For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.Lamentations 3:31
Western Latin derived Christianity has a rather Grim view of salvation and sin,and I’m not just talking about their theologies regarding christ’s death to placate a wrathfull monsterly God who can’t Forgive without blood being shed in penal atonement,nor their false anti-scriptural and anti-patristic views of an eternal hell for even the unrepentant,but also the idea that if you die in a state of Mortal sin or unbelief you are sentenced to Hell forever and have no option of repentance.not only is this anti-scriptural but it goes against the patristic tradition aswell as the miracles of many saints of both the Chalcedonian and Miaphysite orthodox who delivered people from hell through their prayers.it makes a mockery of God’s mercy,and its implication that anything we do can affect God in anyway is also heretical.
let us begin with Scripture showing even idolaters can be reconciled after death
And upon the day following, as the use had been, Judas and his company came to take up the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen in their fathers’ graves.
Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by the law. Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain.
All men therefore praising the Lord, the righteous Judge, who had opened the things that were hid,
Betook themselves unto prayer, and besought him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sins of those that were slain.
And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachms of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering, doing therein very well and honestly, in that he was mindful of the resurrection:
For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.
And also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.
so We see here that the prayers for the dead are efficious in releasing the dead from hell.
We also have in the Hagiography of St.Kristos Samra of ethiopia,that she was taken to Christ and Christ had promised her she could release souls from hell through her prayers.
in another incident she actually freed 10,000 souls from hell
he said to him “Lord had forgiven you so come out with your people from this place of suffering” When she said this the heart of Devil was burning like a fire. The devil then held her left hand with his left hand and threw her to hell. However, the Archangel hit the Devil with his sword and the doors of hell were opened. At this moment, there was a loud and disturbing noise and scream and souls in hell surround and circled her. At this moment, 10,000 souls were saved/taken out of hell via the Archangel’s wind and the wing that she was given. When she saw this, she was delighted, due to her extreme delight she was jumping among them like a breast-feeding calf, which was jumping at the same time.Then she went to the Lord Jesus Christ and thanked him for his forgiveness, love and forgiveness. He said to her “did you bring lives winning Devil?” She said yes. He then called the Archangel and told him to take those souls to Saint Kirstos Semra’s residence that I readied for her before creation of the world. She said to Him, “Where is my residence, my Lord?” Lord said to her “you place of residence is with my Mother, the Virgin Mary, and your rank will be second to her and all those who love you are respected.”
Elder Cleopas states
It is indeed possible for someone to be redeemed from perdition, but not through the purgatorial fire as the Roman Catholics content (their offering of expiation presented for the living and the dead notwithstanding. The Lord, as ruler of the heavens, the earth and the infernal regions has the power to remove a soul from Hades, as Scripture testifies: ‘The Lord killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up.’
The power and sacrifice of Christ, which is offered to whosoever seeks it, is unlimited and His goodness so great that only He is able to rescind the eternal anguish of man. We know that God asks that we love our fellow man and looks on this love with joy. We we are truly praying for others, there is nothing greater than love. God hears the prayer of the Church very clearly, especially when the prayers of Christians are united with the suppliant voices of angels in the heavens, and that of the Lady Theotokos. …
Between Hades and Paradise there does exist a great chasm indeed, as our Lord has told us. Yet, this chasm does not have the power to impede the mercy of our great God, Who hears our prayers for the reposed. We do not suppose, as do the Roman Catholics that there exists a purgatorial fire, but we say that only for those who since very severely (or mortally) and did not confess their sin is the passage form Hades to Paradise impossible. For those who sinned more lightly this pathway is not definitely closed, given that in the future judgment each one’s pace, either in heaven or in hell, will be decided definitively, inasmuch as after this judgment someone whose orientation was Hades can no longer pass over into Paradise. For those who sinned unto death, our prayers are completely futile. … We do not pray for those who have committed sins against the Holy Spirit, for such sins will not be forgiven, neither in this life, nor in the one to come. Rather, we pray for those who committed lighter sins for which forgiveness–when we pray–is also possible in the other world, inasmuch as we love them to inherit eternal life. (pp. 127-129)
The Emperor Theophilos, who fought against the holy icons, was a heretic and went to Hell. His wife, Theodora, however, begged Patriarch Methodios to pray for his soul. So the patriarch, together with other virtuous members of the clergy prayed fervently in Aghia Sophia for the whole of the first week of Great Lent (During this period they would have certainly have said Thrice-Holies and not performed the Divine Liturgy). Likewise, the Empress Theodora prayed with the whole of her court in the Church of the Mother of God. When Saturday dawned, Theodora saw Christ in a vision! And he said to her: “Woman, great is your faith. Know, therefore, that through your tears and your faith, and the entreaties of my priests I shall show favour to your husband, Theophilos.” The miracle happened. The heretic Theophilos was saved.
Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?Psalm 77:7
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