I myself am coming from one of those backgrounds. On one hand I can understand where they are coming from, in the fact that Christ does represent the sacraficial lamb, but that is just a means of salvation, it is not the final ends, which is our theosis/union with God. Too often, the OSAS crowd equate this with a legalistic “I can sin and do anything that I want!” card. Paul is pretty clear about people who do this, God hands them over to Satan to be tormented.

Still though, I think that the most comforting belief of Orthodoxy is that of the supreme love of God that fills all things, even hell. Thus, while we fear the almighty God, we can still know that God is a loving God and that if we love the Lord God and our neighbor we need not dread.

For indeed, God does not desire that any should be lost but that all should “find” repentance. We must continually accept his love, not just as a one time stop/gap for eternity, but as a continuing renewing of ourselves into the image of God.

And what a treat, to have discovered your blog just now!