[pharmamom]

It is not theosis, per se, which we attain by works. Theosis, becoming like God, is only by grace, but as the Father +Peter says, we keep it, to the extent we have have it, by works. In this sense, the Eastern Fathers stand opposed to any concept of an instant salvation or any sort of anti-lapsarian mindset nor at the same time do they ascribe to any notion of theosis through works.

It is clearer, thank you. It sounds not unlike the Calvinnist doctrine of predestination--not the original event of being predestined or not, but of the fact that even if one is predestined, one can "lose" it and hence salvation. But in a much nicer, mystical way, of course.

[Kolokotronis]

"It sounds not unlike the Calvinnist doctrine of predestination--not the original event of being predestined or not, but of the fact that even if one is predestined, one can "lose" it and hence salvation."

In Orthodox Christianity there is no sense at all of predestination in the Calvinist understanding of the term. Humanity, indeed all of creation, was created, ex nihilo, with the potential to be divinized. By the Fall, we inherit a propensity to sin which otherwise would not have existed. Evil entered the world and infected and infects all of creation. Until the Incarnation, neither man nor creation could become divinized, and man died apparently absolutely. By His Incarnation God became humanized that Humans might become divinized. By His Death and descent into Hades, Christ burst the bonds of Hell. By His Glorious Resurrection He destroyed Death. The Great Father St. John Chrysostomos wrote in his Pascal Sermon which Orthodox Christians have listened to every Pascha for more than 1700 years:

"Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it. He destroyed Hades when He descended into it. He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he said, "You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below." Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. It was in an uproar because it is mocked. It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed. It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive. Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see. O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep."

Since the Resurrection Christ through His Church has shown us the way to Theosis. The process is like a Ladder which we climb to God. All along the climb, the angles and saints encourage us onward, while the demons of the Evil One attempt to distract us, to cause us to slip back or even fall off the ladder into the Pit. Here is an icon of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, with apologies to those who already know what it is:

Starting up the Ladder is no assurance that any of us will make it to Christ at the top. In fact, several of those people you see falling off are priests or monks and the second one from the bottom falling off, from a low rung at that, is a bishop!