It is a very rough draft but it is the most important preaching which I have ever preached. I can compare it only with Luther's publications on salvation (reformation). So I decided to put this book chapter on my site as soon as possible, even before I have finished its editing, as the Protestant church needs to know it as soon as possible. Last update 20 Oct 2005.

This text is a part of my yet unfinished draft online Christian book Salvation.

WARNING: Despite of this is a very important actual message, it is yet a very rough draft.

Levels of salvation

It is written (Ro. 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Accordingly this verse as I have written in Salvation is Free Gift salvation is always free, it cannot be paid. But Bibles and other means which we need for salvation are paid (even if these are free for the reader, they are anyway paid for somebody).

Paid or free salvation on an example

Let us consider a concrete situation where as it appears somebody pays for his salvation.

We will imagine a dialog of a prosecutor who will prove that salvation is paid and an advocate who will prove that salvation is free.

The situation in our court is the following:
A sinner desired to repent and learn Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, he has purchased a bus ticket and traveled to an evangelization meeting, where he has heard the true Gospel, repented, and finally became a faithful church member. Some years later he died, and his soul has come to the paradise.

The dialogue follow. Note however that this dialogue is somehow hard to read. If you are too stupid, read at least these parts of the dialogue which you can understand.

Prosecutor

His salvation was paid, because he has purchased a bus ticket. Without purchasing this ticket he would be unable to come to the evangelization meeting.

Advocate

Yes, he has paid to purchase the ticket, but this does not prove that his coming to the evangelization was paid. He could instead, if he would be unable to pay, plead with the bus driver that he would transport him for free. He so has paid not for coming to the evangelization meeting but for an other thing, for not being a free traveler as it could be a shame for him.

Prosecutor

Prosecutor calls a witness who confirms that in no circumstances this bus driver would not transport to an evangelization meeting for free.

Advocate

Indeed, the salvation was really free. Our client was in a critical situation, he was in the danger to go to the hell and be tortured there if he would not come to the evangelization meeting. Because of this the denial of the bus driver to transport him would be illegal. Consequently the requirement to pay for the ticket would be illegal in the case if this man would be so poor that would be unable to pay. It would be a void travel contract.

Prosecutor

Even if this is a void travel contract as our naive Advocate says in the real world this does not matter as a lawsuit on this would not success in this country. So despite of being legally free in this regard, this transport operation was really paid. We are speaking about the real situation of salvation of a particular man not about financial theories about ideal world in the minds of government lawyers. If we would follow these theories instead of the reality, we would even to think that we do not pay high taxes because this is illegal accordingly anti-robbery law.

Prosecutor also calls the bus driver as a witness and he confirms that he is an atheist and he would not agree with the argumentation that this man needs to come to the evangelization meeting. The bus driver would instead say, You do not need this, you are not in a critical situation, and I am not obliged to transport you for free.

Advocate

Now I agree with the Prosecutor that 1. the ticket was not free for him; 2. the ticket would be non-free also in the imaginary case if he would be too poor to pay for it. But despite of the ticket was not free for him in any case in consideration, coming to the evangelization meeting was indeed free for him. It is analogous to the situation where you go to a free party but while you go there you would be robbed of money; your way to the party was not free for you, but the party itself was free anyway; what would be paid to the robbers is unrelated with whether the party is free for you.

Prosecutor

It is not analogous to the case if somebody would be robbed on the way to a party. It is instead analogous to the case if somebody would be not allowed by criminals to go to the party if he has less than a certain sum of money. So the party really would be not free for him.

Advocate

I recall that our client actually has paid for the ticket. I have considered the case if he would be unable to pay only to prove that in the actual situation coming to the evangelization was free for him, not to prove that it would be free even if this man would be too poor to purchase the ticket. Your position, prosecutor, is analogous as you would claim, a gift was not free for the receiver because if the purchaser would cause a fire in the store he would be obliged to pay for the damage (despite of he has not actually caused fire).

Prosecutor

Our case is not analogous to the cause of the client who would cause fire in a store. In that case whether he would need to pay would be dependent on his actions (whether he causes fire), but in our case it instead depends not on actions of the client during the traveling but on the quantity of money he has.

Advocate

So the case with the bus driver is legally equivalent to the case as if this man would instead met with a criminal who would not allow him to go if he would have less than certain sum of money. In this situation we have no legal money transfers in consideration. The illegal money transfer to the robber should be not counted because it is a nonsense to consider all possible (even not actually happened) illegal money transfers. This would make the law a nonsense and eliminate it at all, so the concept of money and money transfer would lose their senses, and so we go outside of the domain of our lawsuit.

It is like to as if a woman would be called declined to adultery because he has desire to join an another man in the case of death of her husband. This is not a criterion to call she declined to adultery. These verses follow directly after Ro. 6:23 (about free gift of God): (Ro. 7:1-3) 1 Or don't you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives? 2 For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband. 3 So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

Prosecutor

I do not consider all possible illegal money transfers. Instead I consider only these possible illegal money transfers which depend on the quantity of money of this man. If this man would miss money this would lead to changes in financial operations during this way. This makes coming to the meeting paid.

Advocate

Dependency on the quantity of money the client has is not a criterion of being free or paid. This is analogous to membership of a club of millionaires. Despite of in this case the right of membership clearly depends on the quantity of money, the membership indeed may be free (not paid). Compare with the biblical proverb (Mt. 25:14-30) where God gives a man having 10 talents an additional talent, despite of the receiver of the additional talent was chosen by the criterion of the number of talents (money) he already had, this was clearly a free gift for him.

Prosecutor

Indeed he has paid money for salvation. This man would be not allowed to enter into the evangelization hall if he would not purchase good clothes.

Advocate

All people in that region have good clothes. He has not paid specifically for this.

Prosecutor

So for all saved men in this region salvation was paid. They had the need to pay money to be on about the same social level as the mean unsaved in the same region. Otherwise only people not pre-destined for salvation would enter to the evangelization and it would be of zero success.

Advocate

What the Prosecutor said proves that this evangelization ministry is somehow wrong (whether because of a failure of the minister or by some other reason does not matter in our lawsuit). Because salvation is not paid, they are to go to the houses of the poor to allow them receive it for free.

And, yes, this man has not received salvation at this evangelization meeting! Instead he has received salvation on the above level missionary organization, by definition the above level is that level which better allows poors to hear Gospel and better sends missionaries to houses of poors to distribute them free gifts. I mean that this evangelization meeting was poorly organized and so is unrelated with salvation, and so is unrelated with our lawsuit.

This meeting was only a mean used by the higher level. It would be paid only if this man would purchase this mean that is the evangelization meeting like shares of a commercial corporation, but this is a complete nonsense.

Judge, please exclude materials related to this evangelization meeting from our consideration.

Anyway, in fact, salvation happens in heaven where human spirit meets God, not in the body which was presenting on the meeting; and a human who leads a evangelization meeting is, in fact, not saver but just an equipment of the saver who is God (1Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10 etc). But because I was unable to refer to the heavenly finances, I have instead of God Himself has referred to the above mentioned higher level mission which represents God in this situation.

Prosecutor

It was paid! The roads, houses, electricity discounts for non-commercials, etc. are paid by budget.

Advocate

It is not really paid. The national currency is printed not paid from the viewpoint of the budget committee. The Prosecutor can say nothing against it being received from God for free.

Prosecutor

But the head of the ministry has paid his personal money to rent the evangelization hall! The salvation was paid. It was not a free gift for the head of the ministry. This argument of our prosecutor will be considered below in this article.

Saved rich or poor?

In the example above there were demonstrated the situation when salvation is a free gift despite of a man received it because he had more than a certain sum of money. But accordingly Gospel more often is the reverse when salvation is received by poors rather than by rich men. (Jam. 2:5) Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn't God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? So the above example was an exception. (However we must not refuse to consider any kinds of examples even exceptions for complete analysis.)

(Mt. 13:22) What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
(Mrk. 4:19) and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

This shows that salvation is at least almost unrelated with success of this financial world. This world and God have different purposes.

Below I will show also that one to be saved needs to realize this (that money are a wrong measure).

Probably the main lesson here is that if we need to pay for the means of salvation, then salvation does not work as it should. For example, if you were in need to pay for a bus ticket when you were going to an evangelization meeting and being unable to come if you are poor, then this signifies that the transport personnel acted wrongly, if they would acted rightly then they would allow to travel these who seek salvation even for free because salvation is important. But anyway, in practice, they request money for this and may disallow poors to travel to an evangelization meeting for one or another reason. Isn't something wrong here? Yes, if the system would act as it should then a poor would not need to travel to an evangelization meeting at all, because salvation would come to his house. I also recall that the driver of a bus is a mad man, and so the travel contract with him is void, the money are not paid for salvation accordingly the exact meaning of the legal law of probably most countries.

Cases in consideration

Now (to disprove that last argument of our Prosecutor) we need to consider the cases of saved and unsaved separately. Remember that salvation is pre-destined. (Ro. 9:18) So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires. (I will consider pre-destination of salvation in more details below.)

At first it may seem that salvation is paid for these who has happened to be unsaved, e.g. because they were not able to not purchase a bus ticket. Really, these persons was just not pre-destined for salvation and so purchasing the ticket would not help them either.

And for saved we have already shown that salvation was free, despite of possible spends on the way to salvation. To say that they are just pre-destined for salvation and so all money used in the way do not matter because these are just means of accomplishing pre-destined, would be not enough. Even if salvation is pre-destined, paying any money (even if this is pre-destined) for it, would make it not free. (However in the above dialog I have shown that it indeed may be free.)

Below we will separately consider the case of a man who works (i.e. church minister) and pays for salvation by his work. (This case was not considered in the dialog above.)

Why we need to consider the case of one who work separately (instead of resolving it in the general way, like we have resolved the cases of the robbers, and the refusing to help bus driver)? Because an important subcase of one-who-works-for-salvation is God's anointed preacher (or other kind of God's anointed Christian worker) who represents the decisions and methods of God, so that in some degree his financial operations may represent acts of God, so that we would say God has worked, God has paid speaking about such a man. This time we cannot just deny his actions as wrong and judge him. For this case we need an other explanation.

So now it again looks like a contradiction, namely that through an anointed person God has paid common earthy money for somebody's salvation. If there were any actual financial operations on the way of the salvation, we could not dare to say that salvation is free.

To refer that salvation is pre-destined is not enough here, because a Christian worker may pray about these who he saves, and it is written (Is. 65:24) It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. I now realize that I cannot disprove that a Christian worker cannot influence pre-destination of somebody's salvation with his... money. Maybe some theologist can disprove this but I cannot.

I will systematize all cases in the following table:

Category of persons unsaved saved salvation ministers (evangelists)
How salvation is free? not predestined for salvation,
this case is excluded		 explained in the dialogue above explained below

Introduction to the case of Christian worker

What then about a man who has worked to earn money and has purchased Bible for somebody's salvation? Salvation of this man was not free for that.

How to solve this contradiction?

The answer is concluded in the following verse: (Ro. 4:4) Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt. The Greek word for grace has the same root as the word for free gift in Ro. 6:23. As such to him who works his work is not counted as free gift, that is not counted as salvation.

The word grace means a system based on gifts (instead of on rewards as trade economy). (It concerns both external economical relations and internal state of a person.)

So Ro. 4:4 may be translated as Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as system of free gifts, but as debt. As such, salvation is not in the system of him who works (salvation is a free gift).

We have found that salvation is relative. For somebody it may be a salvation and for somebody other not salvation in grace (but a common thing in the common system of values, not in exalting grace).

To explain the above we need to explain salvation in more details.

Salvation is similar to MLM

Biblical salvation is similar a financial pyramidal scheme or MLM (multi level marketing).

There are different levels of salvation (I am about salvation in the sense as this word is used in Bible).

What is salvation? Accordingly (He. 2:3) ... so great a salvation - which at the first having been spoken through the Lord..., salvation is something very much great. Salvation has eternal glory. I.e. salvation assumes eternal glory: (2Tim. 2:10) ... the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

This can be compared with MLM, one of the greatest (by profit and by number of participants) kinds of business. MLM is a business where every businessman has a share of the profit of the next level (these who he has converted into the business).

In Christianity it is likewise. It does not matter whether you yourself has made a good deal or made other people to do good. In MLM a businessman has only a share (a part) of the profit of the next level, not 100%. However (We know this because we know that God is just) in God's justice we have all 100% of the good deals of these who we convert to do good also.

So the question arises, does it imply that one who has converted an other to Christ is always greater than he? Bible tells that God has set an order. There is no difference between these who are saved before and these who are saved later. However these who are saved before are ahead in the way of salvation and these who are behind cannot reach them.

In MLM on the Earth the trade is at some time saturate and MLM ceases to be super-profitable. For this reason, that man which starts an MLM business the first typically becomes richer than anyone of his successors (ancestors as they say). But infinite heaven will be not saturated ever. Salvation so is equal for all. However in He. 2:3 it is emphasized that salvation (what is very great) is first spoken through the Lord. He (Lord) always remain the greatest (ahead) like as the founder of a financial pyramid always remains the most rich (in his business line). See (Ro. 8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

What then? For him who is ahead in MLM a great thing which happens with one of his successors when his successor becomes very rich, is not a great thing, because he himself is richer ahead of his successors. When a successor becomes a millionaire, he may be already a milliardaire.

It is also said by Jesus Christ (Jn. 17:14-16) 14 ... they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ... 16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.. It can be interpreted (explained) as You are not from the business even as I am from a higher level of spiritual MLM.

Salvation is double-fold: being saved and saving others

The word salvation (not only in English but also in Greek Original of Gospel) is double-fold. It means both when we are saved and when we save others. On the Earth there are many different means to become rich, MLM is just one of these means not the only. But in heaven the only mean to be saved (to become very rich) is saving others. That is in heaven there are no other profitable business except of MLM. (This does not mean that a Christian not saved any man on the Earth is not saved himself. Bible tells that salvation is forever and in heavens it will continue ((He. 5:9) ... he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation. That is He (Jesus Christ) is the author of the structure of our spiritual MLM.), however not being there salvation of sinners. (Jn. 10:16) I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd., this does not necessarily mean aliens like in fantasy but it means that Lord has other things to save except of people.)

In other words: When you are saved you receive something. What you receive? You receive salvation, and salvation is the ability to save. Salvation is received to be delivered further.

Levels of salvation

In MLM there is no way to step up, that is to make your ancestor somebody who is already in this business. In MLM one in principle may receive all kinds of riches of this world, but there is a thing which he may never receive, an other's ancestor.

Likewise salvation is when you receive from God a great thing which you never could receive otherwise. But even in salvation there is a thing which you indeed never can receive without new level of salvation, salvation of the level above. If you indeed would receive this thing what then it would be? It would be a new level of salvation!

Lo, your ancestor in the salvation has a greater level of salvation than you. You are not saved compared with him. This means that whatever you do, you cannot become equally rich with him. To be saved means to be unreachably higher, and you cannot reach him.

Well, this applies not to inter-people relations (we are not really savers, but the Lord is the only real saver) but to our relation to the Lord.

What we receive in salvation?

What in this world a saved receives from the savers? He receives food, clothes, etc. Certainly in Christian salvation saved should also receive such things. But in Lord's salvation a saved receives salvation itself. It could be compared to alien contact which would give mankind high technology. What spiritual technology gives us Lord in salvation? It is salvation what He gives, the greatest what can be given. In salvation we receive salvation. The matter is that God seeing our pitiful condition (poverty) decided to freely give us something great (costly). And God has decided to give us salvation. The salvation is a solution of this problem to make us rich (saved) because salvation is very costly and anyone who has received it is spiritually rich.

God could give us food. But He gives us life. See (Jn. 10:10) ... I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. One could help an aborigine by providing him food, clothes, etc.; but one instead would help him by making him an American or European, it is what biblical salvation is like.

And the eternal life is eternal salvation.

Eph. 2:7-9

One more analogy of salvation with MLM:

(Eph. 2:7-9) 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast.

In the future salvation will show exceeding riches toward us.

In the earthy MLM and other businesses there is the problem that people boast (e.g. SPAM in Internet) to increase success of their business. Salvation is however different, it cannot be increased by work (i.e. by increased boasting) but depends on faith. So God prevents boasting having made it ineffective.

Note that Eph. 2:8-9 confirms that salvation is free gift (not paid) and additionally affirms that salvation is not of works nor of business. It cannot be paid and cannot be produced by (human) work. (The Greek word for work in this verse means especially big or hard work, business.)

For one salvation is free gift, but somebody has worked

Now, remember that (accordingly Ro. 6:23) salvation is a free gift. This means that salvation is never paid. However it is also written (Ro. 4:4) Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt.

So what about that man which has worked, earned money, and has paid for your Bible which was freely granted to you? Because (Ro. 4:4) Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt. for this man the operation (payment) is not a gift. But salvation is a gift. Then for him it was not salvation. For you it was salvation when you received Bible. But for him it was not salvation (something especially great), for him it was a common everyday economical operation.

But on the contrary we need also to consider the case of an atheist who has indeed paid for a mean of your salvation. For him (the atheist) who has worked it is also not a salvation. But in this case it is not a salvation for him because he anyway has no salvation of his soul at all.

Hierarchy? Castes?

Does this mean that you was behind this man so that you never can reach his level?

It is also worth note the difference between having salvation and seeing salvation. If you have converted only one man which has then converted hundred millions people, you already had salvation of hundred millions in the day when you converted him, but you may possibly see the salvation only years later when you see him on TV as a TV preacher. What we see and what we really have is different.

Is God unjust? Is on the account of one who converted one man who then happened to convert hundred millions more than on the account of one who also converted one man who converted only five people? Again, what we see and what really is are different. Who really converted them may be not the TV preacher but instead somebody other who prays. God knows justice not we.

Do I mean that an evangelist who has converted a sheep or the pastor of this sheep is exceedingly above this animal? I mean only that the salvation of the evangelist who preaches to a man is above that that salvation which this man receives from the evangelist. Afterward this man may come to an other pastor (or directly to the Lord) which then may raise him to a higher level.

(Mt. 23:8-12) 8 But don't you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. 9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

It implies that if we need to raise to a higher level than a teacher then we need to change to an another teacher. Anyway we should call our teacher only Lord Christ Himself. Then our teaching and raising on higher levels is unlimited, as sons of God.

Inside yourself

Also note that converting other people is the not only way to give salvation further. You have even inside yourself many things to convert. (Prov. 16:32) One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; One who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.

Where salvation is located? (salvation in other)

Bible says (Ro. 8:24) For we were saved in hope. It can be interpreted also as that when I hope for salvation of someone my hope is his salvation. (In that degree as his salvation depends on me) he is saved when I hope for his salvation. If I cease to hope and work for his salvation, he is unsaved and was never saved, he just was in a sect, cult, teaching, morality, organization, but never in salvation. If I continue to hope then he is saved in my hope. Whether somebody is saved or not depends on faith, not on deals.

What is his salvation, his internal state? No, it is his relation e.g. with me, including my hope of his salvation. His so may be saved in my hope, that is his salvation for a time my be in my relation to him instead of his internal state.

It is written (1Pe. 1:3) ... God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope... It is hope what lives. The beginning of the new life of a saved is the hope of his salvation by these who preach to him or pray about him. After some time he himself may begin to hope about salvation.

When a character of a man is changed (for better) because of a good preaching, the salvation is not the change of the character. The salvation is the idea of the preaching which God has given to the preacher. The salvation is something great and uncommon. If a preacher receives from God great life-changing words, this is a salvation, but if these words are really great, then change of life of the hearer is not an uncommon event it is an expected effect of the preaching. It is great uncommon event (salvation) for the hearer but not for the preacher for him a great event (salvation) was instead the other when he has received from God the great idea of the preaching. For the preacher salvation may happen earlier than for the hearers.

That is where our salvation is located, in us or in the Lord? Bible says that salvation is in the Lord. Salvation is in us as much as the Lord Christ is in us. For example, if you are rich with gold, where your gold is located in your house or in a bank? Normally, it is located in a bank. You are rich not by yourself but by the bank. Likewise we are saved not by ourselves but by the Lord. It does not make our salvation less reliable. The bank is more reliable than our houses (in the ideal case). An experienced preacher who may lead you in salvation (or rather Lord himself) is more reliable than yourself.

God is just. If you are saved by care of somebody who constantly thinks about you praying for your salvation, what will go to the paradise for you? His thoughts about you! If he knows you very well, much of your personality will be preserved. The more you are acquainted with the Lord the more you will be expressed in His eternal thoughts. (Only Lord can know you really well.)

It is accordingly (Ac. 20:35) remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. That is the evangelist has more grace (receives greater salvation) than the converts at the time of evangelizing meeting.

As I have said above, salvation is somehow related with money (We are saved without money, see here). But one the same may be money for one an not money for other. National currency are money for a citizen, but it is not money for the government, but just a paper which they can print as much as they want. I think, it is a way explanation that somebody's salvation may also likewise be not a salvation for other.

God's way may pass through men. On God's way there are points of salvation. God's way may pass through a evangelist where salvation may happen and then come to a evangelized person who receives (confirms) salvation. For an other example, God's way may through an unbeliever where salvation does not happen but the further way may come to salvation, this includes the above considered case of a bus drives who is an atheist but has lead a man to salvation.

When speaking about the verse Ro. 4:4 ... for one who works..., it should be understood that really works for salvation only God. The rest are the flies traveling on the horns of the plowing ox and saying We were plowing.

Ceased to work when turned off

So my mistake was this: Wanting to deliver people eternal salvation I was discouraged when was seeing that they lose the symptoms of salvation as soon as I cease to care about them. I was not understanding that their eternal salvation is when I (or somebody who God assigns after me) eternally cares about them. It is like as if I would read in a manual of a device that it has lifetime warranty, and then would connect it to power supply temporarily and after disconnecting it would wonder why it ceased to function despite of having warranty to work forever. Or it is like as if I would employed an employer but some day would cease to hope that he will work and so would not welcome him to the workplace anymore, but would wonder why he has ceased to work after this. There is a part of the manufacturer of the electronic device (their warranty) but there is also my part (to turn on power supply), there is a part of the employer (to do the job), but there is a part of the employee (to welcome him to the work place).

(Unlike a simple electronic device people develop and some day old means of salvation may become unnecessary like ?? of a building.)

I mean that salvation depends of whether it is believed. Somebody is saved for you if you have believed in his salvation. It is like to any wonder. A cancer will wonderfully cease if you will first believe that it will be ceased, you will stay on the water if you will first believe this, somebody is saved for you if you believe in his salvation.

Despising because of separation

I was trying to separate all people into two groups: saved and not saved. As so I was attempting to have friendship with the saved and was neglecting not saved. But for above reasons, every other man in my imagination was falling to the category of unsaved. As so I was neglecting every other man. Now however I understand that in some part it is my choice (as far as I am a representative of the Lord) of who is saved and who is not saved, and so it makes no sense to neglect unsaved. Anyway Bible says to (??) despise nobody what is impossible when we separate all people to saved and unsaved. It is as stupid as to neglect poor (in the sense having little money, I do not speak about stupid and lazy people who are worth to be poor), if you are rich will give him half of your money then he would be not poor anymore, to neglect him would mean to neglect your own actions, your own money, and your legal freedom to move money.

Indeed at the end all people will be separated by the Lord to the categories of saved and unsaved but now we have the choice.

Pre-destination for salvation

Well, who is saved and who is unsaved is chosen by the Lord from the beginning before foundation of the World (Eph. 1:4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love. But what it means? It means not only that it was defined who will chose salvation for himself and who will neglect salvation but also that God has chosen who we will care about to be saved and who we will neglect. But accordingly to that I have said above as much as we can we should neglect no one.

What is a pre-destination for one, may be not a pre-destination but a matter of free choice for an other. Actually, there were cases when I was praying for certain events to happen before I was praying, and so I influenced the future of some man making for them something pre-destined; but this was not pre-destined for me, it was what I was deciding accordingly my will (as it was aligned with the will of God). ((Is. 65:24) It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.)

Our decision whether to care about somebody in the future may influence whether he was save in the past. This will be not strange if we will remember that God has pre-destined salvation, it is not of causal relations of this world.

Choosing who to care about

That is eternal salvation is not for separate people, it is for people in the church with which Lord eternally cares about the saved. (The issue on what will happen if a man happens to be separated from the church is different, and I will consider it separately in an other message.) What I mean is that Lord has provided the warranty that the electronic device will function eternally. But it is not the warranty that it will function without power supply, it is instead the warranty which includes that the power supply (the church) will function eternally.

Again: Suppose we want to care about a saved person and have two persons to chose from. Which of two we should chose to care about to care about a saved person? One who will be eternally cared is one who is saved!

Is going to a church a salvation? From the viewpoint of the pastor it is not a salvation, it is a common thing which happens with many people. But it may be a mean of salvation for a visitor. It is written (Mt. 22:14) For many are called, but few chosen. A pastor may have many visitors welcomed into his church, but only a little percent of them may be chosen by the pastor to communicate with them and really lead them to salvation. We, Evangelical Christians, have used to discuss about many visitors in a church but a few saved; a reason of this may be that we have not hoped of their salvation and have not chosen them for the salvation.

Note that I speak not about simply human care. I'm about care with Holy Spirit, when the cared about receives Holy Spirit from the one who cares and Holy Spirit Himself cares about him. Saved are these who forever have Holy Spirit.

It is written (Ro. 9:18) So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires. This means that salvation of a man depends only on whether God wished to save this particular man. As much as our wishes are aligned with wishes of God, salvation of a man depends on whether we wish to save him!

To send a man away or to build a cult?

Also when I was preaching a man and this man was believing me before me was staying the moral dilemma; I wanted to make him to believe Lord (and so not believe any people, as well as state, organizations, parties, cults, etc.) but he instead follows me, what to do with such a man if he is not saved anyway, to send him away or use him for my own purposes (e.g. borrowing money from him) so creating a cult sect? What to do with these who are already programmed to be a cultist before me? What if I want to build a church of the Lord but instead it appears a cult of me? Now I can consider myself as a Representative of the Lord, such a man my follower and me as leading him to following for the Lord, like a child which is taught to become independent by a parent. What was my problem with this before? I was thinking that who is my follower cannot be saved because I was thinking that all saved are equal and so he cannot be below me (my follower). Now however I realize that there are different levels of salvation and so he may be below me in the hierarchy of salvation.

When I say He is not saved for me I mean that it is more or less my choice of whether he will be saved. To be saved means to be independent (of this world), if he depends on me, he is not independent (not saved) from my position. I may make somebody independent, but so he will be not independent of myself.

Is it important to know what I have taught here? Yes, it is. Before I has known this, I was wondering that these who I attempt to save are indeed unsaved (that is do not reach to my level) and so considered all attempts to save them useless and despaired suspecting that all conversions are fake. Now I can understand that they are really not saved (and cannot be saved) in the sense that they cannot reach my level (that is receive all or much of what I have). But they could be saved on their own lower than mine level.

What was my problem is that I was requiring stable eternal salvation without any intermediary levels. I so was refusing every possibility. If I was seeing a defect I was judging, he has no salvation and it is useless to care about him (e.g. about his economical state, his health, etc.), instead of to give care to eliminate the defect which is incompatible with salvation.

Concept of Salvation. Salvation stories

Why God at all speaks in Bible about salvation? If God's purpose would be to explain the fortune of one particular man, who, for example, was a thief but then believed in Jesus Christ and for this reason decided to not be a thief anymore, became a church pastor, received gifts of Holy Spirit, etc., then God would not need to introduce this so complex word salvation, this story would be told in simple words of everyday life. But God decided to tell us about general principles of salvation. So God has invented special word salvation, and salvation is not of this world, it does not follow laws of this world such as temporary causal relations. The above past thief story would be not interested by itself without relation to salvation, otherwise it would be interpreted as a simply story of a thief who has changed his opinion on some religious issues, raised to a higher morality level then gained magical power and social influence, but this story has significance being interpreted as a story about how God saves a sinner through faith in Jesus Christ. In this context this story becomes so much important as it is called salvation that is something exceedingly great and uncommon. If we cut a piece from salvation, this piece is not salvation itself.

It can be compared to the issue what is a wonder and what is not. For example, what if in a church the pulpit was moved by outer-space rays after a burst on the Sun, it is a wonder or not? But if the rays are from an other galaxy will this be enough to count this a wonder? I think that a wonder is what has happened by prayer accordingly faith, the issue here is in faith not in what was the source of the ray.

Faith in Jesus Christ Needed

What this preacher speaks about? The salvation is only in the name of Jesus, not in something other! may say a fundamentalist reader.

Yes, all this should be framed by the Word of God (Bible) and name of Jesus Christ. Without this, it would be one more MLM or a sect cult, not heavenly salvation whose author is Christ, (He. 2:10-11) 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Jesus Christ is the only director of our spiritual MLM. Any other way ends with a bankruptcy. He has said after his resurrection (Re. 22:13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.. It means that any teaching should originate from Christ, and every purpose should be finally directed to Christ, to not be an earthy MLM instead of church.

Salvation is spoken

In He. 2:3 ... so great a salvation - which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard is emphasized that the greatest salvation is spoken by the Lord. The salvation is spoken, it is the words of the preacher, the evangelist who preaches. It is already is called by Gospel a salvation before it reaches the ears of the hearers. These who hear (so called converts) only confirm spoken salvation.

My math research as an example for salvation.

One more example: I have written some mathematical works. These have some characteristics of salvation: these are free, great, are remaining forever, are a beginning of some eternal life story of further math research. Is it salvation? Yes, it is a salvation. The question is only whether it is to be counted on me or on the Lord, as I has only found (discovered) the formulas which have been existing forever. I think that it is salvation for me if I accept these as a gift of the Lord. If I accept it a gift of the Lord, it remains in my life forever accordingly (Ro. 11:29) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. On your faith that these are gift of the Lord to me depends only whether you will count these things as being associated with me. All salvation returns to the Lord, and I now count not important to whom the salvation belongs now, as all anyway belongs to the Lord. I now count salvation important, but with whom salvation is associated (so called saved) not important. If there were a good evangelizing meeting, there were a salvation, but it is not the most important thing who were saved. Saved are these for whom salvation is accepted by faith. If you do not accept that these things are a gift of the Lord for me, I am unsaved for you. But this does not matter for me very much, because I hope not on men but on God.

Is this related with money in literal sense?

Why I at all require that what in Gospel is said about free gifts and rewards to be related with money? Aren't God's means of payment different than human money? Anyway human moneys are imperfect, being legible to stealing, miscalculations, loses, illegal acts, etc., but God's means are perfect; how then these two may be related at all? I believe that what Gospel speaks about is indeed related with common human moneys (national currencies, gold, credit cards, etc.) because of God's words:

(He. 2:1-3) 1 Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense; 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation - which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard. In or context this means that the words which we hear in common mundane life (money, rewards, debts, gifts, etc.) are synchronized by angels with holy sense of Bible. Because if this we need to stick to their literal sense lest perhaps drift away from the proper sense of words related to salvation applicable in practice to useless philosophy. And in the third verse Gospel again confirms that the words of salvation are spoken and are heard in the everyday life.

We (Protestants) have namely drifted away from the literal sense of free gift in context of salvation to some purely philosophical teaching which has fallen away from the reality of the everyday life.

However certainly money in the sense as Gospel uses this word are not exactly the same as our currencies. We need to understand that these are closely related and associated but different.

We were a defective tree

Now all Protestant church, the tree grown from Luther's concept, is severely defective. And I have understood that I am defective regarding this only now when I write this in October 2005. I realized this almost instantly and think that have no reason for pride about this. I could boast about many revelations and discoveries because of my great intellect or earnest desire, but this one is not my merit, I come to it accidentally. But as my knowledge reaches, all our, both mine and others', merits even from the time of Luther are negligent before this one which is even not a merit. Well, after realizing the main idea of the new concept of salvation I have accomplished some additional analysis (above) but it is not a great thing. So from now on, October 2005, there are no merits of anybody whatsoever. I can compare it with the ?? ass which has spoken with human voice and stopped the madness of a prophet where here I am just an ass like all others.

Without realizing this we all were a cult sect not a proper church. The entire significance of what we Protestants were boasting about was our doctrine of salvation, but have shown that it was flaky. We now have nothing to boast about.

Our purpose always was peace-making but long time we were able to do only two things, to conflict with anybody for our salvation doctrine and to make temporary plans, which were deviating from our main doctrine that is the doctrine of salvation, and fall either quickly or not quickly but greatly.

(Rom. 3:9, 23, 27) 9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin... 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God... 27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded...

And I count all our former wonders, be these Protestant and Charismatic or Catholic, or esoteric or whatsoever, as magic not as appearance of salvation as the mystery of salvation was hidden from us.

We were much speaking about salvation practically not understanding what the word salvation means. Even when formally our saying were correct, it have been meaning little, as we were not understanding how to relate this.

Also: now I see that we have made an idol from salvation. Salvation is one of many words used in Gospel not the only one main word, and now should be put on its place (not with mundane things, but among with other spiritual terms of Gospel which are also important). I do not mean to indeterminate the great meaning and importance of salvation, but even that we were indetermining it by over-usage of this word. Salvation remains our purpose, but so to say, we need to stop to over-care about macro-economy (salvation) but allow the trade of other biblical terms to function without too pressing it by the dictature of salvation.

Now we actually can lay down our pride of salvation which was boasting about things which we have been not understanding and turn to real humility.

Now then look for the fruit of the old Protestant concept of salvation, it was (??) that I was playing in thermonuclear war with real thermonuclear weapon. ?? Good tree does not bring bad fruits. We had a wrong (somehow formally right, but wrong in essence) concept of salvation even from the time of Luther, now it is evident. Now is clear that the concept needs update. This article is this update. It is not that Luther would mistaken regarding this, but that the knowledge of salvation delivered to us through Luther was not enough complete. That is we had a tree with incomplete root, which from the beginning was against love even notwithstanding that we had the desire and attempts to have love.

But with the example of a club of millionaires I have shown that our speculations about salvation as a free gift (as well as all human economical theories, BTW) were worth almost nothing being yet not any real knowledge or understanding.

As a result of understanding being saved as a clan or caste we are members of we were often instead of behaving as saints should do trying to look like saints, to imitate famous preachers, etc. We were just behaving as members of a clan or caste, because we often knew no better variant practically not knowing what salvation is. We were long time ago understanding that this is contrary to what saints are, but were unable to correct the root of this evil which is the wrong concept of salvation.

We Protestant Christians probably never before were relating the topic of salvation with the topics of money and finances and work. But now I have shown that accordingly Gospel these topics are directly related. We have missed this before. We were speaking the word salvation not knowing what it means, and attempting to save somebody not knowing what we do.

Hope on false riches of the world

I have already said that trust in riches makes salvation so hard that only God can accomplish this deal on the Earth.

(Mrk. 10:24-25) 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. Many people on the way have trusted in riches, that is they made their actions dependent on money (for example, that bus driver who would refuse to transfer a poor to evangelization meeting). This has made very much hard for people to enter to the Kingdom of God. These great difficulties and troubles which people cause, nullify (make insignificant) all payments on the way, so that it is finally counted as a free gift. Money are just completely illegal when they touch with the issue of salvation.

So a saved man can be only that which does not believe in money. That is we, believers, could have the motto All money are forged. When one receives are document he may doubt whether the information in this document is true or false, however most people do not doubt in money. But these who do not doubt when they receive money whether they have received true or false information, cannot enter into the Kingdom of God! When you receive money you should doubt whether you have become more rich.

Suppose you have $100000000 on your bank account. Most men then would be sure I am rich! Such people cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, they go to hell. They can enter only these who would doubt Am I rich?

My idea of how this may be explained is this: God rules in the kingdom of man (??verse). And as God acts very precisely he may keep the fall of World Economy one cent aside. So every time when you would use some of your bank account you may be one cent from complete bankruptcy.

When you realize that nothing warrants that you may be one cent behind bankruptcy, you will agree that it may only seem that you are rich while you may be not rich.

However one would say, How this matter anyway, if God controls it keeping it from fall (at least to a certain moment of time)? It matters this way: God acts through his people who may do financial operations. When it seems that you use your bank account, in reality an other man may support you and all the rest of the World, keeping world economy from fall by an operation of few cents sacrificed to God. Having $100000000 you as well live on donations as one having $10.

What Jesus has said is that you should be not persuaded by financial arguments, e.g. This one has $100000000, so he is a good manager and you could trust him to be your partner. Who think so go to hell. I think that it is about equally likely that he is a good manager to that he has lead World Economy to be $.01 off complete fall and that if I would become his partner and pay him yet $1 it will fall proving that he was not a good manager.

There are even a next stage of this. St. Paul teaches these rich men who are already taught that rich men cannot be saved. They have started to hope on that their riches are uncertain (money may be forged even if officially printed, shares may be of unexisting companies, and most importantly it is unclear by which of different financial indices to count their richness).

(1Tim. 6:17-19) 17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

Good works with grace of God, distribution, and communication are so exceedingly more important than riches, that with this things grace of God nullifies riches making them insignificant.

An other keyword here is to enjoy. Money mean nothing without desires of people. If nobody will desire to get money they cannot be paid. That is more exact economical calculation would lead to calculating desires of people instead of money. Then richness has no significance (if it is realized to have no significance).

[TODO: Say more about the above verses...]

Salvation belongs to God (Rev. 19:1)

Whether I, the author of this article is saved? Realize that it does not matter. It is written (Lk. 3:6) All flesh will see God's salvation. and (Ac. 28:28) Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles. They will also listen.. My Lord is saved, this matters. Again, Are you saved the writer of this? My answer is, In me lives Christ, He is saved. So in me there is salvation. I follow the teaching of St. Paul, (Gal. 2:20) ... it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. This means that it is not I who is saved, but Christ who lives in me is saved. So after Paul was much beaten and tortured, it was not more him who is saved (healed and blessed) but Christ living in him remained saved. The following clearly says that no man but life of God inside us will be saved (Mt. 19:25-26) 25 When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 Looking at them, Jesus said, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Here is important that Jesus was looking at them. It means that He scanned them and preserved their memory after their death. For them (men) it have been impossible to be saved, but instead Jesus was saved (resurrected).

All this can be compared to us sitting in a pit from where we cannot come out. Then Christ goes down into the pit. Then nobody travels out of the pit except of Christ, who travels back out of the pit. Then who are saved? Christ is saved from the pit, and these who are attached to Christ are saved with Him.

Where in my life is salvation, after I was withdrawn from normal psychological state, peace, and even of some knowledge by much beating and torturing? I would be unable to find salvation in myself. It is not I who lives (is saved) but Christ in me is saved.

Anyway salvation have been (and continues now) greatly act in my life, starting from the 15 years age when I was in a moment of time raised by prayer to God from the completely mad state being possessed with a demon to a clever person with well functioning mind.

His disciples was saved in Jesus

The following story about Jesus and his disciples is an extreme example of how one the same thing may be salvation for one and not salvation for other. For the disciples of Jesus that time salvation was acting. But for Jesus himself it was just a common thing, he was just looking around as usually.

Gospel teaches much about salvation. But who will be saved? Is it as is commonly taught some people will be saved? No, people will be not saved!

(Mt. 19:25-26) 25 When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 Looking at them, Jesus said, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
(Mrk. 10: 26-27) 26 They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, Then who can be saved? 27 Jesus, looking at them, said, With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.
See also similar quote from Luk. 18:26-27.

In these verses of Bible Jesus Christ has absolutely clearly said that people will be not saved (With men this is impossible). Aren't you exceedingly astonished by this saying?

But note important thing that Jesus was looking at his disciples (see Mt. 19:26; Mrk. 10:27). It means that He has scanned them (Jesus had both X-rays and micro-wave sight) and preserved them in His memory after their death. For them (men) it have been impossible to be saved (have eternal life), but instead Christ was saved (resurrected), together will their scanned memory which has continued to exist, exactly as God has promised that our personalities will continue life after death. It means that Christ will think about us remembering us. The more we are His friends the more He will remember us and the more will be our life.

St. Paul has said (Gal. 2:20) ... it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. This means, It is not I who is saved, but Christ who lives in me is saved.

So we have perfect salvation as we will be preserved in the most reliable, the memory of Christ.

Distinction of saved and unsaved is indeed sharp

If you are a voter for Democrats or Republicans, you have no special confirming document that you are a party voter. You are a voter as long as you continue to vote. Despite of voters of Democrats or Republicans have no special confirming documents the distinction between them is quite exact. Likewise there is a distinction between these who confess the name of Jesus and these who do not. The distinction between saved and unsaved is the distinction between these whose final purposes are directed to Christ and these whose not.

For some a thing is salvation, for an other not

That is while for somebody an event may be counted as salvation, for other it may be a common healing, blessing, passing to spiritual reality, etc.

Here is however important how we count it, because salvation is by faith. If we count it a common thing, it is a common thing which ends, if we believe that it is infinite salvation, accept it as a wonder from God not our work, it continues forever as salvation.

Is healing a salvation? It is if you accept with faith that Lord's healing is forever. (Afterward there will be no sickness, but healing indeed will continue, as raising from being able to raise 100 kg weight to 10000 kg weight with one hand. BTW, here is a story of a superman.)

My math research as an example for salvation

[TODO: Re-write this section.]

Again, consider the same mathematical discoveries. I can call it a salvation because it is very great, economically it would be trillions of USDs. But does this salvation (trillions of USDs) belong to me? I am so rich, but I am rich in the Lord instead of this world. How I could count myself poor? Not having a big house? But many rich people do not have a big house. Not having my own airplane? I do not need it now anyway. In hardships? But I count myself in a journey, where I have myself chosen a hard way. How I can count myself poor? I cannot. So I am rich, but I cannot show you my richness such as bringing a container with tons of gold. Likewise I am saved but I am saved in the Lord, I cannot show you, my salvation is here, in this good deal. This way, we have the salvation but not in this world but in the Lord.

Related links

Copyright © 2004-2005 Victor Porton. All rights reserved.