Mission Monthly – November 1998
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:3-11
This passage is by far one of my most favorite in the New Testament. It embodies most of what we believe as Orthodox Christians to be essential to our faith; for what more could we ever hope, pray or work for than, “an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?”
It is often hard to believe (so maybe we’d better just trust!) that God has given us ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING necessary for our salvation. Knowledge of Himself, fulfillment of His promise, escape from passion and corruption and the gift of becoming partakers of His divine nature. This last difficult theme is heard again and again in the voice of the Fathers of the Church, “Becoming by grace what God is by nature.” The term for this is “theosis” and is “[the] perfection given by the grace of God [only] to the degree in which man himself, freely and personally, seeks union with Christ in the Holy Spirit” (Fr. John Meyendorff, The Byzantine Legacy of the Orthodox Church).
When I look into the depths of my own heart and life, knowing the gifts of God that potentiallyawait me, I have to ask myself this arresting question: What is it that often prevents me from simply remembering and acting upon God’s great and holy gifts? In the famous book, The Way of the Pilgrim, a section called “A Confession Which Leads the Inward Man to Humility” reads, “For if I loved God I should be continually thinking about Him with heartfelt joy. Every thought of God would give me gladness and delight. On the contrary, I much more often and much more eagerly think about earthly things, and thinking about God is labor and dryness.” The answer, therefore, must simply be that I do not love God and am not truly thankful! Back in my KERYGMA days I wrote a song entitled, “How Many Times.” This song was inspired by James 2:23-24. I wrote, “Yes, it happened again, another fateful day; like a ship out on the ocean tossed about by the waves. Like the man in the mirror I often turn away, only to forget the image of my face.” I can only thank God for the inspiring sorrow of failure!
Contemplating the authority of God’s power we discover the simple mystery of unconditional love. Many try to practice this virtue. Many (though probably not enough) receive this blessed gift from family and friends. I know that I have been blessed by this and have tried to practice it. I also know, however, that as in all things our efforts pale in comparison to the Unconditional Love of God. He is our absolute prototype and the unconditional love and forgiveness He extends to us is so real, so deep, so complete that we can only dare to say that we perceive it. What can we do then to not forget His great love and forgiveness? First we must truly yearn to “escape from the corruption that is in the world.” Secondly we must believe that the standards God has set for His children are truly for our sake and for our single-minded pursuit. Finally, we must heed the words of St. Paul, “for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). In other words, we must with certainty and zeal pursue faith and virtue; but we must do so only and always in the Name of Jesus.
It is a terrible tragedy to be spiritually blind, shortsighted and forgetful. We are all guilty of this offense! Still, no matter how many times we forget, we are forgiven; no matter how many times we forget, we must repent and return. I am stirred by God’s forgiveness because I know that I am completely unworthy. May He one day grant me the wisdom to see clearly and faithfully the distant day of judgment in His Kingdom revealed today. May He grant me to continually remember how much I am forgiven that I might, in the Name of Jesus, enter the life of virtue and simply be a witness to grace and holiness. And for all of us may He grant us a good start each and every day… especially today as we approach the season of our Lord’s Nativity and prepare to celebrate all of its wonders and possibilities!