My Heretical Theory (Jesus, ritual, moral, Earth, Messiah)

[James the Persian]

I'm afraid you are rather misrepresenting Theosis. It is not at all a doctrine of us saving ourselves but of us working in synergy with God to become like Him by His grace. In other words, if left to our own efforts alone we could never progress in the process of Theosis. Seeing as this is the dominant thread in the soteriology of the Orthodox Church, I feel I know this pretty well. I'd also suggest that by your belief that God made us mortal rather than that we did that to ourselves you in effect say that God is against us rather than helps us and this would render Theosis impossible. Furthermore, you appear to have more of an Adoptionalist view of who Christ was which, unfortunately, destroys all ability for you to cling to he doctrine of Theosis. If Christ was not truly God Incarnate then the entire underpinnings of Theosis fall away. Frankly, I would suggest that you need to do a lot more research into Theosis if you want to understand it correctly, because it simply does not work within your Pelagian and Adoptionalist framework. I would suggest reading St. Athanasios to understand the importance of the Incarnation to the doctrine and St. John Cassian to understand the synergy of man's work and God's grace.

James

[joeboonda]

The whole theory is full of heresy according to the authority of the scriptures. But just looking at the salvation bit, how you feel we grow into salvation, through our own efforts is in direct contrast to the Word of God, as is what you believe about Jesus Christ. See what Paul wrote in Romans to Israel:

10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The Bible clearly states that Jesus is God incarnate, who died for our sins, was buried and rose again, according to scripture. This is the Gospel, that He paid for our sins, and gave us His righteousness in place of our own. On the authority of the Bible is what I place my faith, not on my 'feelings', or some other strange doctrine I or some man comes up with, but only on the BIBLE, the Word of God. Period. Beware, for what you believe does NOT make you a saved, born-again Christian according to God's Word.

[Troublemane]

Hey Panentheist, great post! Yes I agree with A_E, it sounds like gnosticism, which aint a bad thing, but as many have said its "heretical" (ie, different opinion). Of course, if God is not separate from his creations (the main idea behind panentheism ), then any apparent separateness from the divine is just an illusion we humans have built up, and so this learning experience you so eloquently described is self-imposed. (God sent God to school)