Who is Saved?

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart quite a bit recently. Does that ever happen to you? What do you do when He does? First off, it causes me to reflect on studies and teachings I’ve had in the past and prayerfully ask the question “how does what I’m feeling or sensing, comport with Christian orthodoxy, the teachings of the Fathers and and the Ancient faith teaching magisterium?

Now, to be perfectly clear, I have no personal sense of infallibility. However, orthodoxy believes in the infallibility of official church teachings that have been accepted as authentic, by the early church. Therefore in a sense, the infallible utterances have already been made. I understand that my message here won’t be popular. My job as a bishop isn’t to be the most popular, but to be a servant of THE TRUTH.

So, what’s been ruminating through my brain has been the question of who is actually saved? And what are Gods requirements for entrance into eternity in His Holy presence? Now, the judgment of just who exactly is in or out is above my pay grade— that is for God alone to judge.

What I do know is that both Jesus and the writers of the New Testament were very cogent that the path to salvation is much narrower than our Most modern churches teach. Considering there is such a narrow path, just which one of the 30,000+ Protestantesq denominations has got it right? Most, if not all of these churches base their theology, at least in part on the 15th century reformers, who proclaimed that the Church of the first 1500 years, simply got it all wrong regarding salvation. With that proclamation, they boldly abandoned most of the teachings that had been the foundation of the Christian Era. Things have evolved to such a deleterious state, that most denomination and non-denominational christians don’t have a clue that God requires more of his people than simple acknowledgement. Many actually ridicule folks like myself who teach that God expects us to do a few things in order to attain salvation. Take the 6th chapter of John for instance, where Jesus literally proclaims that if you’re not partaking of the Eucharist — literally His Body and Blood, “you have no life within you.” This was believed by the earliest Christians so fervently, that their secular counterparts accused them of “Ritual Canibalism.” Therefore, if you’re rejecting the Eucharist, you’re rejecting Jesus. But, you may say, my church has “Communion” regularly, so that doesn’t apply to me.” My response to that is — what does your church teach about communion? Do they teach that is a “memorial” or do the emphasize the “Real Presence”? These two positions are diametrically opposed to each other. I don’t know of any non-sacramental churches that teach that the Lord is physically present in a “communion service.”

The Lord has placed it on my heart to proclaim that if you’re not receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, you’re outside the Body of Christ. Yes, that’s a very narrow minded position. But, so was Jesus in John 6:53 — It was a tough teaching back when Jesus first taught it — many stopped following Him afterwards. Ask yourself “Am I accepting or rejecting Jesus because of my rejecting of the Eucharist”?

Friends, though they taught preached faith and grace in abundance, the Reformers often neglected teaching the importance of doing something to participate in your own salvation. No, Catholics don’t teach that we are somehow justified by our works. However, we MUST become a people that “does the will of the Father” — fleeing Sin and false teachers. Well did Jesus and the biblical writers warn us about those and robbers that would come in darkness to deceive and steel away the faithful. Can you be saved outside of the Sacraments? The earliest Christian leaders didn’t think so. They developed a theological position stating that “there is NO salvation outside of the Church.” It is only through churches with an authentic priesthood that the “Real Presence of our Lord may be found. It is here alone that you may receive the Real Presence of our Lord within you. I’m acutely aware that the orthodox position is narrow, precluding multitudes of folks from attaining saving grace. However, As I said above, the judgment isn’t mine. I’m simply presenting spiritual truth as I’ve received it.

If the road to salvation is as wide as Protestantism proclaims, why did Jesus say otherwise. If your salvation is important to you, you MUST investigate this yourself, beyond simply talking to your pastor. Here is a link to a teaching of Saint John Christosom, an early Church Fathers had to say regarding this subject: The Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart quite a bit recently. Does that ever happen to you? What do you do when it does. First off, it causes me to reflect on studies and teachings I’ve had in the past and prayerfully ask the question “how does what I’m feeling or sensing, comport with Christian orthodoxy, the teachings of the Fathers and and the Ancient faith teaching magisterium?

Now, to be perfectly clear, I have no personal sense of infallibility. However, orthodoxy believes in the infallibility of official church teachings that have been accepted as authentic, by the early church. Therefore in a sense, the infallible utterances have already been made. I understand that my message here won’t be popular. My job as a bisho isn’t to be the most popular, but to be a servant of THE TRUTH.

So, what’s been ruminating through my brain has been the question of who is actually saved? And what are Gods requirements for entrance into eternity in His Holy presence? Now, the judgment of just who exactly is in or out is above my pay grade— that is for God alone to judge.

What I do know is that both Jesus and the writers of the New Testament were very cogent that the path to salvation is much narrower than our Most modern churches teach. Considering there is such a narrow path, just which one of the 30,000+ Protestant denominations has got it right? Most, if not all of these churches base their theology, at least in part on the 15th century reformers, who proclaimed that the Church of the first 1500 years, simply got it all wrong regarding salvation. With that proclamation, they boldly abandoned most of the teachings that had been the foundation of the Christian Era. Things have evolved to such a deleterious state, that most denomination and non-denominational christians don’t have a clue that God requires more of his people than simple acknowledgement. Many actually ridicule folks like myself who teach that God expects us to do a few things in order to attain salvation. Take the 6th chapter of John for instance, where Jesus literally proclaims that if you’re not partaking of the Eucharist — literally His Body and Blood, “you have no life within you.” This was believed by the earliest Christians so fervently, that their secular counterparts accused them of “Ritual Canibalism.” Therefore, if you’re rejecting the Eucharist, you’re rejecting Jesus. But, you may say, my church has “Communion” regularly, so that doesn’t apply to me.” My response to that is — what does your church teach about communion? Do they teach that is a “memorial” or do the emphasize the “Real Presence”? These two positions are diametrically opposed to each other. I don’t know of any non-sacramental churches that teach that the Lord is physically present in a “communion service.”

The Lord has placed it on my heart to proclaim that if you’re not receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, you’re outside the Body of Christ. Yes, that’s a very narrow minded position. It was a tough teaching back when Jesus first taught it — many stopped following Him afterwards. Ask yourself “Am I accepting or rejecting Jesus because of my rejecting of the Eucharist”?

Friends, though they taught preached faith and grace in abundance, the Reformers often neglected teaching the importance of doing something to participate in your own salvation. No, Catholics don’t teach that we are somehow justified by our works. However, we MUST become a people that “does the will of the Father” — fleeing Sin and false teachers. Well did Jesus and the biblical writers warn us about those and robbers that would come in darkness to deceive and steel away the faithful. Can you be saved outside of the Sacraments? The earliest Christian leaders didn’t think so. They developed a theological position stating that “there is NO salvation outside of the Church. It is only through churches with an authentic priesthood that the “Real Presence of our Lord may be found. It is here alone that you may receive the Real Presence of our Lord within you. I’m acutely aware that the orthodox position is narrow, precluding multitudes of folks from attaining saving grace. However, As I said above, the judgment isn’t mine. I’m simply presenting spiritual truth as I’ve received it.

If the road to salvation is as wide as Protestantism proclaims, why did Jesus say otherwise. If your salvation is important to you, you MUST investigate this yourself, beyond simply talking to your pastor. Here is a link to a teaching of Saint John Christosom, an early Church Fathers had to say regarding this subject: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/240147.htm