Saved?

[WelshJesusFreak]

Hi i'd like to ask like all the denom's opinion on what it takes to be saved? e.g. speaking in tounges, adult baptism etc. General Denom' teaching and personal opinion. If you could keep like discussion low and kinda put it in like bullet points would be reallllly good. thanks you so much x

 

[Nickolai]

It takes your life.

 

[MariaRegina]

To be saved

1st ** we must put on Christ through the reception of the Holy Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Communion.

2nd ** we must live the life of a Christian through continual repentance, prayer and fasting, and frequent reception of the Holy Sacraments, and by attendance at our Holy Services.

3rd ** we must follow a rule of prayer .. continuous prayer.

4th ** we must not judge our brothers.

5th ** we must follow the canons of the Holy Orthodox Church as recommended by our Priest and Bishops.

These are the most important,

It is important to realize that salvation is not a one shot deal.

We are saved through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ our God
We are in the process of being saved.
We will be saved by living the Christian LIfe through grace and the loving mercy of God.

As some folks say, we have to walk the walk and talk the talk.

 

[Stone_Lock_Comanche]

One is only Saved through the Grace of God.

Everything else given to us by our Church is there to help,edify, and assist us in our lives devoted to Truth.

 

[Momzilla]

I think the Protestant mindset generally is that salvation is a moment (not meant as a criticism; just an observation). Orthodox don't view it that way. Neither is salvation a process; it's not like if I died tomorrow God might say "Oops, sorry, you still had two weeks to go. To Hades with you!"

The best way I've seen it phrased is that to the Orthodox, salvation is life in Christ. You don't obtain salvation; you live salvation. How do you do that? By doing all of the things Aria listed and more. This does not mean that Orthodoxy is "works based" salvation any more than Protestantism is (e.g., requiring a declaration of faith, even a silent one). Orthodoxy simply does not make the works/faith distinction that the West does.

 

[Filia Mariae]

You don't obtain salvation; you live salvation.

Good way of putting it.

 

[MariaRegina]

Salvation is a free gift from God. We can accept or reject it.

However, if we don't pray, we cannot live the life, because prayer is the lifeline to God.

 

[twosid]

I was really hoping to speak in tongues if I became an Orthodox Christian. I guess its not for me after all. Sometimes I grab my dogs tongue and pull it out of her mouth and move it from side to side and wiggle it around while I make funny noises/faces. I guess thats as close as I'll ever get.

 

[Suzannah]

I was really hoping to speak in tongues if I became an Orthodox Christian. I guess its not for me after all. Sometimes I grab my dogs tongue and pull it out of her mouth and move it from side to side and wiggle it around while I make funny noises/faces. I guess thats as close as I'll ever get.

But you can speak in tongues! You can learn Greek, Russian, Serbian, maybe Romanian or Bulgarian....and you can get it straight from the source!

 

[Nickolai]

just a side note to what Suzannah said. My Church spent some of last nights Bible study trying to translate the Slavonic writings on the backs of some Relic crosses. And I came to the realization that only in Orthodoxy will we try to read something in a language that we don't know to read something. The rest of Christendom just waits for it to come out in english. Just though that was rather funny.

 

[Momzilla]

Good way of putting it.

I wish I could take credit for it, but I got it from Matthew Gallatin in "Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells". He doesn't put it quite that way, but close enough.

 

[MariaRegina]

I was really hoping to speak in tongues if I became an Orthodox Christian. I guess its not for me after all. Sometimes I grab my dogs tongue and pull it out of her mouth and move it from side to side and wiggle it around while I make funny noises/faces. I guess thats as close as I'll ever get.

There are many Orthodox Monks, Priest, and laity who have spoken in languages that they have never used or heard before - these are true gifts of the Holy Spirit. St. Herman of Alaska was noted for this ability as he worked among the Alaskan natives.

There was a holy Greek monk (I think he recently died) who spoke only Greek. When a French atheist woman can to see him at first he used an interpreter whom she brought along with her. By within a few minutes both the woman and the hieromonk were speaking fluently without the need of the interpreter. It was a miracle like pentecost. The lady is now a nun in an Orthodox Convent. Through the prayers of this hieromonk, she converted to Orthodoxy.

Hope this helps.

There is an Orthodox book recently published in English that details all kinds of miracles which occurred at Mount Athos. Maybe one of our readers will mention it. It has a blue cover paperback cover with the Theotokos on it.

 

[twosid]

There are many Orthodox Monks, Priest, and laity who have spoken in languages that they have never used or heard before - these are true gifts of the Holy Spirit. St. Herman of Alaska was noted for this ability as he worked among the Alaskan natives.

There was a holy Greek monk (I think he recently died) who spoke only Greek. When a French atheist woman can to see him at first he used an interpreter whom she brought along with her. By within a few minutes both the woman and the hieromonk were speaking fluently without the need of the interpreter. It was a miracle like pentecost. The lady is now a nun in an Orthodox Convent. Through the prayers of this hieromonk, she converted to Orthodoxy.

Hope this helps.

There is an Orthodox book recently published in English that details all kinds of miracles which occurred at Mount Athos. Maybe one of our readers will mention it. It has a blue cover paperback cover with the Theotokos on it.

I know what it is legitimately but I so enjoy poking fun at the zero's who sit there and act like morons babbling incoherent nonsense in order to appear pious while actually looking like complete and total idiots.

 

[Nickolai]

ShouldaBoughtAHonda ShouldaBoughtAHonda ShouldaBoughtAHonda ShouldaBoughtAHonda ShouldaBoughtAHonda.

 

[MariaRegina]

Shouldaboughtamericanshouldaboughtamericanshouldaboughtamerican - could not find the parts.

 

[MariaRegina]

Back to the OP

If we don't pray, we cannot live the Christian life, because prayer is our lifeline to God.

that is why repetitive prayer doesn't work. We have to pray the prayer of the church, or our words become empty. Hence the danger of saying the Jesus Prayer without a deep personal prayer life rooted in the Orthodox Church along with fasting. This is the downfall of many who try to say the Jesus Prayer without guidance, which can lead to pride, and a false sense that one has reached the heights of sanctity.

This is also why Holy Confession is so vital to the Christian life. We must be accountable to another who sees us as we really are and can help guide us in the Christian walk.