Level of Salvation

[Saint_George]

I once heard (from a protestant), that the better behaved you are on earth, the greater reward you will get if you make it to heaven. He had a verse but I can’t remember it off the top of my head. I always believed that once you made it to heaven, you were equal with everyone. Could someone please explain where this belief came from?

 

[JohnDee]

I think that protestant must have been Southern Baptist. I have been Methodist, Weslyan Methodist, Southern Baptist, and “Full Gospel”. The only ones I ever heard say something like that were the SB’s, and they were usually also saying something about “another jewel” in your crown if you did something good for them. In my KJV, the 20th chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells of a man who hired laborers for his field. The workers he hired in the afternoon were paid the same as the workers he hired in the morning. This is what I believe will happen. If you also look at the parable of the prodigal son, you will notice that the prodigal received again his inheritance when he returned to his father’s house, the same inheritance his brother was to receive, and the same inheritance he had already wasted. Isn’t God good? He loves us no matter when, or where, or how we come to Him, He just wants us come to Him, acknowledge His soveriegnty over us, and proclaim His Son as our Lord and Savior!

I hope this helps you!

J

 

[rwoehmke]

I heard from someone years ago that as we progress through life we develop a certain capacity for responding to God’s love. In a sense we each have a jug and God gives us a hug and fills up our jug no matter the size. Each one is satisfied and filled to capacity. Ain’t been there yet so I really don’t know. I think the Scripture readings cited above are probably right on.

 

[Steven_Merten]

Hello Saint George,

God gave man free will in order that man can produce the fruit of love for God. Your free willed love for God, produced through obedience to the will of God on earth, is your treasure in heaven. There will be those in possession of greater and more numorous gifts of love for God than others.

When I read Jesus parable of the pearl of great value, I think of mother Theresa. Mother Theresa sold all she had to produce the fruit of the Kingdom which is love. She is rich in the eyes of God in the Kingdom of God.

It is not a level of salvation which changes through works on earth. It is your wealth in the site of God which grows with each act of love and obedience to God.

NAB MAT 13:44

“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field. He hid it again, and rejoicing at his find went and sold all he had and bought that field. Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When he found one really valuable pearl, he went back and put up for sale all that he had and bought it.” NAB LUK 12:31

"Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."NAB LUK 12:15

Then he said to the crowd, “Avoid greed in all its forms. A man many be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.” He told them a parable in these words: “There was a rich man who had a good harvest. ‘What shall I do?’ he asked himself. ‘I have no place to store my harvest. I know!’ he said. ‘I will pull down my grain bins and build larger ones. All my grain and my goods will go there. Then I will say to myself: You have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.’ **But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life shall be required of you. **To whom will all this piled-up wealth of yours go?’ That is the way it works with the man who grows rich for himself instead of growing rich in the sight of God.”

NAB JOH 15:16

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and** bear fruit that will remain**, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you:** love one another.**Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com

 

[slinky1882]

JohnDee:

I think that protestant must have been Southern Baptist. I have been Methodist, Weslyan Methodist, Southern Baptist, and “Full Gospel”. The only ones I ever heard say something like that were the SB’s, and they were usually also saying something about “another jewel” in your crown if you did something good for them. In my KJV, the 20th chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells of a man who hired laborers for his field. The workers he hired in the afternoon were paid the same as the workers he hired in the morning. This is what I believe will happen. If you also look at the parable of the prodigal son, you will notice that the prodigal received again his inheritance when he returned to his father’s house, the same inheritance his brother was to receive, and the same inheritance he had already wasted. Isn’t God good? He loves us no matter when, or where, or how we come to Him, He just wants us come to Him, acknowledge His soveriegnty over us, and proclaim His Son as our Lord and Savior!

I hope this helps you!

J

JohnDee, The above parables do not say that everyone will be equal in Heaven as even the angels do not share the same “proximity” to God through the various choirs. The hired hands show that Salvation is open to everyone who appeal from the first or the last in life. And in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son who had squandered his inheritence was restored to his Father’s House. However, the Father pointed out to the son who had been obedient to his father all along that everything he had left was his. The prodigal son’s place in the House of the Father was restored but not the inheritence that was squandered. The lot of the obedient brother was not the same as the prodigal son’s in inheritence but rather in the place in their Father’s House. This is all up to God how we will Love Him in eternity.

Steven Merton is right here in that through our cooperation with God’s Grace in life, our abilities to share in the Love of Christ will vary, but all can cooperate with God’s Grace for Redemption:

God gave man free will in order that man can produce the fruit of love for God. Your free willed love for God, produced through obedience to the will of God on earth, is your treasure in heaven. There will be those in possession of greater and more numorous gifts of love for God than others.

Thanks and God Bless.

 

[Saint_George]

Thanks for your replies. It just seems to me like heaven is just there and you are either there or you aren’t. Getting into different levels seems like meanings are being taken to deep. Thanks.

SG

 

[wisdom_3_5]

You might be referring to Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.

He begins his “travels” through The Inferno, The Purgatorio and The Paradiso. In the Paridiso heaven is a series of spheres. There are the spheres of the seekers of honor, The warriors of God, the just and temperate rulers etc. Within the spheres are “garlands of souls” such as Aquinas, Bonaventure, St. Dominic etc. In the eigth sphere he places Mary, the apostles and the angel Gabriel, he places the angel hierachy in the ninth sphere. Its all very political (Dante’s story) . I believe its mostly a political commentary on the early 1300’s. He probably caused quite a scandal when he wrote actual persons to be in hell etc. Not a teaching of the Church, but this may be where you’ve heard about “levels of heaven”