HERESY IS THE CONSTANT ENEMY OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God, and Savior,

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

HERESY IS THE CONSTANT ENEMY OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH.

"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as
there will be false teachers among you, WHO SECRETLY BRING IN
DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, EVEN DENYING THE LORD WHO
BROUGHT THEM, AND BRING ON THEMSELVES SWIFT
DESTRUCTION. And as many will follow their destructive ways,
because of whom the way of truth WILL BE BLASPHEMED"
[2 Peter 2:1-2].

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,
dissensions, HERESIES, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,
and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told
you in time past, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the Kingdom of God" [Galatians 5:19-21].

"Beware of FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15).

DEFINITION OF HERESY

"Following one’s own choice or opinion instead of Divine Truth
PRESERVED BY THE CHURCH, so as to cause division among
Christians. HERESY IS A SYSTEM OF THOUGHT WHICH
CONTRADICTS TRUE DOCTRINE. IT IS FALSE TEACHING,
WHICH ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS (Orthodox Christians) MUST
REJECT" (Orthodox Study Bible, Glossary, page 800)

Our Lord Jesus Christ charges us to "beware" because it is possible to be deceived by those who wear a mask of virtue but are "false prophets" or "wolves," who live corrupt lives". As one can witness today we live in an era of deception, manipulation of the mind, corruption of values, and deliberate lies. The holy Apostle Peter also warns us of "False teachers" who are unholy and communicate HERESY. They are ARROGANT, SENSUAL, AND GREEDY, AND THEY DENY ACCOUNTABILITY IN THEIR LIVES. Isolating themselves from Apostolic doctrine concerning Christ, they hold their own "private interpretations," misconstruing doctrines about the Second Coming and the ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST OVER US. Being deceivers, they teach as though they possess true apostolicity. God’s past judgments indicate what awaits the heretics: He will divide the holy from the unholy in the life to come. We already have the example of the "angels who sinned" (2 Peter 2:4) imprisoned in the lowest part of "hell" (Gk. Tartarus) while awaiting the Final "Judgment" (v. 11) repeats two major sins of heretics: (1) immorality, and (2) disdain for "authority," especially that of Christ.

Our Holy Orthodox Church is the Church of the Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of Truth." It is God the Holy Spirit Who guides, illuminates, inspires, enlivens, nourishes her, protects and retains her purity, and bestows His grace upon the faithful through the Mysteries of the Church and through His presence in all ministries and actions. We pray to the Holy Spirit, "O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Thou are everywhere and fill all things. Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One!" Under His Divine Authority, the Church will never be either destroyed by evil men or in any way corrupted or disfigured by heresy.

Our Holy Orthodox Church’s labor of instructing in the faith has been, in battling against heresies. Historically there were heretics in the ancient Church period who consciously denied or lessened the Divinity of the Son of God. Heresies of this type were numerous and from time to time caused strong disturbances and divisions in the Church. Such, for example, were the following heretics: In the Apostolic Age–the Ebionites, in the 3rd century, Paul of Samosata, but the most dangerous of all the heretics were Arius in the 4th century who taught that the Logos/Word, or Son of God, received the beginning of His existence in time, although before anything else; that He was created by God, although subsequently, God created everything through Him; that He is called the Son of God only because He is the most perfect of all the created spirits, and has a nature which, being different from the Father’s is Divine. This heretical teaching of Arius disturbed the whole Christian world since it drew after it very many people.

"The Ecumenical Councils the Church recognizes as SEVEN IN NUMBER. The Ecumenical Councils FORMULATED PRECISELY AND CONFIRMED A NUMBER OF TEH FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS OF THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FAITH, DEFENDING THE ANCIENT TEACHING OF THE CHURCH AGAINST THE DISTORTIONS OF HERETICS. True Councils are those which express Orthodox Truth–are accepted by the Church’s catholic consciousness; FALSE COUNCILS–those which teach heresy or reject some aspects of the Church’s Holy Tradition–ARE REJECTED by the same catholic consciousness. The Orthodox Church IS THE CHURCH NOT OF "COUNCILS" AS SUCH, BUT ONLY OF THE TRUE COUNCILS, INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH CONFORM TO THE CHURCH’S CATHOLIC CONSCIOUSNESS."

The threat of heresies has never ceased to exist even in the Second Millennium which we find ourselves in. In these years the deviation from Christian Truth, the divisions, schisms, and numerous sects and cults are many more than the Fist Millennium. The Holy Orthodox Church is the ONLY AUTHENTIC CHURCH OF CHRIST AND therefore currently hostile powers from within and without are waging war against her to destroy her. These evil elements, wolves in sheep’s clothing, false prophets, and teachers deny the existence of heresy in the name of tolerance, all-inclusiveness, diversity, equity, and "charity." There are those who refer to it and attempt to convince us that their assemblies are gatherings of "dialogues of charity." The faithful need to be instructed to have discernment and be able to discern TRUTH from FALSEHOOD, TRUTH FROM HERESY. Everyone who truly loves our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ and our Holy Church must remain on alert and remain vigilant because we are living in evil days. The persecution of Christ’s Church continues and so are all the faithful Christians.

It is wise that we listen to Our Lord who exhorts us: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit…Therefore by their fruits, you will know them" (Matthew 7:16-20). Trust MUST BE EARNED! Do not be gullible and easily believe or be persuaded by them no matter who they are or their standing in the Church. Remember our Holy Orthodox Church does not have the so-called "infallibility" and ex-Cathedra fiat that the heterodox have. Be aware of those who claim that there is no heresy among those outside the Orthodox Church or that "love" justifies all. True AGAPE (love) comes from above, Divine Love, Perfect, and the purest Love. Divine Love is unconditional, unlike human love which is polluted and conditional. [Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

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

+ Father George