When
mankind was estranged from him by disobedience, God our Savior made a
plan for raising us from our fall and restoring us to friendship with
himself. According to this plan Christ came in the flesh, he showed
us the gospel way of life, he suffered, died on the cross, was buried
and rose from the dead. He did this so that we could be saved by
imitation of him, and recover our original status as sons of God by
adoption.
--
Saint Basil the Great
