www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall holiness and theosis

I've offered bits and pieces of my testimony before but here I wish to start in the middle.

During the process of being interviewed to become an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene I asked the question that was most pressing upon my heart then as it is now. "The distinctive emphasis of the Church of the Nazarene is holiness of heart and life. Yet, it seems we are coming to lessen that emphasis in favor of Baptist style evangelism. Are my perceptions correct?" Little that my inquisitors said assuaged my concern and eventually I abandoned the pursuit and became a United Methodist. I had just moved to Kansas City, Mo. and was falling in love with the UMC in which I was serving that did seem to emphasise holiness more than the Nazarenes I had known.

Holiness as I know it is not legalism but rather it is transformation into the likeness of Christ. If Christ within through the power of the Holy Spirit would not touch a thing I would not because more and more my likeness was becoming Him though I readily admit much was being changed. If Christ marched into a particular hell I was learning to do the same. I was learning to be gentle with the humble and a terror to the proud. Whenever I was frightened to confront pride eithe in my own life or in anothers I knew it was either because I needed to wait or I needed to confront my unholy fear and surrender it to Christ. That fear was not based in perfect love.

Though frightened nearly out of my mind to confront the evils of my UMC bishop and the fear of losing the only career I knew the Lord led me to wrestle with Him until I conformed to His will.

Each of us must do the same if we are to "follow peace with all and holiness without which no one will see the Lord." When, for example, Bishop Sprague volunteered to publish an article that upheld the truth of the Trinity and of the dual natures of Christ I knew that he would do it but I also knew that his faith only extended to a "traditional metaphor" about God not to God Himself because I had had many conversations with him. I simply thanked him and knew that I could go no further. His path was going one way. Mine another. No condemnation, just a realization that my Lord and I were on a journey together.

St. John Climacus illustrates this in his Ladder of Ascent which we are all encouraged to follow in our lives and especially to reacquaint ourselves druing the Great Fast of Lent. I offer it here because many of you are on that ladder with me.

http://www.serfes.org/orthodox/divine.htm

CDL

"God became man that man might become God." St. Athanasios

The Athanasian quote you used was first uttered, so far as I know, by St. Irenaeus. It is rendered in a few different ways but has the meaning of God becoming man, becoming who we are as created beings, as Adam, so that we might become God, become God as Jesus Christ is God. It means that our holiness continures throughout eternity. Heaven isn't boring because we will become more and more God.

St. John said it this way, "John 1:13 (New King James Version)
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

St. Peter writes of us participating in the life of God.

This morning we learned that a practice of the ancient Church has brought suffering to the Bride of Christ. Just as the Church has always done we leave the Church doors open. Thus the Incarnation of Christ is real in the practice of the Church. The door to heaven has been opened by the Incarnation of Christ so that all who are called may enter for prayer. The mystical oneness of Christ and His Church are ever shown to all. Someone desecrated the Bride on Wednesday evening by robbing her of some beautiful and expensive icons. Father is very angry with such desecration and he asks us all to join him using the eeapons our lord has given us. He asked us to pray that this desecration lead the robbers to conversion.

Holiness brings about the mystical reality, the really real, into life.

The biggest difference I've seen in the approach to holiness or divine reality in my former experiences and now is that in the Protestantism that I knew we were challenged to try to make heaven conform to our reality. Now we are drawn by God into His.

That is holiness, That is Theosis. The classical definition of Theosis is to become God by adoption.

CDL

I've often reflected upon the fact that I was frightened at challenging the bishop and what it meant for my walk of holiness.

Yes, I was frightened of the unknown. After prayer I realized that it was only unknown to me. God knew all about it.

Yes, I was frightened of losing my income. My younger son had not yet finished high school and we were not ready to retire. Then I realized God would take care of everthing even as He always had.

Yes, I was frightened of losing my vocation. But then I realized that my vocation was not the same as my career and so I pressed ahead.

Yes, I was frightened that I may be wrong to challenge a bishop even if I was right about the content of my challenge. Then I realized that a rightful bishop is only rightfully a bishop if he defends and promotes the truth. So the Lord gave me confidence to move ahead.

Yes, I was frightened to do this thing almost all alone. I knew the truth of the saying "He who is saved is saved in community. He who is lost is lost alone." But I knew I was not alone even if most were opposed to what I intended to do.

It does seem that each of us must wrestle with God alone if we are to be saved in this world.

Again the icon of the "Ladder of Divine Ascent" reminds us that we need help from spiritual fathers to keep climbing up the proper ladder. Not only must we struggle with our own demons but there are plenty flitting about who are eager to knock us off of the ladder completely.

CDL

Well said, Dan. Thank you for posting this.

-- John