Not by Works

I get the feeling some people think we Orthodox believe in "works salvation." Maybe this is because we have a lot of disciplines as a Church that could be mistaken for this. However, these disciplines don't earn God's love or forgiveness. That's just crazy talk! Nothing could be further from the spirit of Orthodoxy.

What we're trying to accomplish by all these disciplines is *not* to change God's mind and persuade him to forgive us. God revealed Himself in Jesus as all-merciful and all-forgiving. No, the point of our disciplines is to change *ourselves*. We want to be ruled less and less by our flesh. We want God to rule our lives more and more.

Still, that doesn't even really capture it. The goal is not to become a perfect rule-follower, even if the rules are straight from God. The goal is to be united with God Himself in love and joy and purity and wisdom and, well, you get the picture. It's what we call theosis. To further confuse our dialogue with Protestants, we also call this final state "salvation."

Anyway, here's the prayer I wanted to share.

"O my plenteously-merciful and all-merciful God, Lord Jesus Christ, through Thy great love Thou didst come down and become incaranate so that Thou mightest save All. And again, O Savior, save me by Thy grace, I pray Thee. For if Thou shouldst save me for my works, this would not be grace or a gift, but rather a duty; yes, Thou Who art great in compassion and ineffable in mercy. For he that believeth in Me, Thou hadst said, O my Christ, shall live and never see death. If, then, faith in Thee saveth the desperate, behold, I believe, save me, for Thou art my God and Creator. Let faith instead of works be imputed to me, O my God, for Thou wilt find no works which could justify me. But may my faith suffice instead of all works, may it answer for, may it acquit me, may it make me a partaker of Thine eternal glory. And let Satan not seize me and boast, O Word, that he has torn me from Thy hand and fold. But whether I desire it or not, save me, O Christ my Savior, forestall me quickly, quickly, for I perish. Thou art my God from my mother's womb. Vouchsafe me, O Lord, to love Thee now as fervently as I once loved sin itself, and also to work for Thee without idleness, diligently, as I worked before for deceptive Satan. But supremely shall I work for Thee, my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."