1. The Lord our God, the Lord is one
The Lord, your God, is one Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4), and He is known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is unbegotten. The Son was born as the Word of the Father, without an eternal beginning and without passion. He was called Christ because he anointed the human nature that he took from us. The Holy Spirit comes from the Father, not by birth but by emanation. Our Lord is the only God. He is the true God, the Lord in three persons, who is not divided by nature, will, force, or any of the attributes of divinity.
Love only this Triune God and worship Him alone, with all your mind, with all your heart, and with all your strength. Keep His words and commandments in your heart, so that you can implement them, study them, and repeat them while you sit, walk, in your bed, and when you get up. Remember the Lord your God without ceasing. I am afraid of him alone. Do not forget him or his commandments. Thus, He gives you strength to do His will, because He does not ask you for anything except that you be devoted to Him, love Him, and follow the paths of His commandments. He is your pride and your God.
When you know that the heavenly angels are mindless and invisible, and that Satan who fell from heaven is very evil, intelligent, powerful, and skilled at deceiving man, do not think that any of them is equal to God in honor. And when you also see the greatness and complexity of the sky, the brilliance of the sun, the splendor of the moon, the purity of other stars, the ease of breathing the air, the abundance of the products of the earth and the sea, do not deify any of them. They are all creatures of the One God, and they are subject to Him, and He, with His Word, created them all from nothing. “For he said, and it was done. He commanded it and it came to pass” (Psalm 33:9). So, alone, Lord and Creator of the universe, you are glorified as God. Cling to Him with love and repent to Him day and night for all your sins, voluntary and involuntary, because He is long-suffering, very merciful, patient, and works righteousness forever. He has promised those who respect Him, worship Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, and He gives according to His promise, to enjoy the eternal heavenly kingdom, the life without pain or death, and the light that never sets.
But he is also a jealous god, a just ruler, and a terrible avenger. He has prepared an eternal hell, unquenchable fire, endless pain, inconsolable sorrow, and a dark and narrow place for the first evil traitor, Satan, and He has imposed all this on the ungodly and those who disobey and violate His commandments, and on all those who are deceived by Satan and follow him, once they deny him. Their Creator, with their deeds, words, and thoughts.
2. Do not make for yourself an idol or anything similar to it
“You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4). Because all of these are the creatures of the only God who in recent times, after being incarnated in the womb of a virgin, appeared on earth and resided among humans. When he suffered, died, and rose to save mankind, he ascended bodily to heaven and sat on high at the right hand of God. In His body He will also come in glory to judge the living and the dead.
So, out of love for Him, who became a human being for our salvation, make an icon of Him. Through the icon, remember him and worship him. Through the icon, raise your mind to the body of the venerable Savior, seated on high at the right hand of the Father. Also make icons of the saints, and honor them as well, not as gods, because this is forbidden, but because of your relationship with them, your inclination towards them, and the great honor owed to them, while your thoughts will go to them through the icon. This is what Moses did: he made icons of the Cherubim and placed them in the Holy of Holies, to glorify not the creatures but through them the Creator of the world, that is, God (Exodus 25:18-19).
Likewise, do not worship the icons of Christ or the saints, but rather worship Him through them, who, having first created us in His image, was pleased later, because of His indescribable benevolence, to take on a human image and become described according to it. Honor not only the icon of the Lord, but also the image of his cross, because it is an all-powerful symbol and a memorial of Christ’s victory over Satan and all satanic forces. That is why when they see the sign of the cross they are overcome with terror and run away. Even before the crucifixion, the prophets glorified the sign of the cross, which accomplished great miracles. Also, at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was nailed to the cross and who will come to judge the living and the dead, the terrifying sign will precede him with great strength and brilliance. Glorify the Cross today so that you can look at it with courage later and be glorified with it.
Also, revere the icons of the saints because they were crucified with the Lord, drawing the sign of the cross on your face and bringing to your mind their participation in the sufferings of Christ. Honor their places of residence and every relic of their bones, because the grace of God was not separated from them, just as God the Father was not separated from the honored body of Christ through His life-giving death.
So, by behaving like this and glorifying those who glorified God, because by their deeds they appeared perfect in His love, you will be glorified with them in God and you will sing with David: “You have honored those who love you, O Lord.”
3. Do not swear in the name of the Lord in vain
Do not swear in the name of the Lord in vain (Exodus 20:7), by false oaths or for any other worldly reason, for fear of someone, for shame or for private gain. Breaking an oath is denying God. So never swear. Completely avoid oaths because from swearing comes the breach of the oath, which alienates a person from God and makes the one who breaks his oath a transgressor of the law. If you always tell the truth, people will believe you as if you were swearing.
If it happens by chance that you swore, it is something you should pray that it does not happen, but since it is something consistent with divine law, implement it as if it were legitimate, but consider yourself to blame because you swore. With benevolence, supplication, sorrow, and deprivation of the body, seek mercy from God, who has commanded it not to be divided (Matthew 5:34). But if you swear an oath to do something illegal, be careful not to fulfill your oath just because you swore, so that the Lord will not count you with Judas, the murderer of the prophet, who beheaded the honorable predecessor so that he would not break his oath (Matthew 14:7-12). It is better for you to break that illegal oath and make a law for yourself never to swear, and to seek God’s mercy using the previously mentioned drugs and with more effort and tears.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
One day of the week is called Sunday, because it is dedicated to the Lord who rose from the dead on that day, demonstrating and confirming the resurrection of all people (in the Second Coming), when all human work will stop.
Therefore, Sunday was dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 20:8). Do not do any ground work other than what is necessary. And all those who work for you or live with you, may they rest in peace, so that you all glorify the One who purchased us through His death and then rose, residing with Him in our human nature. Keep in mind the life to come, so that you may meditate on all of the Lord’s commandments and laws and examine yourself so that if you have violated or neglected some things, you can correct yourself in everything. On this day also, go to the temple of the Lord, participate in the worship meeting, and participate with pure faith and a pure conscience in the body and blood of Christ. Begin a more holy life, renewing yourself and preparing it to receive the blessings of the life to come.
For the sake of these good things, do not misuse earthly things and concerns on other days as well. On Sunday, being devoted to God, categorically avoid all these cares except the necessary ones without which it is impossible for you to live. Thus, since the Lord is your refuge, you must not go anywhere, must not kindle the fire of passions, and must not bear the burden of sins.
So, dedicate the “Sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8), that is, Sunday, to God, preserving it by abstaining from everything evil. To Sundays, you must add all the major holidays, doing the same things and abstaining from everything that you abstain from on Sunday.
5. Honor your father and mother
Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12), because through them the Lord brought you to life, and after God, they are the reason for your existence. So, after God, love them and honor them as long as, of course, your love for them contributes to your love for God. If they don't contribute, walk away from them immediately. In addition, if they are an obstacle to you, especially the true, saving faith because they have another faith, you not only have to leave, but you also have to deny them with everyone with whom you have a relationship or friendship. You must deny even your personal members and their passions and all of your body and through the body your relationship with the passions because Christ said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and his mother and his wife and his children and his brothers and his sisters Even himself also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27 and see Matthew 10:37).
These guidelines relate to your physical parents, relatives and friends. You must honor and love those who have the same faith as you and do not prevent you from being saved. If you want to honor your physical parents, how much more should you honor and love your spiritual parents. They have moved you from a simple physical life to a spiritual life of righteousness. They have given you the enlightenment of knowledge. They taught you the truth. They have given you rebirth with the intimacy of regeneration. They have placed in you the hope of resurrection, immortality, and the heavenly kingdom. They have moved you from undeserving to worthy of eternal goodness, from earthly to heavenly, and from temporal to eternal. They made you a son and disciple, not of man, but of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, who gave you the Holy Spirit, who makes people children of God, and who said: “And you shall not call your father on earth, for your Father is one, who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers, for one is your teacher, the Christ” (Matthew 23:9-10).
Thus, you owe all honor and love to your spiritual fathers, because the honor you return to them goes to Christ and to the All-Holy Spirit who made you a son of God, and to the Heavenly Father who gives life and existence to all heavenly and earthly beings. Above all, strive to have a spiritual father throughout your life to whom you can confess all your sins and lustful thoughts and receive healing and absolution from Him. Spiritual fathers were given the authority to forgive souls or not to forgive. Whatever they leave unresolved on earth will be unresolved in heaven as well. They receive this grace and power from Christ. That is why you will obey them without hesitation, so as not to lead yourself to destruction. If, according to the Law of Moses, anyone who rejects the words of his family is to be killed, even if they are discussing matters forbidden by the Law of God, then how is it possible for the Spirit of God not to expel the person who rejects the words of his spiritual father, and how can this person not lose his spirit? For this reason, take their advice and obey them until the end of your life so that you may save yourself and be an inheritor of eternal and imperishable goodness.
6. Do not commit adultery
Do not practice fornication (Exodus 20:14) or fornication so that you do not become a member of the immoral woman instead of a member of Christ, thus being cut off from the divine body, dropped from the holy inheritance, and thrown into hell. Because, if according to the law of Moses, the priest’s daughter who is caught in immorality should be burned because she exposed her father to disgrace, shouldn’t the one who attached this impurity to the body of Christ be burned in eternal fire? Not only are you forbidden from committing adultery, but you must practice virginity, if possible, and be completely devoted to God, attached to Him with complete love, and residing near Him throughout your life. Always strive without confusion to live a life that pleases God, enjoying the life ahead and living like an angel on earth. Virginity is the characteristic of angels, and everyone who practices it becomes like them, as much as possible, even though he has a body. In addition, he becomes more than them, for he becomes similar to the Father who before the ages begot the Son in a virginal way. He also becomes similar to the virginal Son who was born before the ages from the virginal Father and was incarnated at the end of time from a virgin mother. He also becomes similar to the Holy Spirit who came out in a virginal way. It is not described from the Father alone, not by birth but by emanation. Whoever chooses true virginity, that is, one who is celibate in soul and body, and who beautifies all his senses, thought, and mind with the splendor of virginity, imitates God and unites with Him, establishing an incorruptible marriage with Him.
If you do not prefer to live a virginal life, nor have you promised to the Lord to do so, you can, according to the law of the Lord, take a wife by marriage. It alone resides, and it alone takes place. This and your goal is holiness. With all your might, stay away from women. You will be able to protect yourself from them if you avoid unnecessary conversations with them, if you turn the eyes of your body and yourself away from them, as much as possible, and if you do not find pleasure in hearing lustful words and do not become accustomed to staring at beautiful faces. Anyone who looks at a woman with disgusting desire has committed adultery with her, and for this reason he is impure before Christ, who looks at hearts. Moreover, from this evil view, the unfortunate person can end up committing the sin of prostitution in the body as well. But why am I only talking about immorality, adultery, and all the impurity associated with natural functions? Humans tend, in violation of the laws, to lewd and unnatural acts when they curiously gaze at the beauty of bodies.
So, if you cut off the bitter roots from yourself, you will not reap the deadly fruits, but you will reap the purity and holiness that come with it, without which you will not see the Master.
7. Do not kill
You shall not kill (Exodus 20:13) so that you do not cease to be a son of the One who raised the dead, and so that by your deeds you do not become a son of the One who from the beginning was a murderer of man. Murder comes from fighting, fighting comes from cursing, cursing comes from anger, and anger comes from hurting, hitting, or cursing the other. That is why Christ said: “And whoever takes your cloak, do not withhold your cloak also” (Luke 6:29). If someone hits you, do not hit him back. If someone insults you, do not return the insult. Thus you will be saved from the sin of murder, both you and those who harm you. In addition, you will receive forgiveness of your sins from God because He said: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 14:6). In any case, whoever speaks or does evil will be condemned to eternal fire because Christ also said: “And whoever says to his brother, ‘Beware of slavery,’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be in danger of hellfire” (Matthew 22:5).
So, if you are able to uproot evil and its roots, securing grace and blessing for yourself, glorify Christ, our teacher and colleague in achieving virtues. Without Him, as you have learned, we cannot do any good work. Then again, if you are unable to remain calm without getting angry, blame yourself for getting angry and ask forgiveness from God as well as from the one who heard or endured the hurt from you. Anyone who does not feel the pain of remorse for his small sins will subsequently fall into major sins as well.
8. Do not steal
Do not steal (Exodus 20:15), so that God, who knows your secret deeds, will not return the punishment to you many times over. It is better for you to give a secret of what you have to those in need, so that you may receive from God, who sees all that is hidden, hundreds of times more with eternal life in the world to come.
9. Do not bear false witness
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16), lest you be like Satan who slandered God before Eve, and became cursed for doing this. In addition, it is better to cover up your neighbor’s sin, unless it harms others, so that you are similar to Shem and Japheth and not Laham, and thus you obtain the blessing. Shem, Ham, and Japheth were sons of Noah. One time Noah drank a lot of wine, got drunk, and stripped naked. When Ham saw his father's nakedness, he told his two brothers in a joking manner. As for the brothers, they not only did not laugh at their father, but they immediately took a cloak and walked backwards so that they would not see their father’s private parts, and they covered him with respect. When Noah woke up and learned what had happened, he cursed Ham, while blessing Shem and Japheth (Genesis 9:18-27).
10. Do not desire what others have
You should not covet what your neighbor has, neither possessions, nor money, nor glory, nor anything else that is his (see Exodus 20:17), because when lust arises in the soul, it gives birth to sin. When sin is complete, it generates death. If you do not desire the things of others, you will stay away from greed and from usurping the things of others. It is better for you to give what you have to those who ask, and to do good to those in need as much as you can. If someone wants to borrow from you, do not refuse them. If you find a lost item, return it to its owner, even if he is your enemy. Thus, you will be reconciled with Him and shame evil with good as Christ commands you.
If you keep all of these with all your might and act according to these commandments, you will store within yourself the treasure of piety, please God, benefit from Him and His people, and become an inheritor of the eternal goodness that we all obtain by the grace of our Lord, our God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His love for mankind. To Him be glory, honor, and prostration, with His beginningless Father and His all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and at all times and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Saint Gregory Palamas
Translated into Arabic by Father Antoine Melki
Quoted from Orthodox Heritage Magazine
