THEOSIS (DEIFICATION) IS THE SUMMIT OF ORTHODOX SPIRITUALITY

My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THEOSIS (DEIFICATION) IS THE SUMMIT OF
ORTHODOX SPIRITUALITY

In the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ, man can achieve theosis (deification) because the grace of God, according to the sacred teachings of the Holy Fathers, IS UNCREATED. God is NOT only ESSENCE, as the Latin West believes, but also ENERGY. If God was only essence, we would not be able to join, to commune with Him, because THE ESSENCE OF GOD IS TERRIFYING AND INACCESSIBLE TO MAN, according to "you CANNOT SEE My face: for there shall no man see Me, AND LIVE" (Exodus 33:20.

Let us mention some specific examples regarding people. If we touch a live bared cable we would die. However, if we connect a light bulb to the cable we are illuminated. The energy of the electric current we see, enjoy and use. Its essence we cannot hold. Something similar, if we may say, happens WITH THE UNCREATED ENERGY OF GOD.

The Human Nature of our Lord Jesus Christ through ITS UNION WITH THE Divinity participated in Divine qualities and was ENRICHED BY THEM, in other words, "DEIFIED." And not only the Human Nature of the Lord Himself was deified: THROUGH Him and IN Him OUR HUMANITY ALSO IS DEIFIED (THEOSIS), for "He also Himself likewise TOOK PART IN our flesh and blood" (Hebrews 2:14), UNITED Himself in the most intimate way WITH THE HUMAN RACE, AND CONSEQUENTLY UNITED IT WITH THE Divinity. Since our Lord Jesus Christ received flesh from the Ever-Virgin Mary, the Church books very frequently call her THE FOUNT OF OUR THEOSIS (DEIFICATION). "Through her, we have been deified." We are deified likewise THROUGH WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE Body and Blood of Christ. The term "theosis" ("deification") does not mean the same thing as the term "God-Manhood," and one who is deified in Christ is not placed on the path to personal God-Manhood. If the Church of Christ is called a Divine-Human organism, this is because the Head of the Church is Christ God, and the body of the Church IS HUMANITY reborn in Christ. (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

If God had only incommunicable Divine essence without His energies He would have remained a self-sufficient God, closed into Himself and NON-COMMUNING with His creation…

" With these, THE UNCREATED ENERGIES, God created the world and continues to sustain it. He gives essence and existence to our word… He is present in nature and sustains the universe with His sustaining energies. He enlightens man with His enlightening energies. He sanctifies him with sanctifying energies. And finally, He makes him a god with Godly energies. So, with His UNCREATED ENERGIES, Holy God enters nature, the world, history, and the lives of the people.

We, therefore, unite with God THROUGH HIS UNCREATED ENERGIES, and NOT through His essence. This the mystery of the Orthodox Faith and of our life.
The Church convened three great Councils in Constantinople which justified Saint Gregory Palamas and declared that the life in Christ IS NOT SIMPLY THE MORALIZINGOFMAN BUT HIS THEOSIS (DEIFICATION), WHICH MEANS PARTICIPATION IN THE GLORY OF GOD, OF HIS GRACE, AND OF HIS UNCREATED LIGHT." (Source: Archimandrite George, Egoumenos of Gregoriou Monastery).

_________________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Divine Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George