Salvation in the Orthodox Understanding Part II By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he can not see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19,20) The Importance of Baptism for Salvation

Baptism In The Early Church The Day of Pentecost: St. Peter preached the word of faith to the multitude saying, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit” (Acts 2:37,38) If faith alone was sufficient to achieve salvation, what then was the need to baptize three thousand souls on one day?

Baptism In The Early Church (2) St. Paul the Apostle: After he met with the Lord on his way to Damascus, we hear Ananias saying him, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16)

A Theological View of The Importance of Baptism The Holy Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) THERE MUST BE DEATH Salvation begins with death, is perfected in death and continues through death.

Salvation began with death Salvation began with the Death of Christ on the cross paying for sin and purchasing us with His Blood. And in order that you may have a share in such a salvation, WE MUST SHARE CHRIST IN HIS DEATH

Sharing in Christ’s Death “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10) “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6:5,8)

How can we undergo such a death? St. Paul answered the question when he said, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death” (Romans 6:3,4) “Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12)

Summary The wages of sin is death, so man must die and be buried. But Christ died for us and we have to share in His Death in order that we not be apart from the deserts of His Death. Baptism, then, is necessary for salvation because it is sharing in the Death of Christ.

Salvation continues through death St. Paul the Apostle says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:11,12) “But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13)

Salvation continues through death (2) So, as long as the body is dead, salvation lives in it. But, when the carnal lusts rise from this death and begin to move, we become liable to lose salvation since salvation is only attained through death. Salvation, then, continues through death; death of the deeds of the body, death of the lusts of the body, and death against the world, materialism and its demands which fight the spirit.

Sacraments: Confirmation “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38) Our whole spiritual life is just a response to the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

Sacraments: Confirmation (2) The apostles were very careful regarding giving the gift of the Holy Spirit to the believers. At first, it was given by the laying of the hands of the apostles.

Acceptance of faith in Samaria “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-17)

The Faith of the Ephesians “he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:2-6)

Sacraments: Eucharist “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53) As Orthodox, we believe that the flesh of the Lord is “...given for us: salvation, remission of sins, and eternal life to those who partake of Him”

Theological Explanation of the Eucharist We are saved from the original sin through baptism But we still commit sins every day Then we need the Holy Sacrifice as an atonement for our sins

The Holy Sacrifice The sacrament of the Eucharist is to be found in the four gospels and in the first epistle to the Corinthians: - Matt. 26:26 – 28 - Mark 14: 22 – 24 - Luke 22: 19 – 20 - John 6: 32 – Cor.10: Cor.11:

It is not an ordinary bread The Lord described it as: –The true bread from heaven (Jn.6:32) –I am the bread of life (Jn.6:35) –I am the bread that came down from heaven (Jn.6:51)

The bread is the body of the Lord “…the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (Jn.6:51) “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed” (Jn.6:55) “ Take and eat; this is My body” (Matt.26:26) “Take it; this is My body” (Mark 14:22)

The blessings of partaking of Communion “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn.6:54) “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (Jn.6:56) “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (Jn.6:51)

The loss suffered by those who do not partake “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (Jn.6:53)

The punishments for those who partake in an unworthy manner “Therefore whoever eats this bread and drink this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1Cor.11:27) “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor.11:28)

The punishments for those who partake in an unworthy manner “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor.11:29)

Sacraments: Repentance and Confession “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3) Repentance makes us worthy of being washed and cleansed by the Blood of Christ and thus be saved

Sacraments: Repentance and Confession (2) Repentance was preached by the apostles as a means for salvation from perdition: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds” (Romans 2:4-6)

Sacraments: Repentance and Confession (3) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Sacraments: Repentance and Confession (4) Confession should be before the priest who is entrusted with the gift of absolution of sins: “Many who had believed, came confessing and telling their deeds” (Acts 19:18) “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained” (John 20:22-23)