Two men began to build their houses (or we can take the image of digging a well – reaching the Living Water; who will dig faster to the Water, or who is closer to the Water?) – all building materials were given to them by One Benefactor (the Lord saved all! Gave salvation to all!). They are left with the construction work. One brought an excavator to the construction site to dig a basement and trenches for the foundation, KrAZ (a truck for transporting cargo – V.A.), to immediately transport the soil, brought a concrete mixer and all the necessary tools and instruments for construction (he was given them for free from the “Company” he “works” for, during the construction period; the equipment and tools do not break and the fuel does not run out – read: the Church, being a Christian and the Grace of the Sacraments), as well as various literature on the operation of equipment and construction drawings…, and the other came out with nothing, with bare hands and makeshift means!? Who will build the house faster?! – I do not know! More chances for the one with a park of equipment, but…
Thus, Orthodoxy (the Church) – is the fullness of means (Sacraments) and knowledge of how to use these auxiliary means and how to achieve the Goal the fastest and highest quality! And all other confessions have either fewer means or incorrect instructions for their use, or erroneous drawings and teachings! About religions, I am silent – the situation there is even worse: no teaching, no means – only homemade stone axes, wooden ploughs…
Catholicism has in its arsenal a full technical park and all the necessary tools, but teaching (instruction on the operation of equipment and drawings is distorted) with errors (much is distorted and incorrect, from the point of view of indicating the Truth). In Protestantism, there is only false teaching (much is missing, lost). About religions, I am silent – there the situation is even worse: no teaching, no means – only homemade tools and ideas (but you can’t invent Christ!).
But imagine the scene: an “Orthodox” comes to the construction site and instead of using everything that is given to him (to which he has access, as a member and shareholder of the Construction Company): equipment, teaching … – and he starts digging (better to say – scooping a hole) with bare hands (fingers, palms scraping trenches… or takes some stick (branch from a tree, twig – V.A.), a plough, a splinter (board, fragment of it – V.A.) and…), or, worse, – lies down in the shade and sleeps!? And a pagan (guided only by conscience on the way to salvation) will dig confidently and consistently, using the available means at hand. Thus this (lazy) “Orthodox” is either the same as a pagan (because he does not dig with technology and does not use revelation-knowledge, but like a pagan – with bare hands and whatever comes to hand), or worse than a pagan (because the latter step by step, removing layer by layer of the soil of illusion, – approaches reality, to the Living Water, although he does not know it, because he does not have the criteria and landmarks of revelation, except conscience, and the “Orthodox” sleeps peacefully, boasting of which “Company” he is from, and how many houses It has built or wells dug…).
Therefore, who is closer to God: an “Orthodox” (with the given opportunity to use all the necessary auxiliary “means” – the Grace of the Sacraments and the laws of proper spiritual life) or a pagan?! – I do not know! “By their fruits you shall know them.” Therefore, St. Gregory the Theologian said that many pagans in spirit (in essence) – are Christians, and many “Christians” (I must put it in quotes!) – in spirit are pagans, godless! If the “Orthodox” repents (becomes Orthodox – without quotes) and starts using everything to which he has access (Sacraments and knowledge of the laws of proper spiritual life), he will instantly outstrip all non-Orthodox!!! But who wants to repent today?! Everyone wants to reach Happiness (Living Water) by their own efforts!? Therefore, we are not talking about people, but about teaching! (We “advertise” the construction “Company” that impeccably, for free, performs saving work!).
We are eternal (the image of God, hypostasis), outside the window – already the Eighth Day, Never-ending (which will never end!), therefore salvation (revelation of the fullness of each hypostasis) – is a matter of time. Feeling thirst, even the one sleeping in laziness will start digging a well to quench his thirst with Living Water (there simply is no other, except perhaps a mirage in the desert). After working sincerely, he will realize that he cannot dig a well by his own efforts, and then either immediately turn to Orthodoxy (or having previously used the services of other “companies,” which for one reason or another cannot fulfill the order (reach the Living Water), and only then find Orthodoxy). Orthodoxy – is a “Company” that fulfills the order instantly, immediately after receiving the application: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (highlighted – V.A.).