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| Like father, like son? |
Being from a Methodist church and possessing a Lutheran-Calvinist theology, I rarely have the chance to examine ideas from my friends of the Eastern Orthodox religion.
So today I will be presenting the idea of Theosis.
What is Theosis?
Theosis, or deification is process in which the believer is becomes purified and eventually reach union with God, and participate with his divine nature. In Eastern Orthodoxy, this is the ultimate destiny of the sincere believer and is salvation.
This teaching is based on 2 Peter 1:4, which states that:
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Theosis is led by the Holy Spirit.
In Eastern Orthodoxy, Theosis is the result of the action of the Holy Spirit. This salvation is communicated to the believers by God sharing his grace with us.
This contrasts with the Protestant understanding of grace, in which forgiveness is involved.
Theosis is a process
In Eastern Orthodoxy, there is much focus on the process of being Christ-like via the process of becoming more holy (sanctification).
This contrasts with the Protestant understanding, in which believers become more Christ-like by accepting the Christ's righteousness (justification).
Conclusion
Although Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism may share some ideas, the main difference is this:
Eastern Orthodoxy sees salvation as a process of spiritual growth, rather Protestantism sees salavtion as an instant exchange of their sinful nature with Christ's righetousness.
For more reading
Protestant view: Gospel Coalition
Eastern Orthodox view: Orthodox Road
