Can we be half-saved?

Before we come to this funny question, let's recap where we are.
Paul took a different approach to prove that we are justified through faith and not through law. He made use of the case of Abraham. Abraham was nearly five centuries before the Exodus, before the establishment of the Sinai Covenant. In short, Abraham did not have any law to follow. God reckoned Abraham righteous because of his faith in Him (Romans 4:3). In Paul's words, Abraham was nearly 100 and his body was "as good as dead" and still believed that God would honour His promise of giving him children and land to inherit.
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised (Romans 4:19-21).
This argument is different from the one taken in the Galatians where Paul appealed to the readers' experience of the Holy Spirit. Paul was not inconsistent. Instead, we should admire his creativity. He was able to think up different ways to prove the core of his theology --- justification by faith.


Of course Paul's major concern was the Christians living in Rome which has always been a great city. Many peoples of different nationalities rubbed shoulders in this capital of the Roman Empire. I am sure there were many Jewish Christians as well. So far, the way Paul presented his argument seemed to bear a Jewish readership in mind. The Church in Rome must have, under her roof, many Jewish Christians. Therefore, the lengthy discussion of the example of Abraham was directed towards them. Abraham was justified by faith. So were they.
But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,
but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord (Romans 4:23-24). 


What was the practical application of having faith in Jesus? To rejoice in his glory and to rejoice in our sufferings.
we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings (Romans 5:2b-3a)
Here, Paul wrote some beautiful, memorable verses.
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:3b-5).
Here, the Romans converges with the Galatians. Both epistles acknowledge the role of the Holy Spirit.


From our justification by faith, Paul brought in the concept of suffering for the Lord. No! It was rather the Lord suffered for us. What was more, our Lord suffered for us while we were still sinners. Here are some most quoted Pauline verses. They appeal to our common sense. Deep theological ideas can be understood and expressed in common sense languages.
Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:7-8).
However, funny things follow.
Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life(Romans 5:9-10).
Salvation has always been an either-or, black and white concept to me. You are either saved nor not saved at all. How can we have the concept of more salvation or much more salvation? Are we not completely saved by Jesus? Can he save me 50%, plus or minus 10%? What did Paul mean by these verses? I hope somebody may enlighten me on this point.


Dear Lord, You inflict on us sufferings in order to train us and bring out the good in us. May these sufferings bring us endurance, character and hope. Amen. 


Appendix:
εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται,
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα
ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν (Romans 5:3b-5).