Blessed Augustine

From the author

This book is devoted to the question of whether a Christian can be sure of his personal salvation. Two reasons prompted me to investigate this question. The first has to do with my personal problem—I know that I am a sinner and that I will die—and it is important for me to find out what I personally can hope for. The second is with the command that the Lord gives to the whole Church and to every Christian:

Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). In order to fulfill this command, it is necessary to clearly determine, at least for ourselves, what exactly is the Good News that we are commissioned to preach. For when the Apostle asks: "Be always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give an account of your hope, with meekness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15), he certainly means that "our hope" is something that can be fully expressed in words, something that we can (and should) clearly explain to any non-church person. Obviously, this does not mean our readiness to pass an examination in dogmatics, liturgics, or Church history, but our readiness to explain what hope we have as Christians and what hope we want to offer to our unbelieving neighbors. As a rule, when the Church is discussed with non-believers, either orally or in print, people discuss cultural, political, and economic issues that have something to do with Christianity, but not the Christian hope. Sometimes it is even seen as a virtue – our hope, they say, is something too trembling, too deep for us to shout about it from the rooftops. This is understandable – when I share with another person the most precious thing I have, I risk facing misunderstanding and disrespect for what is sacred to me. Of course, this is very painful, and you really want to get away from it. But it seems to me that it would be wrong to pass off the inability to "give an account" and the fear of possible emotional trauma as some kind of particularly deep reverence. The Lord addresses us with a clear command: What I say to you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in your ear, preach on the housetops (Matt. 10:27).

I think it is well to make every effort to understand as clearly as possible both the hope that the Lord gives us and the responsibilities that He has entrusted to us. It seems to me that it would be wrong to be content with some vague and vague ideas on such important issues as our hope and our responsibility.

This book is an attempt to examine the Apostolic Gospel as it is presented in the Holy Scriptures. I must say right away that I have neither a priestly rank nor a systematic theological education. And if anyone asks me who I am to talk about such important questions, I will immediately answer: no one. I sought an answer to the question of assurance of salvation, not because I had the right to do so or because I was well versed in it, but because it was absolutely necessary for me to find the answer. After a thorough study of the Scriptures as much as I could, I came to the conclusion that assurance of salvation was possible. I would like to say a few words at once to those of my readers who believe that such a position is un-Orthodox.

There is no clearly formulated and universally binding teaching on salvation in the Orthodox Church. One of the important merits of Orthodoxy is that within the dogmatic framework clearly defined by the Ecumenical Councils, there is a certain space for disagreement, which, in the words of the Apostle, "must be" (1 Cor. 11:19). Attempts to formulate such a teaching were made (for example, in the book by Metropolitan Sergius of Stargorod, The Orthodox Teaching on Salvation), but they never had the status of any universally binding dogmatic regulations. Although one can find statements in many Holy Fathers from which it is clear that they considered the assurance of salvation impossible, there is a reason that does not allow such assurance to be considered heresy. This reason is the assurance of salvation that the Apostles expressed:

But we believe that by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they are (Acts 15:11).

I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, because this is incomparably better (Phil. 1:23).

А теперь готовится мне венец правды, который даст мне Господь, праведный Судия, в день оный; и не только мне, но и всем, возлюбившим явление Его (2 Тим. 4:8).

И избавит меня Господь от всякого злого дела и сохранит для Своего Небесного Царства; Ему слава во веки веков. Аминь (2 Тим. 4:18).

Возлюбленные! мы теперь дети Божии; но еще не открылось, что будем. Знаем только, что, когда откроется, будем подобны Ему, потому что увидим Его, как Он есть (1 Ин. 3:2).

Если Апостолы — не еретики, то уверенность в спасении — не ересь. Объясню, почему я считаю нужным придерживаться такой позиции и отстаивать ее.

Во-первых, цель жизни христианина состоит в прославлении Бога: мы призваны во всей полноте признавать Его милосердие, верность и всемогущество и открыто "возвещать совершенства Призвавшего нас из тьмы в чудный Свой свет" (1 Петр. 2:9). Уверенность в спасении существует не для нашего психологического комфорта, но "дабы во всем прославлялся Бог через Иисуса Христа, Которому слава и держава во веки веков. Аминь" (1 Петр. 4:11). На мой взгляд, сказать "Я уповаю на Христа и при этом не уверен в своем спасении" — значит подать повод говорить о Христе как о ком-то сомнительном и ненадежном.