If I see my son pursue a course I KNOW, because of my experience, will lead him to doom, I will stop him because I love him. You (and Tertullian) seem to be saying that God either can't or won't do that for us. How is this love when He has a million times more authority over us as I have over my own son?
Sort of, but what it means is that God is neither the author of nor responsible for Evil; we are.
On this we are in full agreement. :)
Once we attain theosis, if we attain theosis, then we have no ability to sin because we wouldn't sin, our entire essence being focused on God rather than the self. But FK, that seldom, very seldom, happens in this life.
OK, so then for the "regular" saved person theosis is achieved after physical death. I'm sorry if I am asking you to repeat yourself, but after death, what seals the deal? Is it an immediate judgment of the life led, or is there activity that occurs after physical death that is needed?
"If I see my son pursue a course I KNOW, because of my experience, will lead him to doom, I will stop him because I love him. You (and Tertullian) seem to be saying that God either can't or won't do that for us. How is this love when He has a million times more authority over us as I have over my own son?"
It isn't "can't", its "won't". We have free will as part of our created essencesn because God wanted it that way. He is constantly showering his uncreated energies on us and has restored our original pre-Fall potential through the Incarnation. In short, he has endowed us with everything we need to become like Christ. Its up to us to accept what has been and is given to us. The parent concept works only so far and at some point anthropomorphism becomes a hinderance to a recognition of the complete ineffability and transcendence of God.
"Your ways are not My Ways, neither are your thoughts My Thoughts
As high as the Heaven is above the earth, even so high are
My Ways above yours." Isaiah 55:8-9
"OK, so then for the "regular" saved person theosis is achieved after physical death."
Perhaps better said it occurs after death because the soul can do nothing for itself after death.
"I'm sorry if I am asking you to repeat yourself, but after death, what seals the deal?"
God's mercy. We are told that at the Final Judgment we are judged not by good or evil deeds but rather by how much we have become like Christ (not, I suppose, if we have reached complete theosis, at least I hope not).