This belonging to Christ, and living a life of love means that we must flee from sin and cling to virtue in every aspect of our lives. St. Paul said, “those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal 5:24-25 NKJ) Faith (Pistis) as it is used in the Holy Scripture is more than a mental concept or belief. “Faith” impies at its very core “faithfulness.” Therefore faith is intimately connected and exists only through our thoughts and actions. It is a sacrificing of our own pride and our own self-centeredness so that we may truly love God and love others.
The Lord Himself told us if we love Him we must keep His commandments. And, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (Joh 15:10 NKJ) It is this “abiding” that is our salvation. It is a process that includes past, present, and future. It is not a onetime event. That is we have been saved by our Lord’s death and Resurrection; we are being saved as we love God by loving others; and, as we continue to strive to keep His comandments to the end of our lives, we will be saved. This is not “salvation by works” but rather “salvation by love.”