1. Salvation by Being in God’s Family

Salvation basically means being in the family of God, with God as the head and King. It is about having our heart where God’s heart is. God is the creator of everyone, so one can be outside of God’s family, only in the sense that one does not have God as head/king or not have one’s heart where God’s heart is (knowingly or unknowingly, or maybe not yet).

2. Higher Than the Law

Paul says in Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. The very fact that all kinds of malignant hostilities (leading people to harm one another) exist in this world, shows that not everyone is in God’s family.

2.1. Who Is in God’s Family

Those of us who believe that we are in God’s family should examine where our heart is. Our heart should be where God’s heart is – the concern that everyone should be in God’s family. Jesus said, that to love God, and to love neighbor is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40).

2.2. Not by Law but by Love

It is something much higher than what any law can ensure or enforce. Hence salvation is not by law, but by love (by God’s love for us, which when we recognize, makes us love God with all our heart, soul, and mind – and to love our neighbor as ourselves).

2.3. Why Not by Law

The issue is not so much that the law is bad (as some Christians seem to believe), but that it is not enough to cause true transformation deep in the heart.

“For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” – Galatians 3:21

3. Not People Pleasing

Love is not the same as approving what is wrong, just to satisfy people. Many times resisting what is wrong makes people hate us, accuse us, become our enemies, and want to harm us. It can happen within one’s family also – family members against another – “you will be hated” (Matthew 10:21-23).

That is the inevitable cross that Jesus bore and the inevitable cross that Jesus asked us to carry every day – a requirement of being a follower of Jesus (Matthew 16:24-26).