… sanctified. The Gospel teaching and the deeds of mercy of Jesus Christ kindled love and faith in the hearts of the Disciples of Christ, to such an extent that they "left everything" and followed after Him. And, above all this, in His VOLUNTARY DEATH ON THE CROSS, there is a manifestation, "surpassing the understanding," of the heights of the lover of Christ, concerning which the Apostle Paul reasons thus:
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His own love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Romans 5:5-8). And the Apostle concludes his thought with this: By this means was accomplished the fact that "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10); "by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Romans 5:18). This is why the Apostle Paul in his Divinely-inspired writings so often joins together, as if identifying …
My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
THE GENERAL SALVATION OF THE WORLD IN CHRIST
ACCORDING TO THE HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH.
How was the general justification of human existence accomplished, and in what did it consist? It was accomplished by the INCARNATION OF GOD, together with all the further events in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The light of Sanctity shone forth upon the earth. In the person of the Immaculate, Most Pure Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, ALL MANKIND WAS SANCTIFIED. By the steps of the Savior, by His Baptism in the Jordan, by His life on earth, the very nature of the earth was sanctified. The Gospel teaching and the deeds of mercy of Jesus Christ kindled love and faith in the hearts of the Disciples of Christ, to such an extent that they "left everything" and followed after Him. And, above all this, in His VOLUNTARY DEATH ON THE CROSS, there is a manifestation, "surpassing the understanding," of the heights of the lover of Christ, concerning which the Apostle Paul reasons thus:
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His own love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Romans 5:5-8). And the Apostle concludes his thought with this: By this means was accomplished the fact that "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10); "by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Romans 5:18). This is why the Apostle Paul in his Divinely-inspired writings so often joins together, as if identifying them, even suing them interchangeably, the words "WE ARE SAVED BY THE LOVE OF CHRIST" with the words "WE ARE SAVED BY THE CROSS, OR BY THE DEATH, OR BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST," since in all of this there is expressed the active, "MERCIFUL, COMPASSIONATE, MAN-LOVING, SELF-SACRIFICIAL LOVE OF GOD."
This general economy of the salvation of the world is presented in the Sacred Scripture of the New Testament in various words similar in significance, as for example: JUSTIFICATION, RECONCILIATION, REDEMPTION, PROPITIATION, FORGIVENESS, DELIVERANCE.
Here are some texts relating to this general economy:
John 1:29: "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."
1 John 2:2: "And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
1 Timothy 2:5-6: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all."
1 Timothy 4:10: "Trust in the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe." [Resources: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Father Michael Pomazansky]
(To be continued)
___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George