Judgment & Eternity

 

H.G Bishop Moussa

 

The orthodox concept of our life here and the life to come.

How we were created in Gods’ image? What does it mean when He created Adam and Eve in His image?

We were created in God's image in holiness, in reason, freedom, and in eternity. This is the human being.

When we were created and put in the garden of Eden, we were created holy and without sin, body and spirit being without sin. Adam and Eve were living all the time with God in love and compassion eating from all the trees in the garden except from the tree of Knowledge.

This tree means that they will know the difference between good and evil. Both Adam and Eve were eating from all the trees including the most important one, the tree of life through which they could live forever.

Some people ask what would have happened if they did not eat from the tree of knowledge and if they stayed holy at all times.

Adam and Eve were ready to marry and have children, marry in a holy way and have children in a holy way. Their children would have had holy children and so forth. God would say eventually I want you with me then they would change from a physical body to a spiritual body and would live forever with God.

When they sinned they lost their holiness and their nature was corrupted with a death sentence. God said I did not want you to eat from the tree but you are free to make decisions, committee sin and obey the devil.

The devil came to Eve and said

“Is it true that God will not allow you to eat from that tree?”

God said that she will die if she ate from the tree but Satan told Eve that you will not die if you eat from the tree, trying to make God out as a liar.

Satan said “If you eat from the tree you will be like God!”

Then Eve started to look at the tree and say “Why not be like God?”

She started to eat from the tree then Adam joined in and they started to feel naked and have lust inside of them and from there they began to know evil as well as good. The freedom they had leaded them to death.

They started to feel regret and God understood that the devil was tempting them so God said you will be saved through your offspring, a boy will come and save the whole creation and this was Jesus Christ.

Jesus had divinity and humanity and through His divinity and humanity he could recreate us. We sinned and were corrupt and only through his divinity and humanity could he recreate us.

As the wages of sin is death, Jesus had to die for us. In order for Him to die for us His divinity and humanity had to be united. Can divinity die? God took humanity so he could die on our behalf. He died for us lifting the penalty of death off our shoulders and put it on His where he was crucified.

The redeemer who will die instead of us must be:

1. Human because the wages of sin is death

2. Unlimited because our sin is unlimited

3. Sinless

4. Recreate us

Some say that the archangel Michael was the redeemer. Let’s compare this to the features of the redeemer.

Is he human? He could be if God gave him flesh.

Is he Unlimited? No.

Is he sinless? Yes

Is he a creator? No

What about Abraham, again let's compare.

Is he human? Yes, he can die on our behalf.

Is he unlimited? No

Is he sinless? No

Is he a creator? No

God said I have the solution. I will be divine and human at the same time, so he sent Jesus, who took flesh from St. Mary and became the only redeemer.

Life can be divided into 3 segments

1. Earth. When we are on earth, we are living moving bodies and spirit put together. We live on an earth full of tribulations but God concurred and defeated death.

2. Body. The body will return to the ground when buried and the spirit will go to either paradise, for the holy or Hades, for the evil. All the bodies will go to the earth until judgement day.

3. Righteousness. We should walk right on earth in order to get into the heavenly Jerusalem.

In order to get into the heavenly Jerusalem there are 3 things to consider.

1. Faith

2. Works

3. Sacraments

Faith:

John 3: 16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”

Works:

Romans 8: 1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

James 2: 17

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead!”

Sacraments:

Mark 16: 16

“He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.”

Some may say “How can I know faith, do good works and fulfil sacraments?

In order to complete these you must have the following:

a) Have a spiritual father

b) Have spiritual discipline

c) Have a spiritual atmosphere

If you speak to your spiritual father he will give you and teach you to have spiritual discipline. You must go to the church to see your spiritual father and there is your spiritual atmosphere.

With all these in mind you will be saved together with your faith, works, and sacraments.