ESSENCE AND ENERGIES OF GOD AND OF THE HUMAN SOUL

ΤΗΕ ROLE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

http://hristospanagia3.blogspot.com/2018/09/healing-of-human-soul-darkening-of.html

We must clarify, right from the start of this homily, that God has essence (substance) and energies too. Energies and essence (different from those found in God) are elements of the human soul as well, "the one created in the image of God" (according to His image).

In more detail:

a. God has Essence, which man cannot know of (neither can he ever know, because God is uncreated, and man is created), and

b. God has Energies. The energies of God can be shared with us; we are able to partake of them, to experience them.

The energies of God can be felt by us, but only up to a certain extent. As already mentioned, we can "get inside" them, partake of them. For example, we can surely experience God's love and justice; we can experience that God is inexpressible sweetness; His is the Light, the Life, the Resurrection etc.

So, whenever we experience those things, we can understand them a little; not logically (intellectually) but existentially, provided we love God. Then, due to our love towards God (the divine eros), we partake of them, we experience them.

One might ask, " And, when do we love God?"

The answer is: "When we adhere to His commandments."

We can find this in the New Testament [John 14:21]:"The one having my commandments, and giving heed to them, that one is the one loving me."

Our soul has:

a. Essence; which we do not have exact knowledge of, and

b. Energies.

Nevertheless, due to the sickness of our essence (because of our committed sins), the energies produced by our soul are sick, too!

f. Savvas Agioreitis

To be continued...