To the Eastern Orthodox who is reading this:
It is not my intention to offend you or call you names. I do not hate the Orthodox or desire to castigate them. I am only arguing about the truthfulness of the claims and theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Calling me a bigot is blatant ad hominem and only “muddies the water” in a dialogue.
There is not much literature out there on the subject of Orthodoxy, and some of what is out there is ill-informed. To use inaccuracies only hardens the opposition’s heart to what we Evangelicals say. As you will see, however, I accurately represent the Orthodox viewpoint. So, I would ask that you hear both parties and side with the one that has the weight of truth instead of only listening to your side. Your soul is at stake here!
Lastly, if you have read through the articles and other suggested reading and are not convinced, that’s fine. At least you were open-minded enough to hear the other side.
The Gospel
The Gospel of the Grace of God is the issue. I did not make up this website just to argue with Eastern Orthodox or to show off how much I know. I did not write all these articles out of hate but out of love. God has shown me so much mercy and grace that I want others to have what I have: the grace of God and the forgiveness of sin.
Do you have the have the forgiveness of sin
that the Scriptures speak of? Do you know that you have eternal life (1 John
God expected man to live a life free of any sin, and this was God’s covenant with man (i.e. the basis of man’s right standing with God):
The
LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
-Genesis 2:16-17
And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish
to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
-Matthew 19:17
“…for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.”
-Romans 2:13
“However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.”
-Galatians 3:12
However, all have sinned and are under God’s wrath:
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world
may become accountable to God;”
-Romans
3:19
“…for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
-Romans 3:23
“Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
-Ephesians 2:3
All works that are considered ‘good’ in man’s eyes still cannot overcome or cover man’s sins:
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us
away.”
-Isaiah 64:6
“Is the Law then
contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would
indeed have been based on law.”
-Galatians
3:21
Thus, salvation is impossible if it is based on the actions of men:
“And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it
is for those who are wealthy to enter the
-Luke 18:24-25
However, what is impossible to man is possible with God:
“When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished
and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible.” ”
-Matthew 19:25-26
Thus, God, in His infinite love, has provided a way of salvation for all who believe in Christ:
“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send
the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
-John 3:16-18
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward
us in Christ Jesus.”
-Ephesians 2:4-7
This salvation is a free gift:
“…being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is
in Christ Jesus;”
-Romans 3:24
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”
-Ephesians 2:8
It is completely unearned:
“Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is
due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…”
-Romans 4:4-5
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result
of works, so that no one may boast.”
-Ephesians
2:8-9
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which
we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He
poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life.”
-Titus 3:4-7
This belief brings you into a personal, intimate relationship with God:
“He who has My commandments and keeps
them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him”…Jesus
answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make
Our abode with him.”
-John 14:21, 23
“…for
the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.”
-John 16:27
“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”
-1 John 2:13
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
-1 John 4:7
No amount of good works or sacraments can ever bring someone closer to God:
“…just as David also speaks of the
blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” ”
-Romans 4:6-8
By His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, Christ has merited all things necessary to save believers from God’s wrath and bring them to that loving, personal relationship with God:
“Much more then, having now been justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
-Romans 5:9
“…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.””
-Romans 10:9-11
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE
WHO HANGS ON A TREE…”
-Galatians 3:13
“For
by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
-Hebrews 10:14
Although good works are a necessary part of the Christian life (i.e. a necessary result of salvation; Ephesians
“Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart
from works of the Law.”
-Romans 3:27-28
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no
one may boast.”
-Ephesians 2:8-9
“…nevertheless
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus,
so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
-Galatians 2:16
This faith itself is the gift of God so that believers would have a personal relationship with their Creator:
“When the Gentiles heard this, they
began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
-Acts
“A woman named
-Acts
“For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…”
-Philippians 1:29
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind
as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ…”
-2 Peter 1:1
Although hatred of sin is the necessary result of salvation (Ephesians
“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them
one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will
make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their
hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.”
-Jeremiah 32:38-40
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me,
that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”
-John 6:37
“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who
has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”
-John 10:27-29
“When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been
appointed to eternal life believed.”
-Acts
“Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus
is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
-Romans 8:33-34
Although hatred of sin is the necessary result of salvation (Ephesians
“…just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom
God credits righteousness apart from works: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” ”
-Romans 4:6-8
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE
WHO HANGS ON A TREE…”
-Galatians 3:13
“…but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
-1 John 1:7, 9
Friend, don’t think that you’ll be saved from the wrath to come because you were baptized. Don’t think that God will let you into His presence simply because you accept the Eucharist or because a priest covers you in incense. He won’t.
If you have been convicted of these things, please cry out to God for Him to save you. Weep over your sins against the God whom you owe your whole life and very existence to, and turn from them. Run to Jesus Christ as your once for all sacrifice that satisfies God’s righteous wrath against you and place your whole trust in Him and Him alone. Then, He will forgive you of your sins, and you will have eternal life.
If you have done this, you will want to find a church where this message is preached and where you can fellowship with other believers. Go and be with the community of the Redeemed.
You now know the gospel
of the grace of God:
“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the
ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
-Acts
To the
Orthodox…