to God, because the dew that falls on you is the dew of light, and because you will destroy the earth and the dominion of the giants. (Isaiah 26:19)

13. This passage of Isaiah is also explained. " Those of your people who were killed will live again" If the prophet had heard about spiritual life, if he wanted to say that those who were killed were not dead in spirit, he would have said: “ still living", but not " will live again" In spiritualistic meaning last words would be meaningless because they would mean a break in the life of the soul. In terms of moral regeneration, they would be a denial of eternal torment, since they make it a rule reviving all the dead.

14. But when a man dies once, what will happen to his body, separated from the spirit and decomposed? Man being once dead, can it come to life again? In this struggle, in which I find myself every day of my life, I wait for my change to come. (Job 14:10-14)

When a person dies, he loses all his strength, he ends; where is he then? - If a person dies, will he come to life? Will I wait all the days of my struggle for a change to come to me? (Job, chapter 14).

When a man is dead, he still lives; ending my days my earthly existence, I'll wait because I'll come back here again. (Same; Greek Church version.)

15. The principle of multiple existences is clearly expressed in these three versions. It cannot be assumed that Job spoke about transformation through water at baptism, which he, of course, did not know about. "A man being dead once, can come alive again? The idea of ​​dying once and coming back to life implies the idea of ​​dying and coming back to life several times. The Greek Church version is even clearer. "Having ended my days earthly existence, I will wait because I I'll come back here again", i.e. I will return to earthly existence. This is as clear as if someone said: “I am leaving my home, but I will return to it.

"In this struggle that I find myself in every day of my life, I'm waiting that my change will come." Obviously, Job wants to talk about the struggle that he wages against the disasters of life; he is waiting for change, that is, he submits to his fate. In the Greek version I'll be waiting rather refers to a new existence: “when my earthly existence ends, I'll be waiting, because I will come back here again." It seems that Job places himself after death in the interval separating one existence from another, and says that there he will wait for his return.

16. There is no doubt that, under the name of Sunday, the principle of reincarnation was one of the fundamental tenets of Jewish belief; that it is formally confirmed by Jesus and the prophets. It follows from this that to deny reincarnation means to deny the words of Christ, which over time will become an authority in this matter, as in many others, when they are comprehended without bias.

17. To this authority, from the point of view of religion, we must add the authority of experiments, from the point of view of philosophy, experiences that serve as the result of observing facts; if we go back to the cause from the effect, then reincarnation appears as an absolute necessity, as a property inherent in humanity, in a word, as a law of nature; it reveals itself in its results, so to speak, in a material way, like a hidden engine revealed by movement; it alone can explain to a person where he came from, where he is going, why he is on earth, and justify all the anomalies and all the seeming injustices in life.

Without the principle of the pre-existence of the soul and the plurality of existences, most of the Gospel provisions are not understandable; that is why they have given rise to such contradictory interpretations; this principle should restore their real meaning.

Family ties are strengthened by reincarnation and destroyed by the simultaneity of existence

18. Family ties are not at all destroyed by reincarnation, as some people think; on the contrary, they strengthen and become closer; denial of reincarnation destroys them. Spirits form groups or families in space, united by affections, sympathies and similarities of inclinations; these spirits, finding happiness in being together, look for each other; the incarnation separates them only temporarily, because, having returned to the disembodied state, they meet like friends after a journey. Often they even follow one another during incarnation, where they unite into one family or one circle, working together for mutual improvement. If some are embodied and others are not, then they are still connected by thoughts; the free take care of those in captivity; the more advanced ones try to push those who are lagging behind. With each existence they take a step forward on the path of improvement; they are less and less attached to matter, and therefore their mutual love it is stronger because it is purer: it is no longer violated by egoism and passions. They can thus go through countless bodily existences, and nothing will disturb their mutual affection.

Of course, here the matter really concerns the attachment of the soul to the soul, the only one surviving the destruction of the body, since beings united here only sensually have no reason to look for each other in the world of spirits. Only spiritual attachments are strong, while physical attachments are destroyed along with the cause that gave rise to them: this cause does not exist in the world of spirits, while the soul always exists. As for persons motivated only by interest, they really do not amount to anything for each other; death separates them on earth and in heaven.

19. The connection and affection that exists between relatives serves as a sign of previous sympathy that brought them together; Therefore, they say about a person whose character, tastes and inclinations have nothing in common with those close to them, that she is not of this family. By saying this, they are expressing a greater truth than they think. God allows such incarnation of spirits that are antipathetic or alien to families with a double purpose: to serve as a means of testing for some and a means of improvement for others. Then the bad ones are corrected little by little as a result of relations with the good ones and thanks to their concerns; their character softens, their morals are purified, their antipathy is smoothed out; between various categories Relations between spirits are established in the same way as they are established between races and peoples.

20. The fear of an endless increase in relatives as a result of reincarnation is an egoistic fear, proving that a person does not feel enough love in himself to be enough for a large number of people. Does a father who has several children love them less than he would love one? Let the egoists calm down; this fear is unfounded. From the fact that a person will be reincarnated ten times, it does not follow that he will have ten fathers, mothers, wives and a corresponding number of children and relatives in the world of spirits; but will always find on earth the same objects of affection, under different or under the same names.

21. Now consider the consequences of the contrary teaching. This doctrine, of course, denies the pre-existence of the soul. If souls are created simultaneously with the body, then there is no internal connection between them; they are completely alien to each other; the father is a stranger to his son; The family connection is thus reduced exclusively to a physical connection, without the slightest spiritual connection. Therefore, there is not the slightest motive to be proud of ancestors who were famous personalities. During reincarnation, ancestors and descendants could know each other, live together, love each other, and meet again later in order to be more strongly united by bonds of sympathy.

22. The previous words referred to the past. As for the future, according to one of the main tenets of the doctrine that denies reincarnation, the fate of souls is decided irrevocably after one existence; the final determination of fate means the cessation of development, because if there is any progress, then there is no final fate; souls, depending on whether they lived well or badly, are immediately sent to the home of the happy or to eternal hell; thus they are instantly separated forever and without hope of ever getting closer to one another, so that fathers, mothers, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends can never be sure that they will see each other; this means a complete severance of family ties. With reincarnation and the resulting development of the soul, all those who loved each other meet on earth and in space and move forward together to achieve God. If among them there are offenders along the way, they slow down the progress and happiness of the others, but all hope is not lost; encouraged, supported and relieved by those who love them, they will someday emerge from the mire in which they are stuck. In reincarnation, finally, there is uninterrupted solidarity between the incarnate and the disembodied, strengthening the bonds of affection.

23. In conclusion, man is given four alternatives regarding his afterlife future: 1) complete destruction, according to materialistic teaching; 2) immersion in the universal whole, according to the teachings of pantheists; 3) individuality with final determination of fate, according to the teachings of the Church; 4) individuality with endless progress according to spiritualistic teachings. According to the first two, family ties are severed after death, and there is no hope of seeing each other; with the third there is hope to see each other, if the souls are in one place, will this place turn out to be heaven or hell; with the plurality of existences, inseparable from gradual progress, there is confidence in the continuation of relations between those who love each other, which constitutes a real family.

Instructions of the Spirits: The Limit of Incarnation

24. What are the limits of incarnation?

Incarnation, strictly speaking, does not have clearly defined limits, if by this we mean the body serving as a shell for the spirit; the materiality of this shell decreases as the spirit is purified. In some worlds, more perfect than the Earth, it is already less dense, less heavy and less rough, and therefore subject to less damage; at higher degrees it dematerializes and finally mixes with the perisprit. Depending on the world on which the spirit is recognized to live, it takes on a shell characteristic of the nature of this world.

The perispirit itself undergoes successive changes; he is spiritualized more and more until the complete purification inherent in pure spirits. If the worlds are specifically intended to be stops for very developed spirits, then these spirits are not attached to them, as in the lower worlds; the free state in which they find themselves allows them to be transported wherever the mission entrusted to them calls them.

If we consider the incarnation from the material point of view prevailing on Earth, then we can say that the incarnation is limited to the lower worlds; therefore, it is up to the spirit to get rid of it more or less quickly, working on its purification.

It should also be noted that in a wandering state, that is, in the intervals between bodily existences, the position of the spirit corresponds to the nature of the world to which the degree of its development binds it; that, therefore, in disincarnation he is more or less happy, free and enlightened depending on the greater or to a lesser extent dematerialization. (St. Louis. Paris, 1859)

The need for implementation

25. Does incarnation serve as punishment and are only guilty spirits subject to it?

It is necessary for spirits to go through a bodily life so that they can fulfill, with the help of actions of a material nature, the destiny of God, who entrusted them with their fulfillment; it is necessary for them, since the activity they must show contributes to mental development. God, being perfectly just, must give equally to all his children; that is why He gives everyone the same essence, the same abilities, equal obligations to perform and equal freedom of action; every preference would be an advantage, and every advantage an injustice. But incarnation is only a transitional state for all spirits; it is a duty placed upon them by God at the beginning of their lives as the first test of the exercise of their free will. Those who perform this duty with zeal pass through these first degrees of initiation more quickly and with less difficulty, and sooner taste the fruits of their labors. Those who make bad use of the freedom given to them by God slow down their movement; Thus, by their persistence they can prolong the need for reincarnation, and then incarnation becomes a punishment. (St. Louis. Paris, 1859)

26. Note. An ordinary comparison will better explain this difference. A student cannot fully comprehend science if he does not learn the lessons that lead to this. These lessons, whatever the work they require, are a means to an end, not a punishment. The industrious student takes shortcuts and encounters fewer difficulties; It’s a different matter with someone who neglects and is lazy, and therefore has to repeat certain lessons. It is not the class work that serves as punishment, but the need to do the same work again.

The same thing happens to man on earth. For the spirit of a savage beginning spiritual life, incarnation is a means mental development, but for an enlightened person, whose moral sense is widely developed and who must repeat the stages of a bodily life full of languor, while he could have already achieved the goal, this is a punishment consisting in the need to continue to exist in the lower and unhappy worlds. On the contrary, the person who actively works on his moral improvement, can not only shorten the duration of material incarnation, but also go through the transitional degrees separating it from the higher worlds in one go.

Could not spirits incarnate only once on one globe and fulfill their various existences in various fields? This opinion could be accepted if all people on Earth were at exactly the same mental and moral level of development. The differences which exist between them, from the savage to the civilized man, indicate the degrees which they are called upon to pass. The incarnation, moreover, must have a useful purpose: otherwise, what would be the purpose in the ephemeral incarnations of children dying in infancy? They would suffer without benefit for themselves and others. God, whose laws are wise in perfection, does nothing useless. Through reincarnation on the same ball, He wished that the same spirits would meet again and have the opportunity to correct mutual injustices; He wished, moreover, to establish family ties on a spiritual basis and to strengthen, on the basis of the law of nature, the principle of solidarity, fraternity and equality.

“Into the kingdom of God, into which the unbaptized cannot enter” (St. Simeon the New Theologian. Homily 37).

“Whoever, after communion, does not bear good fruits, but, on the contrary, commits sins and untruths, his place is with the infidels, the wicked and the unbaptized (St. Simeon the New Theologian. Homily 46).

“Those who have not received such grace at all, that is, the unbaptized, and who have received it, but do not know it, are the enemies of God. For anyone who is not partaker of the Divine nature, that is, does not have Divine grace, is carnal and cannot to please God, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, and flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (St. Simeon the New Theologian. Homily 51).

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)

“For with his (i.e., the priesthood’s) assistance we are both reborn and partake of the Divine Mysteries, without which it is impossible to become partakers of heavenly rewards, according to the untrue sayings of the Truth itself, which says in one place: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he will not enter kingdom of heaven (John 3:5); and in another: “Whoever does not eat My flesh and drink My blood has no part with Me” (John 6:56). Therefore, if without these Sacraments it is not possible to be worthy Divine lot" (St. Isidore Pelusiot. Letters. 552. Bishop Theodosius).

“And the Lord says in the Gospels: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5). So Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the saints before Christ, entering the Kingdom of Heaven , were first baptized, because according to the testimony of Christ, if they had not been baptized, they would not have been saved. And the Holy Spirit also testifies, saying: Sinners are alienated from the womb (Ps. 57:4), that is, from baptism. Therefore, we confess that all those who are saved and those who are saved by baptism are saved and are being saved by the grace of God" (St. John of Damascus. Conversation between a Saracen and a Christian).

“Those who were not buried in Christ and were not raised with Him in baptism, but remain in spiritual death, are clearly dead and worthy of pity. They will not be resurrected with Him until the thousand years are over, that is, the time lasting from His first coming to the glorious second , but will return to the earth as born of the earth, and not of the Spirit, because in their death is the beginning of their future torment" (St. Andrew of Caesarea. Interpretation of the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian. Article 62. On the first resurrection and the second death ).

“Whoever, even if he was good in deeds, but did not receive the sealing with water, will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The word is bold, but not mine, since Jesus determined so” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical and secret teachings. Catechetical teaching third).

“Whoever does not receive baptism has no salvation, except for martyrs, who receive the Kingdom of Heaven even without water” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical and secrecy teachings. Catechetical teaching third).

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” the Apostle teaches (2 Cor. 5:17). A Christian becomes a new creation in baptism. A person emerges from the font completely different from the one who enters it. Like light to darkness, like life to death, so the baptized is the opposite unbaptized. Conceived in iniquities and born in sins, a person before baptism carries within himself all the poison of sin, with all the burden of its consequences. He is in the disfavor of God, is by nature a child of wrath; damaged, upset in himself, in the relationship of parts and forces and in their direction mainly to the proliferation of sin; subject to the influence of Satan, who acts powerfully in him, due to the sin living in him. As a result of all this, after death, he is inevitably a quitter of hell, where he must suffer along with his prince and his minions and servants. Baptism delivers us from all these evils. It removes the oath by the power of the Cross of Christ and returns the blessing: those who are baptized are children of God, as the Lord Himself gave them the name and name. And if they are children, then they are also heirs - heirs to God, and joint heirs Christ... (Rom. 8:17). The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the person who is baptized through baptism itself. He is removed from under the dominion of Satan, who now loses power over him and the power to act arbitrarily in him" (St. Theophan the Recluse. The Path to Salvation. A Brief Essay on Asceticism. How does Christian life begin in the Sacrament of Baptism?).

What does baptism bring to a person? - It opens the door of the Kingdom of Heaven. What grace of God do we receive in baptism? - Cleansing from ancestral sin and forgiveness of other sins committed before baptism; for by baptism a person becomes the son of God and the heir of grace" (St. Demetrius of Rostov. Creations. Narrative of the Saints Ecumenical Councils and their rules. Sacrament of Holy Baptism).

“The mystery of Baptism is the door of God’s grace. If we are not baptized, even the Blood of the Son of God will not save us” (St. Demetrius of Rostov. Quotes from The Spiritual Aspects of Christianity 113, 84).

“Before Baptism, the doors to eternal life and the heavenly kingdom were closed for us, but with Baptism they were opened, and those who keep the grace of holy Baptism enter there without hindrance” (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Brief moralizing words. Homily 2: About Holy Baptism).

“For before Baptism we were dead, as if dead from sin, and incapable of any good deed - what can a dead person do? - and therefore before God we were as if non-existent, for to God he is only alive who is dead to sin. But in holy Baptism we are quickened by the grace of God, and, having renounced sin, we are renewed to a holy and pious life" (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Brief moral words. Homily 5: About our renewal by holy Baptism).

“We are freed from death and the devil’s power and come into the kingdom of Christ, the Son of God. We become sheep of His holy flock and members of the holy Church, and therefore Him as the Head of the holy Church, so we call Him our King and Lord. 3) We become heirs of the eternal life and blessedness, according to His true promise: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Therefore, the Apostle says about Baptism: “He saved us according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs in hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5 - 7)" (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. About true Christianity. Book two. Article 2: About the Holy Church and Baptism. Chapter 2: About Holy Baptism).

“Since our fall does not consist in the destruction of good from our nature - this is a distinctive sign of the fall of the rejected angels - but in the mixing of our natural good with evil that is unnatural for us, then our fallen nature has good deeds and virtues characteristic of it. They are performed by pagans, Mohammedans and all who are alien to Christ. These good deeds and virtues, as defiled by an admixture of evil, are unworthy of God, interfere with communication with Him, and oppose our salvation.<…>Those who give good deeds fallen nature, the high price they do not deserve, fall into the greatest soul-harming error. They fall, without realizing it, into humiliation and rejection of Christ. The question is often heard from them: “Why can’t pagans, Mohammedans, Lutherans and all the like, open and hidden enemies of Christianity, be saved? There are many of the most virtuous people among them.” It is obvious that the questions and objections arise from complete ignorance of what lies in the destruction and salvation of men. It is obvious that with such a question and objection Christ is humiliated, the idea is expressed that the Atonement and the Redeemer were not a necessity for people, that people can satisfy their salvation by their own means. In short, Christianity is rejected by this question and objection.<…>It is impossible to enter into natural existence without being born according to the law of nature, it is impossible to enter into communion with God,<…>without entering Christianity through holy Baptism. This is the Divine institution" (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Ascetic experiences II. A word on salvation and Christian perfection. Part 1).

“It is better, having been worthy of saving baptism, to fall again into sin, rather than to end one’s life uninvolved in grace. For sin, perhaps, will receive forgiveness through God’s love for mankind, for which the good have great hope, but salvation is completely inaccessible to him by the exact definition. For when I hear that a true voice says: Amen, amen, I say to you, unless someone is born again and can see the kingdom of God (John 3:5), then I can expect nothing good for those not washed with the water of baptism... I see that when an earthquake happens in the world or an ulcer or an invasion of enemies, everyone rushes diligently to the baptismal sanctuary, so as not to leave the world unparticipated in grace...For the river of grace flows everywhere; it does not have its source in Palestine and does not hide in the neighboring sea, but flows around the entire universe and flows into paradise, to the meeting of these four rivers flowing from there, bringing into paradise incomparably more precious than what they wore out, for they bring aromas, fruitfulness, vegetation of the earth, and this one brings (into paradise) people generated by the Spirit. Wherever you lead (this river), there it will flow; pours out over the entire universe and is not exhausted, dividing into channels. For it has a rich source - Christ, and flowing from Him, washes the whole world in waves. It is sweet and drinkable, without any admixture of unpleasant saltiness (for it becomes sweet from the descent of the Spirit, like the source of Marah, from the touch of a tree (Ex. 15:23); easily accessible for the pious, but deep and inaccessible to the unclean" (St. Gregory of Nyssa. Against those who put off baptism).

"The meaning of threefold immersion at Baptism. For it is impossible for this to take place if it were not preceded by this. It is impossible, I say, for a person to achieve resurrection without rebirth in the bath of baptism, meaning<…>restoration to a state of bliss, divine and far from all sorrows. For not everything that comes back into existence by resurrection enters into the same life, but there is a great gulf between those who have been purified and those who need purification. For those who in this life were preceded by cleansing by the bath of baptism, there will be an outcome to the akin, and dispassion will be acquired by the pure, and that in dispassion there is bliss is certain. But in whom the passions have become coarsened and no cleansing of defilement has been carried out either by the mysterious water, or by the invocation of Divine power, or by correction through repentance, then, of all necessity, must be in a state corresponding to this" (St. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechetical Sermon).

“Faith and water lay the foundation for eternal salvation. A special property of God’s activity is the salvation of those who need Him, and salvation is actually achieved by purification in water, and the one who is purified becomes a partaker of purity; what is truly pure is the Divine” (St. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechetical Word ).

“Therefore, when, as if delineating His baptism in writing, the Savior Himself wanted to be baptized with the baptism of John, He opened the heavens, showing that through baptism only we can see the heavenly spaces, and thereby it was indicated that it is impossible for an unbaptized person to enter into life; and that the font is an entrance and a door" (St. Nicholas Cabasilas. Seven words about life in Christ).

“For one who is not baptized with water and the Spirit cannot enter into life, just as those who do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and do not drink His blood cannot have life in themselves” (St. Nicholas Cabasilas. Seven words about life in Christ).

“What does Christ say? “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” This is what He means by this: you consider it impossible; but I say that it is very possible. , even necessary, and it is impossible to be saved otherwise. But God has made what is necessary for us also convenient. Earthly birth is birth according to the flesh, from dust, and therefore everything heavenly is blocked for it, because what is common between earth and heaven? But something else birth, as birth from the Spirit, conveniently opens the heavenly gates for us. Hear, all of you, strangers to enlightenment (that is, the sacrament of baptism): be horrified, mourn! This threat is terrible, this definition is terrible! It is impossible, says Christ, for one who is not born of water and the Spirit , to enter the kingdom of heaven, because he still wears the robe of death, the robe of curse, the robe of corruption - he has not yet received the sign of the Lord, he is not yet his own, but a stranger; he does not have the sign agreed upon in the kingdom" (St. John Chrysostom. Interpretation on Gospel of John).

"I said, 'Again, sir, explain to me.' it was necessary, he says, to pass through the water in order to be revived; They could not enter the Kingdom of God otherwise than by putting aside the deadness of their former life. Therefore, these deceased received the seal of the Son of God and entered the Kingdom of God. For before man receives the name of the Son of God, man is dead; but as soon as he receives this seal, he puts aside deadness and perceives life. This seal is water, into it they descend people are dead, and rise from it alive; Therefore, this seal was preached to them, and they took advantage of it in order to enter the Kingdom of God." “Why, sir,” I said, “were those forty stones that already had this seal taken from the depths along with them? “Because,” he says, “these apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the Son of God, having died with faith in Him and with power, preached Him to those who had previously died, and they themselves gave them a seal; they descended into the water with them and ascended with them again. But they descended alive, and those who fell before them descended dead, but came out alive; through the apostles they received life and knew the name of the Son of God and therefore were taken along with them and placed in the building of the tower; they were used in the uncut structure, because they died in righteousness and purity, but did not have this seal. Here is an explanation for these stones,” that is, the water of baptism. What is meant here is not the sacrament of the Church in the proper sense, which is connected with the immersion of the body in water, but the mysterious power of baptism, the gifts imparted by God in it. Patriarchs, prophets and other Old Testament righteous men who pleased God with their virtuous lives, in order to enter the Kingdom of God, needed only the seal of the Son of God, or baptism, i.e., the cleansing of sins and the renewal of the spirit bestowed in baptism. Therefore, the apostles, themselves already baptized, preached after their death to those who died righteous, baptism and faith, with them they went down into the water - like Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8:38) - and ascended (Cotelier)" ("The Shepherd" Hermas. Book 3: Similarities. Similarity 9th. XVI) .

"Question: How does the scripture say that there is a "Heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22), and you said that it is in the heart? Answer: We know that not only Jerusalem, but also other blessings that should be received in the resurrection of the righteous, grief is found; their betrothals and the firstfruits in the hearts of firm believers from now on act spiritually, so that, being assured of the future, we despise everything present and love God to death. Therefore (the apostle) did not say: you have to draw near, "but draw near to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22) - for we have all been made capable of receiving these from Baptism, but only those who firmly believe are worthy to receive them, who die every day for the love of Christ, that is standing above every thought of this life and not thinking of anything else, except when they have reached the perfect love of Christ, which is the inner opening of the heart, “where Jesus was seen as the Forerunner for us” (Heb. 6:20). Seeking this at the beginning of all things, St. Paul said: “I persecute, even though I am comprehended, even though I was comprehended, that is, that I may love even as I was loved by Christ” (Phil. 3:12). And when he achieved this love, he no longer wanted to think about anything: neither about the sorrowful for the body, nor about the wondrous in creation, but he left everything openly and said: “Who will separate us from the love of God; be it sorrow, or oppression, or persecution? , or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or sword? And again: “We know,” he says, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, lower Powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God , even in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:35, 38,39); for I did not want to think about any of these, but only to abide there (in the love of Christ). The Holy Spirit made His believers from Baptism capable of accepting all His actions and gifts" (St. Mark the Ascetic. Moral and ascetic words. Word 4. Same, answer to those who are perplexed about Holy Baptism).

“If I am not initiated into the Sacraments, then it is impossible for me to receive salvation without being baptized. And also, if I say that I can not breathe and live, this is a lie, for breathing is necessary, without it it is impossible to live” (Pr. Theodore the Studite. Epistle 39 (98). To Athanasius, son).

“How the Spirit of truth and the spirit of delusion act in the soul before baptism and after baptism. Before baptism, grace from without directs the soul to goodness, and Satan nests in the very depths of it, trying to block the mind from all right outcomes; from the very hour we are reborn in baptism ", the demon is outside, but grace is inside. That's why we find that just as in ancient times delusion ruled over the soul, so after baptism the truth rules over it" (also Blessed Diadoche, Bishop Photiki, in ancient Epirus of Illyria. The ascetic word, divided into one hundred active chapters, filled with spiritual knowledge and reasoning. Philokalia. Vol. 3).

“The brother said: Father, I would like to hear briefly what commandments I must fulfill in order to be saved?” The elder answered: The Lord Himself said to the Apostles after the resurrection: go and teach all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, keep them more often than all the commandments given to you (Matthew 28:19.20). So that everything commanded by Him must be observed by every person baptized in the name of the Life-Giving and God-Giving Trinity. The Lord combined in an inextricable union with the right faith the observance of all the commandments, knowing that when one is separated from the other, it is impossible for a person to be saved" (St. Maximus the Confessor. Ascetic Word, in questions and answers. Philokalia. Vol. 3).

“Every good thing that is accomplished in you mentally, you yourself carefully keep secret, because the mediators for you to it were Baptism and faith; in them you were called by our Lord Jesus Christ to His good deeds” (St. Isaac the Syrian. Ascetic Words Homily 1. On renunciation of the world and on monastic life).

“If, as modern intellectual scribes say, in any faith one can find salvation and peace for one’s soul overwhelmed by passions, then what is the Christian faith, what is the coming of Christ to earth, His incarnation, His preaching about the Kingdom of God and the means to achieve it? why do we need Repentance, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood, why miracles, suffering, the Cross, death, burial, descent into hell, Resurrection, ascension to Heaven, the Second Coming? If you could do without all this and save your soul, then why is all this, what are we talking about now? Why the confession of faith, why the martyrs, why the apostles, the hierarchy, why fasting, prayers? After all, all this has a world, universal significance, because all this is a strict, great, wise will the first, uncreated and all-creating Mind - God. You see what absurdity the opinion of freethinkers leads to, that in any faith one can be saved. No, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law of Christ until everything is fulfilled, and not The Savior's Word alone does not pass by. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you (John 6:53)" (St. John of Kronstadt. Collected Works in 6 volumes. Volume 2. The Path to God . -P. 508).

“No baby will enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless he is regenerated by water and the Spirit (cf. John 3:5)” (Blessed Augustine. Letter 194. To the Roman Presbyter Sixtus).

“Therefore, since by the grace of Christ we are catholic Christians: We know that those who are not yet born have done nothing good or evil in their lives (Rom 9:11), and do not come into the misfortunes of this life because of some merit of some previous life , for they cannot have any such special life for each; but they, being carnally born from Adam, from their very birth have in themselves the infection of ancient death and can be freed from the punishment of eternal death brought upon them by righteous condemnation, which passes from one to everyone, only if they have been regenerated in Christ by grace (cf. Rom 5:12). We know that infants are also destined to receive good or evil according to what they did while living in the body. And they did this not on their own, but with the help of those, thanks to whose answers spoken in their place, it can be said that infants rejected the devil and believed in God. Therefore, they are among the believers, belonging [to those about whom it is said] in the saying of the Lord, who says: Whoever believes and be baptized, he will be saved. And to those who did not accept this sacrament, what follows happens: And whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). So, and they, as I have already said, if they die at this young age, then, undoubtedly, they [are judged] according to what they did while living in the body, that is, for the time that they lived in the body, when they believed or did not believe through the mouths of those who offer them [for baptism], when they were or were not baptized, when they ate or did not eat the Flesh of Christ, when they drank or did not drink His Blood (cf. John 6:54), - they are judged according to what they did, living in the body, and not according to what they would have done if they had lived here longer" (Blessed Augustine. Letter 217. To Vitaly of Carthage. Chapter 5. 12 provisions against the Pelagians).

“Only then can they be completely sanctified and become children of God, when they are reborn by both Sacraments, according to Scripture: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5)” (Holy Martyr Cyprian of Carthage. Letter to Pope Stephen about the council).

“At the same time, some (as if by human wisdom they could abolish the truth of the Gospel preaching) set up the catechumens against us and ask: if one of them, before he has time to be baptized into the Church, is captured for confessing the name and killed, then will such must lose the hope of salvation and the reward of confession simply because he was not first reborn by water? Let it be known to such benefactors and defenders of heretics that those catechumens, firstly, contain the pure faith and truth of the Church and come out of the Divine camp with complete and sincere knowledge of God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit; and secondly, they are not deprived of the sacrament of baptism, like people baptized with the most glorious and greatest baptism of blood, about which the Lord said: that he intends to be baptized with a different baptism (Luke 12:50 ) And that those who are baptized with their own blood and sanctified by suffering achieve perfection and receive the grace of the Divine promise, this is shown by the same Lord in the Gospel when he says to the thief who believes and confesses in his very suffering that he will be with Him in paradise (Lk. 23:43). For all this, we, ministers of faith and truth, must not deceive and deceive those who turn to faith and truth and, repenting, ask for absolution of sins, but otherwise, correcting and transforming them with heavenly instructions, educate them for the Kingdom of Heaven... outside the Church there is neither baptism nor remission of sins...” (Holy Martyr Cyprian of Carthage. Letter to Yubayan on the baptism of heretics).

“When I was in the darkness of the night, when I was floating on the sea of ​​life, to and fro, without hope and support, not knowing the way, deprived of all truth and all light, then I considered the promise of Divine mercy extremely difficult and impossible to realize, that one can be born again and , having received a new soul and life in the holy font, leave everything the same and, while still living in this body, become a new man in spirit and heart. “How is it possible,” I said, “for a person to so quickly and completely leave what he has with him?” he was born and that from a long-term habit became his second nature "... So I thought to myself, because then I myself was captivated by the delusions of my previous life, from which I did not see the opportunity to free myself - I was given over to vices and, in despair, considered my death natural and necessary But after I washed myself in the bath of rebirth from the unclean past and a new pure light poured into my purified soul - after I received the Spirit from above and became a new person, in an incomprehensible way the doubtful became true for me, the closed-open, the dark - clear, I received strength for what I previously considered difficult and impossible to accomplish" (Holy Martyr. Cyprian of Carthage Quotations from Spiritual Aspects of Christianity 113, 493).

“Those who received the baptism of John, because they did not know about the Holy Spirit, are baptized again, so that one of the pagans does not think that for the Jews water alone is enough for salvation, without the Holy Spirit” (Blessed Jerome of Stridon. From a letter to Ocean).

“By doing this, I will be completely right in relation to you, because I am trying to convince you with evidence; and if you remain hard-hearted or hesitate in your decision out of fear of death, which is determined for Christians, and do not want to admit the truth, then you yourself will find yourself guilty of your destruction. And you deceive yourselves when, on the basis that you are Abraham's seed according to the flesh, you think to inherit the blessings that God promised to give through Christ. No one will receive any of these blessings, except only those who in spirit have become like the faith of Abraham and they knew all the sacraments: I mean that some commandments are given for piety and right life, other commandments and rites are prescribed either in relation to the sacrament of Christ or in consideration of the hardness of heart of your people. That this is so, God Himself shows in Ezekiel, saying; " if Noah and Jacob and Daniel ask for sons or daughters, it will not be given to them" (Ezek. 14:20). But He speaks the same thought in Isaiah like this: "The Lord God said: And they will come out and see the skeletons of people who have transgressed against Me; for their worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched, and they will be a spectacle to all flesh" (Isa. 66:23-24). So you, having cut off such hope in your souls, should try to find out in what way you can receive remission of your sins and hope of inheriting the promised benefits; and there is no other way than “that you, having come to know our Christ and having been washed by that baptism for the remission of sins, which Isaiah proclaimed, then live without sin” (St. Justin Martyr. Conversation with Tryphon the Jew).

“Baptism is the seal of eternal life and is reborn into God, so that we may be children not of dead people, but of the eternal and unchangeable God; so that the eternal and unchangeable becomes God, and He stands high above each of the created beings, and to Him all things are subordinated, and subordinated To Him, everything became for Him (his own), so that God would rule and be Master not over anything else (alien), but over His own, (reminds) that everything is God’s and that therefore God is the Almighty and everything is from God. And therefore baptism Our regeneration is accomplished through these three provisions, when God the Father gives us grace to be regenerated through His Son through the Holy Spirit. For those who bear the Spirit of God are brought to the Word, that is, to the Son, and the Son brings them to the Father , and the Father gives them to partake of incorruption. Consequently, without the Spirit it is impossible to see the Son and without the Son it is impossible to approach the Father; for the knowledge of the Father is the Son, and the knowledge of the Son is through the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is communicated by the Son, in accordance with His ministry, according to the good pleasure of the Father, to whom the Father wants and how the Father wants (St. Irenaeus of Lyon. Proof of the apostolic sermon) “Christ came to save everyone through Himself—all, I mean, those who are reborn through Him for God: babies and children, and youths, and elders” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons).

“But we had barely completed part of the journey when a terrible storm arose, which, according to those sailing with me, had never happened in their memory. Everyone became afraid at the sight of common death; but I, poor man, feared more than anyone for my soul; for He was in danger of dying unbaptized and, amid the destructive waters, he desired spiritual water; therefore he cried out, asked and prayed for at least a small reprieve" (St. Gregory the Theologian. Sl. 17. In memory of the holy martyr Maccabees).

“He who is not baptized is not enlightened; and without light, just as the eye does not see what it can see, so the soul is not capable of contemplating God. ... If Israel had not crossed the sea, they would not have been excommunicated from Pharaoh; and you, If you do not pass through the water, you will not come out from under the bitter torment of the devil. He would not drink from the spiritual stone if he had not been baptized representatively; but no one will give you true drink unless you are truly baptized. He, after baptism, is the bread of angels (Ps. 77:25); how can you taste the Bread of animals (John 6:51) if you do not first receive baptism? He ascended into the land of promise through baptism; how can you return to paradise without being sealed with baptism? Or you don’t know , that a flaming weapon is attached... guard the path of the tree of life (Gen. 3:24), for those who disbelieve it is terrible and scorching, but for those who believe it is approachable and pleasantly illuminating? And the Master made it turn: when it sees the faithful, it turns backwards, and when it sees someone - or from the unsealed, meets it with a sharp edge. No one will recognize you, whether you are ours or from among the enemies, if you do not prove unity with us by mysterious signs, if the light of the face of the Lord has not been marked on you (Ps. 4:7). How will an Angel challenge you, how will he snatch you away from your enemies, if he does not know the seal? How can you say: “I am God’s” if you don’t bear the signs? Or do you not know that the Destroyer passed through sealed houses and killed the firstborn in unsealed houses (Ex. 12:23-29)? Unsealed treasure is conveniently stolen by thieves; an untagged sheep can be lured away safely. There are ten thousand angels, hosts of the firstborn, thrones of the apostles, presidencies of prophets, scepters of patriarchs, crowns of martyrs, praises of the righteous. Desire that you too, washed and sanctified by the gift of Christ, may be numbered among them; for to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (St. Basil the Great. Conversation 13. Incentive to accept holy baptism).

“Why are we Christians? Everyone will say: by faith. And how are we saved? In such a way that we are reborn precisely by the grace given in baptism. For how else can we be saved?” (St. Basil the Great. About the Holy Spirit. Chapter 10 in “Works of the Holy Fathers”, volume VII, p. 296).

“The Lord wants all people to be worthy of this birth; because he died for everyone and called everyone to life. And life is birth from God from above. For without this birth it is impossible for the soul to live, as the Lord says: unless one is born again, he cannot to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). And therefore, all those who believed in the Lord, and having come, were worthy of this birth, joy and great joy in heaven bring to the parents who gave birth to them. All the Angels and holy Powers rejoice over the soul born of the Spirit and became a spirit. For this body is the likeness of the soul, and the soul is the image of the Spirit; and just as the body without the soul is dead and cannot do anything, so without the heavenly soul, without the Spirit of God, the soul is dead to the kingdom, and without the Spirit it cannot do anything. what is God's. How gold coin, if it does not accept and imprint the royal image on itself, does not circulate in trade, is not invested in the royal treasury, but everyone sweeps it away: so is the soul, if it does not have the image of the heavenly Spirit in the ineffable light, i.e. Christ imprinted in it, then it is inappropriate for the heavenly treasures, and is rejected by the merchants of the kingdom - the good Apostles. For even the one who was called, but did not have the wedding garment on him, was thrown away into alien darkness like a stranger; because he did not have a heavenly image in himself. This is a sign and sign of the Lord imprinted on the souls, this is the Spirit of ineffable light. And just as a dead person is not needed for anything and is not good for anything at all for the living, why they take him out and place him outside the city: so the soul, which does not have in itself the heavenly image of the Divine light, that is, the life of the soul, becomes, as it were, without value and completely rejected; because a dead soul that does not have within itself the luminous and Divine Spirit is unprofitable for the City of Saints. Just as in this world the soul is the life of the body, so in the eternal and heavenly world the life of the soul is God’s Spirit. if anyone here has not sought and received life in the soul, i.e. divine light of the Spirit, then during the process of leaving the body he is already exiled to the great land of darkness, not entering the heavenly kingdom, and in Gehenna having an end with the devil and his angels... We are all sons of this darkened race, we are all involved in the same stench. Whatever infirmity Adam suffered, we all who come from Adam’s seed also suffered the same. For the same weakness, as Isaiah says, has befallen us: neither a scab, nor a sore, nor a burning wound: there is no plaster to apply, lower than oil, lower than the duty to do (Is. 1:6). We are wounded by such an incurable ulcer; Only the Lord can heal her. That is why He himself came; for none of the Old Testament, neither the Law itself, nor the Prophets could heal this ulcer: He alone, coming, healed this inhealable spiritual wound. And every soul that has not received Him into itself and has not rested Him within itself now, or better to say, has not itself rested in Him, has no inheritance with the saints in the kingdom of heaven, and cannot enter the heavenly city" (St. Macarius of Egypt Spiritual Conversations Conversation 30. In order for the soul to enter the Kingdom of God, it must be born of the Holy Spirit, and how this happens).

“No one enters the Kingdom of Heaven except through the Sacrament of Baptism” (St. Ambrose of Milan Quoted from “Orthodox Dogmatic Theology” by Metropolitan Macarius Bulgakov. St. Petersburg, 1857, - P. 258).

Every brother and sister in the Lord has a desire: to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which the Lord promised us Jesus. But how can we enter the Kingdom of Heaven? The Lord Jesus told us: “Jesus answered and said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s sake, and Now in this time, in the midst of persecution, I would not have received a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come eternal life" (Mark 10: 29-30 ). Therefore, most brothers and sisters in the Lord believe that because they leave their family, job, marriage and work for the Lord, they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and gain eternal life. To do this, some Christians prefer to give up marriage in order to work for the Lord, thinking that they will thus be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; some choose to serve the Lord all their lives, spending all their efforts and time on building churches, thanks to which, in their opinion, they will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; some think that since they give large offerings and preach everywhere, spreading Gospel, they will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven... In fact, most brothers and sisters think that all of these are the fundamental criteria for entering the Kingdom of Heaven and even envy such Christians, believing that they will certainly enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But is this really true?

Recently I was studying the Bible and read the words of the Lord Jesus: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’, he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Only then did I learn that work is not a criterion for entering the Kingdom of Heaven, and only those who do the will of Heavenly Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Doing Heavenly Father's will means doing the Lord's words and keeping the Lord's commandments. When a person works and does labor and at the same time realizes the Lord's words, submits to Him and reveres the Lord, loves God above all, and also sincerely spends himself for God, completely pleasing Him, without conditions and impure motives, such a person lives after the heart of the Lord and will ultimately enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Conversely, if a person simply works hard but refuses to practice the Lord's words or keep His commandments, then he is not really obeying or worshiping Him, but is simply doing what pleases him. Such work is a reflection personal and preferences, and is in no way pleasing to the Lord. And if there is deceit, condition, benefit and price in hard work, and it is even used as a bargaining chip or pledge to God to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, to make a deal with God in exchange for the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven, then this is also a great manifestation of rebellion and blasphemy before God.

Remember how the priests, scribes and Pharisees served God in the temple for a long time. They were familiar with the Bible and well versed in the law. They burned incense, made sacrifices, prayed, interpreted scriptures, preached in the temple and even traveled by land and sea, laboring and working to spread the Gospel. People praised them for their own suffering, but why did the Lord Jesus condemn and curse them? The Lord Jesus said: “And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded: honor your father and mother; and: He who curses his father or mother shall die by death. But you say: if someone says to his father or mother: “This is a gift [to God] that you would use from me,” he may not honor his father or his mother; Thus you have made void the commandment of God by your tradition. Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied well about you, saying: This people draws near to Me with their lips, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; but in vain do they worship Me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3-9). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go around sea and land to convert even one; and when this happens, you make him a son of hell, twice as bad as you” (Matthew 23:15). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you close the kingdom of heaven to men, for you yourselves do not enter, and you do not allow those who want to enter” (Matthew 23:13). As I pondered these words of the Lord, I realized that although the Pharisees went far to spread the Gospel, they did not preach anything other than the traditions of their ancestors; they did not preach God's laws and His commandments, but in reality they abandoned God's commandments. They worked hard and paid the price not for the sake of loving God or obeying Him, and not for the sake of people to teach them to walk in the ways of God or worship Him, moreover, not for the sake of exalting God or bearing witness to Him. Instead of all this, they exalted and displayed themselves so that others would worship them, preaching the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, the works and efforts of the Pharisees were filled with personal goals and aspirations.

When the Lord Jesus came to change everything new, His preaching and work were warmly received by the people, and many people followed Him. At the same time, the Pharisees were afraid of losing their influence in the hearts of the people. In order to maintain their status and their activities, they resisted Him and vehemently condemned the Lord Jesus and even conspired with the Roman government to crucify Him, this revealed their character filled with hatred of the truth and their essence as antichrists. This is why the Lord Jesus cursed them and condemned them as hypocrites. Their life consisted of opposition to God. Therefore, their work and deeds did not lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven. On the contrary, they were subject to God's righteous punishment.

Thus, a person cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven by outwardly wasting himself and creating a form of activity, because what God desires is the sincere heart of a person. About the criteria for entering the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord Jesus also said: “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 on that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? and was it not in Your name that they cast out demons? and did they not perform many miracles in Your name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23). The Lord Jesus told us that only those who do the will of the Heavenly Father can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but He did not say that those who work hard for Him will be able to. People who can devote themselves to the Lord according to His requirements, practice His words and obey His commandments, and love Him with their heart, soul, mind, without opposition or betrayal, are those who follow God's will. Just like what the Lord Jesus said: “Jesus said to him, “You shall 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; and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself...” (Matthew 22:37-39). Following God's will does not consist in the number of sacrifices made or visible difficulties endured or in religiosity, but in actions filled with reverence and obedience to God. People who spend themselves for God out of love for Him, strive for Him and please Him without self-interest; who can put aside their interests and all desires, who do not count on their future prospects and fully carry out God's commission; through their work they glorify God and testify to Him, without working for their position and reputation; those who accept work and obey God's word even if it does not agree with their own ideas, they do not distribute and judge what God gives according to their ideas and judgments; those who do everything regardless of what trials and tribulations come their way, whether the nearness of death or prison and torture..., obey God's management and His decrees without choice. Only such people are worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

Let's think about those apostles and prophets who found favor with God. All of them not only worked and followed the Lord, but moreover, they were able to apply Word of God in practice, obey His words, obey and accept everything He did without terms or conditions. And as a result, they received God's favor. For example, Peter followed the Lord Jesus all his life, had love for God, focused on practicing the words of the Lord, cared about His will, and pleased Him in everything. He did not seek prospects and destiny for himself, but endured all suffering because of the love of God. Even after being crucified, he was able to obey to the point of death. He testified loudly for God before Satan, receiving God's favor. Or for example, Abraham. When God's test came, sacrifice your only son God, he was able to endure suffering and give up what he loved in order to please and obey God, although God's demand was very difficult for him. By following God, he was ultimately approved by Him. There is also Job. Having lost everything he had in the trial, being very sad, he still walked God's way, and did not sin with his lips. He was called God - a man who fears God and shuns evil. The reason they were all able to stand firm in these great trials was because they had a heart that could endure suffering, that could deny self, that could deny the flesh, that could love and please God. All of them were living evidence of following God's way, so they received God's favor.

It is obvious that if people follow the truth, practice God's Word, live the reality of God's words, and do His will, they can enter the kingdom of heaven. But the one who only works, but cannot obey God's will and has not rejected his vicious essence, the one who does not love, obey and does not worship God, such a person will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven

21 Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he only who does the will of My Father in Heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on the Day of Judgment: “Lord! God! Didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and didn’t we cast out demons in Your name, and performed many miracles for them?” 23 And then I will declare to them: “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who live lawlessly!”