GraceLife Thoughts – The Process of Salvation

Grace Thoughts

GraceLife Thoughts – The Process of Salvation

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:29-30

Notice the process God uses in salvation.

Predestined
Called
Justified
Glorified

Predestination comes before calling. God calls (ekalesen – summon) those He predestines (proōrisen – predetermine, foreordain, mark out beforehand). He justifies (edikaiōsen – makes righteous, declares righteous, acquits) those He calls and glorifies (edoxasen – ascribe value, bestow honor, render glorious) them with an eternal glory.

People are not righteous because people are not righteous. People don’t understand because people don’t understand. People don’t seek after God because people don’t seek after God. People don’t do good because people don’t do good. People sin because they are sinners. They fall short of God’s glory because people fall short of God’s glory. People are dead in trespasses and sins because they are dead in trespasses and sins. People are lost because people are lost. People are children of wrath because people are children of wrath. That’s the truth.

What’s good about the truth is that God has told us the truth. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we’re all dead in trespasses in sins, unable to save ourselves and under God’s wrath. That’s good news because if God didn’t tell us we were under His wrath, we wouldn’t know it and would continue down the wide road that leads to destruction.

The rest of the good news is that God did everything to make things right for those He chose to be saved. God is rich in mercy because of His great love for us. Even when we were dead in trespasses and sin, God made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together and made us sit together in the Heavenly places in Christ. Why? Because He wants to show the exceeding riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s eternal intent is that His manifold wisdom will be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

God saves people by grace through faith and both are His to give! Neither are from us – “and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Now that’s doctrine. That’s teaching we can sink our minds and hearts into. That’s truth that will keep us on the straight path and drive our lives to stay on that path until He says we’re done.

Ephesians chapters 1, 2 and 3 and Romans chapters 1, 2 and 3 are how we know this is true! It doesn’t matter how we feel about any of it. What matters is what God said through the holy writings of the Lord’s apostles and prophets. Once we understand and accept (emphasis on accept) that what we read in the Bible about how God saves dead people in this “dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2), then we’re ready to put what we know into action. Doctrine becomes practice.