Yes, the Orthodox Church teaches that baptism is essential for salvation, as it's the moment a person enters the Kingdom of God, receives forgiveness for sins (original and personal), and begins a new life in Christ through the Holy Spirit, though salvation is also seen as a lifelong process of growing in faith after this initial step. It's considered the necessary door to becoming a Christian, cleansing the soul and establishing union with Christ.
The Savior commanded His disciples to teach the Faith and to baptize all nations (Matt. 28:19), for as descendants of Adam all are in need of rebirth. This rebirth is accomplished only through Baptism, which is why all men seeking salvation, regardless of sex, nationality, or any other condition, must be baptized.
Orthodoxy when referring to baptism is “Holy Illumination,” since it is through baptism that Christ, the Light of the World, enters in our hearts. The baptismal candles are lit after the baptism to symbolize the newly acquired light of Christ which baptized Christians carry with them throughout their lives.
Salvation to the Orthodox is the process of deification or becoming more like God. However, this does not mean we become God in His nature. Rather, we become like Him through His energies and can attain perfect union with Him just as Christ illustrated in His incarnation.
In these words of Christ we see firstly that He established baptism, and secondly that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It should be noted here that, even though He was sinless, Christ was baptized.
The difference between ☦ (Orthodox Cross) and ✝ (Latin Cross) lies in their bars: the Orthodox cross has three bars (a small top one for the inscription, the main one, and a slanted bottom one for the footrest), symbolizing Eastern Orthodoxy, while the Latin cross has one bar, representing Western Christianity's focus on Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, with both symbols generally signifying faith, Christianity, or support, but specific denominations prefer their distinct form.
Yes there are some who were saved without baptism. Such as some who lived before Christ instituted baptism and the thief on the cross, but these were obviously different situations than one would find him/herself in today.
Then, Christ tells those present that He will forgive all sins and blasphemies against Himself, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come (Matt 12:31-32; Mk 3:28-30; Lk 11:18).
When you believe in Jesus, you can rest in the assurance that your salvation is secure. God doesn't break His promises, and He doesn't change His mind. Once you are saved, you are always saved. Eternal life isn't something you can earn, so it's also not something you can lose either.
According to orthodox faith Heaven cannot be earned , it will always be a gift from jesus to those who believed in him and held his commands with all of their hearts and suffered in his name .
No. As long as a person is baptized with water using the Trinitarian formula (“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”) their baptism is considered valid.
One major difference is when the child receives other sacraments: Greek Orthodox Church: During baptism, the child also receives Holy Communion and Chrismation (similar to Catholic Confirmation). This means the child is fully initiated into the Orthodox faith from the start.
A child is generally baptized between the ages of three and ten months. Age, however, is not a barrier to baptism.
The purpose of Holy Baptism
To remove the consequences of the 'original sin'. To wash away all other sins committed before the time of Baptism if the person is beyond the age of infancy. To unite the person to “The Body of Christ” (that is, the Church), and to open the door of salvation and eternal life to him or her.
Baptismal regeneration is held by the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, among others, such as certain Anglicans. Etymologically, the term means "being born again" (regeneration, or rebirth) "through baptism" (baptismal).
Roman Catholics and Protestants (Baptists and Pentecostals constitute an exception) perform baptism not through immersion, but through pouring and sprinkling. The whole of Christian antiquity speaks in favor of the practice of the Orthodox Church - full, three-fold immersion in water.
Some protestant denominations, including Methodists and Lutherans, teach that it is possible to lose your salvation. But other denominations, such as Presbyterians and Baptists, teach that once you become a Christian, you can never lose your salvation.
How Do I Know If I Am Really Saved?
The unsaved can get saved, but the saved cannot get unsaved. That is the power of the Gospel.
The ☦ symbol, known as the Orthodox Cross or Russian Cross, represents Eastern Orthodox Christianity, featuring three horizontal bars (the top for the inscription, the middle for the hands) and a distinctive slanted bottom bar symbolizing the footrest, tilted to show the repentant thief (upwards) and the unrepentant thief (downwards). It signifies faith, sacrifice, and the victory of Christ in Eastern Orthodox tradition, often seen in icons and used digitally to express religious belief or spiritual reflection.
The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy includes ridicule and attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil.
That said, the Orthodox Church teaches the importance of sobriety, self-control, and moderation — virtues that are fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22–23). Drinking becomes sinful when it leads to drunkenness, loss of control, scandal, or anything that causes harm to the soul or others.
The Roman Catholic view is that baptism is necessary for salvation and that it frees the recipient from original sin. Roman Catholic tradition teaches that unbaptized infants, not being freed from original sin, go to Limbo (Latin: limbus infantium), which is an afterlife condition distinct from Hell.
The apostle Peter points out that the water of the flood “symbolizes baptism that now saves you,” and makes it clear that the water used in baptism does not provide the MEANS of our salvation. Rather, God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone saves us (Eph. 2:8-9).