Orthodox Church teaching on sacraments

[mikeforjesus]

What does the Orthodox Church believe about sacraments and the need for spiritual guidance of the church for one to be saved how would one be saved if he purposely did not seek the guidance of the church and at one point moved to a country knowing or not knowing he has long to live and there is no priests there or there is no access to one but he heard about the church if he dies as orthodox knowing what it believes do you believe he can be saved if he can be saved then sacraments were never essential and I do believe the bible teaches a person can always be saved no matter where he is he needs no mediator

 

[Stinky]

Lord, have mercy on us and give us a holy desire for Your sacraments.

 

[mikeforjesus]

I mean salvation is completely a work of God the bible says God does not not delight in burnt offering as David said you do not delight in burnt offering the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart God does not care for technicalities He does not require sacrifice He only required such in the Old Testament for those who were living where there was a priesthood because the law was a shadow of Christ and Jews had to be separated from other nations and God required of them such sacrifices in their land just to testify of Christ for He did not absolutely require the priesthood when it was not available. Not that God does not require a sacrifice but not a sacrifice from man to think he can make himself perfect or man can make himself perfect from his deeds or that through a mans works one contributes to forgiveness of sin and not one heart to believe the truth about his position with God for they knew they needed God to redeem them that is to take away his sins knowing one has to be perfect to be with God

So the book of Job says that God is not a man that there should be a mediator to intercede for one which shows no human can argue with God for another man to justify man that has sinned man neither to to accept any man on his own merits as though to declare one righteous through his own deeds for one has to be sinless to stand before God and no man can take away another man sins to make him able to stand before a holy God that is why job looked for a redeemer. So one does not need another human to help mediate for one to God but he only needs God but Christ is not a human mediator but He is our only mediator as He is God who came in the flesh to die for our sins to redeem us to bring us to God

Christ mediates for those who heard about Him and those who did not hear about Him who seek God and follow their conscience for He knows what they will do if they did hear about Him as I believe God will give them opportunity to hear after death as He could test them then if they are willing to respond if they did not know they died and maybe not to have all memories

 

[mikeforjesus]

It may be wrong to say God will test people after death

One needs to hear the gospel to go to heaven God will either make sure all who are sincere and seek Him hear it by sending them a dream or someone

It seems there is no country where person does not have access to gospel they are just unreached if they are not seeking to learn about true religion and if they are seeking to know truth God will lead them to know about Christianity

Hell is definitely for people who do evil and do not repent of it and feel bad about it and that includes especially the deceivers

Otherwise if it is the case some can not hear God may have chosen not to have some able to hear and those who do not hear may perish because they were not reached because of others and Jesus didn’t intend for them to perish but we can ‘t speak for God He chose boundaries of our dwellings and if we would be able to hear for His own purpose but others may not have been preached to because God did not think the country deserved it

 

[mikeforjesus]

I said Jesus didn’t intend for them to perish well we don’t know if Jesus intended to call all to salvation it could be He would not preach to all but allowed some not to have chance of salvation but He would not punish them either if they were not wicked God calls some to salvation to them He ensures the gospel is preached to them. I think it is very wrong to say country is not to deserve it they would especially need it rather God may think it best not to call all to salvation because there would not be enough preachers for it so some perish