Changes

'''Salvation ''' is a word commonly used to describe the goal of Christians[[Christian]]s. Salvation is also called "Eternal Life" and "Life Everlasting." Salvation should not be confused with [[Heaven ]] nor with the [[Resurrection]]. But before Salvation can be considered one must know what one is bing being saved from.

'''[[Sin]]'''In short, sin and its consequence death are the things Christians seek salvation from. Simply put, sin is wrong doing. In the Words of St. John the Evangelist, "''Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has either seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as He is righteous. He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are children of Cod, and who are children of the devil; whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother'' (1 Jn 3:4-10).   '''Salvation in the New Testament'''

'''[[Atonement]]'''According to Christians the key event necessary for salvation is atonement. Atonment Atonement can be understood as that act which makes salvation possible. The act of atonment atonement is the Crucifixion of Jesus. Thre There are several theories that try to explain exactly how the the Crucifixion atones. They include the ''Cristus Victor Theory'', the ''Ransom Theory'', and the ''Satisfaction Theory''.

The Orthodox Church has an understanding of salvation that is different from both Protestants [[Protestant]]s and Roman Catholics. They understand salvation, not so much as having sins forgiven but as becoming like God in a process called Theosis. The idea is ancient, as can be see in [[New Testament ]] and patristic texts such as these:

''"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."'' -- 1 Peter 2:14

''"We are not made gods from the beginning; first we are mere humans, then we become gods." '' --St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Adv Haer III IV:38:4

''"Let us become the image of the one whole God, bearing nothing earthly in ourselves, so that we may consort with God and become gods, receiving from God our existence as gods" '' --St. Maximus the Confessor, On Theology, 7.73

''"For the Son of God became man, that we might become God.''" --St. Athanasius of Alexandria, On The Incarnation.