Christian Sanctification
I have been all varieties of Protestant, a Catholic convert and now am Orthodox. This background is a common characteristic of converts. So, I would like to discuss the application of holiness in the Christian life from a personal viewpoint.
The Methodist John Wesley, writing about 200 years after Martin Luther, wrote "who was more ignorant of the doctrine of sanctification" than the great reformer? After stuggling as a monk unsuccessfully against temptation and sin, Luther gave up and this is reflected in his doctrine and that of most of the 'Reformers'.
As a Protestant, I was never challenged to think of my failings (anger, etc.) as a sin to be dealt with...that's just the way I was. Luther's view of heaven, of those sinners 'covered' by Christ's righteousness, is similar to a bunch of sweaty, unbathed men and women dressed in new, clean clothes as invited guests at a banquet. Revelation 21:27 states that nothing 'unclean' will enter heaven...not just something that looks clean on the outside.
As a Roman Catholic I learned about sanctification and the importance of individual effort along with God's grace in the process. The Catholic Church, by its own admission, applies theology in a legalistic way. A way to understand this is to look at the O.J. Simpson of the 1990's. Simpson, who many feel was guilty, was declared 'not guilty' in the criminal court and here was no jail time. However, in a later civil trial brought by his wife's family he was found 'guilty' and had to pay monetary damages. In the Catholic Church, the priest declares the penitent 'not guilty' so that he will not spend time in jail but there is still civil ('temporal') punishment that the individual is responsible for 'paying off' in this world or in the next in purgatory.
While not intended, this concept of 'working off' the temporal punishment turns the focus away from Christ and His grace towards personal efforts to satisfy the 'debt penalty'. The older Raccolta that listed the 'good works' and the 'indulgences' gained to offset temporal punish actually listed the amount of time (quarantines) earned for each work or devotion. I became more concerned with the works 'I needed to do' than with preparing myself to let Christ 'work in me' to gradually sanctify me.
In the Orthodox Church I found a good balance. The most oft repeated prayer is 'Lord Have Mercy' showing that we will never be perfect in this life and always need His mercy to forgive our sins and even to to give us the ideal circumstances in life that allow us to pray, do good works and become 'like God' in whose image we are created. Mostly this means getting ourselves out of the way so God can work through us unhindered. So, our focus remains more on Christ than the works we are trying to do.
St. Seraphim of Sarov states that the purpose of life is to 'acquire the Holy Spirit' just like a merchant tries to acquire money. Prayer, good works, frequent communion are methods to obtain the Holy Spirit but they are never ends in themselves They are not done add to our 'good talley sheet' for the Particular Judgement. We do what we can with the help of the Spirit and trust the outcome to Christ and His mercy because we love Christ.
Additional Reference
I have been all varieties of Protestant, a Catholic convert and now am Orthodox. This background is a common characteristic of converts. So, I would like to discuss the application of holiness in the Christian life from a personal viewpoint.
The Methodist John Wesley, writing about 200 years after Martin Luther, wrote "who was more ignorant of the doctrine of sanctification" than the great reformer? After stuggling as a monk unsuccessfully against temptation and sin, Luther gave up and this is reflected in his doctrine and that of most of the 'Reformers'.
As a Protestant, I was never challenged to think of my failings (anger, etc.) as a sin to be dealt with...that's just the way I was. Luther's view of heaven, of those sinners 'covered' by Christ's righteousness, is similar to a bunch of sweaty, unbathed men and women dressed in new, clean clothes as invited guests at a banquet. Revelation 21:27 states that nothing 'unclean' will enter heaven...not just something that looks clean on the outside.
As a Roman Catholic I learned about sanctification and the importance of individual effort along with God's grace in the process. The Catholic Church, by its own admission, applies theology in a legalistic way. A way to understand this is to look at the O.J. Simpson of the 1990's. Simpson, who many feel was guilty, was declared 'not guilty' in the criminal court and here was no jail time. However, in a later civil trial brought by his wife's family he was found 'guilty' and had to pay monetary damages. In the Catholic Church, the priest declares the penitent 'not guilty' so that he will not spend time in jail but there is still civil ('temporal') punishment that the individual is responsible for 'paying off' in this world or in the next in purgatory.
While not intended, this concept of 'working off' the temporal punishment turns the focus away from Christ and His grace towards personal efforts to satisfy the 'debt penalty'. The older Raccolta that listed the 'good works' and the 'indulgences' gained to offset temporal punish actually listed the amount of time (quarantines) earned for each work or devotion. I became more concerned with the works 'I needed to do' than with preparing myself to let Christ 'work in me' to gradually sanctify me.
In the Orthodox Church I found a good balance. The most oft repeated prayer is 'Lord Have Mercy' showing that we will never be perfect in this life and always need His mercy to forgive our sins and even to to give us the ideal circumstances in life that allow us to pray, do good works and become 'like God' in whose image we are created. Mostly this means getting ourselves out of the way so God can work through us unhindered. So, our focus remains more on Christ than the works we are trying to do.
St. Seraphim of Sarov states that the purpose of life is to 'acquire the Holy Spirit' just like a merchant tries to acquire money. Prayer, good works, frequent communion are methods to obtain the Holy Spirit but they are never ends in themselves They are not done add to our 'good talley sheet' for the Particular Judgement. We do what we can with the help of the Spirit and trust the outcome to Christ and His mercy because we love Christ.
Additional Reference
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St. Seraphim on the Purpose of Life |
