4.
Falling Away From Theosis
We all know the consequences of the fall. Separation from God threw
man into carnal, bestial and demonic life. The brilliant creation
of God
fell seriously ill, almost to death. What had been made ‘in His
image’ was flawed. Since the fall, man no longer has the qualifications
he needs to proceed to Theosis, as he had before he sinned. In this
situation of grave illness, almost dead, he can no longer re-orient
himself towards
God. Thus there is a need for a new root for humanity; a need for a
new man, who will be healthy and able to redirect the freedom of man
towards
God.
This new root, the new man, is the God-man, Jesus Christ, the Son and Logos
of God, who incarnates to become the new root, the new beginning, the new
leaven of humanity.
As St. Gregory Nazianzen, the Theologian, says in his theological writings,
with the incarnation of the Logos a second communion between God and humanity
is realised. The first communion was in Paradise. This was broken. Man
was separated from God. The all-good God then provided for another, a second
communion which can no longer be severed, a union of God and men. This
second communion of God and men happens in the person of Christ.
The God-man Christ, the Son and Logos of God the Father, has two perfect
natures: divine and human. These two perfect natures are joined ‘without
change, without confusion, without separation, and without division’ in
the one person of Christ, according to the famous definition of the Fourth
Holy Œcumenical Council at Chalcedon, given under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit. To summarise, this definition forms the whole theological
armoury of our Orthodox Church against Christological heresies of all
kinds throughout all ages. So we have one Christ with two natures, divine
and
human.
Now, because Christ is the eternal God-man through the hypostatic union
of the two natures in the person of Christ, human nature is irrevocably
unified with the divine nature.
As the God-man, He ascended to heaven.
As the God-man, He sits on the right hand of the Father.
As the God-man, He will judge the world at the Second Coming.
Consequently, human nature is now enthroned in the bosom of the Holy
Trinity. No longer can anything cut human nature off from God. Now, after
the incarnation
of the Lord – no matter how much we as men sin, no matter how much
we separate ourselves from God – if, through repentance, we wish
to unite again with God, we can succeed. We can unite with Him and so
become gods by Grace.
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Source: Praxis
Research Institute
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