The Cycle of Christian Life

St. Symeon the New Theologian, Granted a Vision of Christ's Uncreated Light

By Bp. Joseph Boyd (Ancient  Church of the West) 

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“ - Romans 6 (KJV)

The Engine of Sanctification: 

The process of sacramental sanctification in the Apostolic Church is a simple life of applying the Gospel and living for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not intellectually difficult to understand, but it is hard to obey because this lifestyle works against our fallen flesh and sinful desires. We must die to self through the power of the Holy Spirit, and live to the Lord through the Christ-nature that we put on in baptism. By constantly returning to our Baptism, centering ourselves within the Baptismal reality of “putting on Christ”, and seeing an ongoing process of repentance, confession, and priestly absolution as the sacramental “engine” that drives our growth and sanctification, strengthened by prayer and the Eucharist, we can live victoriously in Christ’s Resurrection and reflect His glory as mirrors of God’s glory. 

Repentance, Confession, and Communion in the Life of the Spirit: 

A) Life “in the World but not of it” (I John 2:15-17), as Members of Christ’s Body, the Church (Romans 12:5, I Corinthians 12:12-20), having “put off the old man and its lusts and put on Christ” through Baptism and the Gift of the Spirit through Chrismation and the Laying on of Hands (Acts 8:17, 19:5-6, II Timothy 1:6, Romans 13:14, Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:22) 

B) Seeking After God in Prayer, Fasting, Bible Study, and Good Works (Keeping God’s Commandments, Living Life of the Holy Spirit’s Virtues, Ministering to Fatherless, Widows, Poor, Aged, Sick, Suffering, and Serving in the Church) (Matthew 3:8, 5:32, 6:16-18, 25:40, Acts 4:32-35, 26:20, II Corinthians 8:1-24, Titus 2:14, James 1:27, I John 3:17) 

C) Repentance of “Falling Short” in This Process, Confession of the Sinful Acts that Alienate from God to Christ, to One Another, to Our Presbyters and to a Spiritual Father or Mother (Matthew 18:18, James 5:14-16, I John 1:9) 

D) Drawing Together with the Body of Christ in Public Confession of Sin (Psalm 106:6, Daniel 9:5), Worship, and Mutual Love and Submission for the Liturgy – the “Common Work” of the Church (the literal meaning of “λειτουργία”) (Psalm 122:1-9, 150:1-6, Matthew 5:23-24, Romans 12:5, Colossians 3:16, I Timothy 3:14-15, Hebrews 10:25) 

E) Communion with Christ and Each Other through the Holy Eucharist (Mathew 18:20, John 6:50-59, I Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:1-34) 

The Process or Praxis, Synergia and Theoria - Growing Towards Maturity in Christ: 

1) Accountability to a “Spiritual Father”, a Counselor Who Can Guide Us Past Himself and Our Lusts and Passions to Follow After Christ, Who Can Ask Hard Questions, Who Will Not Condone Our Weaknesses, and Who Will Not Allow Excuses for Our Sins (1 Corinthians 4:15, I Thessalonians 12:12, Hebrews 12:7-11, 2 Timothy 4:1-2, James 3:13) 

2) Constant Prayer (“Pray without ceasing…” 1 Thessalonians 5:17) 

3) Stilling Thoughts (“Bringing every thought into captivity” 2 Corinthians 10:5) 

4) Centering the Heart on the Name of Jesus Christ (“Day and night”, “upon my bed” and “in the night watches”, David “meditated upon God’s precepts”, and “cried out unto His Name” Psalms 119-150), which is experienced as “Inner Stillness” (“Be still and know I am God” Psalms 46:10) in which the “Still, Small Voice” can be heard (1 Kings 19:11-13) 

5) Experiencing a Real Relationship with Christ through the Spirit and the Life of the Church (John 14:26, Matthew 18:20) and Becoming a Partaker in Christ’s Suffering – Spiritual Warfare (Matthew 5:11, I Peter 4:13) 

6) Visions of Uncreated Glory Illuminating the Heart and Mind, Being Felt and Experienced as Joy of Body and Soul (“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8, Joel 11:28), and Manifesting the Gifts of the Spirit Manifested in Teaching, Preaching, Healing, Prophecy, and Counsel (Romans 12:3-8, I Corinthians 12:1-14, Ephesians 4:11-13) 

7) This Walk with God is Evidenced in Increased Humility, Intentionally Putting Down of the Self, Hiding from Acclaim and Attention, and Living a Life of Love, Mercy, Service, and Contentment. (Philippians 1:21, Ephesians 4:1-3) The works done by those who are thus illumined by the Spirit do not glorify the individual, who only act as vessels and agents for God’s power. (John 3:30, 2 Corinthians 10:17, 2 Timothy 2:21) Remembering that, at any point in this process, before our death and ultimate salvation by Christ (Matthew 24:13), we can fall from Christ through lusts and pride, “becoming shipwrecked” (I Timothy 1:19), and “having preached to other, we ourselves become castaways” (I Corinthians 9:27). The “later state of such a one is worse than before they believed”. (2 Peter 2:20) The rewards of humility and fear of the Lord is spiritual riches, honor for Christ, and life. (Proverbs 22:4) 

8) Final Resurrection and Glorification when Christ comes to take us to the “Place that He Has Prepared for Us.” (John 6:40, 11:25, 14:3, Romans 8:38-39, 2 Corinthians 4:14, I Thessalonians 4:16, Titus 2:13) This is the goal of Theosis. This is the Eighth Day, the Ages of Ages, where we will live with Christ forever in His Kingdom. This is the great hope of the Christian life, the purpose of the Creation, the glory that we taste in Communion, and that which gives meaning to all the suffering and pain of this life. (2 Timothy 4:5-8, 2 Corinthians 14:54-55) This hope erases the fear of death, inspires us to live as martyrs (“witnesses”), and fills our hearts with joy at the possibility of seeing Christ Face to Face, to “Know Him as He Is”. (Philippians 3:10-11)

Summary: 

Just as our experience of the Holy Spirit, our Communion with Christ in the Eucharist, and our salvation, must be shared and cannot be personal, so our process of repentance and Theosis is a corporate process. Our “Synergia” is cooperation with God, but it is also reflected in cooperation with others. Thus, there are corporate fruits for personal struggle. We all share in the spiritual work of the Church. City-bound laymen share in the fruits of desert ascetics, each being a member of the Body, which feeds itself with the Blood of the Glorified Christ. There is no such thing as personal virtue or personal salvation. All are saved by our sharing in Christ’s life, and our individual partaking with Christ and our experience with Him in the Spirit is shared by those around us. His Light is brought into all our relationships in the humility and sweetness of Church fellowship - κοινονια – the communion we share in our shared life and by putting others first. This is fruit worthy of repentance and shows our houses of prayer to truly be the family of God. The Church, which is the body of Christ struggling for the salvation of all, is worked out corporately in the personal quest to deification. As St. Seraphim of Sarov said, "Acquire a spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved!" This is the evangelical aspect of Theosis.

The Ancient Church understood salvation to be a relationship with the Incarnate Christ, and for this relationship to manifest as an eternal process, a process that spirals into the world to come, the kingdom in which we shall eternally become closer and more intimate with our Savior. We understand all the biblical references about salvation to be definitive, and as such, salvation to be a process in which we are saved by crying to Christ for mercy (Luke 23:42), confession of faith (Rom 10:9), in reception of water baptism in the name of the Trinity (Matt 28:19, Acts 2:38), taking up our cross and following Christ (Luke 9:23), and upon our faithful death (Matthew 24:13). This prompts the classic response, so often shared by Bishop +Kallistos Ware in his talks, that the Ancient Church believed we are “saved, being saved, and will be saved!” Salvation here being defined here in three different ways, 1) as baptism and induction into Christ’s Body, the Church, 2) the process of repentance and communion in our lifetime, preparing for death, and 3) the ultimate salvation that will come at the Last Judgment, when Christ will separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats, and finally say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)