Yes Indeed, You Must Be Born Again.. Because Jesus Said, "You Must Be Born Again." John 3:3
Imagine standing before a refreshing waterfall.
Who in this world wouldn't love such a constant powerful flow from above -- totally unearned and unstoppable to refresh them!?
This is what the grace of God is about—it's a relentless free stream, that's unpolluted by human effort, and completely pure in its origin, RICH and ABUNDANT in its provision.
Grace is not a paycheck for the righteous but it is a free gift for the undeserving. God's free grace humbles the proud (it should humble all of us). It uplifts the weary and can save the sinner—but never by any works or money paid. God saves. Yes, salvation is by faith in the Christ of the Bible.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In these words lies a treasure trove of wealth that'll shatter human egotism -- yes, all that arrogance "to make it on my own apart from my Maker." There's zero place for pride and rebellion -- free grace points us to the cross where love and justice have met.
The Freedom of Faith Alone
When we grasp that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone and in Christ alone, then we discover real FREEdom!
This doctrine, sola fide, declares that our standing with God does not rest on the shifty shaky ground of human achievement but on the finished work of Christ.
Faith is not a ladder that we climb, but it's like a hand that we grasp ahold of that's been extended toward us from God.
If we're smart we receive His righteousness when our own self-righteousness won't ever help us.
The faith to reach out and take hold of this free gift offered.. is a also gift from Him: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29).
God does not save us because of who we are or according to what we’ve done, but it's because of who He is—rich in mercy, abounding in love, and unfathomable in grace. He chooses who He will, and we each can choose. This truth replaces striving with resting and transforms guilt into gratitude.
Trials: The Refining Fire
But grace does not leave us unmoved and unchanged. We are the responders. While salvation is not earned by any religious sacriments or deeds, this free grace produces good works. Yes, that's a response of love toward the Initiator who is God.. the one who first loved us.
Then trials become tools in the hands of a master craftsman, shaping us into the image of Christ. James writes, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2-3).
Like gold refined in fire, trials burn away the dross of self-reliance and awaken a deeper trust in God. The scars of suffering, once seen as marks of defeat, become testimonies of His sustaining grace.
I'm Now Counting At Least Seven Benefits Of Salvation
Through Christ our ultimate Blessing, the gift of salvation overflows with blessings:
- Deliverance from real enemies: And those aren't really people. We war not against flesh and blood. We are rescued not just from physical foes but from the powers of sin, satan and death (Luke 1:71; 1 John 5:18). "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 nlt
- Mercy beyond measure: God's mercy rewrites our story, replacing harsh judgment with God's compassion (Luke 1:72; Titus 3:5).
- Justification by faith: We are declared righteous, not because of our deeds but because of Christ’s perfect obedience all the way to the Cross and beyond the empty tomb (Galatians 3:6-9).
- The Peace of God and peace with God: Reconciliation replaces alienation, giving us access to the Prince of Peace and our heavenly Father (Romans 5:1).
- Holiness and righteousness: Through His Spirit, we are empowered to live the life as Christ's representatives in all purity (Titus 2:11-12).
- Reconciliation to God: We are brought near and are no longer strangers but children of the King (2 Corinthians 5:18).
- Guidance in the light that is holy: His Spirit leads us in truth, illuminating our path before us (1 John 1:7).
Hey, Respond To God's Free Grace! Don't Put This Off!
It's grace through faith plus nothing ..that saves us. Yes, it's apart from all works of merit.
Once in Jesus, does it matter how we live in Christ? Absolutely, it does.
Grace is not a license for us to do our own thing, nor is it a license for apathy but it's an invitation to real intimacy. Good works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation. They flow from a heart already washed and captivated by Christ, not from a desire to earn His favor and enter His Kingdom.
Sanctification is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him. It is both God’s work and ours after we experience salvation. Sanctification takes our submissive cooperation. As Paul writes, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).
I love it that God's sanctifying grace is rich and free for anyone!
sanctifying grace and its transformative -- its SO impact across various Christian traditions and across all border lines into the different Lands. No country or countryman lies outside of God's love or ability to reach and save within!
The concept of free grace as unmerited love and favor continue to serve as a foundational doctrine for understanding how God Himself draws humble humans to Himself.. and unto His holiness. It emphasizes that this gift will always be free and totally undeserved.
Key Takeaways on Sanctifying Grace:
In Basic Catholicism, I was falsely taught that I could hope to be saved from Purgatory and Hell-fire by faith plus good works (keeping the sacraments and this began at my infant baptism where I got a wet forehead). I didn't even have a choice in that.
In Basic Wesleyan and Methodist Theology: We are told that grace unfolds in three dimensions:
- Prevenient grace awakens awareness of God.
- Justifying grace forgives sins and reconciles believers to God.
- Sanctifying grace is an ongoing process of transformation, aligning believers with God’s will and word thus enabling them to grow in Christlikeness. I like that.
In Basic Protestant Theology: Sanctification is threefold:
- Positional sanctification: Through the Lord's eyes, the believer is made completely acceptable to the Father at the moment of their rebirth. Yes, at the time of their salvation through true repentance and (saving faith) simply believing in Christ’s finished work on the cross - His substitutionary sacrifice.
- Progressive sanctification: A continual journey of growing in holiness and obedience under the Lordship of Jesus.
- Complete sanctification: Achieved in glorification when believers are fully separated from sin and united with God forever.
Common Threads:
- Grace is totally unearned and it's rooted in God’s unconditional love for us sinners.
- Sanctification reflects a dynamic relationship with God the Father—beginning with a decisive moment to U-turn from sin to God, of justification and continuing with Christ through a lifelong journey of spiritual growth, culminating in ultimate glorification. We pray and we obey.
I SO appreciate how sanctifying-grace is a free gift. It always will be pre-Rapture. It reflects upon the profound cleansing, the hope and the eternal assurance it brings to every believer. It also underscores the great mystery that's biblically revealed and upon the kind generosity of God’s work in transforming hearts and lives for His purposes.
A Hope That Anchors
Finally, we rejoice in the certainty that what God begins in you and me, He completes. Even the trials of today are preparing us for the glory of tomorrow. As Paul reminds us, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Paul in Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
God's free grace is the beautiful song of the redeemed, it's a melody of hope that drowns out all despair. It calls us to rest in Christ, to praise Him and rejoice in trials, and to live for His glory alone. And so we gladly echo the words of the psalmist: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness" (Psalm 115:1).
Let the truth of God's free grace lead you into acceptable worship often, let the trials, fickle circumstances, hardships, and vicissitudes of life lead you into trusting Jesus more.. and let the promise of eternity with Him lead you to hope. He is our living hope -- more than enough. In Christ, we have all that we need. Amen.
Every Christian recognizes that there are important stages of maturation in the Christian life. Just as we are physically born, then go through school, and then get a job, so spiritually we are born again in Christ, then we grow in holiness through the Holy Spirit, and then we go to be with God forever.
What are those biblical terms that Christians use to describe these important moments are justification, sanctification, and glorification. These three words are used to describe the Christian journey from the get go to the end of our walk here, from our new birth to our physical resurrection.
After the first Adam plunged humanity into sin, God in His love and foreknowledge, devised a marvelous plan to rescue us from this predicament of sin that we people were trapped in.
At the Cross, Jesus paid the PENALTY of sin.
After the Cross, His Holy Spirit entered to give us POWER over sin.
One day soon (am thinking about the Rapture) we will be delivered from the PRESENCE of sin.
So Celebrate-able huh! FREEdom From the Penalty, Power and Presence of Sin (Romans 8:18-39)!
FREE justification, sanctification, and glorification!
Need some definitions:
• Justification is “an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous (in right standing before the Father) because of that sinner’s faith in Christ.” We are justified, or declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation.
• Sanctification is “the lifelong process by which reborn Christians are set apart for God from the rest of the corrupt world system, or the process by which Christians are made holy.” Progressive, a.k.a. experiential, sanctification (as it is sometimes called), is the effect of obedience to the Authority of the Word of God in one’s life. It is the same as growing in the Lord (2 Peter 3:18) or spiritual maturity.
• Glorification is “God’s final removal of sin from the life of the saints so that they stand faultless before Him in glory as enjoy we eternity worshipping Him” (See Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). At Christ’s coming, the glory of God (Romans 5:2)—His honor, praise, majesty, and holiness—will be realized in us; we will have direct and unhindered access to God’s presence, and we will enjoy holy communion with Him throughout eternity.
As mentioned above, these three terms describe the full process of salvation from the start of God's work inside us until we stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. As Christians, we were justified when we humbly believed and confessed Christ (Romans 10:9), we are sanctified as we daily grow in holiness through the ongoing work of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:11–32; Galatians 5:16–24), and we will someday be glorified when we are resurrected into eternal life in His presence (Colossians 3:4). Justification is a one-time event, sanctification is not but it's a process, and glorification is a future event to come. How exciting.
If you are a Christian, you are guaranteed all three stages of real LIFE (see Romans 8:29–30). You are forever justified, you are being sanctified, and you will for sure be glorified with Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11).
All three of these amazing experiences are free from God’s grace (we don't buy indulgences to gain, and we never sell anything to help anyone try to gain them).
Enjoying these three is not at all because of anything you have done or will do. It's impossible to earn them (Ephesians 2:8–9).
You cannot earn your justification, you cannot by sheer determination achieve your sanctification, and you can never merit your own glorification.
God makes all these things happen out of His deep and generous love for you -- it's by His free grace alone (Romans 3:24; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 2:13; Titus 2:11).
If you are trying to achieve any of these three things by your own will power, then you will inevitably fail miserably. Instead, humbly repent. Agree with God (who is completely trustworthy) and receive His gift of grace. Continue to trust and walk with Him -- rely upon His power, and walk step by step in the Holy Spirit. None are called to strive, but all are called to abide in Jesus.
Cease all striving in the flesh. If you are not a Christian, then you may be trying to gain God's favor, blessings and these three things by your own merit. Stop it.
You may be trying to feel righteous before God, to be good enough in your life for acceptance, and to leave a lasting legacy after you die. But you cannot live the Christian life by your own power and ingenuity (Romans 3:10–20)! None of us can. Jesus is the one who lived the Christian life. We each need Christ more than we know.
God does not want you to sweat it “trying harder,” but to simply come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus wants you to cease striving by your own power. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Have you had your sins forgiven yet? Have you accepted God’s gracious gift of eternal life by faith? If not, why not start today? You can get right with God here and now.
The way of salvation is simple, and it is only through Jesus Christ. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:9–13).
