Original sin and deliverance in Christ – Part 1
31 July 2019
We would like to draw attention to topical issues which are necessarily connected with the true restoration of the Church. It concerns the question of original sin and Christ’s death on the cross.
The first sin caused the incarnation of deceit and consequently spiritual death. Man did not become like God but since then has carried a god, ego, within himself. Man no longer respects God and objective truth. He has his own subjective truth and subjective good which, unfortunately, drags him into perdition. He uses positive terms to promote his own interests and in his pride elevates himself higher than God. Jesus says: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (Jn 8:34) However, because of spiritual blindness man considers this slavery as his good.
The evidence of this blindness and pride, especially today, is gender ideology. It arrogantly denies the objective reality. It says that if a man feels like a woman, he is a woman. It is the same as when someone in a madhouse says that they are Napoleon or Cleopatra and want to have it recorded in their identity papers. Pseudo Pope Francis kisses the feet of transgenders as a sign that he is in deep unity with this spirit of lies.
Human nature corrupted by sin, which the Scripture calls the old man, is the source of evil and all crimes ever committed by mankind. Out of His love for us, God became man for our salvation, to deliver us from this slavery of sin and the devil. Therefore, one cannot understand the mystery of original sin without understanding the cross of Christ.
Question: What are false interpretations of original sin?
Answer: Some theologians have adopted views “à la Rousseau” which are at the root of contemporary decadent thinking. They manipulate opinion by saying that human nature is not evil, in other words that there is no original sin.
Another false view is Chardinism which likewise does not admit the existence of original sin and hence also rejects the need of salvation and the Saviour.
The biblical account of Adam, Eve, Paradise and the forbidden fruit authentically shows the essence of evil which is in us. Various theories of self-salvation without Christ are false and lead to destruction.
Because they live immorally, many philosophers deny both the reality of sin and the reality of salvation. They thus instil philosophical lies into the like-minded in order to kill their conscience.
Question: What is the teaching of the Church?
Answer: God created man and gave him freedom. The first sin consists in the fact that man abused his freedom and disobeyed God’s command (cf. Rom 5:19). Seduced by the devil, he wanted to be like God (Gen 3:5), but without God. This brought disharmony into the heart of man. Adam’s sin had consequences for all people because it corrupted human nature. Human nature is passed on to the next generations in a state of corruption. This state disposes man to personal sins which incur guilt and punishment.
“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin.” (Rom 5:12) “Just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one Man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” (Rom 5:18)
We are grafted through baptism into the life of Christ or, in other words, we are immersed into His death and given a new life (Rom 6:4). To walk by faith means to actualize the mystery of baptism, which means that we enter into Christ’s death and, at the same time, His life works in us (cf. 2Cor 4:10).
Question: Was anyone ever preserved from original sin?
Answer: Mary the Mother of Jesus. She is the new Eve. Through the merits of Christ she was preserved from original sin.
+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
+ Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr
Secretary Bishops