“I said that in your theology Jesus finished nothing since man has the ultimate power to lose his salvation and win it back again. I know that the Orthodox really don’t speak of it in those terms, but the Latins do. So, I said that for you Christ laid the groundwork, but it’s up to you to complete the deal. What’s incorrect about that?”
Oh dear; probably you should have spent those hours pouring over Apostolic and patristic documents, FK! Christ finished man’s bondage to death and restored to man what was lost by the Sin of Adam, the potential to become divinized, to actually be a creature in the image and likeness of God. “Taking advantage” of that opportunity is up to us. Its available to everyone...like God’s grace.
Welcome back, Kolo. Much obliged.
Oh dear; probably you should have spent those hours pouring over Apostolic and patristic documents, FK! Christ finished man’s bondage to death and restored to man what was lost by the Sin of Adam, the potential to become divinized, to actually be a creature in the image and likeness of God. “Taking advantage” of that opportunity is up to us. Its available to everyone...like God’s grace.
Hi Kolo! Good to see you again.
[Re: Christ on the cross:] OK, what you are saying here is that Christ "finished" taking care of your version of original sin. That is fine and I acknowledged that understanding. But of course to us, since this operation gets ZERO people into Heaven, it doesn't really SEEM like Christ "finished" anything. So, I should have elaborated when I said "nothing". It's just that to us this meaningfulness for what Christ did is comparatively weak to what we say He actually accomplished. Given that you and I both use the phrase "Christ died for our sins", to me the Apostolic belief conveys a comparative accomplishment of "nothing" because no one gets into Heaven just because of that. To me, ALL of the elect get into Heaven just because of that. IMO, this latter view is what gives power to the words "Christ DIED for our sins". I don't think Christ died to give us a free will possibility for salvation, I think He died to SAVE us, period.