Salvation and eternal life in Christ cannot be inherited by biological connection or any form of affiliation with a Christian, a man of God, a church, or even Jesus Christ Himself. It is not transferable by lineage, proximity, or association.
To receive salvation, one must personally believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, obey His word, and live a life led by the Holy Spirit. It is a deliberate and conscious decision—one that each individual must make for themselves. You must surrender your life wholly to God and experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is God’s seal of ownership over your soul. Salvation is not something that can be passed down from a Christian parent, spouse, sibling, pastor, or prophet. No one can pronounce you saved. You must be born again and have a personal encounter with God.
The Bible clearly instructs us in Philippians 2:12 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”—not someone else’s, but your own.
Jesus Himself made this truth known during His ministry. In Matthew 12:46–50, while He was teaching, someone interrupted to tell Him that His mother and brothers were waiting for Him outside. His response was profound: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? … Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” In other words, even Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, could not claim access to the Kingdom of God based on biological connection. Nor could His brothers. True kinship with Jesus is not biological—it is spiritual, and it comes through obedience to God’s Word.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, seemed to understand this well. From then on, she is portrayed in Scripture not as a privileged mother giving instructions, but as a humble disciple following Christ. She became a part of the believing community and was present where she needed to be: listening to the Word of God and participating in the ministry alongside the other disciples.
In John 2:5, at the wedding in Cana, Mary simply told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” She pointed people to Jesus.
In John 19:25, she stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ followers. She was there until the end, helping prepare His body for burial and later visiting the tomb.
In Acts 1:14, Mary and Jesus’ biological brothers were among the disciples gathered in the upper room, praying and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit just like everyone else—not through special access, but through faith and obedience.
Even James and Jude, Jesus’ biological brothers, who authored the books of James and Jude in the New Testament, did not identify themselves as His brothers. Instead, they humbly referred to themselves as servants of Jesus Christ, understanding that spiritual relationship—not blood—is what matters in the Kingdom.
This is a vital truth every Christian must grasp: Salvation is a personal journey. It cannot be inherited or transferred through association with any man of God, prophet, or Christian parent. You must know God for yourself. Every believer—young or old—must experience a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, learn to read the Bible, listen to God’s voice, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in their own life.
We must teach our children to seek God personally, not rely on our salvation to cover them. And if you are a relative of a pastor or minister, remember: salvation is not a family heirloom—it must be received personally through repentance, faith, and obedience.
Only after we are born again—after we’ve truly encountered Christ for ourselves—can we inherit the Kingdom of God.
May God help us all to pursue true, personal salvation through Jesus Christ.