[megatrendsZ]

Two questions:

1) As we become sanctified and more Christ-like, do we retain our personality? For example, if someone is born with a sense of humour and is able to make other people laugh, can it remain like that even through the process of theosis? Or do we lose some of our personality traits? I ask because sometimes it seems that to be Christ-like means we will all be the same (like robots)

2) Do any of you struggle with trying to understand your true self as Christians?

[twinaircant]

Dear Michael,

I would say we become our true selves, I myself don't really like the word personality as it is often used when we see or rather are bombarded with stuff saying to think, be, do, have this and that and take it in and mistake it for our true self, and we call this our personality what we are like. Who we are as a person is a lot more than that it is more than what we are like or our views. So I would say first of all we have to look at the premise which is what is our true self, and fondamentaly we get back to what we are meant to be in the image of God and how far we are from that, how much we have soild the image, and this I think is the way we should look ultmetly at our true self.

Now that does not mean we are all the same as in the example you have some of use can make others laugh, others are good to talk to ect.. and I think this a talents as it were gifts God has given to each one of us of which we are called to make good use- though He loves us not beacuse of them but beacuse of His love. So yes each man's talents and triats can be used for the good of others as we beacome more like Christ. The Holy Apostle Paul was not alwaysthe same as Holy ApostlePeter in the way he did things or wrote nor Saint John Chrstotom the same as Saint Cyril, neither were the Desert Father's and Saint Ambrose the same in all things, and yet the were all like Jesus Christ our God and are they all saints. So theosis is not the forsaking of who one is but the growth in to being more Christ like. That is not to say some traits which are vices such as the ability to rig games or lie convincing would be retained but these are not really who we are, which is to be found only in Christ, but rather our temptations.

So then I would say let the brother with a good humour help his upset brother to be glad, and he who can council council but each in wisdom to the building up of his brother not the braking down, not making a joke of his repentance or at his expense, but all for the Glory of God.

In Christ.
Daniel,

[MrGunjMan_]

Thanks Daniel. I appreciate your answer and thoughtful response.

[buIf6yoW]

One need only look at the lives of the saints to see that we remain very much individuals even as we become more like Christ. While there are obviously many similarities between the saints, there are even more differences. If we become like Christ, we do so like snowflakes become snow. No two are the same even though there are similarities.

The Apostle Paul attests to this as well, when he speaks of there being many different gifts and different ministries. We are not "assimilated" Borg-like into some sort of "cosmic consciousness" or hive mind. We thus conform our uniqueness to work in synergy with Christ, we sing our own little tune in harmony to the symphony which Christ conducts. And in this we become what we were meant to be, we find our true selves in Christ.

Or so it seems to this bear of little brain.

Herman the Pooh