Salvation and Abiding in Christ

Seeking God, repenting of sin, and turning away from it are the first steps on the journey of salvation, leading to abiding in God’s love through Christ Jesus and His Word, by grace through faith. But it’s not about a box we tick, or about church attendance on Resurrection Sundays or Seventh Day Sabbaths, etc. It’s about responding to God’s love by committing our whole lives to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, seeking His Kingdom first and His righteousness, which brings us the peace that surpasses all understanding.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the Bible references I have paraphrased, capturing the essence of each verse. I encourage readers to examine a few different English translations, ranging from more literal (LSB, KJB, ESV) to more dynamic (NIV, NLT). It is helpful to use a variety of good translations for a fuller understanding of God’s Word, bearing in mind that there are nuances in translation when comparing English to the original languages of Scripture, namely Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. There are also many nuances when comparing English translations, such as the KJB 1611. The King James Version (KJV, 1611) and the 1560 Geneva Bible are both significant early English Bible translations. Still, many people nowadays find them challenging to read and understand, while others appreciate these early translations. Be careful of the KJV controversy” though, which refers to the King James Only movement, a belief held by some Christians that the 1611 King James Version (KJV) is the only trustworthy and error-free translation of the Bible in English.

Jesus: The Only Way

John 14:6 – “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

God has provided the only way of salvation. But here’s the reality: each of us must make a choice.

My experience and brief reflections

Some people think they’ll never be good enough for God or the church, so they give up before truly seeking Him rather than legalism. Others believe they are good enough to make it to heaven, so they don’t see the need for Jesus to pay for their sins. Both groups miss the heart of the Gospel of God’s eternal Kingdom.

When I was a teenager, I used to be in that first group — thinking, “I’ll never measure up, so why bother?” But when I drifted away from anything Biblical, I started thinking that “if there is a God, I’m a good enough person for heaven”. However, in my early 30s, I was in despair and hated myself, trying to do life in my own strength and pride. I hit rock bottom. Thankfully, in 2009, after much searching and looking at many different religions, spiritualities, philosophies, and other belief systems including Atheism and macro-evolution; I opened the book of Romans. This was following reading Genesis 1 to 12, and Matthew, with a retired Pastor named Michael Bennett who wrote ‘Christianity Explained’, ‘The Bible Explained’, and ‘Discipleship Explained’ and has given his whole life to ministry since he was 23. It hit me: no one is good enough. Only Jesus is and our faith in Him saves us from destruction.

Not About Being “Good Enough”

Salvation is not about what we achieve, striving to earn it. It’s about humbling ourselves before Jesus and putting our faith in Him, wholeheartedly, and then living out of that with the obedience that comes with faith. (Romans 1:5)

Luke 5:8 – When Simon Peter encountered Jesus’ holiness, he fell on his knees: “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” Peter knew he wasn’t worthy, but Jesus saw his heart and called him: “Don’t be afraid; follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”

Peter followed the calling of Jesus, but later denied Jesus three times after He was arrested by corrupt religious leaders collaborating with the Roman Empire. Yet when Peter repented, Jesus forgave and restored him. That’s grace. That’s salvation from destruction, which unfortunately Judas Iscariot fell into when he betrayed Jesus and didn’t repent and put his faith in Jesus.

Jesus also warns us in Revelation 3:16: don’t be lukewarm or you will be spat out of His mouth, strong visual language. This is often interpreted as someone who goes to church but hasn’t fully repented and put their trust in Jesus, so hasn’t been born again. We must truly believe and be born again of the Spirit to enter God’s Kingdom and gain eternal life. (John 3:3, 3:16).

The Heart of the Gospel

Not everyone in church is born again and Spirit-led. I wasn’t — not until December 2009. Attending church services when I was young didn’t save me. Christ did.

And even believers need to be reminded of the foundation: salvation is by God’s grace, received through our faith in Jesus, and we demonstrate our salvation and love for God by seeking to obey Jesus’ commands, even though none of us can perfectly until He comes back and perfects us in our glorified resurrected bodies in a restored heavens and earth. Faith without good, fruitful deeds is dead. (James 2:17, Galatians 5:22-23)

• Hebrews 11:6 – It’s impossible to please God without faith.
• Isaiah 64:6 – Good works apart from faith are filthy rags.
• John 15:1-17 – Branches not abiding in the vine (Jesus) are cut off and destroyed.
• Romans 4:22–24 – Abraham was counted righteous because of faith, and that was written for our benefit. Out of that faith, he obeyed God, even though not perfectly.

The Only Way to Be Made Right With God

Acts 20:21 – There is one message for all people: repent of sin, turn to God, and place your faith in our Lord Jesus.

Matthew 7:13 – Jesus is the narrow path that leads to life; the broad road leads to destruction. On one side of the narrow path could be licentious lawlessness, on the other side could be legalistic self-righteousness, as some examples.

Romans 3:10, 20–23 – No one is righteous, not even one. The law shows us our sin, but cannot save us. Only faith in Christ makes us right with God.

• Romans 5:8 – While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ.
• John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave His Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
• Romans 10:9 – Confess Jesus as Lord, believe He rose again, and you will be saved.
• 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us.
• Ephesians 2:8–9 – Salvation is by grace through faith — it’s a gift, not earned by works.
• James 2:26, Galatians 5:22-23 – Yet true faith produces Spirit-led fruit. Faith without works is dead.

Born Again and Abiding in Christ

• John 3:3 – Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.
• Luke 18:17 – Receive the Kingdom like a child, or you’ll miss it.
• John 1:12 – To all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
• Romans 10:9-10 – If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified righteous, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
• John 5:24 – Whoever hears and believes has eternal life and crosses over from death to life.
• James 1:22– But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.
• Romans 8:28-29 – In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose, to be conformed to the image of Christ.
  Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s masterpiece, created anew to do the good things planned for us.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – In Christ we are new creations.

Salvation is a new birth. Abiding is the new life—a life of sanctification into the image of Christ.

Seek First the Kingdom

Matthew 6:33 – Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 – And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
John 4:23 – True worshipers worship in Spirit and in truth.

I was a prodigal son — lost, running my own way. But when I turned back, my Father embraced me with love through Christ. Now, as a born-again Christian, I commit my life to Him and choose to follow the Spirit’s leading every day. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24). The joy of the Lord is my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10). And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17).

And I pray and trust that I never fall into the pride of the older son in that parable — self-righteous, resentful, and missing the Father’s heart, who wants all people to repent and come to Him. (Acts 17:30, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4)

The Fruit of Faith: Peace, Joy, and Endurance

Romans 5:1–5 – Because of faith, we have peace with God. Christ brings us into a place of grace where we stand with confidence, rejoicing in hope. Even trials produce endurance, endurance shapes character, and character strengthens hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 5:6–7 – Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, and He will lift you up in due time. Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you.

The Bottom Line

We are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone. Salvation is not just a moment — it’s a lifetime of abiding in Him, being transformed, bearing fruit, and walking daily with our Savior, in faith, hope, and love. It is also about sharing that faith and the Gospel of God’s Kingdom with others, to be salt and light, to make disciples who make disciples, and to show we truly are disciples of Jesus by the way we love each other as the body of Christ and temple for the Holy Spirit, united as one, which Jesus prayed for in John 17.

That’s the Gospel. That’s the call.

Life by the Spirit in the New Covenant

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8 state that the Servant will be given “as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,” which is seen as the foundation for the New Covenant, where God’s law of Christ is written on people’s hearts rather than on stone tablets, fulfilling the old covenant purpose through Jesus. While the Book of Isaiah doesn’t directly name Jesus, Christian interpretation identifies the “Servant of the Lord” in Isaiah as a prophetic precursor to Jesus, who is understood to be the mediator and embodiment of the New Covenant, which includes Pentecost, marked by the giving of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit. Hence, we offer our bodies (whole lives) as a living sacrifice as our true and proper worship, every day, seeking His Kingdom first and His righteousness.

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:7-9

Now, if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

Not the letter of the old covenant Mosaic law, but the Spirit of the law, the law of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:3

Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

1 Corinthians 9:21

When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Ten Commandments, also Fulfilled in Christ, Who Gave Us a New Way  

The Ten Commandments, written by God on stone tablets, revealed His holy standard but also exposed humanity’s sin, becoming what Paul calls “the ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7). The law was good, but it could not give life or transform hearts on its own. In the new covenant, through Jesus Christ (the substance to which the shadow of the law pointed), the Holy Spirit writes God’s truth and law of Christ directly on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6; Hebrews 8:10, Galatians 6:2). Instead of striving to keep rules externally, we are empowered from within to live out God’s love and righteousness. Each commandment finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, and we live out of that fulfillment as we stay connected to the vine and produce good fruit empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:13-26). To show that we are truly His disciples, but the way we serve and love each other as He loved us and called us to be one as He is one with the Father (John 13 to 17).

1. No other gods before Me → Jesus reveals the Father and calls us to worship the one true God through Him (John 14:6; John 17:3).
2. No idols → In Christ we worship in Spirit and truth, not images or substitutes (John 4:24).
3. Do not misuse the Lord’s name → Jesus teaches integrity of speech and that our yes be yes (Matthew 5:37).
4. Remember the Sabbath day→ Jesus is our Sabbath rest every day, and we yoke with Him every day (Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 4:9–10). In Him, we cease striving and rest in His finished salvific work on the cross. We REMEMBER His body broken and His blood spilled out for us (Luke 22:19–20), the heart of true covenant rest, in Holy Communion with Him and His people.
5. Honor your father and mother → Jesus honored His earthly parents and teaches us to care for family and spiritual family alike (John 19:26–27; Ephesians 6:1–3).
6. Do not murder → Jesus deepens this command to include anger and hatred, calling us to reconciliation and love (Matthew 5:21–22; 1 John 3:15).
7. Do not commit adultery → Jesus points beyond the act to purity of heart, calling us to faithfulness and holiness (Matthew 5:27–28).
8. Do not steal → Jesus calls us to generosity and to lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19–21; Ephesians 4:28).
9. Do not bear false witness → Jesus embodies truth and calls His followers to truthfulness, empowered by the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; Ephesians 4:25).
10. Do not covet → Jesus teaches us to seek first God’s kingdom, cultivating contentment and gratitude (Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:33).

Summary:

The law written on stone showed God’s standard, but in Christ the Spirit writes God’s love on our hearts. Jesus fulfills the commandments and empowers us to walk in them through love (Romans 13:10). He is the true Vine, the New Covenant, the Sabbath rest, and the One with all authority—so that in Him we live free, fruitful, and Spirit-led lives.

Jesus is the substance to which the shadow of the law pointed. He is the true Vine (John 15:1), the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6), and the One given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). His commandments are God’s commandments for life by the Spirit under the New Covenant—rooted in love for God and neighbor.

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9–10)

In Him, we no longer strive under the burden of Mosaic law-keeping but rest in His finished work. Abiding in Christ, we are empowered to bear fruit, live by the Spirit, and walk in God’s will across every facet of life. Jesus showed us the new way of the Spirit and not the written code.(Romans 7:6). John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

Of course, the principle of taking a day of rest each week is wise, but Jesus never commands a specific day, and the Apostle Paul shows that the Kingdom of God is not about particular days, or what food we eat or refrain from eating (Romans 14).

Blessings in Christ Jesus, who loves you so much! ✝❤🙏🤲🥰

Feel free to discuss this further with me if you have any questions or concerns, or simply want to enjoy an encouraging and enriching conversation about life by the Spirit of God, in Christ Jesus, to the glory of God our eternal loving Father.

Additional Considerations Regarding the Sabbath in the New Covenant

For those trying to understand further how a sabbath day fits in church history and for the new covenant. The following are different examples, not exhaustive but it gives a good summary of different views which all of them can make a Biblical case for, not just man-made tradition.

Catholic: Sunday worship as the “Lord’s Day” (Resurrection-centered). Jesus’ lordship reorients Sabbath from strict law to Eucharistic celebration and weekly rest in Christ.

Eastern Orthodox: Both Saturday (Sabbath) and Sunday (Resurrection) honored. Jesus fulfills Sabbath by embodying rest and life; Sunday liturgy is central, but Sabbath is still respected.

Protestant and Pentecostal: Some view Sunday as the Christian Sabbath; others see Sabbath as a principle, not a day, that Jesus’ authority emphasizes freedom in the Spirit where believers practice rest, worship, and mercy without legalism. The focus is more on extending the Kingdom of God rather than keeping ceremonial laws of sabbaths, feasts, new moon celebrations, or what food we eat or refrain from eating, apart from what was stated in Acts 15 considering the Gentiles.

Seventh-Day Sabbatarian: (e.g., Seventh-day Adventists and offshoots from the World-wide Church of God, and some Messianic groups like First Fruits of Zion, etc.) Strict Seventh-Day Sabbath observance. They believe that Jesus’ lordship affirms the Seventh-Day Sabbath’s continuing relevance; that disciples are called to keep it as part of God’s eternal law. Some believe that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast and that seventh-day sabbath keeping is the seal of God. However, scripture says we are sealed by the blood of Jesus as the new covenant, and we are given the Holy Spirit as the sign and seal of this new covenant.  (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, and John 16:13, 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30, and Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)

Personally, after much research and discussions, including an assessment on the Sabbath and another on the New Covenant for my Diploma of Ministry and Theology, I believe there are true followers of Jesus in all of the above references. However, I have some major concerns about some of the enforced man-made traditional doctrines and dogmas that can also come through all of these denominations. (Non-denominational too). We are called to love one another as Christ loves us, how can we do that if we keep dividing from each other in suspicion? It has been said, “Unite on the essentials of the Christian and Messianic Faith, give liberty in diversity on the non-essentials, and be kind and charitable in all things.” Bearing in mind, we can “sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron”, as long as we abide in Christ, aspiring for love, grace, and truth from the Holy Spirit and the Father’s will.