If I Were...An Eastern Orthodox Christian

If I were...

If I were an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I would consider "the world" to be the specific passions, or emotional temptations, that separate one from God.  My goal would be to deny these sinful desires in order to gain salvation (rescued from hell, entrance to heaven, one with God).  I would do so with the practice of asceticism, which in general terms, is the denying of pleasures in order to reject temptation and/or draw near to God.

Why I'm not...

My main issue with Eastern Orthodoxy is that there is no salvation by grace alone.  The whole reason Jesus died on the Cross is because it is impossible for us to deny enough sinful passions/temptations to gain salvation.  Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."  In other words, nothing I do makes me more or less saved.  It is all Jesus' doing.

Secondly, asceticism tends to call for its adherents to reject all pleasures or even to inflict pain and suffering on oneself in order to earn salvation.  Jesus "came that they might have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).  There are plenty of pleasures that glorify God, and it seems to me to be a slap in Christ's face to intentionally reject them when He came that we might enjoy them.  I love Jesus, and while I am in this earthly world, I intend to enjoy what He has provided.

How do you feel about asceticism?