Today we commemorate Heiromartyr Blaise

Wisdom 5:15-6:3

[15] But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.
[16] Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.
[17] He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.
[18] He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.
[19] He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.
[20] His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.
[21] Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.
[22] And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.
[23] Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.

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Wis.6

[1] Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth.
[2] Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.
[3] For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

2 Peter 3:1-10

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,^[b] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. – verse 9

This verse is one that pierces my heart.  Every time that I sin and fall short by coming subject to my habitual passions, I have a tendency to think that I’m too sinful to come back to God.  But this verse gets me every time.  I thank God for his great mercy, love, compassion, and forgiveness.  Lord, be gracious unto me, a sinner.

Mark 13:24-31

I will not comment about the end times.

Romans 11

1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?^[a] 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^[b] 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.^[c] But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:
“ God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”^[d]
9 And David says:
“ Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”^[e]

God’s grace saves the willing, not the unwilling: those who will receive grace by faith and obey God. Israel is not willing, for she seeks righteousness on her own terms: through the works of the law, not through the grace of Christ. She stubbornly and freely hardens herself in unrepentance. God does not cast the people away; they remove themselves. God has given them a spirit of stupor. – from the Orthodox Study Bible

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Has Israel stumbled that it should fall permanently? Since the people have fallen away because of Christ, are they beyond salvation? No, for through Israel’s failure to believe, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Further, through the Gentiles’ faith, Israel’s opportunity for salvation is renewed. God’s presence among the Gentiles provokes the Jews to jealousy and anger that they might believe and experience the fullness of grace. As their being cast away is caused by their own unbelief, their return through faith would be so glorious, it would be as life from the dead, the final resurrection itself.

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,^[f] if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved,^[g] as it is written:
“ The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”^[h]
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “ For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?”^[i]
35 “ Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”^[j]
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Verse 22 is very scary, but very good motivation to continue in the grace of God.  I need to continue in repentance every day to continue living off the root of the olive tree.  God’s holiness makes me holy because he has grafted me into his family. It’s wonderful to know that even if a branch is cut off, God is able to graft it back in again.  By the way… old olive tree = Jews, branches grafted in = Gentiles, new cultivated tree = Church.

Romans 8: part 2

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Through adoption we become children of God.  This adoption isn’t applied in just a symbolic way, but truly means that we become almost like biological children.  We can become like our Father in Heaven by his grace, the only restriction being that we can’t be like Him by nature.  We partake in the sufferings of Christ and we are glorified with Him.  Through baptism, confession, communion, chrismation, and all other sacraments and life lived within the Church, we can become like God.  I want to stress further that it’s not a state of being, and being within the body of Christ can fluctuate from time to time.  After all, no one is ever really constantly the same in their spiritual life from one day to the next.  May we all strive to grow and increase in our adoption as sons and daughters of God.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Commentary on verse 22: “The groaning is a desire for greater things, the transformation of all creation to be eternally in harmony with God’s sovereign rule.”

Verse 23 reveals that we, as humans, desire the same thing for ourselves.  We have already been adopted, yet we wait for it, making ‘our calling and election sure,’ we are saved in Christ’s Incarnation, His Passion, and His Resurrection by baptism and chrismation, the Eucharist, and our bodily resurrection at the last day.  This Hope that we have is confident…

O Lord our God, who didst bow the heavens and come down for the salvation of mankind: Look upon thy servants and thine inheritance; for unto thee, the fearful Judge who yet lovest mankind, have thy servants bowed their heads and submissively inclined their necks, awaiting not help from men, but entreating thy mercy and looking confidently for thy salvation. Guard them at all times, both during this present evening and in the ap­proaching night, from every foe, from all adverse powers of the devil, and from vain thoughts and from evil imaginations. (Prayer at the Bowing of the Heads)

Romans 8: part 1

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,^[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Two ways of human existence are expounded. The “mind” here is far more than intellectual capacity. It is the highest knowing faculty of the soul (Gr. nous), the spirit behind all we think and do. To repent means to have ‘a change of mind” – not a change of intelligence, but a change of heart. To be carnally minded ( lit. “to have the mind of the flesh”) means to choose to have one’s whole existence, soul and body, captivated by sin. This is a turning against God and His righteousness, an enmity with God rather than peace with Him. The carnally minded cannot be subject to or please God.  “A bad tree [cannot] bear good fruit” (Matt. 7:18), but it can choose to become a good tree through repentance. To be spiritually minded (lit. “to have the mind of the Spirit”) means to choose to be liberated by the Holy Spirit, so that one’s whole nature becomes spiritual, body and soul. Christians are free to set their minds on the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to have His way (His things) and actively pursuing virtue and goodness.

When fire penetrates iron, the iron becomes fiery hot without ceasing to be iron. So our human nature, body and soul, in its union with Christ becomes like God without ceasing to be human; it is interpenetrated by the energy and grace of the Holy Spirit.  We become spiritual. Self-indulgence and sinful pleasure are scorned, and all the pains and sufferings of the Christian life may be endured with joy.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The gift of new life is not magical, but requires the cooperation of the believe in obedience to God. For we are His children (v. 14), as He leads us by the power of the Spirit. Therefore, the body becomes the follower, not the leader. We personally choose the way of the Spirit and deliberately put to death sinful deeds.

Romans 6: part 1

More than a symbol:

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

“Paul grounds freedom from sin in the Sacrament of Baptism: Do you not know? Ignorance of what happens when we are baptized is a great enemy. For because of ignorance many are miserably defeated in their battle against sin. What Christ accomplished on the Cross – an actual and real death to sin – baptism is to us: an actual and real death to sin, a liberation from it. Thus, in our union with Christ through baptism, in His death and Resurrection, lies the power for victory over the law, the power, of sin. In this sense baptism is an exact likeness to Christ’s death on the Cross. Baptism is reality! It is not something that somehow “stands for” reality.  The Cross is the power of God for overcoming sin (1Cor. 1:18), and baptism is our Cross! There we tap into the power of God to say no to sin’s commands and temptations.”

“If Christ was buried for us, how are we buried with Him? Through baptism. For what Christ accomplished in the grave – an actual and real burial of sin – baptism is to us: an actual and real burial of sin.  Our old, mortal nature is replaced by a renewed nature capable of living righteously.”

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“United together refers to being planted and growing together, clearly implying the expectation of fruit. In the likeness of His death means baptism has a real unity with Christ’s death. For the Holy Spirit unites the reality of being immersed in the water to the reality of Christ going to the Cross and the grave. Yet we are not “united together in His death,” but in the likeness of His death. We did not die in our flesh with Christ on the Cross, nor does our human nature die. We also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection is literally translated “we shall be of the resurrection.” The likeness of His resurrection is the new life received in baptism. But Paul is referring here to the future resurrection of the body. If we truly participate in baptism’s likeness to Christ’s death, then we are prepared for the resurrection of the body.”

“Knowing this is understanding baptism and its reality in the Christian life. Old man does not refer to human nature as such but to the power of sin in human nature; the body (the complete whole) of sin refers to thew hole self, body and soul, under the law of sin and of death. And so it is sin that is crucified with Him, not some kind of “sinful nature.” We and human nature are not destroyed, sin is. Not only are we dead to sin, but sin is dead to us. The law of sin is completely defeated, and we are no longer to be its servants.”

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

“Do not let sin reign implies that sin’s power over us is not inevitable; it is something we allow by our free will. Man’s will was the first aspect of human nature damaged in the Fall and, therefore, is the first thing Christ heals. His healing enables us to make right choices, especially against in. For the Christian, sin is not longer a power which reigns and puts one in bondage. Though our mortal body demands pleasures, we can direct it rather than allowing it to direct us. Lusts, the sinful passions, we can resist, for sin has no power but what we give it. Only our own listlessness, dejection, indifference or laziness can defeat us. In Christ, we have no excuses. We can “help it,” we can avoid sin. For in Christ, we are restored to what God intended human nature to be.”

Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Romans 5: part 2

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

“For Adam, sin came first… and then death. For us, it is the opposite: death, mortality, we inherit from Adam, and sin follows after.”

15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

“As immortality is not the opposite and equal of mortality but far outstrips it, so that grace of Christ far excels our inheritance from Adam. For by grace not only is Adam’s offense covered and our bondage to death overthrown, but the sins of the whole world are covered as well.  Justification through Christ far exceeds condemnation through Adam. As we all inherit Adam’s mortality, we all shall be raised to immortality.  But  the saving gift of Jesus Christ, though it is free, must be received through the life of faith.  Thus, some shall be raised to life, others to condemnation.”

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Paul contrasts Adam’s disobedience with Christ’s obedience. Mnay were made sinners refers to mortality and subjection to the law of sin, not to an inherited guilt or an inevitability of sin. However, the first thing damaged in Adam’s nature was his will, and in the death and corruption we inherit our will is also weakened.

In Christ are two wills, human and divine; His human will is obedient to His divine will.  Through His obedience, His salvation brings healing to our will.  Therefore, many – that is, those who believe in Christ – are made righteous and able by grace to participate willfully by faith in God’s righteousness.”

I have not put my words to this topic mostly because I’m sure I would cause more confusion than clarity, and also because it’s a fairly touchy topic, especially considering my background with reformed theology.  I’m going to be posting another note in justification from an Orthodox perspective… a complete quotation from the Orthodox Study Bible in a little while.

Romans 3

Saint Paul

Romans 3

1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“ That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”^[a]

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Verses 1 & 2 demonstrate the validity of the point I made in the last post about the goodness of external piety even if it doesn’t always touch a person deeply.  We can’t scrap everything in the Old Covenant just because there is a new one, after all, the Jews knew God through the Old Covenant.

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written:

“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”^[b]
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;^[c]

“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;^[d]
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”^[e]
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”^[f]
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[g]

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

At one time in my life I used this passage to proclaim the bondage of the human will, that it is actively against God.  I no longer hold that position.  This passage shows that we, as humans, are not equal to God and we have not achieved Theosis.  No one can justify themselves.

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all^[h] who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

This note says it better than I could: “The ultimate purpose of man’s existence is to attain the glory of God.  Even if we should keep the law, we would still fall short of God’s glory, for we would still die and need salvation.  The way to God is both perfect righteousness and eternal life.  But how can we attain that?  Jesus Christ alone lived in complete righteousness, He alone was resurrected to eternal life.  Therefore, He alone is our way to God; He is the glory of God.”  This is not to say that I believe in the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness or Anselm’s Theory of the Substitutionary atonement.  Another note, “Righteousness is not credited, as money to a bank account.  Why?  God’s righteousness is Christ Himself.  To have His righteousness is to have Christ living within us, to be in union with Him, a relationship that is dynamic and substantial.  It is personal: a relationship between Shepherd and sheep, Master and friend, Father and child – not judge and defendant.”

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Okay, I have to say this note is really good.  This chapter is full of theological distinctives that can and are taken in many non-traditional ways, so I’m just going to quote it.  “What, then, does the law teach us? (1) Attaining righteousness through works, human effort alone, is impossible. (2) Righteousness is attained only on the basis of faith, which is given to man [not an individual, but the whole race]* as a gift. (3) God is impartial; Jews and Gentiles are justified on the same basis, faith in Christ. By faith and through faith are synonymous.  (4) Justification by faith in Christ fulfills the law, for Christ’s faithfulness in doing His works satisfies the law. Those who have true faith in Christ are made truly righteous.”

*insertion mine

Romans 1

It has been a very long time since I have read the Holy Scriptures in a non-liturgical setting.  I first decided to stop reading the Scriptures because it was a cause of confusion for me.  I was in the process of changing my theological paradigm, but I was unable to read the Scriptures without thinking of every possible interpretation I could think of with either a Calvinistic background or a Fundamental Baptist one.  I’ve taken this sin of neglecting the reading of the Scriptures to confession, and I hope with this blog I will be motivated to read and write what I find.  Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I’ll be posting in the New King James Version only for the reason that it is the translation used by the Orthodox Study Bible, which I’ll probably be quoting as well.

Romans 1

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I have to point out the order in which Paul recites the Holy Trinity in this passage.  God the Father is the fountainhead of the Trinity, from whom the Son is begotten, and from whom the Spirit proceeds – the same order which our Holy Fathers have set the Nicene Creed.  Secondly, obedience to the faith means that faith must have works to accompany it.  But through apostleship, the episcopacy and the Church, and grace we have the strength to be obedient and live out our calling from God to be saints.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Saint Paul is not setting one group of Christians above another in his encouragement to the Christians in Rome.  All have the same Lord, and all Christians can encourage one another with the amount of faith that they have.  No matter the whether a person has the rank of an apostle or priest or bishop.  (Just in case anyone was wondering, I’m saying this in the context of history of the early Church.  It gets a little sticky when heresies get involved, and such big controversies like the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation.  I am purposely not addressing it to any kind of modern church but the Orthodox Church.  Please do not try to apply it to any other situation.  Thanks.)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,^[a] for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”^[b]

In salvation, the righteousness of God is revealed because Christian live by faith.  This means obedience, as I stated previously.  The Orthodox Study Bible has this as a note: “Christ’s righteousness is given to us, and by our own cooperation with God we continue to grow in it.  This is revealed from faith to faith: we receive the incarnate Son through faith, and then live by faith. Humanity has always, in the OT and the NT, participated in God’s righteousness on the basis of faith.”

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

The wrath of God, I think, is largely over-preached in many churches today.  The most common thing I have ever heard is that you have to convince men that they’re sinners before they can know God.  I guess that’s true, but I have a hard time believing that anyone would think that they don’t sin (even if they don’t use that terminology).  However, when a person actively rejects the love of God and participates in things contrary to nature and God’s will, that is when God will reveal His wrath.  I want to stress that God’s mercy endures forever, and to those who repent and ask for God’s mercy will be granted it, continually.

The most common argument I’ve heard during some evangelistic monologue I’ve held in the past has been the following:  How can God condemn a person (who lives in the middle of a jungle) who has never heard the gospel and believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins?  At the time when I was confronted with that question, I never had an answer.  But now, I think I might have one:  I don’t know.  I think I have finally learned to not judge someone’s salvation.  It is possible for God to have mercy on someone who has never heard about Him.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,^[c] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,^[d] unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

God respects our freedom of will.  That is one part of us that is like God, made in His image.  It’s not in God’s nature to do away with it.  Another common concern is the existence of evil in the world, if in fact, God is a good God.  He lets people freely come to Him, by His grace – and he lets others freely stray.  The existence of evil in the world is only a reflection of God in the sense that he did not create Adam and Eve to be Gods themselves in the beginning.  He created them to freely participate in His goodness and in His Godliness.  I’m not going further into speculation about what would have been, minus the fall.  We were all created for Theosis and to become by grace what God is by nature.

Comment on Nature and Grace by Fr. Maximus on Energetic Procession

The distinction between nature and grace is very easy: nature is created while grace is uncreated. That means that grace is not an effect or habit, but is God’s uncreated energies. So when God grants us His grace, he is not implanting a particular quality in us, but is rather working within us, as we work with Him; hence the concept of synergy, which is impossible on the Latin view in any real sense. If you do not distingush between essence and energy in God your concept of grace will always be extrinsic to the human person, a mere add-on to whatever humans “really” are (unless you choose the other side of the Latin coin, and opt for pantheism).

The basic paradigm you seem to be working from is the division into nature, preternatural gifts, and supernatural gifts, all of which are created. But from the Orthodox point of view, nature can never exist apart from grace: grace sustains and saturates nature, so that God is always working in creation on different levels. The division into natural, preternatural, and supernatural is artificial, because man in his natural state always partakes of God’s grace to the maximum extent possible for him; and even when in his unnatural state he partakes of God’s grace to the extent that he chooses.