Theosis: God Osmosis

Theosis


In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis (Greek: Θεωσις, meaning divinization (or deification, or to make divine), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria wrote, "The Son of God became man, that we might become God."

I looked up sanctification and came across this interesting concept. And I realize that discussing these things doesn't generate much interest among most Christians. This kind of theology is tedious and involved.

To sanctify something is to make it holy or set apart. When we place our trust in Jesus as Savior, we are immediately set apart from everyone who does not believe in him. However, at that point, we are not "mature" believers. We may still be doing things that we will later discard.

Some believers are more zealous than others and desire to find ways to, we might say, increase their level of sanctification. Over the centuries since the church began, many have sought to purify themselves and pursue a holy life. This involves finding some way to disrupt the action of sin in our lives that we all experience.

Apparently, early on in church history, some were thinking about what this means and discovered the above idea of "theosis." Basically, this means that we are going to become "one with God" through a process to culminate at the resurrection. From time to time, some believers have argued that we don't have to wait: we can reach that goal now.

I guess the question then becomes,"How do you know when you've reached that goal?" Who is the historical role model: Augustine, St. Patrick, one of the original apostles, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, one of the Popes? How do we know when we have become one with God?

The problem is huge and has generated many disputes and denominations. I resolve it partially this way: When I became a Christian I was set apart. Then there was a process of learning how to conform to His will. I am still in that process; and it seems to take many twists and turns. But I have learned that in the early stages I tended to be judgmental and very exclusive. Fortunately, God didn't pay attention to my judgment style.

I don't really believe in entire sanctification, that we can obtain absolute perfection in this life. I see where people get it, but I distrust that interpretation. I don't see it happening to me (or anyone else that I can see). I'm in the "nobody's perfect" club. I don't want to keep anyone from trying, but I'm not sure it isn't a waste of time that could be better spent in a more humble pursuit of things like kindness, honesty, mission and charity. I do believe that in the resurrection we will "know Him as we are known." If that means one with God, wonderful.

Christianity offers us grace and mercy that other forms of monotheism don't, indeed, can't. Only Christ has that power. So other forms generate people who sometimes conform to systems of radicalism and extremism, even violence, to impose their religion on mankind. They are setting themselves apart for God, according to rules they make up based on their interpretation of their holy writ.

Christianity should not be that way. We are set apart through confidence in our savior, and his work in us makes us fruitful: some 50%, some 60%, some 100%.

Consider what Solomon says in Ecc.7:16 ~ "Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise ~ why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool ~ why die before your time?"