When I look at the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, or read Arsenios's three posts above, I see nothing of this lifestyle advocated in the NT. I never see NT believers living like this.
All the Apostles except John were martyred, and most of the 70, beginning with the First Martyr Stephan who died under Paul's direction and aid... The lifestyle of the early Church was one of persecutions, beginning with the persecutions of the Jews, who murdered the Prophets...
I have lived the cult lifestyle where "my works" produce "my righteousness".
One's own works never produce righteousness, but they can certainly produce unrighteousness if they are evil...
Then I left the cult and discovered Christ's righteousness, imputed without all the asceticism, ritual, and "religion" as prescribed by Catholicism.
The asceticism and Services of the Body of Christ Who is Her Head support and nurture and instruct and sanctify WITHIN Christ those who cling to the Head of the Body... Without this strengthening the Body withers away, as the Church is doing as we write here... Daily Services - The very doing of them each day - ARE an askesis of sorts... The early Church prayed day and night every day and night...
I believe the following condemns the Catholic/Orthodox lifestyle.
Col 2
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
I discounted Arsenios's arguments in post #217 above.
So do you think that this passage means you are to abandon living repentantly, and scorn the cross, and embrace your fleshly pleasures???
The Doctrines of Christ are taught within His Body by those who know them first hand, having received them through those before them who also knew them first hand...
I appreciate that you were enslaved in a cult that exploited its converts - Indeed fed off them spiritually and materially - And I further appreciate that the idea that God freely imputes invisible righteousness to those who believe is a welcome alternative to your cult's exploitations... But the call of God is to repentance from dead works [your cult's dead works], and this repentance from all dead works, which are the works of the flesh, is itself a work of denial of self, as Christ proclaimed... Denial of self is a work of violence upon the violent by the violent themselves, and it is voluntary, willful, and AFTER self exhaustion in that work, THEN God heals the infirmity both in body and in soul...
The call of God is to repentance and Baptism and the "running of the race set before us"... [Paul] That contest [race] is to overcome the forces arrayed against us, and it is not done casually...
Well, you have tried it TWO ways - You do not KNOW the Orthodox Way...
Go down the Arsenios path and you will suffer!!
Voluntarily unto the Salvation of your soul...
And it will not add to your righteousness.
But God will, the Rewarder of Good Deeds...
Christianity is a simple reliance on Christ.
Especially in tribulations -
"In the world, you WILL find tribulation, but the Peace I Give surpasses human understanding..." [Christ paraphrased]
You forgot to mention metania [repentance]...
Arsenios
