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PotOnWheel
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 9890
| Posted 6/10/2008 10:31 PM (GMT -6) |   | | The Emptiness of Christ
St. Paul speaks of Christ “emptying” Himself in His voluntary sacrifice for us all (Philippians 2:5-11). It is the only place in the New Testament that speaks of this particular action of Christ - at least as an “emptying” (kenosis) but the concept has always played a large role in the Church’s understanding of Christ’s death on the Cross.
It is interesting to me that Father Sophrony, in his writings, takes this idea of kenosis and applies it as well to the “not-I-but-the-Father” sayings: “I live by the Father” (Jn. 6:57; cf 5:30, 7:18, 15:15).
Fr. Nicholas Sakharov says of Father Sophrony’s point:
Christ, though the incarnate God, avoids any “divine action” of his own, so much so that the Father’s hypostasis [Person] is manifest absolutely through the absolutely “transparent screen” of Christ’s self-emptied hypostasis. Through this kenosis it becomes the “express image of the Father” (Heb. 1:3).
This, it seems to me, says much to us about what it means to become “like Christ.” The moralist approach (which I was taught as a child) is fraught with constant attention to “what would Jesus do?” in a moral calculation that can never end in anything but failure or delusion.
When St. Paul speaks of conformity to the image of Christ it is always clear that this is not something we accomplish, but something that is accomplished within us by God. In particular he says:
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20).
Here is our own kenosis or emptying. “Not-I-but-Christ.” And thus we become transparent and finally transparent such that we are His image. This is not an effort of moralism, but a self-offering to God. And so St. Paul writes:
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 6/11/2008 7:39 AM (GMT -6) | | www.opentheismboard.org/pr.aspx?f=10&m=95673
Tell me if you see similarity...repost...
Substition time.
In the Spirit, we say "I, not I, but Christ." That's our determinining self-identification relationship.
At the same time, Christ says "I, not I, but the Father" That was his determining self-identification relationship.
If we make some substitution... we have...
"I, not I, but 'I, not I, but the Father' " The "Christian" I takes on the bi-polar assymetrical self-understanding of Abba, Father that was the Incarnate Word demonstrated.
This "I not I, but the Father" is an ETERNAL, PERSONAL (HYPOSTATIC) self-identification (tropos, subjective form)
Christ's constant, eternal, personal self-identification that he has BY NATURE becomes ours BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
Christ's human "logos" (the logos COMMON TO ALL HUMANS) is the POTENTIAL of the human hypostasis to non-divinely self-dispose hypostatically into the divine "I, not I, but the Father" self-identification of Father's Child.
When our TROPOS is aligned with our LOGOS...then...
We are creaturely Father's Child(ren) in the HYPOSTASIS of the ONLY BEGOTTEN ETERNAL Father's Child. Creaturely "images" of the Eternal Image.
The Progeny of God. Gods born from and borne of God.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." | | Back to Top | | |
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 6/11/2008 7:50 AM (GMT -6) | | | This, then, is how you should pray:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven..."
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." | | Back to Top | | |
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 6/11/2008 7:55 AM (GMT -6) | | Through the Father's Spirit shining the Father's ETERNAL LOVE* "through" Christ's self-chosen transparency...and through OUR self-chosen transparency in Christ such that, we do what Jesus said we could...
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
*= "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you (God the Father) have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." | | Back to Top | | |
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BBBCanada
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 2763
| Posted 6/11/2008 8:03 AM (GMT -6) | | Hey this is cool...
Brandon
It is the purpose that makes strong the vow, but vows to every purpose must not hold.--A friend.
To love without love is slavery--Mother Teresa
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