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The church sign read:

Salvation is Not a Gift

It seems that every church has one of those signs. You know the ones- they look like scaled-down brick monuments. They are prominently displayed near the street with different messages from week to week for us passersby to read. For a couple weeks my daily journey would take me past the Faith Baptist Bible College where I would see their sign making this bold proclamation “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” Of course, it was right next to the road for all to see, which to me is like religious bragging. Even so, I have heard this same kind of prideful justification from Christians expressed before, so I didn’t give it too much thought the first few times I passed by. However later on, it became clear to me that this is really the reason I am called to write this article. There are too many misunderstandings about forgiveness, salvation and even what some call “perfection.” This spiritual ignorance is then being manifested as a divisive religious pride in the hearts of many calling themselves “Christians.”

Several years ago, I was inspired by God to create the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD ministry. This was partly due to my excitement in realizing the truth of God’s unfailing love and universal salvation. I wanted to share this glorious revelation of God’s love and plan of salvation with any that would listen. As it turned out, most are not seeking the Truth, but are simply following whatever religion has been handed down to them. So it became clear to me that before I could teach God’s plan for universal salvation I must help dismantle the false doctrines of religion blinding many from the light of Truth. In particular, I am called to share and teach all that God has shown me regarding salvation and the source of our salvation- Christ.

Christ is so much more than most can or care to comprehend. Paul said that Christ is all in all. Paul said that everything has been created by, for and through Christ. Yet, too many Christians seek to know Christ through their religious ceremonies and their Sunday sermons. So, in essence, they are putting their spiritual well being in the hands of an establishment and accepting whatever it tells them as truth. Yes, sheep are vulnerable to being led astray, and this is why we should be as wise as serpents! Far too many Christians believe they are “saved” because a clergyman has poured water over them and they have publicly accepted Jesus as their personal savior. They believe this because this is what they have been taught. They understand Christ simply as Jesus, and they see Jesus as a man that walked the earth two millennia ago. Yet, if Jesus walked up to them face to face, would they recognize him? Some might say, “I am not sure what Jesus looked like. So how could I recognize him?” We have the classic pictures of Jesus in our arts, but that is NOT the face of Christ. If Jesus did walk as a man upon the earth, most would most certainly judge him on his physical appearance and never see Christ shining from his being. They may dislike him because of their prejudice toward a different race. They may believe him to be crazy because he is teaching things they cannot understand or cannot accept because it went against what their religious leaders taught them. I believe religious souls would again call him evil and a cohort of the devil because he would attack our ego-based misconceptions about God. For various reasons, the majority of the religious community would again reject Jesus because they reject the Truth.

Most are still fixated on the flesh and on living according the Law, which is the Law of death. Follow the Ten Commandments? NO! This is not what Jesus taught. He had only one command for those who desired to follow him- love each other as I have shown you love. This is the Law of the Spirit of LIFE. This is the only True Law of God. This is the only way to express our love for God. Forget about your religious ceremonies and hymns worshipping to a God floating in the air. The higher Law is a Law of spirit, and not a law of flesh. Too often we see the flesh and not the spirit of the man. Many of those “men of God” could not see Jesus’ spirit, so he was judged according to external factors. How many so-called Christians are still bigots and racists today? How can these then say they know Christ when they don’t know love? How can these then say they are saved? I am convinced that if Christ Jesus came before a large congregation of Christians one Sunday morning most would reject him just as the Jews did. This kind of turning away is the natural reaction of carnal mind of man to the Light of God. The Truth is hard for us to swallow because it is poison to the false self that lives through the ego and carnal mind of man. The Truth will break down all of our misconception and shake our so-called faith. Certainly, Christ is in all, but who has the eyes to see this? As we read in the Gospels, very few were able to see Christ emanating from the being of Jesus including his disciples who knew him the best. So don’t be so sure that you could recognize Christ. Yes, I wonder today how many who call themselves Christians would see Christ in Jesus, in me or in others? More importantly, how many Christians are able to see Christ in themselves?

Colossians 3:4

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Christ is your life, your true life, but most in Christianity are taught that this sliver of physical existence in flesh and bone, in space and time is our ONLY life. Using this element of fear, they then say you had better make the right choices. You had better “accepted Jesus as your personal savior” or you will not be saved. This doctrine is taught as being rather “cut and dry,” which is really to say if you don’t make the CUT you will FRY! This foolishness angers and saddens me at the same time. This doctrine is STRAIGHT from the mind of the devil and it is keeping his followers in the fear and darkness of hell. Yes, many are living in a state of spiritual punishment, suffering and death right here and now in THIS world, which I recently wrote about in Hell Revisited, Satan Revealed.

Some might be wondering why I frequently seem to be attacking Christianity. I only do this because I want Christianity to “be real.” The term "Christian" is simply another label to me and it means nothing about the heart of a person. Even though I would rather avoid labels, I certainly could be called a “Christian” because I believe Jesus is the Christ- the Son of God. However if one wishes to label me, I would rather you call me a “Truth seeker” because this is what I am about. I seek the Truth from anywhere, from anybody and from any religion. Christianity as a religion certainly has been blessed because it is a direct derivative of the man that brought the Truth and revealed Christ to the world. Even so, Christianity should not let religious pride puff it up. Salvation is not theirs alone.

Christianity has so much potential to unlock the secrets of God’s Kingdom, yet it continues to egregiously miss the mark in certain areas of spiritual understanding. Through the generations it has been bogged down by naturally minded souls that were never truly called into God’s service. Don’t misunderstand me. All religions and their zealous followers can be guilty of the very same sins. However all religions can aid us in our quest for God as well. So if used correctly Christianity, is a noble religion based on Truth that can certainly increase overall social morality at the same time aid in the knowledge of salvation. Yet again being a Christian does not equate into eternal salvation. Christianity does NOT represent “the” Church of God, or Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is an unseen, spiritual congregation of souls all around the world that follow Christ- no man can see this. Truly, it doesn’t matter if one knows about Jesus so long as one knows and follows Christ who is our higher life and nature from God. Yes, as Paul taught, Christ is all in all. If Christians would accept this one single truth then they would begin to see who the TRUE Church is.

Like all of man’s religions, Christianity is only a shadow of God’s Kingdom that is to come. Many in Christianity, including its leaders, are as evil and deceptive as the world has to offer. Wake up Christians! Knowing Jesus and 75 cents can buy you a can of Coke, but it does not open the door to heaven for you! Being in a religion named after Jesus Christ does not mean you are in the True Church of God! In spite of Christianity’s shortcomings and failures (past and present), I am completely convinced that Christ is the ONLY way that leads to salvation. So please, those of you calling yourselves “Christian” realize the truth-- Christ isn’t a religion; Christ is a higher reality. Christ is not bound by any of man’s religions therefore neither is God’s salvation.

“Christians Aren’t Perfect Just Forgiven”

It should be obvious to all that read the Bible WHO and WHAT upset Jesus the Christ. Certainly Jesus was somewhat saddened by the sinful acts of some, BUT Jesus was intensely offended by the religious pride of others. Certainly Jesus mildly disliked the lifestyles of some who lived and dressed lavishly, BUT Jesus truly hated the facade of false humility worn by others pretending to be godly. Certainly Jesus was slightly frustrated by his follower’s spiritual ignorance, BUT Jesus was unquestionably and completely outraged by those who distorted the Truth concerning God and the Kingdom of God. If you wanted to get Jesus’ precious blood boiling just follow the way of the Scribes and Pharisees. Call a messenger of the Truth a liar and you have crossed the line! This is a sin above all others. Yes, it seems some have forgotten that Jesus said sins against the Holy Spirit are NOT forgiven in this age or the next. How many of us have sinned against the Holy Spirit? Who hasn’t come face to face with the spirit of Truth and then turned away in disbelief? Everyone has sinned against the Holy Spirit at one time or another. So then how can all Christians proudly proclaim they are forgiven and are therefore entitled to receive that one-way ticket to paradise? They can because they deceive themselves and are ignorant about God’s plan of salvation.

These same things that troubled and angered Jesus long ago trouble and anger me today. Again, the sign read, “Christians aren’t perfect just forgiven.” In other words, “we alone are saved even though we continue to sin.” “We alone are headed to heaven even though we may be the children of the devil and of hell.” “We alone are saved by Jesus even though we have a very earthly idea who CHRIST IS.” Let me tell it to you straight. It is going to take more than “forgiveness” to bring us to salvation. As Jesus taught and and I hope to explain later, salvation is a process that begins with the forgiveness of sins and ends by doing God's will. Through the ages, Christianity has lost sight of Christ and distorted the way of salvation to the point where it is now considered merely a GIFT from God given exclusively to Christians. While it is true that God bestows spiritual gifts to ALL that seek Him (not just Christians), salvation is NOT one of these gifts.

Some of today’s Christians are like the Jews of old who consider themselves God’s “chosen ones” destined to be saved because of what they claim they believe. The Jews had the Law and the Torah while the Christians have Jesus and the New Testament. The Jews earnestly believed because they followed the Law and knew the Torah, they would be saved. Most Christians profess that because they follow Jesus and “chose” to believe in him that they are forgiven and are therefore “saved.” They consider the rest of humanity as being on the outside looking in, and this gives them a sense of pride- just like the Jews. So they post signs boasting about their religious “beliefs” that will save THEM. They have conveniently accepted their religion while denying that the majority of Christians are simply “Christian” because they were born into either a Christian family or a Christian country. Most are simply “Christian” by default and not through some spiritual revelation. If these same souls were born in China, they would likely be Buddhists. If they were born in Iran they would likely be Muslims. Because of this if you are born in the wrong place at the wrong time you are likely going to hell-- or so says Christian dogma. This is utterly ridiculous! How can mankind be so blind? Where or when we are born on this earth should have no bearing on when we are born of God! God’s children are not children of religions and rules, but are children of love and truth.

Man’s religions are like man’s different languages. In the case of religions, each is attempting to communicate and express God, but they use different dialects. In addition, we should understand that though everyone is taught a particular language, but it doesn’t mean that they know what they are saying. The same is true with religion. Being very religious does NOT mean one is closer to God than any other. Religions, including Christianity, are just spiritual languages created by the mind of man in our lower world. Therefore the Christian is no closer to Christ than the Muslim simply because his religion’s name has “Christ” in it. This title is meaningless! Religions are the words of man, not the Word of God. They are merely shadows of the Truth helping to show us the way back to the Truth of God. Look above these religious shadows and there you will find the Truth.

Inevitably one man’s vision of God’s Truth is then translated into a lower language form called religion, which is then “doctrinized” by the carnal mind of man to keep us captivated by fear and otherwise pacified here in hell. One the devil’s favorite schemes is to use religions of fear and hate to keep us preoccupied in hell. Many religious leaders have used fear to gather more captives their system, and then use the promise of an eternal life in heaven to pacify them. In many cases, organized religions are inhibiting believers from truly being saved by Christ! Jesus told the Pharisees that they were the “sons of hell” who were burying their converts twice as deep into the pit of hell as they were!

All of man’s religions are full of half-truths that can either aid or hinder our quest for God. The devil mind of man wants to stay in the dark hiding from God and the Truth, so it uses religion to deceive us. Oh yes, the carnal mind makes it easy to be saved for a purpose. “Join our religion, follow our doctrines and you will be saved from an eternal hell!” Yep, all I have to do is believe in Jesus and I am saved—WHEW! Now I can go about with MY life and not worry about where I am going after I die. This is complete and utter FOOLISHNESS! This is NOT what Jesus, THE CHRIST taught, but this is what preachers looking for more converts, more money and more praise may tell you! How many would attend a church service where they were told the whole TRUTH? As Jesus demonstrated, the vast majority of souls do not want to hear the Truth. Instead most go to church to “feel good” about themselves and their upcoming “afterlife.” Most are looking for the easy way, which is the broad way that leads to destruction. The narrow way is very difficult, but you and ALL will find it in time because God’s love will not fail to bring us home.

Here is a strong statement that is sure to raise the gander of many Christians reading this. Salvation is not a gift, but rather it is a level of existence we must first be qualified to obtain. In other words, we must earn it. Does this ruffle your feathers? Does that sound “Catholic” to you? I know this is contrary to what many are taught especially in Protestant denominations, but I am not speaking here of religious ceremonies or even good deeds to others. Most should be aware that this “grace vs. works” issue among others inspired and fueled Martin Luther’s battle with the Catholic Church. Luther fought desperately and convincingly to prove that we are saved by GRACE and not by works. And yes, I am very familiar with that passage from Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works lest any man boast.

This passage seems to clearly support Luther’s position that we are saved by the gift of grace; however, this isn‘t true. As the Bible says, God's grace is given to all- good and evil. So there is something more than this to be saved. Most would like to believe that their salvation depends solely on God’s love for us, but Jesus did not preach such a message. So which is it? Are we saved by the works man or by the grace of God? Do we have a part in our salvation or is it completely a gift from God given to all us undeserving sinners? Is it works or grace? Well, all I can say to Luther and the Catholic Church is that you are both PARTLY right! Our salvation is dependent upon OUR active partnership with God. Again we must be able to understand a basic spiritual principle- the salvation equation. It is true that God FREELY gives us all that we need to be saved, BUT it is up to us to use these gifts toward our own salvation. Flowers are given water and sunlight, but they grow according to their nature. So too, we must grow according to our higher nature. Understanding this we can see that GRACE + WORKS powered by FAITH leads to SALVATION. It is like God is giving us the all the materials and tools to build a house, but like Jesus we must follow the Christ blueprint to complete it.

Luke 6:46

"Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.”

This question from the lips of Jesus could be asked of most Christians. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” Good question. And what is your answer? Christ Jesus says we must put “into practice” what he says. After all, practice makes perfect! So when I say “works” are needed for our salvation, I am not necessarily speaking of doing good deeds to others. On the contrary, ACTING godly could actually inhibit a Truth seeker on the path to salvation. The works we must do are only what God CALLS us to do. If God says to do NOTHING, then that is the “work” you must do. Doing nothing and saying nothing can be more laborious than many might realize. Consider the “work” of Jesus in his final hours when he had to do and say nothing. The words emanating from this man were like precious jewels, but he spoke not a word because pearls are not to be given to the swine. So the term “work” implies that we have a necessary part in our own salvation. Jesus said many times to “believe in me” or “follow me.” If you choose to accept the path God calls you to walk, you will quickly find that this is WORK. No one else is going to do it for you.

So anyway you look at it, it takes WORK to be saved. God will give you the power, but YOU must manifest it in your life. As many have demonstrated, the act of “believing in Jesus” doesn’t seem to take much effort, but it does if your belief is in your HEART and not just in your head. Some may go to church to sings songs worshiping him or even pray to him, but if one truly believes that Jesus is the Christ then this love-captivated soul would truly FOLLOW Jesus. Of course, some literally followed Jesus around all of Judea day and night, but are we to assume then that they were saved? Today many attend church every Sunday; does this mean they are saved? So when Jesus said “to believe” or “to follow” he was saying to believe and follow the spirit of his life not the letter of his life. His path is not our path. We do not need to take up a literal cross and be crucified, however, spiritually we most certainly do!

The Spirit of Christ is our true, higher life given to us by God by which we will transcend and overcome the shackles of this world. In the same way, Jesus told us that his true brothers and sisters were those who did the Father’s will, not his natural siblings. Those truly related to Jesus are those who are led by the Spirit of Christ. It is in this higher life where Jesus reigns right now and calls us to join him in the Body of Christ. Some believe that Jesus is in some far away heaven at the right hand of the Father literally. In their minds, there is a great separation between them and Christ. In Jesus- The CHOSEN Man, I tried to explain that this “separation doctrine” is yet just another way worldly Christian leaders have used to empower their system of fear. You need not go to any church to find God when YOU are the temple of the One True God! Truth seekers should know that Christ (the spirit of Jesus) is IN YOU and is your ONLY hope for glory and salvation. Christ is our only true and lasting life. Jesus was a man who followed Christ to his death and was then saved from death and hell because of his obedience. We are called to do the same, but many are being deceived by their religious dogma that promises them eternal salvation. Again, no religion will save anyone! Christianity is a religion, but Christ is THE REALITY. Let’s go beyond religious lines and seek out the truth about salvation.

What is Salvation?

What does it mean to be saved? What exactly are we being saved from? These are good questions, but the answers can be as varied as the many different trials and tribulations of man. Just as there are levels of truth revealed to us, there are also different levels of salvation each of us is seeking. Salvation is a word that means “to be delivered” or “to be freed.” So salvation could really apply to being freed from just about anything we deem as painful, distressing or unwanted. However through the ages, the meaning of salvation has evolved to mean much more than just finding peace and comfort in our current day.

The desire to live is divinely innate to all created things including man. Plants and animals all strive to survive; yet their life in this world always comes to an end. Man has reached a level of consciousness that enables him to have faith in an afterlife. Man’s desire to stay alive is really why we need faith. Man cannot accept that his life will end, so then enters the need for salvation- salvation from death. So, salvation through the filter of religion now refers to entering an eternal heaven to live with God forever. With this highest level of importance, you would think that everyone would be totally consumed concerning their eternal fate. Yet, very few take it that seriously. Those that attempt to are many times driven insane trying to be CERTAIN of their eternal fate, or they might become ultra-religious and use self-deception as their coping mechanism. In Christianity, we are taught that our (spiritual, eternal) salvation is decided by our ONE short life here in the FLESH. Christianity, like some other religions, promises us its beliefs lead to life in an eternal heaven while declaring all other paths lead to an everlasting hell. What most of humanity and Christianity don’t seem to realize is that we are already in hell and condemned to death.

John 3:18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Ephesians 2:1

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Death came upon us in the garden, and all stand here condemned because we haven’t believed in Christ- the Life-giving Spirit of Jesus. Here in hell, we are currently paying for our sins of the past and present, but also receiving our rewards for the love we gave away. We are here to learn and grow spiritually until we are ready- ready to love as God loves. Then in a twinkling of an eye the door will be opened for us because Christ has come to free us from this spiritual prison! Much more on this topic can be found in Hell Revisited, Satan Revealed. So, for those that realize they are in already in hell- a state of spiritual death, then the answer to the question, “What are we being saved from” is rather obvious. We, spirit, want to be delivered from our dying flesh and have TRUE LIFE! We want to be freed from the shackles of sin. It should be clear that only those that KNOW they are lost KNOW they need to be saved. Do you need to be saved? Do you feel lost? Do you feel like you don’t belong here? Do you feel like this world is not your true home? Do you want saved from hell? If yes is your answer, then YOU need a Savior!

Again, I must reemphasize again that Christianity does NOT hold the key to salvation, but Christ certainly does! Christ in not constrained by any of man’s religious boundaries. That is foolishness to put God into a box! Christianity like all of man’s religions must fade away in the end because it is not the Truth. However, the Truth it attempts portray, which is Christ, will continue to stand. At the center of all that is real and true in this world is Christ. Surely we know by now that being “religious” doesn’t mean that someone, including the most pious Christian, is closer to God than anyone else. Attending a Christian church doesn’t mean we know Christ. Christians and other religious souls around the world are being duped into believing that their salvation is secured through faith in deceptive doctrines conceived by men. With varying degrees of pride, false humility and ignorance many believe that they have been given one-way ticket to heaven. I recently saw a Christian preacher on television saying, “You don’t want to end up down there!” as he pointed his finger to the ground. What is that? This kind of ignorance and foolishness coming from those who call themselves teachers upsets me! These are the sons of hell who are helping to keep the dominion of darkness reigning on earth!

Christians boldly profess they are going to heaven because they believe in Jesus, the Anointed Son of God. “Believe and be saved!” is what they preach. Some Christians say it is that simple if you want to live forever in heaven. For those who chose not to believe as they do then an eternal hell of suffering awaits them. Interestingly though, even among Christians there are frequent disagreements about HOW we are saved. Some might say you just have to believe in Jesus. Others will say you must also be baptized. Still others might say you have to have “works” that prove your faith is real. What does your pastor teach? Here is a list of some of the “conditions” taught in Christianity that will lead to one’s eternal salvation.

1) Believe in Jesus (or Christ)

2) Enter through the correct door or gate (Christ)

3) Believe in the name of the Lord

4) Believe God raised Jesus from the dead

5) Be baptized by the Holy Spirit and believe

6) Trust in God

7) Do God’s will

8) Believe in the Gospel taught by Paul

9) Stand firm and endure to the end

10) Bear children (women)- and continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety

One may argue that these conditions follow the same line- that of faith in Christ. Yet, the last salvation promise on this list is a bit peculiar to say the least, but we will address this later. Still, this is quite a list, but one could likely come up with even more requirements that also come straight from the New Testament writings. Some of these “conditions” seem rather easy to meet, but are they? Most Christians might say that it all comes down to “faith in Jesus,” but do these “believers” understand the spiritual substance called “faith?” In the article Bringing God to Life- A Matter of Faith, I wrote about the reality and need for faith in our relationship with God. We may say we “believe” in Jesus, but what about the Christ who is all in all? We say we believe in God’s saving power, but how great is our faith? Jesus himself said that many will call out “Lord, Lord,” but will not be allowed to enter heaven. There is more to salvation than just “believing in Jesus.” Many evil men have and do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but they will not yet enter heaven. Jesus told the chief priests that prostitutes and tax collectors would enter before them. Why are so many zealous Christians blind to this fact? Yes, all mankind will be drawn back into Christ as true faith puts us on the path to salvation, but there is still some walking to do!

Suppose it is as easy as some Christians claim. Then what chance does an aborted child have of meeting ANY of these conditions listed? Can an unborn child believe? What about all the children that die before they can even speak? How can any of these be saved if it is true that “only those that believe in Jesus” are saved? This is where traditional Christianized doctrine regarding salvation is shown as egotistically driven and spiritually invalid. According to their flawed salvation formula, BILLIONS of children that never heard the name or story of Jesus must go to hell forever. There were even children’s books written that used to teach this blasphemy to children! “Say your prayers child, or you will go to hell to suffer forever!” That isn’t much of bedtime story! Those closer to the love of God say that God does not send babies or those dying in “ignorance of Jesus” to hell. If it is true then that these “innocent souls” are automatically accepted into heaven, why live at all! Why not kill our children to ensure their place in heaven? Do you see how ridiculous Christianity’s doctrines are? They are not tested in the fire of Truth and Love. Instead they are self-serving and exclusionary. And what about the BILLIONS of souls that lived before Jesus, how will they be saved? What chance do those many abused souls of our world have of “straightening” out their lives IN TIME to be saved? “Too bad your mom was an unloving alcoholic and your dad beat you.” “Too bad you went to a church camp and was sexually abused by the pastor.” “Too bad you were raised by a good mom and dad that taught you a religion other than Christianity.” “Sorry, but you are ALL GOING TO HELL because you don’t believe.” What a disgrace Christianity is when it spews out such poison! Christians, GET REAL!

This is why I attack Christianity because it continues to teach lies and comfort the carnal mind of man with subtle deceptions. The carnal mind of man is truly the devil’s workshop, and this is why the devil desires to keep it satisfied even with religion. Too many attend church with a heart bent on judgment instead of a heart full of forgiveness. They are selfishly content believing they are going to heaven to feel joy and peace while most of humanity are going suffer in hell forever. This is the way of the man’s devil mind that simply looks out for itself. It will lie to us saying that if we do this or that then we will go to heaven when we die. What a lie! We are ALREADY dead! Or haven’t you realized this yet?

For the most part, man’s religions are soul based, not spirit based. In other words, they are mentally, emotionally and egotistically driven. Sunday services are many times just a “feel good” session to tell its followers what they want to hear. Christianity teaches that if one believes in Jesus his sins are forgiven and he will go to heaven when he dies. They are right; that does make ME feel good. Now, I can sleep at night. This is all religious deception! Some religions preach that if you die a suicide bomber you will also enter heaven. This again fits their political or soul-based need.

Every religion has its promises, but Christianity does not live up to the truth of Jesus. What they preach is not what they practice in many cases. In other words, “Be as worldly as you wish because Jesus overcame the world.” “Be as selfish as you want because Jesus gave us everything he had.” Then they say to outsiders, “Come to our religion and do what we say and YOU too will be saved and enter heaven; if not you will go to an inescapable hell where you will suffer forever.” This religious pride and spiritual ignorance make me sick! Truly if any be in Christ they would give their life to save others, but do they? Any child of God living in the Spirit of Christ would descend into the deepest hell to save another. This is the love of God. Truly those in and following Christ are right now in hell helping to bring the Kingdom of God to earth! Christ came down here through Jesus to destroy hell and the works of the devil. Those truly following Christ are here to do the same, so that in the end there will be no hell for anyone to suffer. Hell had a beginning and hell will have an end.

Revelation 20:14

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

The lake of fire is the holy fire of God’s consuming love. God will be all in all and there is NOTHING you can do about it. Yet, the darkened mind of man seems to think it can. Again, what nonsense and lack of depth is the religious logic coming from man’s satanic mind! Mindless and thoughtless are these who believe that God would take perhaps 7,000,000,000 years (or more) to create a world for His precious, perfect children, which have been created in His very own image. And then give these young, divine offspring a mere 70 years (or less) to decide his/her eternal fate. This is all total nonsense! Do some really believe that God is going to lose those created in His image to Satan and hell? Did Satan outwit God? Do these really believe that our perfect God has conceived a plan of imperfection? Do some really believe that God sent his Son to save the world, but now the Son of God will fail? Do some really believe they will spend eternity in heaven while a majority of those that have ever lived are tormented in hell? How do they call this “god” our Father! This “god” sounds more like a monster that I would never serve and much less love! How do they call this “God” a Father of UNCONDITIONAL love when Christianity seems to require all kinds of different conditions! One denomination says to do THIS to be saved. The other says to do THAT to be saved. These doctrines of the devil have been created to confuse the captives of hell and keep them trapped here in Hades- in a state of spiritual death. Know this-- the Truth from God will unite us with love, but history proves that the doctrines of men divide us with fear and ignorance.

So there is no wonder that so many within Christendom have argued about salvation. Jesus brought us the Truth, but the Apostles brought us more religions. Peter and Paul argued whether circumcision was a necessary prerequisite to following Christ and receiving salvation. If the “truth” about this matter was so apparent, then why did they both not see it? They didn’t see the same because this is the way of religion. It divides us on the soul level even though we are one in the Spirit of Christ. The mind of man takes the Truth from God then conforms and colors it with his own ideas. Peter and Paul were men with different ideas about what should be done concerning the Church, however the differences didn’t stop with them.

About a century after Jesus’ earthly ministry, there were two simultaneously reigning Popes each claiming to be the head of the “one” true Church of Christ. There was a Pope in Rome and the other took up residence in Constantinople, but their divisions went deeper than the hundreds of miles between them. This rivalry within Christendom continued right up to 1054 A.D. when each declared the other “ANATHEMA!” This means they were excommunicated from the Church and therefore separated from the salvation of Christ. In other words, they sentenced each other to spend eternity in hell. Thank God that they had no such power! Even so, can you imagine this happening- two holy “Christian” leaders from two holy Christian churches sending each other to an eternal hell? Well, it doesn’t surprise me because I have seen this conduct in varying degrees through my own experiences. If the truth were told, Christianity is just as violent and ruthless as any of the religions created by the mind of man. Many “believers” in Jesus with good intentions have brought suffering and death to the very children of God seeking the Truth. These Truth-seekers truly living in the life of Christ do not fight with weapons of men, but with the Truth from God. All truth is from God whether it is in science, math or religion. Many men that brought newly revealed truths before Christian leaders were severely punished even to the point of death. Some would like to believe that Christianity is completely out of those “Dark Ages,” but I don’t think so.

Recently I was listening to a Catholic radio broadcast and the topic was salvation. As you many know the Catholic Church still “officially” teaches they are the “One True Church of Jesus Christ” founded by Peter (the first Pope). And because of this, their “members” are going to heaven- or at least to purgatory. Perhaps not all of their clergy honestly believe this, but this is still their official doctrine. As I listened, the priest speaking on this broadcast said that it was “possible” for those Christians outside the Catholic Church to be saved, but only if they were outside of the Church because of ignorance. In other words, if you are a Christian that willingly rejects the Catholic Church then your salvation is NOT guaranteed. Wow! Now, that is arrogance! For centuries, Catholic doctrine has taught that ALL outside of their church would not be saved. This scare tactic was very successful in drawing in all sorts of carnally minded souls to fill the pews. They would say, “If you wanted to save yourself from hell you had better join the One True Church.” Again, these are lies coming from men with darkened minds and cold hearts. However, I must also say that the Catholic Church has wrestled with the existence of an eternal hell versus our ALL-loving and ALL-powerful God. In fact, many of the earliest Church fathers like Origen (correctly) believed that Christ would be completely victorious by reconciling ALL things and souls back to God. In The True Gospel According to Early Believers, I show several different early Christian leaders that believed and taught Universal salvation. Unfortunately, this message of universal redemption was lost in the minds and hearts of the carnal men who were writing Christianity’s doctrine. The Second Council of Constanople was one of the more destructive times for the message of Christ’s universal salvation. This glorious gospel message wouldn’t be so hard to accept if one would read the Bible with an open mind and open heart.

Colossians 1:20

And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

It is true thought that some see only what they want to see. The message in this and many other passages is clear- Christ will reconcile and bring all things back to God because all things have come from Christ in the Beginning. In light of this and what some Church leaders continued to teach despite of threats, it seems the Catholic Church had to do some reconciling of its own concerning its salvation doctrine. Purgatory was ADDED to the official doctrine in an attempt to move closer to the Truth of God’s unfailing love for us. The Biblical basis for “purgatory” is very weak, but the spiritual truth supporting it is very real. I am not saying there is a purgatory as the Catholic Church describes it, but I am saying that God is using our present day fiery trials and tribulations here in hell to spiritually purify our hearts and minds. We can then think of this world as purgatory. So I give the Catholic Church some credit for at least attempting to express the idea that God does not give us on us. There is Truth and Truth-seeking souls embedded in all religions, and slowly this light they shine is removing the darkness for others. Thank God, the source of Light and Truth!

I am sure that many Protestants would be quick to point out that Martin Luther fought the corruptions of the Catholic Church. Most denominations outside of the Catholic Church sincerely believe that their “brand” of Christianity is better, more pure, than Catholicism. While this seems true on the surface, we must honestly admit that for every correction conceived there seems to be another mistake made. The carnal mind is good at this. As history tells us, Martin Luther was also excommunicated by Pope because he vehemently lashed out against the corruption in the Catholic Church. So if you think my words are harsh against what you may understand as the “Church,” you should check out what Luther had to say about Church leaders in his day. His angry words were not only directed at the Catholic leaders, but he also despised the Jews who he blamed for the death of Jesus. This anti-Semitism became far too common and continued to swell leading up to Nazi Germany. Some would even claim that Hitler was a Christian- at least in a social, superficial way to gain more popularity. Unfortunately, many Christians that “believed in Jesus” shared Hitler’s thoughts and feelings concerning the Jews and other “lesser races.” It seems clear that Luther’s judgment upon others ran much deeper than his love. This imbalance can never lead to peace or salvation.

Concerning the Catholic Church, Martin Luther felt they were being led by the devil and he wasn’t afraid to tell them as much. There seems to be a resurgence of this sentiment today among some Protestants against the Catholic Church. However, in spite of his dark disposition, Luther was on to something concerning his “saved by grace” revelation. I agree with Luther to a point. Without God’s grace (love) we cannot be saved. This is true. However, if it is true that we are saved by God’s grace and not by our own efforts, then ALL must be saved eventually. Again, if salvation depends solely on God’s grace, then there can be NO failure because God doesn’t fail. Not one sheep could remain lost. Not one soul could remain captive to sin if God’s grace is the real impetus bringing about salvation. Luther could never take his revelation to this glorious conclusion because there was little room for forgiveness in his heart. Even so, I believe Luther wanted to know the Truth, but like all men he could only see so far. He was shown and tried to show others that our salvation comes through God and not through any church. For this he is credited.

So while grace is certainly a GIFT from God that ENSURES our salvation, we are still the ones that must walk the road God lays before us. As Jesus’ life demonstrated there is a process, a path that leads to salvation. He showed us the way and said to follow him. We do not get there by standing still in God’s grace. Man’s ultimate level of salvation awaits each of us at the proper time. In the mean time, there is work to do and lessons to learn. We are here to grow in faith, wisdom and love until we have matured in Christ. God’s coming Kingdom is inevitable even though it is hard to realize right now.

Through the ages, God has been leading mankind into higher and higher forms of salvation. And because of this, the meaning of “salvation” has been changing as well. All things change relative to God and Truth because God is bringing us back from the void of ignorance. Our perspective of God and Truth change as we grow in knowledge. Our understanding of God and salvation are getting clearer and higher as willed by the Creator of all things. This is accordance with our spiritual evolution and purpose, which I have discussed in many other writings like The Meaning of Life. When man was new on the earth, he lived like all the beasts of the field seeking food and shelter. For these men salvation was simply finding adequate food and a place to stay warm. As man became more self-conscious, he began to seek to please himself. Salvation was then having good health, bountiful crops and lots of children. We keep seeking higher and higher forms of salvation. To demonstrate this fact even more let’s go back through the ages using the Bible and see how salvation has evolved to coincide with the desires and needs of man.

Salvation According to the Prophets

The notion of salvation carried a completely different meaning depending on the author and his level of spiritual revelation. Throughout the words of the prophets we read of them faithfully praying that God would save them from some type of natural affliction or pain. Again, our understanding of spiritual matters has been increasing (evolving) little by little because this is how we grow. Babies start with milk, but then mature enough to digest solid food. So also will we eventually become mature and able to bite, chew, swallow and digest all spiritual meat given from above. This is they way of things and the way God is bringing us into His knowledge and glory. Where did salvation have its beginning? It began when we realized we needed help and there is a God who desires to help us.

Genesis 14:20

“And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

This may be the first mention of salvation in the Bible. As we know, “salvation” means “to be delivered.” In this case Abraham was aided by God to win a battle over his enemies. Abraham sought a natural kind of salvation and this is what he received. Soon after this we read that Abraham’s desire was for a natural son and God again “delivers.” In his day, Abraham’s spiritual awareness was far more superior compared to the rest of mankind, yet he was still focused more on the natural, material world. This is not unlike the spiritual status of the many religious souls of today. Which is to say, mankind is making progress in its spiritual evolution. There are far more servants for God than ever before in man’s history. The time will come soon when there will be many sons of God revealed as Jesus was 2,000 years ago. It should be reassuring that we are becoming more spiritually aware like the very few of ancient times. It should be noted that in the early ages of our spiritual development, mankind as a whole was still very carnally minded. We lived more like animals than angels. Of course, in this natural state of mind man can only see God’s truths as shadows. The whole universe is full of physical shadows to help lead us to God. Still, man many times takes these shadows to be the actual spiritual truth God is trying to reveal. So, man tends to naturalize what is actually spiritual. This is apparent all throughout the Old Testament writings as Paul occasionally alludes to in his teachings.

For example, it seems unlikely that Abraham totally understood the covenant he signed. He likely saw it as completely natural not realizing its higher spiritual meaning. Paul obviously grasped the spiritual significance of the many symbols and shadows handed down through the prophets like Abraham. Shadows are the natural representations of spiritual truths. Abraham was the first to offer living animal sacrifices to God. This is not the reality, but the shadow of how to please God. God is truly pleased when we present ourselves as “living sacrifices” at the holy alter. So we should understand that one man’s revelation is not the end of God’s Truth being revealed. God can only reach the natural man using shadows, but the spiritual man and mind can see the Truth and glory of God. Even though these men lacked deep spiritual understanding, they were the best mankind had to offer to God, so God used them to bring us some semblance of His higher truths. The Truth is hard for us to accept, so it comes to us slowly as we are able to accept it and live according to it. Each time that a messenger of a higher truth of God comes, the majority of mankind rejects the message. This fact is established given the treatment of God’s prophets including, of course, Jesus. Little by little faith leads us to bite off more and more Truth until we are filled with the “knowledge of the Lord.” So going back to the Old Testament writers, we can understand why they believed and responded as they did. They could not fully understand the higher spiritual truths God was showing them, but they instead construed these revelations in very natural ways and turned them into religious practices. This is the way of man.

After the time of Abraham, one of the earliest cries for God’s salvation came from the ancient Jews who desperately wanted to be freed from the bondage they endured at the hands of the Egyptians.

Exodus 10:3

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that they may worship me.’”

God saved the Hebrews from slavery so that they could worship Him. This symbolism is a wonderful and enlightening revelation pointing at our spiritual bondage. Of course this shadow of long ago becomes a reality today when Christ frees us from being slaves to sin. In the case of the Hebrews, this was the time before the Law and consequently before any account of sin was kept. As the story goes, Moses brought their wild party to an end when he brought the Law down from Mt. Sinai. Essentially then, they traded one master for another. They were no longer slaves of Egypt, but now they were becoming slaves to sin. So understand that they wanted and received a physical deliverance from bondage, but we want a spiritual freedom in Christ! He frees us so that we can worship Him and follows his ways. Again, they could only see the natural shadow and not the spiritual reality. After the Law had time to “sink in” to their culture and beliefs, those attempting to live according to it were many times seeking salvation from their personal trials in the evil world.

Psalms 59:2

Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.

2 Samuel 22:3

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, the shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you save me.

The Law was given because the some of the more spiritual advanced souls wanted to serve God and do what was “right.” The only problem is that most of humanity had no real desire to follow such laws or believe in this One True God of the Jews. This caused these natural men seeking to come closer to God a need to be saved from the evil around them. The prophets of the Old Testament really didn’t look for a life beyond their current one. This was not the salvation they asked of God. As we read in 2 Samuel, many times they simply wanted to be saved (delivered) from the control or actions of violent men. They were not looking for a “heaven” after death or eternal life, but rather just peace in their current day. Other times they just wanted worldly prosperity for them and their people- Israel.

Isaiah 49:8

This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

9 to say to the captives, `Come out,' and to those in darkness, `Be free!'

Having great wealth at time of the prophet Isaiah was a sign of God’s blessing upon you. If your livestock and crops prospered, you were blessed. If your wife gave you many children (especially sons), you were considered blessed. There is nothing wrong with having a prosperous natural life in this world, but it all must be put into a higher perspective when Christ comes calling. To this day, naturally minded men seek natural types of salvation from whatever is causing them distress. Consider all the different souls that sought out Jesus simply to heal their bodies and cure their diseases of the flesh. Again, there is nothing wrong with having physical needs and desires met, but what is more important to you? Are you a creature of flesh; or are you a child of God? If a man’s eyesight is restored will he then be able to see the Truth? No. If a cripple is given two strong legs, will he then be able to walk with God? No. If a beggar who is deaf and dumb is given a perfect body and all that the world has to offer will he also inherit the Kingdom of God? No. It should be clear that we must wean ourselves from selfish, natural desires if we truly want the Kingdom of God to grow in and through us. They are not compatible. You can gain the world, but you will lose your soul. One could say that Jesus was the most blessed man to ever walk the earth, yet he had no possessions, no money and no home. Jesus’ thoughts and desires were of a higher order than all other men that ever served God.

Psalms 14:7

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Isaiah 45:17

But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation;

you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.

The prophets of old desired natural prosperity and peace for Israel- this was salvation to them. From this and other passages, it should be clear where the tribe of “Israel” acquired their superiority complex. Not only did they believe that God had chosen them above all others, but also that the NATION of Israel was going to be saved. Like the Law and other teachings of the Old Testament, the history of Israel is another natural shadow of a higher spiritual truth. As Paul explained, Israel symbolizes God’s chosen followers. These are the true believers, the Body of Christ and the ones called out from the world. We, like Israel, will return to the LORD, but not until we have been wounded like Jesus and Israel were.

Hosea 6:1

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

Just as Israel was held captive so have we (who are spirit) been held captive by sin and death. Just as Israel was punished for her sins, we are also being punished here in hell for the evil we have sown. Just as ALL of Israel will be revived and restored, so will ALL of those children born of the Father’s Spirit be resurrected and saved so that “we may live in his presence!” This is our true salvation- to know and be our true life, which is Christ!

As we have read, most of the concepts regarding salvation have been in the “here and now” of the natural world with no mention of an afterlife or heaven. In fact, heaven and hell are concepts and words not commonly used in the more accurate Old Testament translations. Adam and Eve were never told about any heaven or hell. As the story is told, they were already in paradise (heaven?) until the devil enticed them to eat some knowledge. What they then became conscious of is that there is right and wrong. And God did tell them that by eating of this knowledge they would die. Their life was in paradise (heaven), and this “death” was to be our hell. So, when they chose death, they chose to turn their paradise into Hades- a place of the dead. In the same way, we will again turn back to God and choose life once we have learned our lessons. This is why we are here on earth- to experience and to know. After we have fully experienced death, we will then fully appreciate the life of Christ.

Slowly but surely, we are becoming aware of God. Our spirits are awakening within us. After ages of crying out to the Lord for natural forms of salvation, the prophets of God eventually began seeking that highest form of salvation. Interestingly, the first passage in the Old Testament that may be referring to our spiritual salvation or resurrection from the dead is this one from the prophet Daniel.

Daniel 12:1

"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Reading this today, many would believe that this passage is speaking of the resurrection of our physical bodies, but I don’t think so. I believe that that this is again a spiritual vision that was misunderstood in the shadow form. Daniel’s visions are interpreted as simply natural prophecies about nations, wars and even physical bodies coming out of graves. Those that believe that old rotted bodies are going to come out of graves are the same ones that believe Jesus will come riding back to earth on a white horse. Again, many let their natural imaginations fog their spiritual eyesight. What I am seeing is that we (spirit) are sleeping in the dust of the earth (our physical bodies). We will awaken when Christ call us and revives us! This is the real resurrection from the dead! While many saw Jesus very few saw Christ. It is the same with the resurrection. Many see the natural, but few see the spiritual. This was certainly true of the Jewish prophets of long ago.

Understand that every natural man dies and becomes dust. The natural man lives and dies receiving his blessings and punishment here in this world. This is what the Jews taught for centuries before Jesus’ time. They did not teach about a resurrection from the dead because they lived and thought as natural men. They were born; they followed the Law; they received their wages; and then they died. That was it. That was the end of life, so they believed and taught. Even when Jesus came on the scene there were still those who didn’t believe in any resurrection from the dead or an afterlife. This was certainly true of the Jewish sect called the Sadducees who posed tough questions for Jesus to answer. The whole notion of being resurrected from the dead is an idea that has gained momentum through the ages as our spiritual awareness has increased. Even so, many are still using natural shadows and symbols to understand a spiritual process that all are undergoing- that is our spiritual salvation from a spiritual death. The spirit gives life while the flesh means nothing. Yet, so many are still seeking to live in their flesh forever in heaven.

While the prophets were certainly guilty of carnal desires like this, it does seem clear that they did realize that God was the source of inner peace and life. Because of this, a new hope began to emerge-- God could save us from all sorts of inflictions of the soul. It was commonly written by the prophets that God is our salvation. Even by calling on the name of the LORD it is said we are saved.

Joel 2:32

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;

So what is the official “name” of the LORD? Is it Elohim? Or is it YHVH? What about Yahweh? Jehovah? Buddha? While different religions will tell you different names, even a single religion like Judaism or Christianity have several names for God. In Christianity God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So what “name” exactly is it that saves us? Some Christians would argue until they were blue in the face that the ONLY "name" that saves is Jesus. Yet, does the mere name “Jesus” carry some special power to save? There are many with the name “Jesus” that are currently in prison for committing heinous crimes against others. These may also say they believe in Jesus, but do we suppose that they are saved? My point here is that a name like every title means nothing. When we read in the Bible about "the name" it is referring to the character or essence of who the name stands for, not the name itself. Many tv preachers will say, "in the name of Jesus" not realizing that their prayer may not be heard. They misunderstand what the "name" of the Lord is. The name of the Lord isn't made of words- that is simply a title. So one might say, “This man is the Pope.” And I say, “So what!” Another might say, “This man is the President.” And again I say, “So what!” Labels mean nothing to me. Don’t we get it? It isn’t the letter(s) of the name that save us, but the SPIRIT of the name! “Jesus” means God saves, and this is all we need to know. If any soul of any religion knows that GOD SAVES, then he also knows Jesus the Christ. He need not know the letters J-E-S-U-S to be saved. These are not even technically correct. This again is the foolishness of man’s carnal mind at work to keep us from seeing the Truth. The truth is that the spirit of the name Jesus is what will save us. In the same way, one does not need to know the name of a man to know the man. Quite the opposite can be true. Let us speak the “name of the LORD” in our hearts and then our lips will follow with the right words.

Again, the salvation we seek increases as our awareness of God increases. From Abraham to Moses and to Jesus himself, the form of salvation desired has become more and more spiritual. The psalmist seemed to understand that God’s salvation would bring joy and peace to his troubled soul (mind).

Psalms 35:9

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.

So it was the evolution of man’s consciousness that led him from seeking earthly, physical blessings to seeking intangible peace for his soul. Understand that God is in His Kingdom and that Kingdom is within you. We left this paradise and went out into the void and into the flesh. There we became lost and have tasted death. We are now called to raise up from our graves of dust- our bodies. More and more we are realizing that we cannot have lasting peace by satisfying the carnal desires of the BODY. The Psalmists realized that God would give his SOUL peace and joy. This is spiritual evolution in action. And this is a direct result of becoming aware of the Law. Man was not always conscious of his sin, so he would simply seek to satisfy his natural cravings. However, after the Law became apparent, sin became a heavier and heavier burden for the soul (mind). It became so unbearable that we called on God to save us from our sins.

Psalms 39:8

Save me from all of my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.

The Law’s purpose was to bring us to our knees. It brought us face to face with our imperfect image- the ego. If we see our self through the ego, we are seeing a false image. Our true image is Christ. So, this knowledge that we were falling short (sinning) brought shame and despair upon us. It showed us that we were not being true to ourselves. We were not being God’s image, which is perfect. Something had to break, and it was us.

Salvation from Sin?

Many have come to believe that they must be saved from sin because if they remain a “sinner” in God’s eyes they will be cast into hell at the judgment. Let me give you a simple definition of what sin is. Sin is NOT being God’s image. If we ever fall short of expressing God’s love and will, we have sinned. We do this everyday and nearly every MOMENT! All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory every day of their lives. Can you accept such humility? Very simply God told us long ago what to do if we want to avoid the effects of sin.

Genesis 4:6

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

If we do what is RIGHT, then there will be no problem or ill feelings. This is easier said than done, as we surely know. Our LORD God goes on to say that we must master sin. This is the key! Sin is not so much a problem, but more a rite of passage for the children of God. Going through sin is like going through the “terrible twos”! We are like young children in God’s eyes. We have become aware of what is right and wrong, so now we are called to DO what is right according to our conscience. So, sin then is more a spiritual phase we are going through. Sin and the Law have come to bring us to our knees and see our need for a Savior.

The Old Testament writers saw sin as something that needed to be removed through baptizing, or if not removed then covered over with blood sacrifices. Sin means missing the mark, imperfect. By offering God the perfect ram or goat, they believed their imperfection was forgiven- for the moment. As I have written before, we became conscious of sin (aware that we are not perfect) because we became aware of our self through the ego, which is a false image of our self in this lower world. Looking at our self through the ego, we will never be perfect. So we must lose or dismantle the ego from its throne. By doing this, we will then see ourselves as we truly are- perfect in the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Jesus said that those of PURE heart would see the “face of God.” In other words, we will come face to face with our True Self, who is Christ- the perfect Image of God. Being Christ is seeing God face to face because the Father and Son are One. This why our consciousness (awareness) of God and Truth must increase as we are able to accept them. Again, sin is just a phase we are passing through.

I know that many feel that salvation is synonymous with the forgiveness of sins, but this is not so. Consider again that shadow of the Hebrews being set free from their bondage in Egypt. While they were set free from being slaves, they still did not enter the promise land for 40 years. So we should then understand that being set free of the bondage of sin does not mean we then enter heaven. We too must be tested in the desert as we walk with Christ the Lord. Being forgiven is the beginning of our new life in Christ. By having our sins forgiven, the soul (mind, psyche) is delivered and can now come before God without fear and shame. The sinner can only be God’s servant, but reconciled man can call God his Father. Being reconciled is reestablishing our friendship and relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 5: 18

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Again understand that being “reconciled” does not mean that one is saved. If having our sins forgiven meant that we were saved as Christendom teaches then ALL are saved right now because Jesus has already taken away the sins of the world. We read that Jesus died for all and has reconciled the world, but this doesn’t mean we are then instantly saved. As some are coming to know, salvation is more than being freed from the burden of sin.

Romans 5:9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

The blood is the life of Christ that was shed for all so our sins would be forgiven. Forgiving our sins is a way to FREE the soul from the weight of the world. Remember, it was the SOUL (female part of our being) that sinned and led our SPIRIT (male) into a state of death (sleep). Christ is our only Savior from this condition. The Word of God gave His life before the creation of the world. I suppose nearly every Christian believes that Jesus was crucified as a sacrifice for his followers. Jesus dying on the cross was a symbolic moment in time showing that Christ has already died for us. The Lamb of God was slain at the foundation of the world before man had set foot on the earth. I covered this topic in Bringing God to Life- A Matter of Faith. More than anything, Jesus was fulfilling Jewish prophecy and showing his great love for us. This was his calling and path given from God. He was the man chosen to reveal Christ (the Son of God) to the world and to also show that Christ gives his life for us.

Moreover, the divine latent power and life of Christ is waiting in everyone’s inner being until their resurrection from the dead. This is our true salvation! Jesus overcame the devil and the world through the power of Christ. Jesus died daily in the world, so that Christ could be revealed daily to the world. Jesus did God’s will that he came to know in his heart, so it was impossible for him to sin. Sinning is really nothing more than just a waste of time. It is like going down paths we KNOW are leading nowhere. The path to salvation is the straight and narrow one to be sure, but don’t think that being sinless saves us. No one is justified by the Law. In fact, the Scribes and Pharisees of yesterday and today unknowingly use the Law to keep man and God apart. Christianity is still preaching the Ten Commandments, but this is not salvation because this is not the life of Christ. Christ is the bridge between man and God, not the Law. Through Christ, our higher life, we are truly saved and then too Christ becomes our very nature, which is to be prefect and sinless. We are not saved from our sin, but rather we transcend it and are saved from death by receiving the life of Christ. Those that should have known this better than any other were the disciples.

Salvation According to Peter, John and Paul

By the time of Jesus, many were seeking salvation from death, but still a natural death. In other words, man had become so self-conscious that he didn’t want to die. Selfishly, the natural man wants to live forever in flesh form. Because of this carnal desire, religious men have misunderstood the salvation Jesus is offering us. As I said before, Jesus brought the Truth of Christ, but his followers have subsequently brought us more religions of men. Do not misunderstand me. I am thankful for Christianity because it represents humanity’s best effort yet at expressing the truth about Christ and salvation. Yet, it still misses the mark regarding the reality of Christ’s salvation. I am not even sure the apostles totally “got it.” Does this statement offend you? It shouldn’t because Jesus would many times preface what he would say with “if you can accept it.” I believe that there were many teachings that the twelve could not yet accept or understand. This is true even today among those that call themselves “teachers” of God. Spiritual knowledge does not come from books- not even the “Good Book.” Read it over and over again, but without a true calling from God one can only be a follower of religion and not of Truth. Like God, Jesus chose his followers, so these were definitely the right men for the job. Still, we must also keep in mind that they, unlike Jesus, were not perfect. Jesus their teacher placed them on a very sharp learning curve when it came to spiritual truth. So let’s consider what they learned about salvation and the reality of Christ.

-PETER-

Surely no one knew Jesus better than the twelve men Jesus chose to follow him day and night for three years. Yet, as I wrote about in Who Then Can Be Saved? even these men seemingly didn’t have it all figured out concerning Jesus’ identity and purpose. If we consider the list of prerequisites of salvation, it is a wonder that ANY of them could be saved. Jesus called Peter “Satan” even though later Peter was shown Jesus was the Christ. Then after living by his side and becoming closer than brothers, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. According to Jesus, the act of denial meant Christ would deny us before the Father. Is Peter burning in hell right now? After three years of miracles and lessons by his Teacher’s side, Thomas still didn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead. Peter’s denials and Thomas’ unbelief are exactly the kind of ammunition that today’s Christians use to send so many “non-Christians” into eternal damnation. This is utterly ludicrous! If the first twelve “believers” are, in fact, saved, then ALL will be saved. Also consider the selfishness expressed by James and John who wanted to have good seats in heaven. Does this sound like someone who is “getting it”? No, I don’t think so. Many are still not “getting” Jesus’ message of Truth because that same selfish sentiment resonates from the hearts of today’s Christians who await their mansion atop the clouds. This is natural nonsense!

Christians seem quick to judge all those that do not accept THEIR distorted message even though Jesus’ very own disciples had trouble accepting or understanding it directly from the source. Do you see my point? Jesus came to save the world, not just Christians. So why then are so many that call themselves Christians sending the rest of the world to hell? We should judge ourselves, not others. When Jesus said to forgive our sinning brother 7 times a day, he was expressing a humanly unattainable amount of forgiveness. In other words, Jesus was saying to forgive as much as we were capable of according to our faith and love. However, God’s faith, love and forgiveness are immeasurable! If Christians were truly in Christ, then they should know this kind of divine power. So the question is NOT who CAN be saved? But it is- who CAN’T be saved? I know of no one that can withstand the flood of God’s love. We will ALL be overcome by God’s Love and Truth. So, I find it reaffirming the man Jesus called “Satan” is saved. Peter was also the man that was given the revelation of Jesus’ anointing. Peter was shown that Jesus was the Christ, but did Peter fully understand salvation?

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter doesn’t speak directly about salvation very much in his two letters of the New Testament. In this passage he says that our salvation is COMING and will be REVEALED in the last time. Because he writes that our salvation is coming, this is to say we are not saved YET in spite of what Christians believe. Yes, Christ coming back to earth is our salvation, but this is not as many people think. Jesus isn’t coming back to earth riding a white horse through the atmosphere. Christ returning to “earth” means that Christ will return and again be revealed in our earth- that is our bodies. So in other words, Christ revealing His life through our being and body is our salvation. Peter speaks of the trials and tribulations that are like fire refining us. Finally Peter says something that is unlike what others taught. Peter says that the goal of our faith is “the salvation of your souls.” This is interesting because Paul many times says that our “spirit” would be saved. In truth, both must be saved. Our soul is our psyche, our mind. When this mind has been purified as in a fire, then we are ready for the marriage to Christ. Our mind and spirit must become One so that God’s will is done- this is Christ being revealed.

It doesn’t seem that Peter really had much to say on this topic. Peter and James seem to be preoccupied with the fledgling church in Judea while some of the younger and perhaps more zealous believers went out into the world to spread the Good News. It also seemed that while Peter’s faith might have been his strongest attribute the knowledge of the Truth shined a bit brighter in others like John.

-JOHN-

John is thought to be one of Jesus’ favorite disciples and perhaps the youngest. John’s gospel is more distinctive than the others because it takes a more mystical, or “Eastern” slant in describing the life and purpose of Jesus. I am not sure that John was the writer of the book attributed to him, but his letters and revelations seem to demonstrate that he was more spiritually aware than others concerning the identity of Christ. Beginning his relationship with Jesus as a young man, most of John’s life was then devoted to carrying on the teachings of Jesus Christ. John certainly knew the man Jesus, but he also apparently came to understand the depth and reality of Christ. John seemed to understand that Christ lives in us and this Spirit of Christ would save the world.

1 John 4:13

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

This is one of those passages that so many gloss over without receiving its wisdom. God sent his Son to live and grow in us through whom all would be saved. Many will say this passage is speaking of Jesus, which is true because Jesus is Christ, but there is more to it than this. Christ is more than one man; Christ is the true life of every man, woman and child that enters into this world. If we consider that is written in the first chapter of John we can gain a better perspective on this.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; and without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life: and that life was the light of men.

The man Jesus was not with God in the Beginning; however, the SPIRIT of Jesus was! This passage is about Christ, of which Jesus represents the beginning, the head of the Body of Christ. The writer (John?) goes on to say that Christ is light of every man that comes into the world. This corroborates with what John wrote in his first letter. If salvation is life from death then Christ is our salvation. If any are seeking Christ, they must look inside our very being because HE IS OUR LIFE! This is the wonderful mystery that so very few seem to grasp. Yes, John knew Jesus in the flesh, but more importantly John knew Christ in his spirit, as we must. Christ is the Word of God that is God and was with God in the Beginning. Through Christ all things were made. Through Christ all things will be restored including man‘s spirit. Jesus is the man obedient to God’s so that Christ could be manifest through him. All of Christ is not in Jesus alone, but rather Christ is ALL in ALL. Understanding this is essential to our salvation as John teaches.

Another area where John seemed to excel was in the understanding of AGAPE (Gr.)- unconditional love. John clearly envisioned that God and love are synonymous- unconditional love that is. Unconditional love is the most powerful force in creation. It is constant force like gravity that pulls until it makes all things one. Like gravity it become stronger as we draw closer to God and our faith becomes larger. There is no escaping God’s agape (love force). Jesus became the presence of unconditional love on earth. Jesus only gave us one command- to love each other. Certainly John loved Jesus and understood that Love leads to our salvation.

1 John 4:7

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John doesn’t place numerous requirements for us to obtain our salvation. John doesn’t tell us we must be baptized or attend church to be saved. He says, “Everyone that loves has been born of God and knows God.” I say, “AMEN!” Why do so many not understand that God is not found in their particular religion? God is found in LOVE! Suppose there is a Christian with a cold, unforgiving heart that has done all that the Church has asked of her. She tithes, prays and follows all the rules of society. Then there is also a completely non-religious woman who doesn’t attend any church and has broken some laws in her day. Yet, this woman is gentle, caring and humble with those around her. Which one do you say is saved? Suppose the Christian woman truly believes that Jesus is the Christ and that Jesus rose from the dead while the non-religious woman believes that God works through her to reach others. Which one knows God? If we truly accept that God is love, then the answer is clear. Religion is NOT the way to God, but Christ is. If you express true love then God lives in you and you are saved- the TRUE you that is spirit from God.

So our salvation is found in Love. When we love as God loves then we are truly saved. Many are still trying to show their love for God through religious practices, but the only way to love God is to love others. This is because God is in His temples, which we are. Jesus said that if we did it to the least we did it to him, and so it is. Jesus and John seemed to be on the same page concerning God’s existence in Love. Yet while John’s approach to salvation was simplified and centered on love, Paul’s ministry became a more systematic. Dare I say, a “religious,” process?

-PAUL-

Paul was unique among the disciples in that he never knew the man Jesus. Ironically, among all the followers of Jesus, Paul seemed to be the most proactive in teaching, writing and spreading the Gospel message of salvation. Paul of course was a Pharisee named Saul before that fateful visitation of the Lord on the road to Damascus. As we read, Saul was very pious and religious man that hated what he perceived to be blasphemy- that being the rise of Christianity. While Paul’s heart was certainly converted in that divine encounter with Christ, I believe Paul’s mind still retained a measure of Saul the Pharisee. The same tenacity that was once used to persecute and even execute the followers of Christ was now being used to persuade and excite the masses about the Christ he had come to know. Paul’s zealous nature even went as far to say that we are saved by “this gospel” he was preaching.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

While Paul was a wonderful servant of God, by his own admission, he was not perfect. I believe one of Paul’s greatest assets was also one of his worst flaws- his religious zeal. Even though the mysteries of Christ were revealed to him, he seemed to retain some of his old mindsets regarding established religion and doctrines. He also seemed to make claims beyond the boundaries of truth. At times it seemed he was more concerned with gaining followers than teaching the truth of salvation. It was almost as if Paul wanted to draw as many as he could with honey and then give them the vinegar straight once they were ready. He admitted that he was “all things to all people” for the sake of Christ. In other words, he used a chameleon-like personality to connect with would-be converts. He and others also made some pretty lofty promises about salvation.

Acts 16:31

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

This statement professes that if the “head” of the household believes, then all will be saved. Now that’s an effective sales pitch! But how can this be? Some surely have taken this passage very literally along with Paul’s many other teachings regarding how to run our churches. Although, it does seems clear that Paul understood the reality of Christ and how Christ could change the world by coming to life in and through our very lives. Still, the paradox of Saul vs. Paul surfaces again and again in his teachings and writings. Paul’s spiritual revelations mixed with his preexisting biased beliefs seemed to cause confusion and contradiction in his teachings. In other words, remnants of Saul (the old self) seem to distort the beauty of Paul’s spiritual insight. An area where this is quite apparent was seen in Paul’s sexist attitude toward women.

1 Timothy 2:11

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Either Paul, like the majority of his male dominated society, was truly a sexist or he was greatly misunderstood. One possibility is that Paul differentiated between the earthly church system and the True Church. In the Body of Christ there is no male or female, but Paul, for the sake of the religious acceptance, must have believed that men should run the show. We must keep in mind that women were not considered as equals in his society. While Jesus broke many taboos when he reached out to women in matters of faith, Paul seemed to maintain that cultural bias as he brought many rules, which seemed to contradict his “freedom in Christ” message. One rule was that a man having long hair was a disgrace. (I guess this is all relative because Jesus’ hair length might be considered “long” today!). My point here is that Paul was a religious zealot before his encounter with Christ, and he still retained many of these personality traits afterwards.

Paul spent much of his time setting up churches around the regions- in other words, babysitting. To guide these new establishments, he also had to set up rules for them to follow. “Rules” is really just another way to say “laws,” so this is also another apparent contradiction in Paul’s teaching. He taught that we are under no law except the “law of the spirit of life,” which is really complete freedom in Christ. Yet, he then had to create rules to govern those “babes in Christ.’ Being a former Pharisee, Paul certainly had no problem guiding the newly established groups of believers. I know there are some who have written papers and books against the teachings of Paul claiming they do not totally align with the teachings of Jesus. I can understand why some would feel this way because I also see inconsistencies in his teachings. Even so, as is the case with all truth revealed to mankind, it must be somewhat filtered into society. We will not accept the pure Truth so it is, in essence, “watered down” for us. I believe this is what Paul did in many instances whether consciously or subconsciously. He created rules because many were (and are still not) mature enough to live in the freedom of Christ. For this reason, religious rules and doctrines are created by man. This is not necessarily wrong or evil because any LIGHT reaching into the darkness is better than none at all. This is why religion is necessary, but the time will come when all religions will fade away because Truth will reign.

What is rather intriguing is Paul, who never lived with or traveled aside Jesus, seemed to know the mysteries and universalism of Christ the best. This serves as the perfect example of knowing Jesus versus knowing Christ. The others seem to focus on the man they lived with while Paul seemed to be completely fixated on the Spirit of Christ that lived in him and in Jesus and in ALL. I believe that because of this lack of natural knowledge clouding his mind he had a more clear spiritual vision of the reality of who Christ is and where Christ is.

Galatians 3:26

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

So Paul really understood that Jesus is the Christ, but also that Christ is all in all. Paul knew that Jesus showed us Christ and that believing in Jesus (in his words and spirit) we are saved.

Romans 10:9

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Again though, what does Paul mean by “saved?” If we look at all that Paul wrote, we would see that we are being saved from our current state of existence. We are being saved from our lower nature that is being led by the devil to taste death again and again. Paul wants us to be saved from our self- our OLD self, so that our NEW self can be revealed to glorify God.

Ephesians 4:24

Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the NEW SELF, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Just as our hell is a state of spirit and soul, so is our salvation a state of FREEDOM! By renewing our mind (soul) and maturing our spirit in Christ, we will be saved. Again, I say this is the work that EVERY child of God must do to mature. Paul even wrote that each of us must WORK out our salvation.

Philippians 2:12

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…

So you see, there is a process to obtain our salvation. Yet, it can also be likened to GROWTH because it will happen naturally due to our true and higher nature in Christ. We are the perfect Image of God at the end of the salvation process. Surely we have a part in our “growth” because it can be slowed or increased according to our spiritual diet. God offer us bread from heaven, but ultimately we make the choices what to accept. God’s Seed is in all, and that Seed is Christ. The child of God will be born and WILL mature in the dispensation of time. This is an absolute because God’s Word does not come back void. Our salvation is therefore guaranteed by God who is our salvation! This is essentially what Paul goes on to say in the next verse.

Philippians 2:13

… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

God is going to have His way, which means His Image will come to BE for all to SEE! And again, if my skeptics can accept that it is truly God who is working out our salvation, then EVERYONE must be saved! Sorry Christians, you are not special. Christ is all in all. Why do so many Christians believe that God will fail to save those He has given His divine life? Truly, any failure we perceive has only been imagined in our less than perfect minds because God doesn’t make mistakes. This is why our minds need renewed back into the true image of our Creator, who is Perfection. Another passage from Paul which reinforces the idea that Christ IN US is working out our salvation is this one.

Colossians 1:26

…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What an immense and wonderful revelation! However, this is the mystery that was kept hidden for generations is still apparently unseen by the majority of religious souls wandering the earth. They continue to look for Christ in churches, in clergy and in ceremonies, but Christ and His Kingdom are where they have always been- in YOU and ALL. Coming to see them is the goal of our life in this world. Truly, Christ in US is our only hope for glory and salvation. Some will say we must “receive Christ” because Christ is not in everyone. This sadly contradicts the words of Christ himself. Jesus said he was IN the least of these. Christ said that His Kingdom was IN us- even the Pharisees to whom he was speaking. These are the same Pharisees that he called “sons of hell.” Yes, Christ is in all and is our ONLY hope. Someone who knew this truth better than any other man chosen by God to reveal Christ to the world.

Salvation According to Jesus

Of course now we come to the authority on salvation! Jesus the anointed man chosen by God has unsurpassed experience in this area and is leading the way into the higher life of the Kingdom of God. We must believe and understand that Jesus is the forerunner for ALL of mankind! Each of us at the proper time will follow Him and become like him. We will be where he is, which is IN Christ (consciousness) and oneness with God. However, also understand that this means much more than simply gaining awareness of God. This also means that we will inherit the same power and glory given to Jesus here on earth! This is God’s Kingdom come to earth when God’s super-human children have matured in Christ and are doing His will. Yes, there will truly be a new heaven and a new earth! It is the glorious plan of life conceived by God before creation! It is the spiritual destiny of every child of God brought into the world. Jesus was the first to obtain this higher life from God, but not the last. As it was with Jesus, the Spirit of Christ will also save you and all from hell and death because the Day of the Lord has come! This is the truly Good News that there is absolutely no way to keep Christ from coming and being revealed in you and in all! This is the salvation of Jesus.

We should understand that the Spirit of Christ lived in and ruled over Jesus like no other man. Peter wrote that the “Spirit of Christ” was in the prophets long ago helping to lead them. Still, this higher spirit and nature never totally took control of their being as it did with Jesus. Jesus is the first mature Son of God to be revealed in the world- the firstfruit. Jesus is also called the “firstborn from among the dead” because he came alive to God through his higher nature, which is also ours- that is Christ. Jesus let his higher nature rule his being, which is the path to peace and salvation. Too many are controlled by carnal cravings or desires of the ego, but Jesus was obviously not. He achieved perfect spiritual alignment in his being. This is to say that his matured spirit ruled his mind and his then purified mind ruled his body. This allowed him to transcend the physical world and its laws.

However, the majority of mankind is still in the process of reversing their “alignment.” Many are still controlled by their carnal minds. The mind focused on life through the body is called a carnal mind. If the mind aligns itself with the spirit, then it can establish a relationship with God. Because man’s mind is focused on serving his flesh, he is leading his whole being into darkness of hell. In the same way, Eve (mind) led Adam (spirit) into knowledge and death. So it is the mind that must realize its need for the spirit. The mind must realize that she needs to be subservient to the spirit. In this way, she can be re-joined to the spirit and led out of hell. As long as the mind is married to the body, it will suffer and die with the body in hell.

How many understand that Jesus had to be saved from hell? How many understand that Jesus died long before going to the cross at Calvary? Jesus crucified his carnal mind and ego, the “old self” as Paul calls it. This false image is not who we are because we are GOD’S IMAGE, not the false image we see through the ego. This false self is the principle deception of the devil to keep us in a state of hell and death. As Jesus grew in wisdom, he realized that he was in hell and needed to be saved. You might be saying, “What! That is preposterous! Jesus didn’t need to be saved because he was the Savior!” However, this passage from Hebrews says otherwise.

Hebrews 5:7

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

How many understand WHY Jesus himself had to be saved from death? Again, do not think that “death” means a physical death. Many of the physically dead have been brought back to life in the flesh before and after Jesus was resurrected. Elisha brought a boy back from death. Jesus brought Lazarus back from death. Paul brought a man back from death. Everyday in emergency rooms, souls are brought back to life by doctors. While men have raised dead bodies from death, it is only God who raises dead (sleeping) spirits from death! The Son of God laid down his life for all at the moment of creation. The time of Christ coming to life in this world has come! Christ has been RESURRECTED through the life of Jesus, the chosen man of God! Yes, that is right. Jesus was a chosen man who was destined to find and receive Christ because he wanted God more than anything in this lower world. Jesus surrendered his lower life in the flesh for his higher life in the Spirit of Christ! Every sword has a point; Jesus is our point piercing a hole in the dark canopy of hell.

God saved Jesus from a state of spiritual death because his was obedient to God’s will. Every man is this world can be led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s “refined” spirit of this lower world, and is called our helper and comforter. By following the Holy Spirit we can certainly be a SERVANT to God, but we cannot be called a SON. This is why we need the Spirit of Christ. The Kingdom of Christ is above this lower world of the Holy Spirit just as the Father is above the Son. This is the divine hierarchy God has shown us. Through the ages, the Holy Spirit has been helping those seeking to know God, but they remained natural men. Christ, the Son of God, is the only one that can transform us into angels. Jesus was the prototype and epitome of this divine metamorphosis. If we are truly following Jesus, then we too will take on perfection and immortality.

We must accept that Jesus was a man like every other except Jesus was chosen by God to reveal Christ to the world. We too will be called to do the same. Jesus is called the “cornerstone” of the house of God, which means that Jesus was the beginning of God’s Kingdom being built on earth. Consider the amount of “energy” released in the short ministry of Jesus- the miracles, the wisdom, and the love. Then understand that this is just the beginning of a release of God’s grace and power greater than the world has ever seen. Every nuclear explosion of energy begins with a single atom splitting and giving up its energy. This single sacrifice then causes a CHAIN REACTION of unimaginable proportions! Do you see that Jesus is that first “atom” (Adam) split? The first Adam must be transformed into the second and last Adam. This means that in time Christ will be revealed in all of humanity because Christ must be all in all and subdue all things. Jesus showed us the way because Jesus showed us Christ who is the WAY to salvation- the only way.

As you likely know, the word “Christ” means anointed or anointed one. Jesus was a MAN anointed by the spirit of Sonship from God. Again, many are called and led by Holy Spirit in this lower world to be servants of God, but it is the “Spirit of Christ” that brings us the higher reality of being God’s Son. As many of you may know, “JESUS” means God saves or God’s salvation. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua or even more correctly YAHU’SHUAH. The name of the Lord has undergone many changes for various reasons, but the meaning is still clear. God through Christ who was expressed by Jesus is our salvation. This is why Christ has come down from the higher life above.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

The Son of God is Christ and is the savior of the world! Far too many underestimate the scope and power of God’s one and only Son. Christ is UNIVERSAL! For all things seen and unseen exist because of Him, through Him and for Him. Understand that Christ is more than the ONE man called Jesus. Christ is a complete body for God to live in. God lives in all, so Christ is all in all. Christ is our life and reason for all life. If you are looking for a purpose to life, look to the Son of God. As I wrote before many times in other articles, we are through faith and grace becoming the Image of God, which is Christ. This is inevitable- if God is God that is! So in a very real and meaningful way Jesus showed us what God “looks” like. God is Truth; and God is Love. Jesus also showed us that the beginning of salvation is found in faith and our SPIRITUAL baptism.

Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Jesus says that if we believe and are baptized we will be saved. What exactly does he mean? Of course “believing” is more than most “think” it is. As discussed in Bringing God to Life- A Matter of Faith, our faith is essential in bringing God’s overcoming life into our life. Not only is belief more than words or emotions, but we must also put our faith into what is true. Believing is false notions will not have any grand effect in our lives and will certainly not save us from death.

Jesus also says we must be baptized. Again, what does he mean? Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit and this was symbolically done by John the Baptist preceding the ministry of Jesus. Even so, John saved no one with his ceremony of water. Our baptism is the one administered by Holy Spirit and fire of God. The Spirit washes us while the fire judges us. Both are to purify us. We enter our new and higher relationship with God clean and unblemished. Even at this early point, there is some awareness that we are saved. We are “saved” because we are freed from who we thought we were. We thought we were sinful creatures of flesh and blood like all other beasts. Wonderfully, through our faith and baptism we see and think differently because we are born into a new, higher life- the life of the Spirit of Christ! This is truly being “born again” and not simply words or religious blather. Many still don’t seem to understand that religion and righteous behavior cannot save us.

Matthew 5:20

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The only way to be more righteous than religious men is to be Christ. Jesus told us to “be perfect” yet how many Christians are perfect? Many say we don’t need to be perfect because we are “only human.” They say they are sinners, but they are simply deceived. Those truly IN CHRIST are sinless and perfect. Do not let the devil deceive you because Jesus was the perfect human because his whole being was transformed in Christ. Christ that lives in us will perfect us.

One of the greatest deceptions of Christiainty is that tells us that Jesus is different from the rest of humanity. It says that he is perfect and we are not. We are human, but he was more than human. Listen! The same God that lived in and saved Jesus, lives in and will save us! We are exactly like Jesus because we too are spirit children from God seeking to return. Some are deceived into believing they are creatures of flesh and nothing more. Many Christians will say, “I am born again!” Yet, if this were true that they are “born of the Spirit,” then why are they not SPIRIT? They still believe they are flesh and bone- merely human. They fear sickness, death, and hunger. They defend their ego, their pride and their life. This is not what SPIRIT does. Truly, that born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT and this true self cannot die because it is of God. Because of this we CAN and WILL be perfect like our Father in heaven. We first must BELIEVE it is so! This is the need for faith. One man through his faith and obedience has already showed us this is possible. Jesus calls us to be perfect because this is the WAY to salvation. We must enter into the life of Christ, and there we must REMAIN.

Matthew 10:21

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

We can only know the life and salvation of Christ IF we are living in that higher reality. We are only flying when we are OFF the ground. We must remain in Christ to stay apart from this world, and this is why we must endure to be saved. This is why Christ said he was the only Source of a true and higher life.

John 15:5

I AM the vine; you are the branches. If any man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Again, we must remain in Christ just a single cell of the body must remain attached to the body for its life. Each of us is like a cell in the Body of Christ, which is the Body doing God’s will on earth. Each of us has a purpose, which collectively work together for God’s will to be done. First and foremost, the Body must be AWAKENED. This is why we must regain Christ-consciousness, which is the awareness of our higher self. We are God’s children, and God is spirit. As we have already talked about, God has many names describing His nature. We know that believing or calling on the “name of the Lord” leads to our salvation. Moses came to know God as “I AM.” I AM is our LORD God, and our LORD God is Christ. So, I AM is our true, higher life found in salvation. I AM is full consciousness and oneness in our LORD God.

I know that in recent years there has been a New Age movement saying, “I AM.” But these words are as meaningless as saying “Lord Jesus” if there is no reality or faith supporting them. The new age movement is basically another religion of man attempting to bring us closer to God, but it can also be used to deceive us. Many of these “new agers” claim they are God. This is simply another deception of the devil because their ego and carnal mind are still the king and false prophet in their lives. Saying, “I AM” is one thing. Knowing “I AM” is another. And still being “I AM” is yet another level of consciousness. There is no doubt that “I AM” is our higher life and will bring us a peace that transcends all the cares of this world. In a state of I AM there is no fear, no pain and no death. As Jesus said VERY few find that narrow gate into this higher life.

Jesus became aware that “I AM” is his life, not his flesh. Christ is the gate that we must enter to be saved; however before we can enter this gate we must find the gate. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened. Yes again, I am saying we must work for our salvation!

John 10:7

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I AM the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I AM the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

“I AM” is the resurrection and the higher life we will all seek one day. I AM is our salvation from our state of spiritual sleep. I AM means we are Christ-conscious, which is awake to God. Being aware of God the Father is the only way to know Him, to do His will and to become His glory. Only the Son knows the Father, so we must BE the Son of God and join Jesus in the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ has many members, but is controlled by the same Spirit (head). This is how we are saved and become perfect like Jesus. The road to salvation is the way Jesus showed us. And that road leads to a doorway at the end of time that if opened leads into a higher life and glory. As you stand before the door, can you hear someone knocking? If so, the question now becomes-- will you open the door?

Salvation Becomes a Choice

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Life is about choices. Choices bring about consequences. Consequences bring about experiences. Experiences bring about wisdom. Wisdom directs us to the knowledge of the Truth. Knowledge of the Truth will lead everyone to the very door of salvation. There full of the knowledge of the Truth, we are free to open the door and let Christ in. So you see, the choice is ultimately ours. Do you want saved?

Of course, having a “choice” implies that we then have a free will, which is “relatively” true. This a tricky concept to grasp because in the highest reality there can be no such thing as “free” will, but only God’s sovereign will. An “absolute” free will exercised by “man” would be chaos and negate God from being God. Whatever God thinks, speaks, expresses or desires must be accomplished for God to retain the title of “Almighty.” So we must see that God’s will is ultimately done; however in this lower realm, we do exercise a limited free will for the purpose of growing in knowledge. We are like children in a playpen. We have free will in our little realm of existence, but until we are mature enough to be taken out of our “pen” we will remain limited. It was of course this “free will” of man that took us into this state of deception and spiritual death.

Genesis 2:16

And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Forget foolish notions about tree and a naked couple being poisoned by its fruit. Adam and Eve didn’t physically die the day they ate of that tree. It was the spirit within that has fallen asleep. When our LORD God breathed into us, we where given the Spirit of Christ. This Seed of God remains in all. Remember that Christ, the Word of God, is our LORD God that created this world. All things have been created for, by and through the Word of God. Before that “breath” entered man, we were simply intelligent apes. It is this higher Spirit that let us become truly man and the image of the LORD God. We are spiritual beings and, in a very real sense, we are gods that are free to choose at least in this lower animal kingdom. Our LORD God (Christ) gave us His life, but also gave us the freedom to choose. We choose to taste death, so that we could know life. We lost the life of Christ, the Tree of Life, but not forever.

It has been commonly taught in Christendom that a single man and woman were magically created from the dust, and then they brought sin and death upon us all by exercising THEIR free will. In other words, we are BORN sinful creatures because of a choice made 6,000 years ago when the world was new. They go on to tell us that we are headed to hell when we die unless we believe in Jesus first. Time is ticking! How ridiculous this sounds to me! It scoffs at the face of Truth. It scoffs as God for being outwitted by the devil. It scoffs at science by saying man has been here only 6,000 years. It scoffs at the injustice of everyone being punished for someone else’s sin.

Even though we are come into this world as stillborn babes dead in sin, some Christian teachers tell us that we are NOW free to make the choice to “believe in Jesus” and be saved. Other preachers have taught that our eternal fate is predestined. The Calvinists doctrine says that God has already chosen who is going to be saved, so it really doesn’t matter; most of humanity is going to hell to suffer forever. This is heartless blasphemy!

Let me make sure I understand what Christianity is teaching-- We, being born spiritually deaf, dumb and blind, are now supposed to somehow find our way out of this mess brought on by Adam and Eve. This again is utter nonsense! In our spiritually handicapped state, we can do little more than a newborn infant. So again, they teach that we are going to hell because of another’s free will. Yet, these same “teachers” will tell us that once you have been judged and sentenced to rot in hell there is no free will. You can’t get out! This is coldhearted foolishness! Only the carnal mind could have such a perverted perception of our God and Father! They will go on to say that because we HAD a free will God is justified in sending His children to hell forever. It matters not what religion you were taught. If you don’t CHOOSE to “believe in Jesus” you are going to hell forever. I say, “HELL NO!” If free will got us into this mess, then yes, free will can get us out through the grace of God. Christians, get real!

Yes, I certainly believe that we must take responsibility for our own condition. It wasn’t two naked people’s fault. We, SPIRIT, have chosen to live in this world, but only because it serves a purpose. As I have written about many times, Adam and Eve (making ONE flesh or entity, not two) should be seen as representing our Genesis as human beings. Our MIND is represented by Eve in the garden of knowledge. Eve made the choice and Adam followed because they were one. Our spirit (Adam) went into a state of death for the sake of our mind, or consciousness. So we need both the head and the heart- the mind and the spirit. Adam and Eve are saved together, which means the mind (or soul) and spirit of man are saved together. To do this they must work together toward our salvation. Through the mind, we can grow in the knowledge of the Truth. Whereas, in our spirit is where God’s love and life grow. Some may believe that God’s love is enough to save us, but what good is being saved if you don’t realize it? Like the man who has been imprisoned his whole life never realizing the door was unlocked; he just didn’t know it because he never tried; he never believed. First, we must believe we are saved; yet we are not truly saved until we KNOW we are saved.

1 Timothy 2:3

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

Once Jesus became conscious of his higher life, he spent most of his time teaching because he knew the importance of knowing the truth. Knowing the Truth sets us free and leads us to salvation. Jesus was the Christ only because he KNEW he was Christ. While it is true that first he must have believed it, but then he must have solidified his faith into an unshakeable knowledge. In the proper time, we all must follow Jesus into the next dimension. Every bird that leaves the nest first BELIEVES it can fly. Deep within that feathered creature is a belief and desire to be what it IS; there is a calling. When this feeling grows strong enough the young bird jumps and takes flight. It will be no different for those maturing in Christ. We will also “fly” as Jesus did above the cares and laws of this world! Before this can happen, however, we must grow in faith, love and spiritual knowledge.

Proverbs 8:10

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

We are not here by accident or as the result of a bad choice. We chose exactly what we needed at that time. The truth is that we have come into this world for a vital purpose. That purpose is to gain consciousness, knowledge and wisdom through our many different lives’ experiences. Little by little we are coming to know God’s instruction that is guiding us to our salvation and back to God. Still again we read in Proverbs that God calls us to “choose” His instruction. So ultimately salvation becomes a choice we must make. Do we choose to drink from the cup? Do we choose to open the door? Do we choose God’s will or our will? We all have the choice to do what is right and what is wrong, but this is a matter of perception. So we must have the correct perspective- the higher perspective. This is why we must increase our spiritual knowledge and wisdom through our experiences. Certainly we make what may seem to be bad choices, but even these decisions will serve the greater purpose. Because of our freedom to choose, we have created our hell, our suffering and our death. However, we are also the ones who can choose heaven, peace and life.

Some say they know God’s will in their life while many wish they did know God’s will. Careful what you wish for! For those who say they want to know God’s will are they ready to ACCEPT it? Are they ready to say, “not my will, but yours be done”? Salvation is dependent upon us going to the cross and dying. Our lower self and its will must be put to death because we are choosing to follow our higher will and self, which is in Christ. This is a reality and not a religion. We can’t pretend we know God’s will and do deeds we THINK are good. This is not the way to salvation.

Matthew 7:21

"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

If we are looking for an absolute distinction between what opens that door to heaven for us, we don’t need to look any further. If we hear God’s voice and do God’s will, then we will enter into God’s Kingdom and our salvation. If we do not KNOW God’s will then obviously we cannot DO God’s will. This is why we must have built a relationship of faith and love with God. Initially, God is a rather fearful Presence we hide our face from in shame. Later, God becomes our merciful Master we desire to serve. Then after Love is known, God becomes our Friend. Finally, in Christ we know God as our Father. This process is the path of faith and leads to salvation. Some are lost in the darkness of hell not seeking God. Some are too fearful to approach God, so they hide away in their religious lives. Some are serving God as teachers, workers of good deeds and prophets. All of this is according to God’s plan and is therefore perfectly fine because we must do what we feel is right. We must live according to our level of faith. Everyone is on different levels with God, but ultimately, all will be brought into the higher life of Christ.

Let me ask this- who does God’s will? And for that matter, who even knows God’s will? Certainly one must KNOW God’s will before one can DO God’s will. We know that we are in Christ (Sonship) when we KNOW God’s will. Still, knowing God’s will and DOING God’s will are two entirely different events. The first means that we have the anointing of God to be called His Son, but then the choice is still ours. We are free spirits. Yet, we are spirit from God, which means we have a divine nature inside us guiding us. So CHOOSING to do God’s will come naturally when we have the spiritual maturity to realize that this HIGHER will is exactly what is best for us. This is when we just KNOW what is the right choice. This kind of knowing is a deep feeling from our spirit (or heart) some might even say, “gut.” This feeling supersedes the common emotions that arise in the soul. The spirit of a man is his eternal essence and true life from God. The spirit fills our ever-expanding consciousness like air fills a balloon. It flows through the soul like blood through the body giving it life. Our spirit knows because our spirit has experienced many different lives gaining wisdom along the way. When this wisdom surfaces in the soul, we do well to follow it because we are really following our higher self, our spiritual self. Our higher self is spirit from God that is being brought into the full awareness and life of Christ. We are like water that is being taken into a higher form. We started as ice, then became water and eventually become gas. We are still spirit, but our level of existence is raised closer to God the Father so that we can be His Image and do His will.

Certainly there are times when we really do not know what is the right choice, so we must then do what we BELIEVE is right. Belief (faith) is a feeling residing in our soul, or mind. Faith fills the void where knowledge is lacking. Our beliefs help to guide us along the way when the “our Lord” cannot be heard. When we live as we believe, we are being true to our self, but when we hear that higher Voice telling us to change we should heed the call. Even so, if we are deceived in someway by the beliefs of the soul, these mistakes will lead to valuable experiences. All things are working to bring about God’s will in one way or another. So, our spirit will take these experiences, good or bad, and convert them into wisdom. Then when faced with similar circumstances again, we will KNOW in our spirit what is the right thing to do. God speaks to us through our spirit. When our spirit cries out, “Father!” then you know the return of Christ is near!

It can be said that God speaks to every one of us in some way. He can speak to us through nature, through others we meet and directly through our spirit that resonates in our soul. God will find us where we are no matter how deep into the darkness of hell we have fallen. In Shadows of a Higher Reality, I wrote about this is detail. God is everywhere and in everything to some degree. His Truth and Love permeate all of creation and reach us where we are.

Each life we live is like another dream of our sleeping spirit (true self) within. Each person we become is just another character in a dream. Each personality we put on is like clothes for the dream character. We can only know who we truly are if we return to our Source. Through the ages, our spirit is slowly awakening- gaining consciousness of God. In our many dreams, our true self cannot be harmed, cannot sin and cannot die. Our spirit is our true self from God- an extension, or expression of God. So God will not fail to bring about our salvation because GOD is our salvation and the very impetus fueling our salvation.

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Yes, continue to “work out your salvation,” but understand that Christ in YOU is why you are seeking and will find salvation. This is the deep, inner and higher nature of every child of God! We must be what we are and that is the Image of God. Our Father guarantees our salvation! Trust that God holds everyone’s salvation in the security of eternity. Our salvation is kept safe from time, from sin and from death. When God chooses us to see the Truth and hear His Voice, then we are free to choose the path to salvation. The only entity separating sinners from God is time, but time is nothing to an eternal God. Time is the dream and eternity is the reality. So, if we continue to refuse God’s will (our higher will) then we are simply wasting time. Yes, we are free to turn away from God, but hard lessons WILL be learned at the hand of Love.

2 Timothy 2:11

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;

Sure, you can turn from God, but it will not do your soul good. Some worldly souls live by the motto- if it feels good, do it. While on the surface this may see like a very carnal approach to life, it is the reason all will find their salvation. This universal law is followed by all at different levels of consciousness. We have all lived according to this law because it is a fact that we do get a certain amount of pleasure and satisfaction through our bodies. We all want to feel “good,” but the problem with seeking peace or pleasure through these natural methods is that it will not last. This is what we have been slowly learning after living for ages and ages in the flesh. Every time we come into this world and take on flesh, it is only temporary and so is the pleasure it can give.

Our spirit, however, is eternal and so is the peace and joy from God. Once we realize the pleasure and peace we experience by doing God’s will is higher than any earthly high, we will certainly do what feels BETTER! This is the universal law of pleasure and pain. The flesh cannot satisfy the soul forever, so the soul will seek another partner. The soul needs a faithful husband and comforter that will not leave her. When our spirit has matured in Christ and the soul is made pure by the Holy Spirit there is a union. There is great jubilation for this marriage! There is true salvation! Yes, we are free to keep hanging on to our life in the flesh. But by resisting our true and higher nature from our Father, we create an even more unbearable hell. We should know by now that pain certainly has its purpose and is a necessary element in our spiritual growth. Pain tells us something is wrong. This is true for the body and the soul. For this reason, our trials and sufferings are also counted as blessings. Only when our will aligns with God’s will can we experience His peace and salvation.

One could also say that knowing we have the power to overcome the world and all the devil’s schemes is salvation. Jesus knew and exercised this level of salvation and this is why he is called “Lord.” Not only did Jesus have God’s wisdom and knowledge to draw from, but he also had God’s love and power. Jesus demonstrated that we must have a balance between knowledge and love to reach our salvation. There is grace and there is judgment just as there is a left foot and a right foot. So understand that the road to our salvation is traversed by using both the head and the heart- that is the soul and the spirit. They are “Adam and Eve” and must become one again and be saved together.

We are here to grow in knowledge and love, and we need them both because one without the other causes imbalance, which causes us to stumble off the path. Those who follow the knowledge of the soul typically become religious. They seek salvation through knowledge, but without love become full of pride and “clouds without rain.” These have a “godly” appearance, but carry no Living Water for humanity. Now, those that only follow the heart and the path of love without knowledge become deceived because they have no discernment. Follow the way Jesus by being as gentle as doves, but as wise as serpents. He knew God, but he also loved God. In this way, the sword will have two sharp edges. Jesus’ words are as sharp today as ever. They are full of wisdom and they are full of grace. They are the words of Truth that will lead us to salvation, and for this I am humbly grateful.

Dear brothers and sisters, salvation is an inevitable process started and finished by God. It is therefore a certainty. Salvation is growing into our true self and radiating God’s glory because God wills it to be so. God is God. And we, God‘s Image, will show this to be true. We can resist all that we want, but it will not change the Truth- God is all in all. Trust in God who gives us all that we need to walk the path of salvation. Every time we overcome an obstacle along the path, we get a taste of salvation. Salvation is leading us higher and higher. Some may feel saved when their cancer is cured. Some may feel saved when their financial burdens are lifted. Another may feel saved when the Holy Spirit visits him. These are all different levels of the same feeling- being saved from the pain of hell. After we finally awaken to who we truly are in this lower world, our highest level of salvation is achieved by BEING who we truly are. We are the Body of Christ being resurrected from the grave. We are being raised from the dead to do God’s will and be God’s Image! You and every child of God will mature and be brought back into this divine glory of the Father. On that day when Christ is revealed in us, we too will CHOOSE to join Jesus in being the Savior of the world! Like a chain reaction of God’s Love and Truth, salvation will overcome the world with a big bang!

Revelation 19:6

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns!

Revelation 21:3

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

God’s salvation is coming to all through Christ!

brad edwards

December 19, 2003

return to the Savior of the World

Background song- Masquerade by Caedmon's Call