12-1 Salvation is the work of God¹ in which He reconciles fallen men to Himself,² ultimately removes the consequences of the curse,³ and bestows upon His redeemed Creation⁴ the riches of His grace, all to His glory.⁵

12-2 Salvation is offered in the gospel to all men⁶ and is accomplished in all the elect.⁷ It is received by grace through faith and the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit,⁸ apart from works or human merit.⁹ Salvation centers in a person, Jesus Christ, and receiving Him¹⁰ includes the remission of sins on the grounds of His shed blood on the cross,¹¹ the imputation of His perfect righteousness,¹² the reception of the Holy Spirit,¹³ and the impartation of eternal life.¹⁴

 

¹ Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Heb.7:25). (See also Eph.2:4-5, 8-9).

² Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself . . . (Col.1:20). For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! (Rom.5:10).

³ No longer will there be any curse (Rev.22:3).

⁴ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently (Rom.8:18-25).

⁵ I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more (Isa.43:25).

⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37). No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44). For you granted him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given him (John 17:2). When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all those who were appointed for eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).

⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).

⁹ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast (Eph.2:8,9).

¹⁰ Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

¹¹ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Eph.1:7).

¹² It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (1Cor.1:30).

¹³ And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Rom.8:9b).