Salvation of Mankind
Salvation Why do you need to be saved? How will you be saved? Have you been saved?
Salvation
Let us respect what remains unsaid by our silence for nothing can equal the miracles of my salvation. Gregory the Theologian
Salvation What do we mean by salvation? Saved or liberated from something. Consequence of the Fall
Why Do We Need To Be Saved? •We are separated from God
fear physical death and suffering Self-centeredness.
•Lost the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. •Our image of God within us has been “dimmed.” •Banned from Paradise.
God
God Soul
Body Body
Soul
Our Present Condition
Our Natural Condition
What needed to be restored?
The relationship of man to God.
What is Salvation?
Not about being legalistically justified or only being declared innocent of our sins. We are Not guilty of the sin of Adam and Eve
Is our healing - fulfilling of our true potential. Salvation is Theosis - about returning to union with God.
Salvation Is:
Eternal life, knowing God (John 17:3) Growing !om one degree to another (2Cor 3:18) We are not yet perfect in our search for salvation (Ph. 3:12) But we are sti# on the Way to the Father (John 14:6)
Potential Salvation - Theosis
God
Image of God
Body
G
Likeness of God
e c ra
ir p S
l a itu
Soul
Present Reality
ow r G
e e Fr
God
th
ill W
Soul
How did God prepare us?
In Old Testament, God gave us Laws so we could know sin. He instituted ways to worship - incl. sacrifices. He sent the Prophets. They were unable to restore mankind to state before the Fall. Why?
Ten Commandments
Why did Paul call the laws a curse?
Ten Commandments Paul called these a curse: But a# who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; as it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by a# things written in the book of the Law to do them’” (Gal 3:10) Why? Men sin because they die ---- mortality is the condition of our sin and decay. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (1Cor 15:56) What would it be like if we did not face death, disease and did not have to worry about providing for our physical needs?
Mankind was not able to overcome fallen condition without an intervention by God. Mankind had to overcome the fear of death to live a life of selfless love. Because of our sinful tendency due to a fear of death, we are separated from God.
What did God Do to restore our relationship with God?
The Incarnation What is the significance of His Incarnation? He becomes fully human and unites humanity with Himself. He assumes the consequence of death and becomes like us in everything but sin. (Heb 4:15) He unites the human will with His will -directing it toward the love of Father. He sanctified human nature -- became a second Adam giving rebirth to humankind.
The Incarnation What did he show us? He showed us how to live a human life without sin -- how to live in union with God. He preserved free will delivering it from the passions of the body. How the Human will can be in harmony with our true nature. Supreme example of the fulfillment of the human reality.
The Incarnation Value of our life on earth and how we must strive while still on earth. God does not scorn this earthly life but adopts it so our healing and sanctification can begin. How to sanctify earthly life, to grow in love to know the love of Christ. How to live a life of obedience to God, one of purity and to love inservice to our fellow man.
Why Did the Son Have to Sacrifice Himself? Why did He have to Sacrifice Himself? Incarnation was not enough. Why? His death and Resurrection was a victory over death, the main power of the devil. Christ gives the Father everything. To be saved we must do the same. How do we give everything?
Why Did the Son Have to Sacrifice Himself?
Called to make a total surrender to Christ Transcend all traces of egoism, purging the fear of death. We must offer ourselves as a pure sacrifice to receive the grace. Relinquish our attachment to things of this world for a rebirth in Christ focused on His kingdom.
Why Did the Son Have to Sacrifice Himself? Christ reconciled the two integral parts of mankind -- the flesh and the spirit.
He died for a", so that those who live might live no more for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.... therefore if any one is in Christ he is a new creation. (2 Cor 5:15, 17)
Why Did the Son Have to Sacrifice Himself? Since death entered into the world through sin and Christ committed no sin, it was on account of our sins that He suffered death. And through death, sin and selfishness are destroyed... All men can escape these if they in turn are rooted in the death and sacrifice of Christ. Offering His humanity in sacrifice to the Father, the Son has raised up to a state of supreme perfection so that from this state of perfect fulfillment all men can derive their own perfection together with freedom from the power of sin and eternal death. Dimitri Staniloae
Why Did Jesus Submit to the Cross? “If I be li#ed up, I wi" draw a" men to Myself ” (John 12:32)
by “dying He rescued $om death those who were
dying, so by taking upon himself the curse, He delivered them $om it.” John Chrysostom. In His death he defeated the author of death the devil and set us free reconciling us to Himself through His Son.
Avoid Legalistic Thinking
Not about paying a debt to an angry God. Western idea as formed by Anselm of Canterbury Not about a satisfaction of God. Its about healing a relationship with God. Theosis
False Satisfaction Theory In sinning in Adam, man committed an offense against God. This demanded “satisfaction of God’s honor and justice. A Medieval idea of justice - crimes committed against the state Significance of crime relative to the importance against whom crime committed. This was crime against God. Only a human can offer satisfaction for human sin. But, this is impossible as human are finite and God infinite. Therefore need for divine-human, a God incarnate One who could offer satisfaction for the sins of all mankind.
False Satisfaction Theory Arrested for speeding - taken to justice of peace You don’t pay the fine, he does This is how Christ paid for humanity's fine owed God. All one needs to to to overcome one’s inbred sinfulness and shortcomings is accept what Christ has done. Now you are freed from all guilt and past sins. You are saved.
Satisfaction 1. Based on assumption that God has a human character That he has anger But God does not change - unchangeable 2. Makes sin to be God’s problem rather than man’s. Anselm’s God is human projection of medieval king Makes sin to be God’s problem rather than man’s He wants to save man but cant violate His own justice. Therefore sin is a problem for Him to find a solution for. 3. Turns salvation into something external to man, leaving him unchanged.
Avoid Legalistic Thinking
The reconciliation was not effected by some substitutionary punishment. Jesus was not punished in our place. He showed us how to regain the union with God that we enjoyed at our creation.
Why the Resurrection?
Restored the potential of eternal life through His Resurrection. Christ accepted death in his body to overcome death in His Resurrection.
Why the Resurrection? The purpose of His incarnation was to die on the Cross; abolishing thereby a" that injured man and separated him $om God... rising $om the dead He gave eternal life to His creatures, we assert also that His resurrection in the body is also “the beginning of the restoration of man to the original grace�, just as death was introduced to a" by a single person, Adam, and so passed it to a" of human nature, similarly the resurrection of the one Man, Christ, extends to a" humanity.� St Gregory of Nyssa.
Why the Resurrection? He overcame the devil who held the power of death through sin, the same death that separated God and man. Jesus formed in himself a new race that embraced all peoples and He was the first man of this new race. He is one Head into Whom the saved are incorporated.
Ascension After His Resurrection He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
Pentecost He then sent the Holy Spirit to empower and transform His disciples on Pentecost. They spread the Word throughout the Greek world & beyond. His Church was established on Earth for our Salvation.
Church Spiritual Hospital Grace is the divine energy of God, a spiritual medicine, and we must be prepared to receive it. In the Church we become part of the Body of Christ and are prepared to receive His grace in the sacraments Parable of the good Samaritan We fast to control our bodily demands. It is an obedience to the Church A therapy to help us learnt to govern our own desires.
Long Life
Hospital
Equipment & Procedures
Physicians Scientific Knowledge and Knowhow
Union with God
The Body of Christ
SOULS
Sacraments Ascetic practices
Clergy Apostolic Tradition
Victory over Death and Hell Death for righteous men became a transition from the world below to the world above. To a better life. To life in the Light of the Kingdom of God. The way to the General Resurrection was opened to us. We become part of Him when we enter His Church and begin our healing.
General vs. Personal Salvation For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gi# of God: Not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph 2:8) Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to wi" and to do His good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13) Apostles taught us to distinguish between A. Salvation of mankind as a whole. B. The necessity for a personal reception of the gift of salvation.
General vs. Personal Salvation Salvation requires a purity of soul. But nothing unclean can enter the Kingdom of God (Eph 5:5, Rev 21:27)
Therefore the entrance into it necessarily requires purity of soul, a garment of holiness, without which no man sha" see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)
Our Personal Rebirth and New Life in Christ
The path to our salvation begins with entry into His Church and this begins with Baptism & Chrismation. The mystery of Baptism is a personal resurrection in Christ and is called a new birth, adoption, sanctification. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. (I Cor. 6:11) Chrismation is the seal of the Holy Spirit.
What is Our Aim - Our Purpose of Life? Saint Seraphim of Sarov Aim of a Christian life is to acquire the Grace of the Holy Spirit. We receive the seed at Baptism. Through sacramental life in the Church, life of prayer and virtue, practicing the commandments we are to cultivate and nurture this seed. Being ever more filled with Grace we grow ever more in the likeness of Christ. After our death Christ will recognize us as His own and will receive us into His Kingdom.
Potential Salvation Theosis Grace
Image of God
Likeness of God
Spiritual Growth
Free Will
Present Reality
Salvation
Salvation - One More Time We are created with a potential to achieve God-likeness (to be like God). We attempted to achieve this outside of communion with God, inherited death and the resulting fear of death and suffering This makes us self-centered & keeps us separated from God. God gave us the laws to become aware of our sinful condition God Gave us His only begotten Son to free us from Death. He taught, died on the Cross, was Resurrected, and established His Church Salvation demands faith in Jesus Christ and participation in His Church We must deal with our sinful tendencies to follow Christ. It is an ongoing, life-long process. The Church on Earth is the place for our healing and path to Theosis
Salvation
Salvation begins with these three steps: 1) Repentance 2) Baptism 3) Gift of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is the fulfilling of our true potential – our healing. Salvation is a process of healing with help of a loving God. Salvation is Theosis.
God
God Soul
Body Body
Soul
Our Present Condition
Our Natural Condition
Review Why did the Son of God come into the world ? Why do we need to be saved? What do we mean by Salvation? What did God Do? What is the significance of the Resurrection? Why do we distinguish between the general and personal salvation? What is the starting point of our salvation?