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Understanding Salvation in the Orthodox Faith

Learn about salvation through faith, works, and the Blood of Christ as detailed in the Holy Bible. Explore the conditions for redemption and the importance of combining faith with good deeds.

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Understanding Salvation in the Orthodox Faith

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  1. Salvation in the Orthodox UnderstandingPart I By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

  2. How we should read the Holy Bible ? • The Holy Bible is not merely separate verses, but a certain spirit permeates all its parts. • To reach the truth, one should bring together all related verses to see what they signify.

  3. Philippian Jailer “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved you and your household” (Acts 16:31)

  4. Philippian Jailer (2) • This verse was said to one of the Gentiles, an unbeliever. Whatever good deeds that person might do, would not benefit him unless he first believes in Christ.

  5. The First Step • Sometimes, the first step is used in the Holy Bible to signify the whole matter which begins with this step.

  6. St. Simeon the Elder “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:29-31)

  7. Zacchaeus • The words of the Lord to Zacchaeus:“Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9)

  8. The First Step (2) • Salvation here meant the first step leading to it. This is evidenced by saying “…you will be saved, you and your household.”How could his family be saved merely by his Faith?

  9. The First Step (3) • We understand the verse better by putting beside it the following verses from the meeting between the Lord and the young rich man: • “…What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) • The Lord answered “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17)

  10. No Salvation Except Through: THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

  11. Faith & Works • Neither faith nor works without the Blood of Christ can be of any benefit. • Faith means to believe in the power of the Blood of Christ. • Works are good deeds that we do based on our faith in the Blood of Christ.

  12. Faith & Works (2) • No good works, however excellent, elevated, or perfect they may be, can save man without the Blood of Christ. • Therefore, the righteous people who pleased God in past times with their good works, remained also in Hades until the Lord Christ brought them out after His Crucifixion.

  13. Faith & Works (3) • General Rule: Any verses included in the Holy Bible attacking works is referring to either works alone without the Blood of Christ or the works of Law of the Old Testament.e.g. • “Not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5)

  14. Faith & Works (4) • Therefore, if an unbeliever does good works, the righteousness of the Law will avail him nothing, and his good works alone without faith will not save him.

  15. Why there is no salvation except through the Blood of Christ • Sin is disobedience to God who is unlimited • Since God is perfect, our sin against Him is unlimited • Therefore sin cannot be forgiven except by an unlimited propitiation (appeasement). • But the works of man are limited. • The only solution then for the remission of sin is that God Himself becomes incarnate and dies, thus His death can be an unlimited propitiation that satisfies God’s unlimited justice.

  16. Blood of Christ • This applies to the Adam’s sin as well as to our own • Since God’s justice is perfect, He cannot overrule His own law. Namely that the “wages of sin is death.” • The punishment of sin is the same in both the Old and New Testaments • Therefore there could be no other means to attain salvation apart from God’s grace

  17. Blood of Christ (2) • The Blood of Christ is capable of remitting the sins of the whole world, but did the whole world gain the remission of their sins? Is the whole world saved because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, or are only those who believe in Him saved?

  18. Blood of Christ (3) So, the Blood of Christ is available, ready to save and capable of doing just that… BUT There are certain conditions that must be fulfilled first so that a sinner might be saved by this Blood

  19. Conditions of salvation through the Blood of Christ • Faith & Good works • Sacraments • Baptism • Confirmation • Confession • Communion

  20. Faith • “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) • “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18) • “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31)

  21. Faith (2) • “…through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him everyone who believes is justified” (Acts 13:38-39) • “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24) In order to be saved through the Blood of Christ, you must believe. This is the first condition, but not the only one.

  22. Living faith is supported by good works • “…faith without works is dead. …For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:20,26) • “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14) • “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.” (James 2:19)

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