I tend to think of salvation in very legal and technical terms. That can be quite helpful when I bend down and try to find the edges of spiritual concepts. On the other hand, over-emphasizing these can be a bit unhelpful at times. I like how Sibbes thinks about what it means to "obey the gospel" in the passage below. In the end, I am not saved by forces of science but by a Savior who must be both my High Priest and my King in a very real and true way. Do I submit myself to the representation of the Priest? Do I submit myself to the authority of the King? Do I receive Christ? Do I realize that in order to receive Him, I must be willing to receive and live by his word, his mercy, his rule?
Source for the quote below: Richard Sibbes, Collected Works. Volume 1 (text of this book, audio of this message)
Question. But, what is it to obey the gospel? Answer. To obey the gospel is to entertain the offers of it; ...to believe in Christ, being in effect a command to receive him ...He that receives whole Christ to justify him, and sanctify him too; that receives Christ as a king to rule him as well as a priest to save him, such a one receives the gospel. But...[some] suffer him not to bear sway in their hearts, as if Christ came by blood alone, and not by water; whereas indeed he came as well by water to sanctify us, as by blood to die for us...
okay