But thou wilt object: If this be true that thou sayest, I wonder greatly at that which I find in some holy men’s books, for some say (as I understand them) that he that cannot love this blessed Name Jesus nor find and feel in it spiritual joy and delight with sweetness, shall be a stranger to the bliss of Heaven, and never come there. Verily when I read these words, they astonished me, making me afraid. For I hope (as you have said) that through the mercy of our Lord they shall be safe, by keeping of the commandments and by true repentance for their former evil life, who never felt any such spiritual sweetness, in the Name of Jesus, and therefore I marvel the more, to find them say (as me thinketh) the contrary hereto. (John Climacus)

Because I read and consider Climacus in such brief passages, I may be misconstruing his meaning. But he seems to say here that salvation - experienced as life-after-death - comes through repentance.

Salvation does not, according to Climacus, require loving Jesus or feeling spiritual joy. For Climacus this is clearly a grace and blessing, for he understands repentance to be much easier than love or joy. I will, at least in part, grant the point.

But I wonder if true repentance is possible without - or at least until - we are in a loving relationship with Jesus. I do not doubt that for some repentance is where the path must begin. But I doubt repentance can be sustained purely by human will.

Further, it begs the meaning of salvation. As I understand it we are to love our God, with all our heart, soul, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40) It is as an outcome of this loving relationship with God, neighbor, and self that we are redeemed, fulfilled, saved, and able to live life abundantly.

I am concerned that the Pharisees pursued repentance alone as the path to salvation. Jesus clearly said that path fell short of God's intention.