What beliefs are you talking about, exactly? Do you even know what you are speaking about? Please email me, I would love to discuss this issue further with you.
Because the idea that a person "can only be saved by Jesus" is an invention of modern America (specifically the "Fundamentalist movement" in American Christianity), which came up with that idea sometime around the late 1800s.
The Eastern Orthodox Church traces its roots & beliefs back to the "Four Marks of the Church in the year 381, the Protestant Church (of which you are a part) is only about 500 years old.
"Sadly, the doctrine of justification by faith is virtually absent from the history and theology of the Orthodox Church. Rather, Orthodoxy emphasizes thesis (literally, ?divination?), the gradual process by which Christians become more and more like Christ. What many in the Orthodox tradition fail to understand is that ?divination? is the progressive result of salvation, not a requirement for salvation itself." ( quote of "What is the Eastern Orthodox Church and what are the beliefs of Orthodox Christians?")
But no matter when people are saved, or how well they understand it, it is only through Christ that they can be saved. Ephesians 2:5
Why do they believe in salvation by deeds?
Because they believe that they have to earn it instead of trusting the grace of God. In other words they believe their good standing relies on themselves, and not the finished work of Christ.
Mark 16:16 He that believer and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believer not shall be damned.
Read the story of the judgment of mankind at the end, the separation of the sheep and goats; the sheep were those who had helped the poor and downtrodden (works!), and the goats those who didn't.
"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Mat 25:45,46
Do we believe we are saved by faith *only? Nope. That's not what Jesus taught. And Paul taught we are saved by *grace*, that is, by the grace of God. Not "by" faith, but "through" faith. And to do good works, at that.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Eph 2:8-10
We are not saved *by* works, but neither are we saved without them. You see, it's really not as straightforward as some think.
GREEK ORTHDOOXY BELIEVE WE ARE SAVED BY
GRACE AND ALL ORTHODOXY YOUR GOOD WORKS CANNOT SAVE YOU.
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p189.html
It it the FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF THE WORLD
THEY WERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIAN IN ACTS 11.26 ( BUILT BY ALEXANDER THE GREEK)
NEAR JERUSALEM IN ANTIOCH ( SYRIA)
http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/church_history/audi_first_called_christians.htm
FIRST BIBLES OF THE WORLD WERE IN GREEK
What Language was the First Greek Septuagint in? CHRISTIAN GREEK FIRST BIBLE OF THE WORLD
http://spindleworks.com/septuagint/septuagint.htm GREEK
http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=6&page=2 GREK/ENGLISh
What Language was the First Greek New Testament In ?\
http://gknt.org/cgi-bin/gnt?id=0101
http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/new-testament/default.asp
What Language was is the Greek SInatius Codex Is?
GREEK. ( LATEST COMPLETE BIBLE ( GREEK...
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/ ( WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS>> IONS AFTER TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH.
WHAT LANGUAGE ARE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS IN?
HEBREW/ GREEK......
WHAT LANGUAGE IS THE ACOCROPA IN GREEK
The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English (Hardcover)
~ L. C. L., Sir Brenton (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
HEBREW/ GREEK? minimum\
Where were We FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS?
WE ARE SAVED BY THE MERCY OF GOD >> NO ONE ELSE CAN SAVED YOU RIGHT IN THE BIBLE
HAVE MERCY UPON ME O GOD.. BLOT OUT MY TRANSGRESSIONS
"Have mercy upon me, O God ... according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." (Ps. 51.1
HAVE MERCY ON ME FATHER>
"As the Prodigal Son I come to Thee, merciful Lord. I have wasted my whole life in a foreign land; I have scattered the wealth which Thou gave st me, O Father. Receive me in repentance, O God, and have mercy upon me."
http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7124
WE ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p189.html
YOUR GOOD WORKS CAN'T SAVE YOU ONLY THE MERCY OF GOD.. IN BIBLE
GOOD WORKS CANNOT SAVE ANYONE WE ARE SAVED BY THE MERCY OF GOD
Good works can not save anyone. The Bible states:
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)
YES WE ARE SAVED BY JESUS
AS I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE . JESUS CHRIST
FATHER / SON / HOLY SPIRIT> JOHN
I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE
John 10:30 >>
New International Version (?1984)
I and the Father are one."
http://bible.cc/john/10-30.htm
KYRIE ELEISON.. GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME. A SINNER.. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS LINES IN THE LITURIES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ( COURSE WE BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST SAVES US
Kyrie Eleison, Kyie Eleison, Kyie Eleison
Lord Have Mercy
IC XC NIKA
Greek Orthodos Kaholikos ( Gr Universal) Apostolic Christian of the World.
If the Eastern Orthodox church is Christian, why doesn't it believe that we are only
