THE PERSONAL REBIRTH AND NEW LIFE IN CHRIST ACCORDING TO OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH

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

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

THE PERSONAL REBIRTH AND NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
ACCORDING TO OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH.

The transition from the idea of the General Economy of God to the call for the PERSONAL SALVATION OF MEN is clearly expressed in the following words of the Apostle Paul: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation… We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
The PERSONAL SALVATION OF MAN is expressed in Sacred Scripture usually in the same terminology, in the same words, as is the salvation of the world in the broad sense of the word ("justification,: "redemption," "reconciliation"), as we see in the text cited above. Only the words are applied here in a narrower significance. Here the Holy Apostles already have in mind men who have come to believe in Christ and have received Holy Baptism. The common phrase used to express both kinds of salvation may be seen in the following examples:

Titus 3:5-7: Christ "according to His mercy saved us, by the washing of regeneration (in baptism), and renewing of the Holy Spirit… that being justified by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Ephesians 4:30: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the say of redemption" (that is to say, the day of baptism and the receiving of the Seal of the Holy Spirit).

But the chief place among all such expressions with relation to Christians is the conception of "resurrection in Christ." The mystery of baptism IS A PERSONAL RESURRECTION IN CHRIST: "Ye are risen with Him" (Colossians 2:12).
The Apostle Peter writes in his First Catholic Epistle: "Baptism doth also now save us… by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21). The very preaching of the Apostles is, in its essence, THE PREACHING OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

Baptism by water is called in the Apostolic Scriptures likewise a "NEW BIRTH, ADOPTION, SANCTIFICATION,. But ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11). "AS MANY OF YOU AS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE PUT ON CHRIST" (Galatians 3:27).
From this it is clear that in the mystery of redemption "THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD ARE INSEPARABLE." In the consciousness of the Church this truth is expressed in full measure in the Paschal hymns, which confess the power of the Resurrection of Christ not only for the personal salvation of the Christian, but also in the final, complete justification of the world. "Passover of incorruption, salvation of the world" (Exapostilarion of Pascha). "By the Cross" has been accomplished THE CLEANSING OF THE SINS OF THE WORLD, TEH RECONCILIATION WITH GOD; "BY THE RESURRECTION" NEW LIFE HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD.

The totality of the consequences of the CROSS AND RESURRECTION are usually expressed by the Apostles, and therefore in theological terminology also, by the single concept of "REDEMPTION," WHICH LITERALLY SIGNIFIES A "RANSOM," AN OFFERING OF PAYMENT. This conception is sufficiently vivid and lively that it has has been accessible to the understanding of people even of the lowest rank of society… Saint Gregory the Theologian establishes the essence of the present expression in the following reflection:

"To whom was that Blood offered that was shed for us, and why was it shed? I mean the precious and famous Blood of our God and High Priest and Sacrifice. We are detained in bondange by the evil one, sold under sin, and received pleasure in exchange for wickedness. Now, since a ransom belongs only to him who holds in bondage, I ask to whom was this offered and for what cause? If to the evil one, fie upon the outrage! The robber receives ransom, not only from God, but a ransom which consists of God Himself, and has such an illustrious payment for his tyranny, a payment for whose sake it would have been right for him to have left us alone altogether. But I ask first, how? For it was not by Him that we were being oppressed; and next, on what principle did the Blood of His Only=Begotten Son delight the Father, Who would not receive even Isaac, when he was being offered by his father, but changed the sacrifice, putting a ram in the place of the human victim? It is not evident that the Father accepts Him, but neither asked for Hm nor demanded Him; but on account of the Incarnation, and because humanity must "be sanctified by the Humanity of God," that He might deliver us Himself, and overcome the tyrant, and drew us to Himself by the mediation of His Son, Who also arranged this to the honor of the Father, Whom it is manifest that he obeys in all things?" (Saint Gregory the Theologian, Second Oration on Pascha; English translation in Eerdman Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 7, p.431).

In this theological reflection of Saint Gregoy the Theologian, the idea which appears in the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter is given complete expression: "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct RECEIVED by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19). [Resources: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Father Michael Pomazansky]

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

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