Orthodox footnotes

With Morning Prayers I decided to read today's assigned reading from Ephesians (1:16-23) in The Orthodox Study Bible that I am getting acquainted  with. I started at the beginning of the chapter for context and the footnotes helped me to understand how to read this passage Orthodoxly instead of Calvinistically. It's so much more of a hopeful perspective and makes so much more sense. It's not that the Crucifixion was the foundation/purpose of creation, (which would make God a pretty grim figure) but the purpose was making His Creation one with him and holy. Due to our fall, the Crucifixion had to happen, and of course God had to know that, but it was not the first intent; rather, it was  something He allowed, as He allows free will and all its troubles.

It does seem like the footnotes "protesteth" a bit too much against Protestantism, but I suppose they know their audience. For instance, in the footnotes for 1:4-6, they write "Becoming a Christian is not so much inviting Christ into one's life as getting oneself into Christ's life." I know they are talking about the Evangelicals who believe that all they have to do is pray that one prayer and they are "saved" and that is a very insufficient view of salvation. But we do invite Christ into our life. It's in the Orthodox prayers too, everyday we pray "Holy King, Comforter… come and abide in us and cleanse us of every impurity and save us." That is essentially what the Evangelicals pray when they first acknowledge Jesus. And it is oversimplifying their view to say that's all there is to it for them, then they go on with their lives as before. Most of them do change and spend time praying and seeking God's guidance. But for them that is much more of an "extra credit" assignment rather than the essence of salvation, which the Orthodox understand it as being. So it is really a both/and experience. We have to invite Christ in, but that inviting, that opening up, is ongoing and is wheat gets us "into Christ's life." I think.