Hi TMF
Of course we cannot be saved by our own efforts — we are dependent upon the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, for without him we would be lost forever.
You ask how we should follow Christ. I would point to the Sermon on the Mount — these are instructions that Jesus gave to his followers and provide a thorough guide on how he wants his followers to live.
At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7)
So it is important that we be “doers of the word, not hearers only”(James 1:22)
Both huh?
Yup; after all we can do.
Christians “do” out of gratefullness, love and awe. We’re saying “thank you”, not “please”
Don’t confuse “how to live” with “how to be saved”.