The “Things” We Are Not to Do:

1) We are not to be masterful and lordly (Matt.23:11, John 13:13 – 17);

2) We are not to return evil for evil (Rom.12:17);

3) We are not to avenge ourselves, but rather give place to wrath and suffer ourselves to be defrauded (Rom.12:20);

4) We are not to do our alms before men, or to let our left hand know what our right hand doeth (Matt.6:1 – 4);

5) We are not to return cursing for cursing or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing (1 Peter 3:9);

6) We are not to grudge, judge, complain, or condemn (Jas.4:11; Matt.7:1; Phil.2:14);

7) We are not to give way to anger, wrath, bitterness, or evil speaking (Eph.4:31; 1 Peter 2:1);

8) We are not to conform to the world or to be ambitious after high things (Rom.12:2 – 16);

9) We are not to be slack in paying our debts (Rom.13:7 – 8);

10) We are not to backbite or speak of other men’s sins until we have spoken to them first (Matt.18:15; Jas.5:19 – 20).

11) We are not to be guilty of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, drunkenness, covetousness, wrath, strife, sedition, hatred, emulation, boasting, vain glory, envy, jesting, or foolish talking (Eph.5:3 – 4).

The Gospel will not save us if we are disobedient to the commandments of Christ:

1) “Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev.22:14).

2) “Every one that heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand. And the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matt.7:26).

3) “It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (2 Pet.2:21).

Taken from an old book, “The Most Useful KNOWLEDGE for the Orthodox Russian-American Young People,” compiled by the Very Rev’d Peter G. Kohanik, 1932-1934.