"I think that's what I said way back in reply #10027."
Indeed you did. I shouldn't jump into the middle of things.
"I agree that repentance is dying to self, for it is a turning away from the direction you are going, here self will, and changing direction."
Its certainly part of it, probably the first part of dying to the self but not even close to all of it. Repentance, at least for us Orthodox, isn't something we do for God, we do it for ourselves, to start on the process of "metanoia" and that process and everything we do in that process, we do for ourselves and not "for" God. I am likely misinformed, but I interpret much of the Latin Church's theology surrounding repentance as being a sort of quid pro quo thing run with God. I understand it this way because of the plenary indulgences which often are attached to acts of repentance or other types of devotion. As I say, I may be misinformed and Orthodoxy doesn't have "indulgences" as such so they are rather outside my post Catholic elementary school experience.
I am wondering how Protestantism views what we Orthodox do in the way of repentance, prayer, devotions, fasting, etc. Do you see them as "works" in the sense that it appears to you that we do these things because they are in themselves salvific (salvation by works). Or do you see them as a means of, as I have said so often, dying to the self, consequently being able to "experience" the grace of God more fully and thus come into a union with God's uncreated energies, which is theosis? For that matter, do you see the distinction I am making? By the way, none of this even starts without responding in Faith to the grace God has given us.
Kolo,
We believe that Christ saves us by grace through faith period. Salvation is a one-time act that is a done deal because it rests in what He did for us on Calvary. We also believe that true faith WILL produce good works and create in one the desire to be like Christ. Those works are not the cause of salvation but are the result of salvation and reason for salvation. They are part of our sanctification which is not completed until we reach heaven. So, salvifically, we are justified by grace through the faith God gives to us. Santification wise, we are in a process all of our lives of becoming more Christ-like. Some don't get very far in this process and will suffer loss as far as rewards go in heaven - yet, they themselves will be saved. Glorification is when the entire process wraps up and we don't know yet what that will entail -only that we will be like Him.
I'm not sure how close the Orthodox come to this point of view. That you all believe one can be saved and then lost seems to imply salvific import to works. We believe once someone is born again they can't be unborn. Once a son (or daughter) one can't no longer be a son or daughter. The fellowship can be broken. The relationship remains.
We do not believe that one can have mere intellectual assent as to what Jesus did and truly be saved. Salvation comes through the fruit of the Spirit in our lives called "faith" and that true faith is one that does produce the fruit of works. If the fruit isn't evident, chances are the faith isn't the fruit of the Spirit which saves.