I don’t know if you’ve seen it or not, but I wrote a post that referenced what happened in Eden, with the fruit that was forbidden. (http://cost-of-discipleship.blogspot.com/2009/05/source.html)

What you wrote about the adding to God’s command, “God said, don’t eat it…don’t even touch it. And legalism was born…right there in the Garden,” is exactly right on. What I don’t quite understand is, how preachers can preach this very concept from the pulpit, or in the case of Orthodoxy have it written down in the Church fathers and hear it during the services, and yet act as if they never said it, read it, or heard it.

It’s incredible how we can mouth the words of Truth, and not do them. Call it our blind spot, call it sin, whatever. But it’s this that outsiders harangue Christians for and call hypocrisy. I am not sure it’s hypocrisy, but I don’t know what causes it, and I don’t have the time to ponder.

The race is on, the goal is certain, the competitors are sluggish, and the prize waits for the winners.

By God’s grace alone this lump of mud named Romanos is still running for that inexhaustible prize—salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. And you too, brother, lets pace each other and both win that race.

Now God says, “Love me…love each other…repent, and come home.” And like that prodigal son we invent so many things we have to do to make it up to God. In the Roman Catholic church it is penance, in protestant churches is it good old fashioned guilt. In the Roman Catholic church you can “get right with God” by saying enough Hail Mary’s…in the protestant church you can “get right with God” by feeling low-down and sorry enough. Meanwhile Jesus groans and says to us, “how long I have longed to gather your children together as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wing…”

Our righteousness is Christ’s righteousness when we believe into him. Anything at all that we add is a lie straight from hell!

This is the gospel, brother. You’ve got it right, and why shouldn’t you and everyone else? It’s in plain black and white!

Just another Roman Catholic error shown up for what it’s worth, that you repent, confess to a priest, and then have to do a penance. I know that the root of this comes from ancient times, but not everything ancient is true. They were still working things out. In the Orthodox East, though we may confess our sins to a priest, we don’t get assigned a penance (maybe there are some Orthodox priests who assign a penance, but I haven’t met any, and if they do, it’s a signal of Roman influence). Why not? Because even though Orthodoxy pretends to own the bible, it operates as if the opposite were true (and of course it is, the bible owns us). The plain meaning of scripture hinders us from self-made prisons and religious bondages.

Forgive me, brother, for spouting off, but I’ve had some trying experiences with “creeping Catholicism” lately. This Sunday I am going to a Japanese Baptist church to chill out. Greek Orthodoxy in my local church is being subverted again by “world Christianity” and I need a break from it. I know this will pass, but it bugs me that people can be so indifferent that they let creeping Catholicism happen.

Happy to see that you’ve got a bit of time now to share with us some of your insights.

Thanks fror sharing this.

May your family feel peace and love.

Andrew

A big hug to both of you (to all three of you, little Gabriel too).

Someday I hope to be able to give you those hugs in person, and to pray with you in person to thank Him for His wonderful salvation in your lives.

Christ is risen!