Not a Finish Line
8/9/2026 4:48:00 PM | Spiritual Formation
Written by: Addi Pelham
For a long time in my faith, I thought of salvation as the finish line. I saw getting saved as a "get out of hell free card" and accepting Jesus as a means to an end. Accept Jesus, get into heaven, and that was it. I could live how I pleased because Christ forgave my sins, right?
Looking back, I realize this mindset came from a misunderstanding of the gospel. I was accepting Christ to get something in return and out of fear, not out of love for what He had done for me. While a healthy fear of the Lord can lead to true salvation, this kind of "salvation" can also lead to a weak relationship with God and a misunderstanding of our purpose.
When we see salvation as a "one and done" moment, we stop short. Salvation is still the end of something—our old life and separation from God—but it is also the beginning of something new: our walk with Christ. I think a lot of modern gospel sharing misses this next step. We don't talk enough about what happens after salvation. We think we've arrived when really, we're just getting started.
Salvation is the beginning of your race with God and toward God. But I think many Christians get saved and stop running. We stay where we are.
So how do we keep running? What happens after salvation?
I like to think about it this way: a follower of Christ is not something you become once, but someone you are continually becoming.
I played volleyball in college. While it might be tempting to still call myself a volleyball player, if I stopped practicing, stopped training, never joined a team, and never competed, would I really still be one? To be a volleyball player, I have to keep training, keep showing up, and keep growing in my skill.
And while our salvation and standing with God are not earned or maintained by works, our relationship with Him and our usefulness as followers, students, and disciples are what our lives are about.
Wondering what your purpose is? Wondering how to spend your life? Then you've got to figure out how to live with Christ and for Christ.
That is the starting line of salvation.
Once you are saved, it's go-time. On your mark, get set, go!
I recently read the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1–16. In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a landowner (God) who hires workers (us). The workers hired first and the workers hired last are paid the same wage.
But that's not the point I want to focus on.
What stands out to me is that once the workers met their master, they got to work. There was no delay. It didn't matter when they met him or how long they worked. What mattered was that once they met their master, they began working.
Because when you truly meet Christ, you realize there is work to be done.
We see this throughout Scripture. John 15:5 gives us a promise: if you remain in Christ, you will bear fruit. It doesn't say you might bear fruit. It says you will. So what is fruit?
Galatians 5:22–23 tells us clearly: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
This verse gives us both a promise and a mirror. The promise is that if the Spirit of God lives inside of us, fruit will grow in our lives. The mirror is that we can examine ourselves and ask: are these qualities growing in me?
The image of fruit is so perfect because fruit takes time to grow. But when a healthy seed is planted, watered, and cared for, growth follows.
So when you profess Christ as Savior, these fruits should begin growing in you. That doesn't mean you will become perfectly patient or kind overnight, but it does mean there should be evidence of the Spirit working in your life.
Since following Christ, have you become more joyful? More patient? More loving? More self-controlled?
If not, then maybe you have stopped short of Christ's calling. Maybe you have neglected the Spirit inside you. Scripture tells us to examine ourselves honestly and ask whether our faith is genuine.
My church often asks these three questions to help people evaluate if they are following Christ:
? Are you growing in obedience?
? Are you growing in love?
? Are you growing in truth?
True Christians obey God.
In today's world, we don't like the word "obey." We try to soften it because it sounds harsh or restrictive. But the Bible doesn't avoid it. First John 5:3 says, "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."
When obedience is rooted in love, God's commands no longer feel burdensome. A good father tells his child not to touch a hot stove because he loves them. The child may not understand at first, but trust makes obedience easier.
When we understand that God is a good Father, we begin to obey Him joyfully and fully.
So ask yourself: are you fighting your sin and are you growing in obedience?
True Christians love God and others.
First John 4:21 says, "Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." And as we already established, if we love God, we obey His commands.
So are you becoming more loving toward God and toward others? Are you loving not just people you agree with or enjoy being around, but everyone? Do you show love with your actions, not just your words?
And finally, true Christians grow in truth.
Growing in truth means growing in wisdom and knowledge of who God is, what He says, and what He wants to do with your life. Are you spending time in Scripture so you can discern truth from lies? Can you explain what you believe and support it with God's Word? Do you know the character of God well enough to share Him accurately with others? And do you know what Christ asks of you and what he wants to do with your life?
True Christians know truth, defend truth, and share truth. These questions provide a mirror for us again: are we running the race?
If we are, we should be bearing fruit. We should be growing in obedience, love, and truth. This is the race. So examine your life. Since following Christ, do you look any different, or are you still standing at the starting line?
And if that's you, it's not too late to start running.
Run toward Christ and with Christ. He is with you, fighting for you, and working all things together for good because He loves us that much.
When you truly understand the beauty and love of Christ, you can't help but run toward Him.
So that is my prayer: that you would keep running toward Christ, and that His love for you would be your fuel. That we, as Christians, would fight to look more like Him every day as we run the race—and never stop running hard until we reach the finish line!
For a long time in my faith, I thought of salvation as the finish line. I saw getting saved as a "get out of hell free card" and accepting Jesus as a means to an end. Accept Jesus, get into heaven, and that was it. I could live how I pleased because Christ forgave my sins, right?
Looking back, I realize this mindset came from a misunderstanding of the gospel. I was accepting Christ to get something in return and out of fear, not out of love for what He had done for me. While a healthy fear of the Lord can lead to true salvation, this kind of "salvation" can also lead to a weak relationship with God and a misunderstanding of our purpose.
When we see salvation as a "one and done" moment, we stop short. Salvation is still the end of something—our old life and separation from God—but it is also the beginning of something new: our walk with Christ. I think a lot of modern gospel sharing misses this next step. We don't talk enough about what happens after salvation. We think we've arrived when really, we're just getting started.
Salvation is the beginning of your race with God and toward God. But I think many Christians get saved and stop running. We stay where we are.
So how do we keep running? What happens after salvation?
I like to think about it this way: a follower of Christ is not something you become once, but someone you are continually becoming.
I played volleyball in college. While it might be tempting to still call myself a volleyball player, if I stopped practicing, stopped training, never joined a team, and never competed, would I really still be one? To be a volleyball player, I have to keep training, keep showing up, and keep growing in my skill.
And while our salvation and standing with God are not earned or maintained by works, our relationship with Him and our usefulness as followers, students, and disciples are what our lives are about.
Wondering what your purpose is? Wondering how to spend your life? Then you've got to figure out how to live with Christ and for Christ.
That is the starting line of salvation.
Once you are saved, it's go-time. On your mark, get set, go!
I recently read the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1–16. In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a landowner (God) who hires workers (us). The workers hired first and the workers hired last are paid the same wage.
But that's not the point I want to focus on.
What stands out to me is that once the workers met their master, they got to work. There was no delay. It didn't matter when they met him or how long they worked. What mattered was that once they met their master, they began working.
Because when you truly meet Christ, you realize there is work to be done.
We see this throughout Scripture. John 15:5 gives us a promise: if you remain in Christ, you will bear fruit. It doesn't say you might bear fruit. It says you will. So what is fruit?
Galatians 5:22–23 tells us clearly: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
This verse gives us both a promise and a mirror. The promise is that if the Spirit of God lives inside of us, fruit will grow in our lives. The mirror is that we can examine ourselves and ask: are these qualities growing in me?
The image of fruit is so perfect because fruit takes time to grow. But when a healthy seed is planted, watered, and cared for, growth follows.
So when you profess Christ as Savior, these fruits should begin growing in you. That doesn't mean you will become perfectly patient or kind overnight, but it does mean there should be evidence of the Spirit working in your life.
Since following Christ, have you become more joyful? More patient? More loving? More self-controlled?
If not, then maybe you have stopped short of Christ's calling. Maybe you have neglected the Spirit inside you. Scripture tells us to examine ourselves honestly and ask whether our faith is genuine.
My church often asks these three questions to help people evaluate if they are following Christ:
? Are you growing in obedience?
? Are you growing in love?
? Are you growing in truth?
True Christians obey God.
In today's world, we don't like the word "obey." We try to soften it because it sounds harsh or restrictive. But the Bible doesn't avoid it. First John 5:3 says, "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."
When obedience is rooted in love, God's commands no longer feel burdensome. A good father tells his child not to touch a hot stove because he loves them. The child may not understand at first, but trust makes obedience easier.
When we understand that God is a good Father, we begin to obey Him joyfully and fully.
So ask yourself: are you fighting your sin and are you growing in obedience?
True Christians love God and others.
First John 4:21 says, "Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." And as we already established, if we love God, we obey His commands.
So are you becoming more loving toward God and toward others? Are you loving not just people you agree with or enjoy being around, but everyone? Do you show love with your actions, not just your words?
And finally, true Christians grow in truth.
Growing in truth means growing in wisdom and knowledge of who God is, what He says, and what He wants to do with your life. Are you spending time in Scripture so you can discern truth from lies? Can you explain what you believe and support it with God's Word? Do you know the character of God well enough to share Him accurately with others? And do you know what Christ asks of you and what he wants to do with your life?
True Christians know truth, defend truth, and share truth. These questions provide a mirror for us again: are we running the race?
If we are, we should be bearing fruit. We should be growing in obedience, love, and truth. This is the race. So examine your life. Since following Christ, do you look any different, or are you still standing at the starting line?
And if that's you, it's not too late to start running.
Run toward Christ and with Christ. He is with you, fighting for you, and working all things together for good because He loves us that much.
When you truly understand the beauty and love of Christ, you can't help but run toward Him.
So that is my prayer: that you would keep running toward Christ, and that His love for you would be your fuel. That we, as Christians, would fight to look more like Him every day as we run the race—and never stop running hard until we reach the finish line!
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