For a more exact understanding of the saying, you may read in the Gospels the parable in which Christ says that He will set the goats on the left and the sheep on the right.
He will send the goats away from Himself with the words: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” But He will gather the sheep to Himself and joyfully receive them.
He says to them: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:41, 34).
By the goats is signified the barren multitude of those who love sin. By the sheep is signified the choir of the pious, as though clothed with a fleece by the fruit of righteousness.
Therefore the one who has taken upon himself shameful slavery will be cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven, like a useless and worthless vessel. But everyone who has loved the upright life will be received and will abide there.
For this reason he is enrolled among the sons of God.
In these words, however, the Lord also seems to indicate to them that, by not accepting freedom through faith, they must surely be removed from the sacred and divine court, that is, the Church.
This accords with what was said by one of the prophets: “I will drive them out of My house” (Hos 9:15). The actual state of things itself bears witness that this prophecy was fulfilled upon them.
For “the daughter of Zion is left like a tent in a vineyard, and like a storehouse in a garden,” as it is written (Isa 1:8). The temple fell and was utterly destroyed.
They proved to be outside, not abiding in it forever. On the contrary, the Church from the Gentiles appeared and was raised up by Christ in its place.
In that Church those called through faith to divine adoption always abide. The praise of the Church will never cease or come to an end.
For the souls of the righteous, departing from earthly things, hasten toward the city above, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church of the firstborn, “which is our mother,” according to Paul’s word (Gal 4:26).
But since, in explaining the saying about slavery and striving in every way to examine the truth, we said that Abraham himself is numbered among the slaves, we must again explain the meaning of these words.
This follows if his person cannot be excluded from the number of those of whom Christ said universally, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.”
The Jews thought highly of themselves and exalted themselves, setting forth Abraham as the first author and, as it were, the source of the nobility inherent in them.
Yet they gave no thought in their mind to the need to strive for liberation through grace from above. They proved to be “foolish and blind,” according to the Savior’s word.
Therefore Christ considers it necessary to show that what is servile by nature is insufficient to free others, or even itself. For how can what itself needs freedom by nature give freedom?
How will one who receives grace for himself from another be able to give it to others? In reality, it belongs and is proper to Him alone, who is God from God by nature, to have the power to liberate.
Thus He gives clear proof that everything which does not abide forever must be, and must be acknowledged as, servile. That is, whatever does not have the property of abiding in immutability is servile.
Everything created must without doubt be subject also to dissolution. If this is so, then it is plainly in slavery to God, who called it into being.
Thus it was said to Him concerning creatures: “For all things are Thy servants” (Ps 118:91). This is true in general.
But blessed Abraham, or again humanity as a whole, forms one part of the whole universe. On the contrary, by abiding forever He gives a clear sign that the Only-begotten, who appeared from God as God, is King and Master of all.
To whom does perpetual immutability and the firm constancy of eternal good things befit, if not Him who is true God by nature?
On this basis the divine Psalmist declared creation to be a servant, and God the Word, who appeared from God the Father, to be King and Lord.
Extending his reasoning partly to all things, that is, to creation, he says concerning the heavens and concerning the Son by nature: “They shall perish, but Thou remainest; and they all shall grow old like a garment.
“And like a covering Thou shalt roll them up, and they shall be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail” (Ps 101:27-28).
From this you can see that what is truly and indisputably servile does not abide forever, but the Son abides. You can also see that not abiding in immutability proves the slavery of the one of whom this is said.
Accordingly, the other thing, namely abiding forever, must be a clear sign that He of whom this word is spoken properly and truly is Master and God.
The Psalmist is sufficient to testify to the truth of our arguments. Yet since it is written, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established” (2 Cor 13:1), let us also bring forward blessed Jeremiah.
He thinks and speaks in agreement with the Psalmist. By corruptibility he shows the mark of everything created and therefore servile.
By the constancy and immutability of the Son, he reveals Him to be God by nature and, plainly at the same time, Lord. In one place he says to Him: “For Thou sittest forever, and we perish forever” (Bar 3:3).
Everything that has come into being is at all times corruptible because it has been created, though it is not destroyed because of God’s almighty power.
But God will always remain sitting, since here the word “sitting” signifies constancy and the unchanging identity of His essence. Joined to this are His royal dignity and authority. Such is the sense of sitting in these words.
Therefore, to return to the beginning, by not abiding forever He proves that blessed Abraham is corruptible and created. For he died and, in a certain sense, moved away from the master’s house, that is, from this world.
In keeping with this, He wishes to present him as a slave, unable to give freedom to others. But by the words about the Son’s abiding forever, He already clearly calls Himself God from God by nature.
To Him, certainly, it belongs to be King and Lord. But what consequence follows for us from the difference just indicated will be clearly revealed in the saying that follows.
THEOSIS