Elder Gabriel's on judging heterodox (who will be saved and who won't):
Often Orthodox people will ask who will be saved and who will be not. We should not doubt and we should unshakably believe that Orthodoxy is the only true Religion (Divine Revelation). It is said for comparison that "We Orthodox sail in that ship which will pass through the raging ocean (or the distresses of the world) and will reach destination piece-fully. Others want to get there with happy life and without going though difficulties".
In spite of it it's wrong that true Orthodox faithful claims we will be saved but Catholics, Muslims or representatives of other faith will all be damned. How can it be possible that the Creator of the Universe would create millions of people without a way of salvation and sending them all to hell for eternal punishment? Imagine for a second if you were born in Istanbul without a possibility of salvation what would you say about righteous judgment of the Creator? Don't they not have Kind and Good people along the evil ones? Of course they do. Do not think this does not matter. We should firmly believe that God will not leave without some way of salvation those who seek the truth and are God-fearing men. As folk wisdom says:
"Blessed Christ God
Seats on a Golden Throne
Holding scales of justice
weighing good and bad"
Often God will let such miracles on kind man that he gets baptized and becomes true Christian.
It is shameful and and it is sin when a man has no true love and has not truly repented but keeps asserting that Orthodox will be saved and all else will be damned. We can't make such statements and conclusions (whether a man will be saved or damned) not only about a healthy living human but also about a sinful dying man. The Lord says: "If you see a man on his deathbed do not judge for you know not how he will be judged".
Sin is one thing and hell is another. They are not the same. Also, salvation is one thing and heaven (or kingdom of heaven) is another. They are not the same. We should firmly believe that without baptism whoever has not put on Christ's light will not see The Kingdom of God. We (Orthodox) are given more and thus we are required more.
There's a saying of Holy Fathers: "Three things will surprise saved man in heaven: first that he is there; second that he will see those who he did not expect and third that he won't see those who he was expecting to see".
God forbid us to judge any man, not to say judging whole country and whole nation.
Fr. Gabriel never judged anybody even those who hurt him, imprisoned him or inflicted any type of injury (spiritual or physical) onto him. The igumenia (see note 1) of Monastery of Samtavro (See note 2) writes: "Fr. Gabriel strictly forbade us to judge anybody preaching thus: 'If you find a murderer or a prostitute or a drunkard alcoholic dropped on the ground never judge him/her, never judge God-created man, since God has let their reins loose but holds you reins under control. If he lets you reins loose you will fall into worse distress and you will be destroyed. As a thread has to go through an eye of the needle one will go through the same sin for which one judged somebody else'"
Forwarded fromOrthodoxy in Georgia (Sakartvelo)
1July 12, 2026 104
