Orthodoxy

 April 17, 2021

When I was a young Christian, I listened to older, experienced Christians like my pastor speak of their constant struggle against sin. I read the words of saints like Tozer, Spurgeon, Moody, Pink, and Ironside, telling us that the longer they followed Christ, the more intense became the temptations. Their words puzzled me. How could someone who obviously loved Christ and served him faithfully still struggle with sin? 

As I got older, I was exposed to the teaching of others who claimed to have moved beyond temptation and were living on an entirely different level of sanctification. One by one, many of them succumbed to sexual or financial temptation, their ministries and families rent apart by their fall. I am glad when I hear the stories of Christians who struggle mightily, but by the grace of God are faithful. Most who acknowledge such struggles also confess their failings in many areas; they would never claim to have reached perfection, but as Wesley said, were merely “moving on to perfection,” ie. getting closer, while not quite there.

Recently, I’ve been following the online postings of various persons from the Orthodox branch of the church, and what I’ve noticed is what first appears as a preoccupation with sin. It seems every other article or post is a recognition of the author’s sins and a confession of them. Repentance is much more central to the faith and life of the Orthodox Christian than it is to those of us from the Western Church, both Catholic and Protestant. And it resonates with me. 

Most of the sins that plagued me as a young man have faded into the background, but others have risen to take their place. I often struggle with prayer, am dull of mind and heart when reading the Scriptures, can be judgmental and miserly, and too cautious about sharing my faith. Some might feel this to be a bit nit-picky, but a cold heart is as dangerous to the soul as a lustful or greedy one. So I am thankful for my Orthodox brothers and sisters who remind me that repentance is a virtue, and that the consciousness of sin does not mitigate the mercy of God, the efficacy of the Cross, or the power of the Holy Spirit. As one of these brothers recently wrote, 

“My hope is the Father,

my refuge is the Son, 

my protection is the Holy Spirit: 

O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!”