Orthodox Church quotes on Sacraments, Saints, Salvation, Sin

Orthodox Church Quotes on Sacraments, Saints, Salvation, Sin

by Matt Slick | Nov 23, 2013 | Orthodox Church, World Religions

Sacraments
1. Many Sacraments: “The Orthodox Church numbers among the Sacraments the following: 1. Baptism; 2. Chrismation or Confirmation; 3. The Eucharist; 4. Confession or Repentance; 5. Holy Orders; 6. Holy Matrimony; 7. Holy Unction or The Anointing of the Sick.” (Coniaris, Anthony M., 2010-12-29. Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 4398-4407). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
2. Sacraments apply the power of the Cross and Resurrection: “Every sacrament puts us in touch with Christ and applies to us the power of the Cross and the Resurrection.” (Coniaris, Anthony M., 2010-12-29. Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Location 4373). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
3. Sacraments are bearers of God’s saving power: “Through the use of material things in the sacraments, nature participates in the salvation of man. Bread, water, and wine become bearers of spiritual meaning and God’s saving power. Nature and the Spirit become united in salvation.”(Coniaris, Anthony M., 2010-12-29. Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 4473-4476). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.
4. Can’t be Christian if sacraments are merely rituals: “The sacraments constitute our life in Christ according to Nicolas Cabasilas. We cannot be truly Christian if we treat them merely as mechanical rituals of the Christian faith that are necessary for some but not for others. The chief purpose of the sacraments is to impart to the believer the life of Christ. Through the Sacraments God shares His life with us, redeems us from sin and death, and bestows on us the glory of immortality. The kingdom of God becomes accessible now in the sacraments through which “being in Christ”. (Coniaris, Anthony M., 2010-12-29. Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 4517-4522). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
Saints
1. Saints have a ranking: “The saints of the Church have a special ranking, according to their place in God’s plan of salvation. The ranking begins, after Christ and the Theotokos with: 1. St. John the Baptist 2. St. Michael the Archangel 3. St. Gabriel the Archangel 4. St. Peter the Apostle 5. St. Paul of Tarsus 6. St. Basil, Saint and Bishop 7. St. John Chrysostom, Saint and Bishop 8. St. Nicholas, Saint, and Benefactor 9. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint and Bishop 10. St. George, Saint and Martyr, 11. St. Theodore 12. St. Demetrius, Saint, and teacher.” (Grube, Fr. George (2012-08-19). The Orthodox Church A to Z (Kindle Locations 5633-5644). Light and Life Publishing, http://www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
Salvation
1. Work for salvation: “But while we cannot ‘merit’ salvation, we must certainly work for it, since ‘faith without works is dead‘ (James ii, 17).” (Ware, Timothy (1993-04-29). The Orthodox Church (p. 222). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition. p. 222)
2. Salvation is deification: “For Orthodoxy, our salvation and redemption mean our deification.” (Ware, Timothy (1993-04-29). The Orthodox Church (p. 231). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition. p. 231)
3. Outside the Church there is no salvation: “Such, then, is the Orthodox idea of the unity of the Church. Orthodoxy also teaches that outside the Church there is no salvation . . . Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved.” (Ware, Timothy (1993-04-29). The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition. p. 247)
4. Salvation is not a completed state: “In Orthodox theology, salvation is not static but dynamic; it is not a completed state, a state of having arrived, a state of having made it, but a constant moving toward theosis, toward becoming like Christ, toward receiving the fullness of God’s life. And it can never be achieved fully in this life.” (Coniaris, Anthony M. (2010-12-29). Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 1648-1650). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
5. Salvation means you are on your way: “Salvation according to Orthodox theology is not the state of “I have arrived. I have made it. I am saved.” Rather, it is the state of “I am on the way. I am moving. I am growing in God, for God, with God, and through the power of God.”(Coniaris, Anthony M. (2010-12-29). Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 1743-1744). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
6. Salvation is not by good works: “Good works do not produce salvation, but salvation produces good works. We are not saved because of good works, but we are saved for good works.” (Coniaris, Anthony M. (2010-12-29). Introducing the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life (Kindle Locations 1882-1883). Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
7. Salvation has many steps: “SALVATION to Orthodox Christians involves the following: 1. Accept the redeeming work that Christ accomplished on our behalf . . . 2. Show our gratitude, accept this gift, and retain it, by living a life of devotion in faith to our Savior, Jesus Christ. 3. Receive this gift of redemption, which made Christ mount the Cross for our sake, to give His life for us . . . 4. Understand that Christ paid the price for our sins. 5. Know that Christ gave everything for us, His spotless life, His blood. 6. Believe that God offers this redemption to all men and women. 7. Realize that everyone is offered the gift of redemption. 8. Understand that sinful mankind needs Divine enlightenment, and help, to accept the redemption offered us. 9. Believe that Christ is in the Church and His grace abides in her. That is why the Church became necessary for salvation and outside the Church, there is no remission of sins, no redemption, no justification (being made right with God), and no hope for eternal life. 10. Live in faith that we are called to Divine enlightenment which, as St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, tells us is the equivalent of “Theosis,” or union with God. Since Christ became man so that man might become God-like by grace, the Mysteries of the Church serve to deify us and to unite us with Christ Himself.” (Grube, Fr. George (2012-08-19). The Orthodox Church A to Z (Kindle Locations 1312-1351). Light and Life Publishing, http://www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
8. Salvation is more than Christ paying a penalty: “From the Orthodox viewpoint, salvation is more than Christ simply having paid some penalty to satisfy the Father’s wounded “honor.” Salvation is the will of the Father, that we return to Him so He can love us with an everlasting love.” (Grube, Fr. George (2012-08-19). The Orthodox Church A to Z (Kindle Locations 1290-1292). Light and Life Publishing, http://www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
9. No salvation beyond the grave: ” . . . we must remember that the official teaching of the Church is that there is no salvation beyond the grave.” (Grube, Fr. George (2012-08-19). The Orthodox Church A to Z (Kindle Locations 1439-1440). Light and Life Publishing, http://www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
Scripture – See Bible
Sins
1. Sin is disobedience to God: “Sin is disobedience to Almighty God . . . Even though we are sinful men and women, the love of Almighty God will cancel the consequences of sin if we are sorry for our transgressions and come to Him with true repentance.” (Grube, Fr. George (2012-08-19). The Orthodox Church A to Z (Kindle Locations 3935-3950). Light and Life Publishing, http://www.light-n-life.com. Kindle Edition.)
2. Forgiveness of sins through baptism: “Through Baptism, we receive a full forgiveness of all sin, whether original or actual.” (Ware, Timothy (1993-04-29). The Orthodox Church (Kindle Locations 4314-4315). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition. p. 278)