- 2 days ago
Hab 2:19-20
19 Woe to him who says to the wooden image, Awake! and to the dumb stone, Arise, teach! [Yet, it cannot, for] behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all inside it!
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth hush and keep silence before Him. [Zeph 1:7; Zech 2:13.]
19 Woe to him who says to the wooden image, Awake! and to the dumb stone, Arise, teach! [Yet, it cannot, for] behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all inside it!
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth hush and keep silence before Him. [Zeph 1:7; Zech 2:13.]
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00:00Today we are going to talk
00:29about sin and how it is viewed in the tradition of the Orthodox Church and rooted in the teachings
00:37of the early church fathers. I want to apprise all of our dear listeners and followers once again
00:46that I am not a spokesman for the Orthodox Church, but I am merely a newly baptized member who is
00:53sharing what I am learning after 28 years of teaching the Bible and coming from a background
01:00of Protestantism, charismatic, and formerly a young Catholic girl in my younger years.
01:07And I have learned that throughout these several years of studying and reading about
01:13the Orthodox Church and the early church fathers, who wrote extensively about sin and its nature,
01:20its origin, and remedy, which all laid the foundation for the Christian moral values in
01:27theology. One thing, dear listener and followers, that has made a great impression on my stance
01:35of change from my former religious associations is learning about the timeline of the early church
01:44history and beginnings since tracing her birth and continuity from Pentecost 29 AD. Learning this,
01:55I felt like I was in a boat without a rudder. The church has a beginning, and there is more to her
02:01history than we learn than just by reading the Bible. And I believe that I am not alone and feel that most
02:10Protestant believers like myself have never known about the ancient history that traces the birth and
02:18continuity of the Orthodox Church. All I can tell you is that each new hidden truth revealed in my journey thus
02:28far has been a remarkable change and turnaround that has produced greater appreciation and the love for our
02:37great God for unveiling the many missing dimensions of this ancient faith on this path to discover his
02:46burning love for all of mankind and his kindness and grace given to each one to have each and every soul
02:54willingly to come to him. Dear ones, and not only that, he has provided a remedy and a cure for our sins,
03:05which the Orthodox Church alone teaches in a very different way than Western denominations.
03:12And let's take a short journey and look within what I call a skeletal outline of what our title is called,
03:21and that is, Restoring the Image of God from Sins of Spiritual Illness.
03:27It was after the Fall in the Garden of Eden that sin became inseparable from human existence. While our first
03:37parents, Adam and Eve, were guilty of pride and disobedience to the one command that God gave them,
03:45their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Cain's descendants soon forgot about God and set about
03:53planning and doing their own thing for their earthly existence. The outcome of their rogue ways is summed up by
04:02Apostle Paul who said in Romans chapter 12, Therefore, just as through one man's sin entered the world,
04:11and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
04:18This verse forms the basis of the Church's teaching on original sin, and may be understood in many
04:26different ways. The Greek words, which are translated as, because all men sinned, can also mean,
04:34in whom that is Adam, all men sinned. Different readings of the Scripture may produce
04:41different understanding of what original sin. But nevertheless, dear ones, sin definitely
04:49passed on to all future generations of people since human nature has been infected by sin,
04:57in general, from our early parents. A proclivity towards sin became hereditary, and therefore,
05:06responsibility for turning away from God has become universal. And this is where we come to the history
05:13of the beginning of the Church since her beginning at Pentecost 29 AD, where we have the early Church
05:20fathers who wrote about the subject and influenced the beginning of the Church's theology on this most
05:27important subject that has infected multitudes of millions and billions of people since the time of
05:35our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden. And one of my favorite references is Metropolitan
05:43Hilarion Alfebvre, and drawn from his book called The Mystery of Faith, and he tells us that one early
05:51father named Saint Cyril of Alexandria said, Human nature itself has fallen ill with sin, and thus we all share
06:02Adam's sin as we all share in his nature. And also Saint Macarius of Egypt, who was known as Macarius the Great,
06:12or Macarius the Elder, lived in 300 to 391 AD, speaks of sin as 11 of evil passions, of a secret impurity,
06:26and the abiding darkness of passions which enter into our nature in spite of our original purity.
06:36Metropolitan Hilarion continues,
06:40Sin became so deeply rooted in human nature that not a single descendant of Adam has been spared from
06:48a heredity, a heredity predisposition to it. Our early fathers teach that we are each responsible
06:56for our own sins, not for Adam's transgression. Adam is merely the prototype of all future sinners who,
07:05in repeating Adam's sin, bear responsibility only for their own sins. Saint Mark the Aesthetic lived in 300 to 600
07:16A.D. and tells us, when evil passions become active within us, we should blame ourselves and not ancestral
07:25sin. Adam's sin, therefore, is not the cause of our sinfulness. We do not participate in his sin,
07:33and his guilt cannot be passed on to us. Well, Saint Mark was known for his deeply practical and
07:41spiritual writings, focusing on the nature of sin and repentance, and the spiritual law and humility,
07:49and also the inner struggle of the soul, and lastly, aesthetic practices and monastic discipline.
07:57His works are included in the Philokalia, a treasured collection of Eastern Orthodox spiritual
08:03text, and were praised by later saints like Gregory of Palmas and Peter of Damascus. Now, overall,
08:13it must be noted that this dear saint, in his teachings on sin, emphasized the inner struggle
08:19against the passions and the need for continual repentance and also for the transformative power
08:26of God's divine grace. Dear listener and followers, I believe it is necessary to note that the Orthodox
08:35Christian faith is the face of the ancient church to the modern world and is the second largest body
08:43of Christians in the world. I have learned as well that prior to the Reformation of the 16th century,
08:52the great voices of the historic church were notable and leading men such as Ignatius of Antioch,
09:01Arrhenius of Lyon, Hippoleotus, Anthonyus, John Christosom, Nicholas of Myra, Basil the Great,
09:14Gregory of Nicaea, Gregory of Nicaea, John Cassian, John of Damascus, and Maximus the Confessor.
09:23All of these men were grounded in Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and their teachings
09:30formed the theological and spiritual framework that guided the church for centuries prior to the
09:37Reformation. Now while Apostle Paul, who lived in 5 AD to 67 AD, was not considered an early church father
09:50in the traditional sense, his writings laid the groundwork for the topic of sin. In Romans chapter 5,
09:58verse 12, he connects Adam's disobedience to the universal condition of sin.
10:05And one thing that greatly influenced my choice and decision in being a baptized member
10:13of the Orthodox Church is that she upholds a deeply patristic and ascetic doctrine of sin,
10:21viewing it as not as inherited guilt or legal transgression, but as spiritual illness that
10:30distorts the image of God within the soul. Rooted in the teachings of the church fathers and the
10:37canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church, it is emphasized that sin separates the human person
10:45from divine life and must be healed through repentance, confession, and sacramental participation.
10:53This is a therapeutic understanding and is reflected in the liturgical texts, the canonical foundations,
11:01and which refers to the core texts, the principles, and the structures that form the authoritative
11:09bases of a tradition, especially in theology, in law, and literature. Now, the Orthodox Church is expressed as a
11:19spiritual hospital where the faithful are restored through grace, humility, and ascetic struggle.
11:27Saint John Christosome lived in 349 to 407 AD. He said that sin is a rebellion of the will,
11:38often rooted in pride and forgetfulness of God, and its remedy is confession, humility, and the Eucharist.
11:46And we see, as we look further into this subject in keeping with our subject, which is entitled,
11:55restoring the image of God from sin's spiritual illnesses. That is, in the Orthodox Church,
12:03sin is primarily understood as a spiritual illness. It is a distortion of the soul's intended harmony with
12:11God. How many know that salvation requires the forgiveness of sin and is the pathway to reunion
12:19with God and his kingdom through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior? This leads to theosis, which means
12:27partaking of the divine nature of God. Sin is not merely a violation of the divine law, but a rupture in
12:37relationship and communion with our almighty creator. The Orthodox tradition emphasizes healing over
12:45punishment. Sin is treated as something that weakens the soul and obscures the image of God within each
12:54person. The goal of the spiritual life is not simply to be forgiven, but to be transformed and to undergo theosis or
13:05the union with God. And this process involves repentance of sin, aesthetic or self-discipline,
13:14and participation in the sacraments, and continual turning of the heart towards the divine grace of God.
13:22In Western Christianity, particularly in its Roman Catholic and Protestant expressions,
13:31these tend to frame sin more judicially or legalistically, as a moral or legal transgression
13:38against God's law. Orthodox and Protestant believers differ on salvation. And in Orthodox theology,
13:47justification is a lifelong journey based on faith and love and becoming more like Christ and acting
13:56with free will in cooperation with grace and with the synergy or the cooperation with God in overcoming
14:04passions of the flesh called sin. In the Protestant view, which is influenced by Martin Luther during the
14:13Protestant Reformation, Protestants adhere to justification by faith alone. Faith in God declares a person
14:22righteous and deserving of eternal salvation through God's grace alone. It involves personal trust in
14:29Christ's sacrifice on the cross, not just intellectual belief. They reference Ephesians chapter 2,
14:38verses 8 and 9 to support their belief. And Protestants also value good works and obedience to God's commandments
14:47as the natural expressions of faith. Now, Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9 declare,
14:55For by grace you have been saved through faith, that is not of yourselves. It is a gift of God,
15:02not of works, not of works, not lest any should boast. Verse 10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
15:11Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Orthodoxy perceives the
15:19Protestant view as oversimplified, viewing eternal life with Christ as a result of faith plus a lifelong
15:27effort, overcoming tendencies for sin through faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and ongoing
15:35repentance for sin. Now, we have been learning that active life in church is necessary. Orthodox Christians
15:46recognize that salvation is not merely an individual pursuit, but a loving relationship with God
15:54experienced within the church. They participate in liturgical acts, invoking the Holy Spirit for
16:02purification and sanctification. They pursue a Christ-like life through participation in sacraments,
16:11daily prayer, fasting, and repentance. And we learn that not based on human effort alone,
16:18that both the Orthodox and Protestant tradition agree salvation can not be earned through human efforts alone.
16:28Orthodox Christianity emphasizes synergy as a necessity of ongoing efforts in cooperation with God's grace,
16:38which again, grace is explained as God's uncreated energy at work in our lives.
16:44To summarize all this difference, Protestants emphasize faith alone, while Orthodox Christianity
16:54embraces a comprehensive understanding that involves in an evolving, loving relationship with God through
17:02ongoing personal effort in cooperation with God's grace in overcoming sin or other terms used by Orthodox theology
17:12through a process often used in terms like synergy, theosis, or metanoia.
17:21Synergy means working together with God, and this refers to the cooperation between human free will
17:29and divine grace in the process of salvation. It teaches us that God initiates and sustains salvation,
17:38but humans must actively respond. It is not passive. It is a dynamic partnership.
17:46Theosis means deification or becoming God-like. In Orthodox theology, the ultimate goal of human life is to be united with God,
17:57with God, not in his essence, not in his essence, but in his energies, which include his love,
18:03but we also experience his wisdom, healing, and holiness. These all include God's actions and presence
18:12and how he reveals himself, and how he reveals himself and interacts with his creation.
18:18Metanoia means repentance, or a more deeply a change of mind and heart. In Orthodox theology,
18:28it means a continual turning towards God, involving sorrow for sin, humility, and a desire for transformation.
18:38This is not just a regret, dear ones. This is a reorientation of the whole self towards divine love and truth in Jesus Christ.
18:48Faith and grace are essential in both traditions, recognizing that personal effort separated from
18:57grace cannot earn salvation. Orthodox Christianity emphasizes synergy as the cooperation with God's
19:05grace to become purified of all sinful tendencies, enabling believers to participate in fulfilling God's
19:15God's will instead of their own will. And this process is lifelong, nurtured by the Holy Spirit,
19:24and gained through the sacraments, through prayer, fasting, repentance of sin, and a Christ-like life.
19:34I have learned in my quest in finding and learning the truth that is beyond what I have known in
19:40Protestantism theology that the ancient fathers and holy traditions have held insight and practice
19:50to the way that was ordained by God from the beginning of the church's history, which again,
19:57I repeat, began at Pentecost in 29 AD.
20:01Well, now at this point, we need to look at how the Orthodox Church tradition approaches the
20:11restoring of the image of God from sins of spiritual illness, which would be in keeping with our title.
20:22What, then, is the remedy or the medicine that is necessary for this healing and restoration
20:29of the soul of the soul back to the image of God as he originally intended with our first parents,
20:35Adam and Eve? The Orthodox Church approaches the restoration of the image of God in humility,
20:44not as a legal transgression, but as a healing process, which is a spiritual therapy for the soul.
20:52And in looking at how profound this restoration unfolds, I have learned and stated before the
21:03church is viewed as a spiritual hospital. And in saying this, the Orthodox Church sees itself as a
21:12hospital for the soul, where sin is treated as a spiritual illness rather than a moral crime.
21:19Dear listeners and followers, this is what I found is very significantly different from the Western
21:27theology view of overcoming the passions of the flesh called sin versus the Orthodox teaching
21:34according to the restoration of the soul's passions or sin. According to Orthodox tradition,
21:41the medicine or restoration of healing of sin comes through the sacraments,
21:47ascetic practices, the life of virtue, which is moral excellence and righteousness,
21:55all guided by the church's teachings and traditions. Confession leads to repentance,
22:02and this sacrament is central to spiritual healing. It is not just about admitting guilt,
22:09but about turning back to God with humility and receiving his forgiveness.
22:15Holy communion is seen as medicine in receiving the Eucharist is a rich theological metaphor rooted in early
22:25Christian tradition, especially in the writings of the early church fathers. And it is often referred to as
22:33medicine of immortality. It is a phrase that is attributed to St. Ignatius of Antioch in 101 to 200
22:44A.D. St. Ignatius called the Eucharist the medicine of immortality, the antidote against death. And this reflects the belief that receiving Christ in the Eucharist unites the believer with eternal life, overcoming spiritual death caused by sin.
23:04Communion is a major part of spiritual healing. The Eucharist is seen as a remedy for the soul and healing of the wounds of sin,
23:17strengthening the will against temptation, strengthening the will against temptation, and restoring spiritual vitality.
23:26It's not just symbolic. It's sacramental, meaning it conveys grace or the energy of God through a physical act.
23:35Receiving the sanctifying grace of God is like medicine that restores physical health as well.
23:45And going further, the Eucharist is also seen as medicine for the church, which brings healing of the visions,
23:54fostering unity, fostering unity, and renewing the body of believers as one in Christ.
24:02And just as medicine can prevent illness and restore health, the Eucharist is both preventative,
24:10strengthening against future sin, and restorative in healing past wounds.
24:16Also, virtue as a spiritual medicine within the Orthodox teaching and tradition.
24:26Virtue means a righteous character such as self-control, patience, or humility, which is opposite of vice or passions of the flesh.
24:38And as a person grows spiritually, he or she grows in virtue while the passions are conquered
24:45by the grace and the energy of God. Each virtue is seen as a remedy for a specific spiritual illness.
24:56For instance, humility heals pride, grounding us in dependence on God.
25:05And patience heals anger, fostering endurance and peace.
25:10And chastity heals lust, preserving purity of heart and body.
25:18And generosity heals greed, opening the heart to others.
25:24And temperance heals gluttony, cultivating self-control.
25:30You see, dear ones, these virtues are cultivated through synergy,
25:35which again is human effort cooperating with the divine grace of God.
25:42And another of the important restoring graces or medicines of God is through ascetic practices and prayer.
25:50And now, when we speak of asceticism, this word comes from a Greek word meaning athlete.
25:56And this speaks of a spiritual struggle.
25:59It is the crucifixion of the desires of the flesh through a life of prayer, fasting, and self-denial.
26:09Through asceticism, the Christian fights temptation to sin and thereby grows in spiritual strength.
26:19In essence, dear listener and followers, the Orthodox path to restoring the image of God
26:26is a journey of healing, transformation, and return to our dear Savior, Jesus Christ.
26:33And this return is a return to wholeness, to communion, and to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
26:42And I believe that each and every one of new converts into the Orthodox faith learns great appreciation
26:51of pastoral care of pastoral care that is provided and shaped by their therapeutic view of sin
26:57and how it profoundly influences its approach to pastoral care with such tender compassion
27:05and wisdom in overcoming sin and its passions.
27:10Unlike Western models that often emphasize guilt and absolution,
27:16the Orthodox clergy are trained to see church as a hospital, a spiritual hospital.
27:23The priest is not a judge, but a physician of souls, guiding the faithful through confession
27:31and prayer and aesthetic disciplines towards healing and transformation.
27:38This approach fosters a deeply compassionate and personalized ministry.
27:43And pastoral care is not about enforcing moral codes, but about restoring the soul's capability to love,
27:52to perceive truth, and to commune with God.
27:56In practice, this means that the Orthodox priest often counsels with gentleness,
28:04encouraging frequently through confession, not as a legal requirement, but as a healing encounter.
28:14Again, reiterating the Eucharist is offered as medicine for the soul and fasting is prescribed not for punishment,
28:22but for purification.
28:24Spiritual guidance is tailored to the individual's struggles with an emphasis on cultivating humility,
28:33watchfulness, and trust in God's grace and mercy.
28:36I believe that through this brief sharing and reflection, you can see a difference in the Western view of restoring the image of God
28:47from sins of spiritual illness compared to the ancient faith of Orthodoxy.
28:53Can I tell you, please, dear ones, that I did not accept all of these teachings upon hearing them for the first time?
29:01It is a slow process of understanding and is only by the Holy Spirit that one's spiritual eyes and ears of understanding
29:11can welcome these truths as valid and life-giving for eternal purposes and mainly for eternal life itself.
29:20I invite you to come along with me again on this wonderful journey of learning and growing in the oldest church history
29:30with a timeline that dates back to her birth, I say it again, to Pentecost 29 AD.
29:38And that is, of course, the Orthodox Church, which has her continuity
29:43even up until this time, this present day in which you and I now live.
29:49May our loving God be merciful to us all, dear ones.
29:54May we take serious our lives on this earth while we have breath
29:59and seek out the one who loves us with a burning passion
30:03and provides every remedy that we need to overcome the passions of our flesh.
30:11Amen.
30:13Amen.
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