QUESTION:
1/6/2010: I realize that the Protestant doctrine of "Eternal Security" is false. Even if I am in a right relationship with God today, and am a communing member of the Orthodox Church, that is no guarantee that I won't apostatize tomorrow and fall away from the faith. However, is there any way I can have assurance of my *present* salvation? In other words, can I know for certain that -- if I were to die today -- that I would go to Heaven? 1 John 5:13 seems to say that there is a way for me to *know* for sure. Can you help me here? |
ANSWER:
In Orthodox Christianity, we have the greatest possible level of assurance of our salvation.
We are in the unity of the Church through our bishops and the proper celebration of the salvific mysteries. This theme of assurance (sometimes poorly translated as "valid / validity" is there in St Ignatius of Antioch and St Cyprian of Carthage, always in the sense that our assurance comes with our assurance that we are in the Church and in Christ. |
