Sanctification Refers to Becoming Christ-like Through Theosis
The Orthodox understanding of salvation, with its emphasis on the process of becoming united to God through deification, clearly departs from the view held by evangelicals, with their emphasis on change that begins with the moment they begin to believe. Whereas the evangelical understanding of righteousness consists largely of elements related to justification, having to do with the righteousness of Christ. We Orthodox understand salvation consists almost exclusively of elements related to the process of sanctification (becoming Christ-like).
Justification is not a separate act of God but rather the salvation in Christ, which frees us from sin, death, and the devil. Sanctification is the positive aspect of God’s saving act. Spiritual growth is found in our new life in Christ communicated by God’s Holy Spirit. It is the process of spiritual growth for the Christian, for justification does not even include the idea of being declared righteous at the beginning of faith, an idea embraced by virtually all evangelicals. The great Orthodox theologian Florovsky explains this more completely when he critiques Luther’s view of justification (a view which the majority of evangelicals follow). Florovsky wrote, ‘For Luther “to justify” meant to declare one righteous or just, not “to make” righteous or just—it is an appeal to an extrinsic justice which in reality is a spiritual fiction”.
For evangelicals the issue of a person’s status before God is one of the most critical of all questions. To Orthodox, this question hardly arises at all, in light of the overriding emphasis on the process of actually becoming righteous through theosis. The Orthodox conception of Christian life is substantially different from that which is common in the West. To evangelicals, the most important element of salvation is acceptance before God (or being declared righteous). For evangelicals this is accomplished at the beginning of faith, and the process of sanctification grows out of this change in position before God. To the Orthodox (the Ancient Catholic and Apostolic Church), the process of sanctification or deification is the means to the ultimate goal of union with God.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: We now have a new sign at the entrance of the monastery. Cooper (George) Asp gifted the monastic community with a sign depicting the image of Christ that was done by Shayne (John) Swenson, the gifted iconographer from Spokane, WA. The second photo shows Jacob, who told his parents that he wanted to celebrate his 15th birthday with the monks. We were so honored that he chose to be with us on such an important day in his young life.
Monday June 6, 2022 / May 24, 2022
Afterfeast of the Ascension. Tone six.
Venerable Symeon Stylites (the Younger) of the Wonderful Mountain (596).
Venerable Nicetas Stylites, wonderworker of Pereyaslavl-Zalesski (1186).
St. Xenia of Petersburg, fool-for-Christ (Glorification 1988).
0Martyrs Meletius Stratelates, Stephen, John, and 1,218 soldiers with women and children, including: Serapion the Egyptian, Callinicus the Magician, Theodore, Faustus, the women Marciana, Susanna, and Palladia, two children Cyriacus and Christian, and twelve tribunes: Faustus, Festus, Marcellus, Theodore, Meletius, Sergius, Marcellinus, Felix, Photinus, Theodoriscus, Mercurius, Didymus, all of whom suffered in Galatia (218).
Venerable Vincent of Lerins (ca. 450).
St. Gregory, archbishop of Novgorod (1193).
Nun-martyr Martha, abbess of Monemvasia (990).
Parishioners of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church (OCA) in Tacoma, WA., joined the monastic community for our Sunday Liturgy.
The Scripture Readings
Acts 21:8-14
8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
John 14:27-15:7
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
The True Vine
15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me,he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.