The Irony of Salvation

One day, while contemplating the state of religion today, and, in particular, the proficiency of most practitioners to grasps and understand (or not) the tenets by which they profess to live, it seems that so many are fixated on this concept of salvation. It seems that most of those who want salvation are largely ignorant of deeper truths and laws of God and the Cosmos (which often masquerade as ancient religious teachings); while many who have been exposed to this knowledge passed down over the centuries seem content to know and not do.

What even does it mean to be saved? The first question is, "saved from what?" and "Why?" Of course, there are doctrines that seek to answer these basic questions, but if one considers these rote answers for more than 30 seconds, they don't make sense. Perhaps we'll consider these and other such questions at another time.

As we move forward, let us explore an ironic situation around this most fundamental of (Western) religious teachings.

There is an old cliché that says, "You don't miss your water until your well runs dry." Most of us have learned (the hard way) how true this is, and why this elegant metaphor has stood the test of time.

In this Western culture of ours, there is a great deal of emphasis on the individual, and on us "making something of ourselves." It is a culture that emphasizes individual accomplishment and achievement, and "survival of the fittest." And, even while the culture trumpets these values, the reality of the situation remains true, and was captured in song, "No man is an island... We need one another!" And yet, because we so often selfishly pursue that in which we engage, we often take for granted many essential elements that contribute to our wellness and success. For all of the carnal pursuits that capture our imagination and motivate us to act, the LORD can cause us to quickly see just how precarious our life, our attainments, and our accolades really are, by simply holding back or removing a person or resource upon which our "success" or "achievement" depends.

When it comes to religion, salvation is a central theme in many doctrines. It most often describes a state of being that one seeks to achieve in this life or in the afterlife. Beyond this, however, there are varying opinions about what this state of being is, what it means, and who is eligible. If one is a student of religion, one can begin to see (in the West) that there is a certain irony that pervades the theme of salvation. So, let us explore this irony of salvation.

We anchor ourselves in the Biblical story of Jesus coming into contact with a Roman Centurion soldier in Capernaum. In this exchange, the Centurion sought healing for his servant who was at his home sick. Amazingly, Jesus offered to visit the sick man at the Centurion's house--a Gentile. The significance of this offer is lost on most who read this story today, as it was exceedingly rare for Jews to mingle with Gentiles during those days.

What's even more amazing was that the Centurion, a great man who commanded of scores of people, a man who had probably ordered killings and perhaps had himself killed, said, "I am not worthy to have you at my house." His plea to Jesus was simply, "If you but speak the Word, my servant will be healed." So amazed was Jesus that he said in public, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

Jesus' grim assessment of his own people brings to light a stunning irony with regard to salvation. It is all the more remarkable when we consider Jesus' exhortation to the Samaritan woman as recorded in St. John 4:22:

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

We can gather is that salvation is an appreciable and worthy goal for those who have any inkling of the spiritual world, the existence of a Supreme Being, and recognize that our individual lives each have a purpose in the grand scheme. However, the irony of salvation is that the people to whom (the teachings about) "salvation" were sent largely reject it, while those who don't truly understand it are clamoring for it like a thirsty man pants for water.

In its purest form, the doctrine of salvation merely describes the process of accepting the truth of reality, which facilitates the expansion and ascension of one's consciousness. As one of my mentors taught:

the ultimate reality is God and His Word (i.e. thus saith the Lord GOD).

Although mankind has established religion to teach and explain various phenomena, both spiritual and physical, as a means to help a practitioner to achieve salvation (i.e. to elevate and expand his/her consciousness), many of these teachings have been skewed to focus on the ancillary aspects and by-products of religion. Religious groups and institutions have split and fractured over the centuries as people have argued over what my mentor called "the differences of little things." For example, a symbol means one thing to one group, a different thing to a different group. Because they have lowered their focus to the symbols and not the ideal that gave rise to the symbol, one group breaks from the other group; and both of them walk in darkness, because they both have missed the point of the symbol!

And yet, as this splintering has occurred repeatedly over time, these practitioners have somehow clung to the notion that we need to be saved from something, and urgently! So, these ones (usually, but not exclusively Gentiles) seek to confess beliefs, thump Bibles, partake in rituals, and embrace doctrines that they believe will make them eligible for salvation. Much of what they have been taught and believe is slightly incorrect, and some of it is blatantly false; but somehow within, they understand that they need to be saved!

By contrast, God took Israel to be a peculiar people unto Himself. God gave the Israelites His Law and exhorted them to live according to it. Further, God raised up prophets to expound upon and teach intricacies and details about the Law. God tells Jeremiah (chapter 7) about Israel:

[23] ..this [is the] thing commanded I them, saying, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
[24] But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
[25] Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
[26] Yet they hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

God knew that life for Israel as a peculiar people in a world of darkness would be challenging, but God gave the Israelites His law so that they might see the Way in darkness. Further, by not only living by, but in becoming this Light, Israel would lead others to the Light, and thus, salvation. In other words, the Nations would be brought into a place of higher consciousness by following the lived example of a society of people.

Thus, the great irony is that the people (Israel) who know (i.e. were given) the Way to salvation have historically resisted it (even violently), while those who don't know (i.e. were not given) the Way to salvation have been determined (some obsessively so) with achieving it! Israel knows and doesn't want to do; the Gentiles want to do but don't know.

And so, Israel and the Gentile are joined back to back, like two sides of the same coin. The Gentiles want salvation, and yet many in Israel knows the Way and won't do.

In order to end this stalemate, God sent a man named William S. Crowdy to teach these religious practitioners, among other things, that "It is one thing to read the Bible through, another thing to read, to learn, and do." He taught that, "Religion is not something to get; it is a duty." He taught that the Work of God is really inner rectification of the self, and assured those who subscribed to his teachings that the one who will do it will surely reach eternal life without fail.

He also preached with the urgency of John the Harbinger as recorded in St. Mark 1:15, saying "The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the Gospel."

Still, so many are still behaving like the ancient Israelite people, content to, as it were, hold the wrapped gift (of salvation), but not willing to unwrap and apply/enjoy the actual gift. Thanks to this great teacher, we both know the urgency of the present time, and we know the Way.

The Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 12:13 that the conclusion of the whole matter is to "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." We have the question from the prophet Micah (6:8) to guide us: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Therefore, let the religious practitioner not be paralyzed by these opposing paradigms. These ones should resolve within themselves to blend these two paradigms (knowing and doing) and heed the advice of Paul to the Galatians (chapter 6):

[9] And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.