Some people describe our salvation by grace through faith this way:
1. We have been saved from the penalty of sin.
2. We are being saved from the power of sin.
3. We one day will be saved from the presence of sin.
All this having been purchased on the cross by Jesus.
Is this not ALSO right and perhaps when added to the forgoing a more Biblically complete, more helpful and grace filled understanding of salvation by grace through faith ?
1. But when the kindness of God our. Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us””””not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy”””” through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out His Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. ( Titus 3:4-7).
Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
2. We all, with unveiled faces are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed in to the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18). Pursue peace with everyone and holiness”” without it no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14).
Everyone who has been born of God does not practice sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he is not able to practice sin, because he has been born of God. If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him. ( 1 John 2:29).
3. We know that when he appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has the hope purifies himself just as He is pure (1 John 3:2-3).
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:28-29)
Summarizing, we are justified by the cleansing of the new birth, the giving of a new heart and the poured out indwelling by the Spirit. Titus 3:4-7 clearly says that.
We are sanctified by the revelation of Jesus to the soul through the word (Gospel and teaching of Christ) and Spirit (2Corinthians 3:18) and the transforming work of the Spirit as we sacrifice our lives (Romans 12:1-2), submit to His discipline (Hebrews 12:9-11), and make every effort to grow and increase in virtues of Christ (2 Peter 1: 3-11).
We are glorified and finally saved when we receive resurrected bodies as we behold Christ face to face. Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I have been taken hold of by Christ. (Philippians 3:12)
Thus, first our new birth, then our pursuing of purity and sanctification and growing to maturity and the perfecting process in holiness of our soul, and then our final resurrection and completion of perfection. These are the contents of salvation and provide a much fuller explanation and definition not only of salvation but also of Grace.
We are saved by grace through faith and this is not of ourselves, it is God’s gift ( Eph. 2: 9). He who did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? (Romans 8:32)
All this having been purchased with the precious blood of Christ on the Cross, the New Covenant in His Blood.