Journey to Orthodoxy: Discovering Objective Truth and Salvation
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, I shared my personal journey to Orthodoxy and the reasons behind my conversion. I began by emphasizing that God's call to each individual is unique, and my path may not be the same as others. My journey started in 1988 when I met a monk from Mount Athos who introduced me to Orthodox spirituality. His teachings on prayer and the experience of God resonated deeply with my longing for a more profound connection with the Divine. At that time, I was an Anglican, but I felt that Orthodoxy offered a deeper understanding of God that I craved.
The second pivotal moment in my journey was the realization that truth is objective and revealed by God. This understanding led me to question the various denominations within Christianity, each claiming to be the true church. I concluded that the church Christ established must still exist and that it would not be hidden. This led me to study the early church and its teachings, particularly the authority to decide what is true. I was surprised to learn that for the first 200 years, the church existed without an agreed canon of the New Testament, relying instead on its traditions, liturgy, and the authority of its bishops.
This historical context made it clear that the authority to judge truth could not lie in the Bible alone. The church existed and thrived with its traditions and teachings long before the New Testament was canonized. This realization led me to question where this authority resides today. I found that for over a thousand years, there was only one church, which defended and protected the truth against heresies. The Great Schism of 1054 divided the church into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches, but the Orthodox Church maintained the traditions and teachings of the early church.
I also discussed the differences between Orthodoxy and other Christian denominations, particularly in their understanding of salvation, the nature of God, and ecclesiology. Orthodoxy views salvation as a process of theosis, becoming more like God through repentance and union with Him. This contrasts with the legalistic views of salvation in Western theology. Finally, I emphasized that true salvation and life in Christ can only be found within the Orthodox Church, and it is our duty to seek out and respond to God's call.
### Key Takeaways
1. Unique Call to Orthodoxy: Each individual's journey to God is unique. My path began with an encounter with a monk from Mount Athos, which introduced me to Orthodox spirituality and deepened my longing for a more profound connection with God. This experience highlighted the importance of seeking a deeper understanding of God beyond denominational boundaries. [01:25]
2. Objective Truth in Christ: The realization that truth is objective and revealed by God led me to question the various Christian denominations. I concluded that the true church Christ established must still exist and be discoverable. This understanding underscores the importance of seeking the church that maintains the teachings and traditions of the early church. [02:40]
3. Authority Beyond the Bible: The early church existed and thrived for over 200 years without an agreed canon of the New Testament, relying on its traditions and the authority of its bishops. This historical context reveals that the authority to judge truth cannot lie in the Bible alone but also in the church's traditions and teachings. [07:08]
4. The One True Church: For over a thousand years, there was only one church that defended and protected the truth against heresies. The Great Schism of 1054 divided the church, but the Orthodox Church maintained the traditions and teachings of the early church. This highlights the importance of belonging to the church that preserves the original faith. [10:02]
5. Salvation in Orthodoxy: Orthodoxy views salvation as a process of theosis, becoming more like God through repentance and union with Him. This contrasts with the legalistic views of salvation in Western theology. True salvation and life in Christ can only be found within the Orthodox Church, emphasizing the need to seek and respond to God's call. [16:00]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:25] - Encounter with Orthodox Spirituality
[02:40] - Realization of Objective Truth
[03:48] - The Search for the True Church
[05:36] - Authority Beyond the Bible
[07:08] - Early Church Traditions
[10:02] - The One True Church
[11:21] - The Great Schism
[14:10] - Differences in Theology
[16:00] - Salvation in Orthodoxy
[19:12] - The Importance of the Church
[22:05] - The Church's Endurance
[23:09] - God's Call to Each of Us
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. John 14:6 (ESV) - "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
2. Matthew 16:18 (ESV) - "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
3. Acts 2:42 (ESV) - "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the significance of the monk from Mount Athos in the pastor's journey to Orthodoxy? [01:25]
2. How did the pastor's understanding of objective truth influence his search for the true church? [02:40]
3. What historical context did the pastor provide about the early church's authority before the New Testament was canonized? [07:08]
4. What does the pastor identify as the key differences between Orthodoxy and other Christian denominations regarding salvation? [16:00]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does John 14:6 relate to the pastor's realization that truth is objective and revealed by God? [02:40]
2. In what ways does Matthew 16:18 support the pastor's belief that the true church Christ established must still exist and be discoverable? [03:48]
3. How does Acts 2:42 reflect the early church's reliance on traditions, liturgy, and the authority of its bishops before the New Testament was canonized? [07:08]
4. What implications does the pastor's view on salvation as a process of theosis have for understanding one's relationship with God? [16:00]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Have you experienced a moment or encounter that deepened your longing for a more profound connection with God? How did it shape your faith? [01:25]
2. The pastor emphasized the importance of seeking the church that maintains the teachings and traditions of the early church. How can you actively seek and discern the true teachings of the church in your own faith journey? [02:40]
3. Considering the early church's reliance on traditions and the authority of its bishops, how can you incorporate church traditions and teachings into your personal faith practice? [07:08]
4. The pastor discussed the Great Schism and the division of the church. How do you understand the unity and division within the broader Christian community today? What steps can you take to promote unity while staying true to your faith? [10:02]
5. Orthodoxy views salvation as a process of theosis. How can you actively participate in this process of becoming more like God through repentance and union with Him in your daily life? [16:00]
6. The pastor mentioned the importance of responding to God's call. How do you discern and respond to God's unique call in your life? What practical steps can you take to align your actions with His call? [23:09]
7. Reflect on the pastor's statement that true salvation and life in Christ can only be found within the Orthodox Church. How does this perspective challenge or affirm your current understanding of salvation and church membership? [16:00]
Devotional
Day 1: Unique Call to Orthodoxy
Each individual's journey to God is unique. My path began with an encounter with a monk from Mount Athos, which introduced me to Orthodox spirituality and deepened my longing for a more profound connection with God. This experience highlighted the importance of seeking a deeper understanding of God beyond denominational boundaries. [01:25]
In 1988, a significant encounter with a monk from Mount Athos marked the beginning of a transformative journey. This monk's teachings on prayer and the experience of God resonated deeply, igniting a longing for a more profound connection with the Divine. This encounter emphasized that God's call to each individual is unique, and the path to Him can vary greatly from person to person. It is essential to seek a deeper understanding of God, even if it means looking beyond the boundaries of one's current denomination.
This journey underscores the importance of being open to new spiritual experiences and teachings that can lead to a more profound relationship with God. It is a reminder that God's call is personal and unique, and we must be attentive and responsive to His guidance in our lives.
Isaiah 30:21 (ESV): "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
Reflection: Can you recall a moment when you felt a unique call or guidance from God? How did it shape your spiritual journey?
Day 2: Objective Truth in Christ
The realization that truth is objective and revealed by God led me to question the various Christian denominations. I concluded that the true church Christ established must still exist and be discoverable. This understanding underscores the importance of seeking the church that maintains the teachings and traditions of the early church. [02:40]
Understanding that truth is objective and revealed by God is a pivotal realization in one's spiritual journey. This understanding prompts a deeper examination of the various Christian denominations, each claiming to hold the truth. The quest for the true church that Christ established becomes a crucial endeavor, as it must still exist and be discoverable. This journey involves studying the early church and its teachings to identify the church that has preserved these traditions and teachings.
This pursuit of objective truth emphasizes the importance of seeking a church that aligns with the teachings and traditions of the early church. It is a call to diligently search for the true church that Christ established, ensuring that one's faith is rooted in the authentic teachings of Christianity.
1 Timothy 3:15 (ESV): "If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth."
Reflection: How do you discern objective truth in your spiritual journey? What steps can you take to ensure your faith aligns with the teachings of the early church?
Day 3: Authority Beyond the Bible
The early church existed and thrived for over 200 years without an agreed canon of the New Testament, relying on its traditions and the authority of its bishops. This historical context reveals that the authority to judge truth cannot lie in the Bible alone but also in the church's traditions and teachings. [07:08]
For the first 200 years, the early church thrived without an agreed canon of the New Testament. Instead, it relied on its traditions, liturgy, and the authority of its bishops. This historical context highlights that the authority to judge truth cannot be confined to the Bible alone. The church's traditions and teachings played a crucial role in guiding the early Christians and preserving the faith.
This understanding challenges the notion of sola scriptura, emphasizing the importance of the church's traditions and teachings in discerning truth. It calls for a recognition of the authority that lies within the church, which has preserved and upheld the faith through its traditions and the guidance of its leaders.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 (ESV): "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter."
Reflection: How do you incorporate the traditions and teachings of the church into your understanding of truth? What role do they play in your spiritual life?
Day 4: The One True Church
For over a thousand years, there was only one church that defended and protected the truth against heresies. The Great Schism of 1054 divided the church, but the Orthodox Church maintained the traditions and teachings of the early church. This highlights the importance of belonging to the church that preserves the original faith. [10:02]
For over a millennium, there was a single church that defended and protected the truth against various heresies. The Great Schism of 1054 divided this church into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches. Despite this division, the Orthodox Church has maintained the traditions and teachings of the early church, preserving the original faith.
Belonging to the church that preserves the original faith is crucial for maintaining a true and authentic relationship with God. It is essential to seek out and be part of the church that has upheld the teachings and traditions of the early church, ensuring that one's faith is rooted in the authentic and unaltered teachings of Christianity.
Jude 1:3 (ESV): "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
Reflection: What steps can you take to ensure that you are part of a church that preserves the original faith? How can you contribute to upholding the teachings and traditions of the early church?
Day 5: Salvation in Orthodoxy
Orthodoxy views salvation as a process of theosis, becoming more like God through repentance and union with Him. This contrasts with the legalistic views of salvation in Western theology. True salvation and life in Christ can only be found within the Orthodox Church, emphasizing the need to seek and respond to God's call. [16:00]
In Orthodox theology, salvation is understood as theosis, a process of becoming more like God through repentance and union with Him. This view contrasts with the legalistic perspectives of salvation often found in Western theology, which may focus more on legal justification and adherence to specific doctrines. Theosis emphasizes a transformative journey of spiritual growth and deepening relationship with God.
True salvation and life in Christ are found within the Orthodox Church, which upholds this understanding of theosis. It is essential to seek and respond to God's call, engaging in a continuous process of repentance and union with Him. This journey requires a commitment to spiritual growth and a deepening relationship with God, guided by the teachings and traditions of the Orthodox Church.
2 Peter 1:4 (ESV): "By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."
Reflection: How do you understand the process of theosis in your spiritual journey? What steps can you take to deepen your union with God through repentance and spiritual growth?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Because at the end of the day, I had no ecclesiology at this point, but I desired God. I wanted more of God. At this point, I was an Anglican. And I knew that what I was experiencing and what I saw wasn't what I longed for. And in these words from this monk, I glimpsed something, something more of God that my heart craved. All I wanted was to know more of God." [01:25] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The revealed truth of God is not a subjective thing. Neither can it be portioned off. Truth exists. Truth is Christ. Christ says, I am the way, the truth and the life. And even at 23 years old, I'd just finished my first degree. I knew fully that God's truth revealed to man existed somewhere in the world. God reveals his truth to be discovered, to be shared amongst us." [02:40] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The church does not teach falsehood. The church is given the truth to protect from Christ. And the Holy Spirit dwelling in the church protects that truth. So which of these many many competing claims to be the church. And to have the truth of Christ could possibly be true. So there in my early twenties I began to read and study. Fully believing that the church does exist." [04:41] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The Royal Path requires that we have both personal faith and full involvement life within the church. And the devil will try to convince us at times that we need less of one or the other. All my faith is strong. I have no need of the church. Oh, I'm baptized and part of the church. If I don't pray and I don't fast, what does it matter. These are lies. The Royal Path. The Royal Way. Requires both." [21:02] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The truth that Christ has given to the church is still the same. It has not been changed. It has been defended. Martyrs have given their blood, their lives to protect this teaching. Councils. Bishops have been called to refute heresy. The working of the Holy Spirit. And the church has testified to the words that have been spoken. The truth of the church is offered to all of us." [22:05] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "For over 200 years. The church existed. But the canon of the new testament. Had not yet been decided. And this. This was a surprise to me. So the church existed. With its priests. Its deacons. Its bishops. With its traditions. With its. Its liturgy. A form of liturgy. Its prayers. Its hymns. Its theology. That was developing. Its agreed doctrines. All of this was in existence. For over two centuries. Before the canon of the new testament. Was there. To use." [07:08] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The church existed. In some. Kind. Of. If. The church. Itself. Holds. Part. Of. This. Authority. Along. With. The bible. Then. The question. Still. Arises. Which. Church. Was. That. At. The. Very. Beginning. Now. For. A. Thousand. Years. Over. A. Thousand. Years. There. Really. Was. Only. One. Church. In. The. World. The. Church. Existed. As. The. Church. You. Were. Either. A. Member. Of. The. Church. Or. You. Were. Not." [09:12] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The whole belief in purgatory. This is a new and foreign and heretical belief. It does not belong in the church. The church did not teach anything about going to a place and potentially being released and so on once those sins have been paid for in purgatory. The use of unleavened bread is alien to the church's custom. The nature of salvation itself in Western theology is different to what is taught by the church." [15:02] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The process of change is a process of healing. A process of being rid of our sins and passions. This thing we call theosis. Becoming God-like. It is by grace, yes. But it is a process of change. And even confession itself. Orthodoxy doesn't apply this legalism. We have the traditional Catholics, of course, who then look back beyond what is happening in Roman Catholicism even today." [16:16] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "God calls each of us individually. Perhaps through the beauty of the church's liturgy. Perhaps through the music. The beauty icons. The history of monasticism. The witness of the saints and the martyrs. Whatever it is that God ignites our hearts and draws us to about the church. Let us pursue it. Let us recognize this as God's grace calling us." [22:44] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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