Theosis

"The non-Orthodox Churches have as their emphasis the forgiveness of sins in order that one might not go to hell, and [instead] go to Heaven. Because of this, the understanding of what salvation is, has become a more of a juridical or legal issue, where the goal of the Gospel and the goal of everything is forgiveness of one's sin. In contrast, we as Orthodox view forgiveness of sins only as the first step in the process of salvation. We're forgiven; indeed we are forgiven, but so that we may be purified and healed, so that we can be transfigured, so that we can become God-like. The goal is not for us to make it to heaven, the goal really is God Himself. The goal is the mystical union, and communion with Him. This is Theosis, divinization, deification, transfigurement -- whatever we want to call it. It's a forever process of becoming by grace what God is by nature, without ever becoming God." - Fr. James Bernstein, The Illumined Heart Podcast, May 22, 2008

In Orthodoxy the goal is theosis, or becoming like God. That is to say, becoming like Christ. It is a continual process. This is why we always ask Christ to save us. We never assume that we are saved once and for all, because we continue to sin throughout our lives. And sin is that which separates us from God, making our journey to theosis more difficult.

The problem with the juridical concept of sin, is that it places God in the position of father carrying a big hickory stick, who punishes us for being bad. This can make us feel persecuted and resentful of God. It also causes us to be more resentful of others. Because we are aware of our own sins, we tend to deflect our shortcomings onto others. We seek out the sins of others, looking for sins greater than our own, and become smug in the knowledge that their sins are somehow worse than ours, and deserving of punishment. Then, when bad things happen to others, we rejoice in their misery, confident that they "deserve it."

However, if we treat sin as a sickness, we are inclined to become more compassionate towards others. Compare it to physical sickness: Imagine being pleased about someone suffering the pain of arthritis. It would be a particularly cruel person indeed, who delighted in the ailments of others, especially if we have ailments of our own. When we know the difficulties of overcoming our own spiritual flaws, we become more forgiving of the flaws in others. We realize that all of us are struggling in our spiritual walk with God. God does not punish us for our sins, but rather sees our sickness, and provides spiritual exercises, teaching, and encouragement to help us heal ourselves. - Wcrowe 17:46, 30 June 2009 (UTC)