Be careful of bad understanding and bad advice concerning our grace doctrine

Be careful of bad understanding and bad advice concerning our grace doctrine

The following post is in response to a comment made on one of my posts in this lesson series concerning the process of salvation. A comment like this is a good illustration of the lack of good biblical knowledge and understanding concerning our grace doctrine today. These types of comments, although they have a measure of truth, are also harmful, as they can make people ignorant of truth and rob them of knowledge and inheritance. 

In my reply, I will prove that there is more to salvation than just what this comment suggests. If you truly believe that the Bible is God’s words and instruction to us, and if you truly believe that God has done much more for you through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ than ‘just saving you from hell’, then I appeal to you to read my rely and go and do a study on Romans and Ephesians that clearly shows the value and greater truth of salvation than just the first step of escaping the flames. God has SO MUCH MORE for you if you simply turn to His word, read it, and believe it.

Social media comment on one of my posts:

SALVATION IS A GIFT – NOT PROGRESSIVE

My response to the above comment:

Salvation is a broad term encompassing justification, sanctification, and glorification. One can be justified but ignore sanctification for example.

It is more correct to say, “Justification is a free gift”,

Rom_5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

God freely justifies someone who receives the gospel and believes its message, Rom_3:24. From that moment on that person is sealed into the Body of Christ and saved from hell. There is no work or responsibility to maintain justification because one’s justification is a gift that comes through the righteousness of Christ, Rom_4:5. Justification is finalized in Romans 4. From Rom_5:1 onwards in Paul’s epistles, Paul writes and addresses already justified believers who now need to learn the grace doctrine, to grow up in Christ, and be transformed in sanctification (set apart) for the Lord, Rom_12:1-2; Eph_4:15.

Sanctification does not save one from hell (since justification does that), but sanctification is a constant increasing, or growing up into sonship in Christ, ultimately determining one’s glory in the ages to come. All believers will stand before the judgement seat of Christ and will be judged according to Paul’s gospel (doctrine), Rom_2:16. A measure of glory will be one’s inheritance (reward) based on studying, understanding, and faithful application of that doctrine. Paul writes much about this, as a sampling of scriptures below confirm,

1Cor_3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1Cor_3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Col_3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Eph_4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

2Ti_2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

1Cor_15:40-41 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. (41) There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

The bottom line is that justification is a free gift and saves us from hell, but salvation does not stop there. We are to press on for that prize of the high calling of God in Christ, Php_3:14, which can only be achieved by studying and knowing our doctrine (Paul’s epistles) and being faithful to it, allowing it to influence us in thoughts, actions, speech and attitude, Rom_8:1-2; Rom_8:5-6; Rom_8:14. God works in us according to our submission to His Word and our obedience to it, Rom_6:16-17. This determines our inheritance and that measure of glory in the ages to come. Sanctification is not a free gift like justification is; it requires patience, endurance, commitment, sacrifice, and faith.

Kind regards.