How to Attain Spiritual Salvation?
Today, we invite you to reflect on spiritual salvation—to understand what the Holy Bible teaches about it and how we can attain it.
In the Gospel of Jesus according to John 3:16-17, we read:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
The Divine Savior embraced and continues to fulfill this Sacred Mission so completely that He declared:
“The Son of God came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and
“While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
So, we are called to reflect on some essential questions: If Jesus’ mission is to save us—a personal and non-transferable task entrusted to Him by God1— then what is our role in this process? What must we do to become worthy of Divine Mercy? And, beyond that: How can we avoid what might lead to our defeat or spiritual ruin?
This article aims to help you explore these questions, offering guidance and tools for attaining spiritual salvation through “Jesus, our Master, our Guide, our Leader!”2
Humanity and the Quest for Redemption
The word salvation comes from the Latin salvare, meaning “to save,” which in turn derives from salvus, meaning “unharmed, safe, sound,” related to salus, meaning “well-being.”
Since ancient times, humanity has longed for spiritual salvation. In biblical times, people sought the Creator’s mercy in the face of hunger, illness, persecution, captivity, human temptations, and the visible or invisible influence of evil. Throughout the Scriptures, we find countless Divine responses to the people’s cries for safety and protection.
However, it is important to emphasize that salvation requires personal effort. To attain it, we must have Faith but also commit to Goodness in order to become deserving of it. As explained by the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit in the third volume of its Sacred Spiritual Guidelines:
“Some argue that salvation comes through Faith alone; others, through Deeds. We say: Salvation comes through Faith and through the Deeds that Faith inspires! Whoever truly has Faith in God—who, we reaffirm, is Fraternal Love—learns how to love. And those who love also help, save, heal, feed, uplift, encourage, inspire! Otherwise, what is Faith for?”
The Reward for Those Who Persevere
In many passages of the Holy Bible, salvation is presented as a reward, a prize, an achievement. It is, therefore, the result of something that requires our commitment, because what walks hand in hand with salvation is precisely our actions rooted in God. And although the Creator loves us deeply, He cannot walk the path for us. After all, He did not create us to be automatons.
Moments of struggle often shape our Spirit for victory. They push us to cultivate strength, purpose, and resilience. As Brother Paiva teaches us:
“The more difficult the obstacle, the greater the victory—the more it is already taking place, even if we do not realize it.”
Our salvation is born from this genuine behavior grounded in God.
The Divine Master Himself warns us in His Holy Gospel according to Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.”
“Souza” and Divine Support
Jesus makes use of and offers us all the resources needed for our salvation—whether we are facing health issues, financial hardship, grief over a loved one, distress caused by family conflicts, uncertainty about important decisions, and so on. It is up to us to understand, accept, and do our part to overcome life’s challenges.
A long time ago, here at the Religion of Universal Love, we came across a short story that illustrates the need for a decisive and proactive attitude. It’s called “Souza.” We share it below for reflection:
During a flood, Souza was sitting on the roof of his house, with the water already lapping at his feet. Soon after, a man paddling a canoe passed by and shouted:
“Hey! Do you want a ride to a safer place?”
“No, thank you!” he replied. “I have faith in the Lord, and He will save me!”
Before long, the water had risen to his waist. That’s when a motorboat came by, and someone cried out:
“You there! Need a hand getting to higher ground?”
“No, thanks! I trust in the Lord. He will save me!”
Later, a helicopter flew overhead, and the stubborn Souza was now standing on the roof, with water up to his neck.
“Grab the rope!” the pilot called. “I’ll pull you up!”
“No. Thank you so much,” he answered, “but I can’t go. I believe in the Lord, and He will save me!”
In the end, he was swept away by the flood. After swimming for hours, poor Souza, exhausted, drowned and went to seek his heavenly reward. Upon arriving at the gates of Heaven, he met the Creator and lamented:
“Lord, I believed in You and ended up dying! What happened?”
God then said to him:
“Oh, Souza, what are you complaining about?! I sent you two boats and a helicopter, and you didn’t take advantage of the opportunities I gave you . . .”
How many times have we acted like Souza when facing life’s battles, waiting for a spectacular miracle, while God persistently sends us help?
Salvation is an individual, dynamic, and ongoing process that requires renewal and perseverance in pursuing new and better paths. The late Brother Alziro Zarur (1914-1979) used to say: “Do your part, and Jesus will do His.”
The Baptism of Salvation
“But what about when life’s struggles and the world’s temptations seem greater than our strength, and we can’t even feel connected to God?” someone might ask.
It is essential that we continue trusting in God and in His Divine Providence, never giving up—not even in such moments, from which none of us are exempt. Entrusting the resolution of our anguish into His Sovereign Hands is the wisest decision.
Through the Prophet Malachi 4:2, God reassures us:
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.”
It is always important to emphasize what we learn in the Divine Religion: The word fear here doesn’t mean being afraid, but rather revering, respecting God and His Sacred Laws. It means living according to His Sovereign Will.
From the President-Preacher of the Religion of the Third Millennium, Brother Paiva Netto, we also have this statement: “The secret to human-spiritual salvation is persistence in heavenly matters and, through the benevolent power of that impulse, the fulfillment of something that ennobles the society within nations and the global society.”
Someone else might argue: “But didn’t Jesus condition salvation on those who believed in Him and were baptized, when He said, ‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’ (Gospel according to Mark 16:16)?”
It is worth recalling that Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist—who baptized with water—said that someone greater than him would come, who would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. In the Divine Religion, we learn that “fire” represents the struggles, the trials we must overcome and grow through. Therefore, the salvation promised by Jesus requires Accomplishing Faith—that is, Faith combined with Good Deeds.
Jesus: the Divine Door That Leads Us to Victory
We can conclude, then, that no challenge is greater than the divine potential that resides within our Souls. Activating it—through good deeds and Faith in God—is within our reach. And we must always strive to do so in order to receive the blessings from Above.
It is Jesus Himself who assures us in His Holy Gospel according to Matthew 24:13:
“The one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Let us imagine our salvation as a door, symbolizing Our Master Jesus with His sacred promises of a renewed life for those who choose to enter. Our role as faithful followers along the Lord’s path is to reach that door and open it, using the keys of Faith and Good Deeds.
We leave you with these powerful words from Brother Paiva Netto, as encouragement for the Soul and a constant invitation to turn away from anything that could lead to spiritual downfall:
Do you want to triumph over your own self and succeed? Let Jesus coexist in your Spirit and let Holy Mary comfort your heart maternally at rough times throughout the human journey. In fact, no one is hopelessly lost or abandoned in this world. Whoever trusts in Jesus does not waste time, because He is the Great Friend who never abandons a friend along the way.”
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1 “And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Divine Lamb.’” (Apocalypse 7:10)
2 “Jesus, my Master, my Guide, my Leader!” — This heartfelt expression was coined by Alziro Zarur during his radio program JESUS IS CALLING!, aired on the former Rádio Mundial in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) during the 1960s. It was recorded by Paiva Netto, who served as his secretary at the time.
