Can we get a definition of what "in a state of mortal sin" means? One preferrably from the same Church Fathers?
"Can we get a definition of what "in a state of mortal sin" means? One preferrably from the same Church Fathers?"
I'd appreciate the appropriate cites also, NYer. I am unaware of any Eastern Fathers who used the term, but of course I could be wrong.
27. Sin, then, is any transgression in deed, or word, or desire, of the eternal law. And the eternal law is the divine order or will of God, which requires the preservation of natural order, and forbids the breach of it. But what is this natural order in man? Man, we know, consists of soul and body; but so does a beast. Again, it is plain that in the order of nature the soul is superior to the body. Moreover, in the soul of man there is reason, which is not in a beast. Therefore, as the soul is superior to the body, so in the soul itself the reason is superior by the law of nature to the other parts which are found also in beasts; and in reason itself, which is partly contemplation and partly action, contemplation is unquestionably the superior part. The object of contemplation is the image of God, by which we are renewed through faith to sight. Rational action ought therefore to be subject to the control of contemplation, which is exercised through faith while we are absent from the Lord, as it will be hereafter through sight, when we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2 Then in a spiritual body we shall by His grace be made equal to angels, when we put on the garment of immortality and incorruption, with which this mortal and corruptible shall be clothed, that death may be swallowed up of victory, when righteousness is perfected through grace. For the holy and lofty angels have also their contemplation and action. They require of themselves the performance of the commands of Him whom they contemplate, whose eternal government they freely because sweetly obey. We, on the other hand, whose body is dead because of sin, till God quicken also our mortal bodies by His Spirit dwelling in us, live righteously in our feeble measure, according to the eternal law in which the law of nature is preserved, when we live by that faith unfeigned which works by love, having in a good conscience a hope of immortality and incorruption laid up in heaven, and of the perfecting of righteousness to the measure of an inexpressible satisfaction, for which in our pilgrimage we must hunger and thirst, while we walk by faith and not by sight.
The distinction itself is suggested by the scripture, as we know:
16 He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask, and life shall be given to him, who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death: for that I say not that any man ask. 17 All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him, and the wicked one toucheth him not. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is seated in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come: and he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God, and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.(1 John 5)
Note that the passage that begins by warning of sin onto death, and ends with the promise of eternal life speaks of the understanding, and being, of true God. Note also that the sin that is not onto death is of such nature that the sinner himself does not know of it, and another must pray for him instead. This suggests an involuntary separation from God, which the Church calls venial sin.
It is a pity that St. Augustine did not get to this part in his homilies on 1 John.
I just did a search of the Ante and Post Nicene Fathers and found only a very, very few uses (5 to be exact in 40 volumes) of the term "mortal sin", all of them from Blessed Augustine save one, from +Basil the Great where he speaks of the deposition of a clergy man for "mortal sin", without definition and say he should not be "excommunicated". The translation I have is Roman Catholic and it would be interesting to see exactly what +Basil said in Greek.