NUANCES

1. INTRODUCTION

Why Precision in Salvation Matters

The most imitated doctrine in all of Scripture is salvation. Satan does not counterfeit atheism — he counterfeits the gospel (2 Cor 11:3–4). His most effective strategy is not denial, but distortion. The most dangerous error is not paganism, but almost Christianity. This is why Scripture repeatedly warns that false gospels will multiply (Gal 1:6–9; Matt 7:21–23; 2 Pet 2:1–3). The goal of this study is therefore not academic, but pastoral — to guard the soul.

Biblical soteriology is not a loose collection of terms; it is an ordered work of the Triune God. The Father purposes salvation, the Son accomplishes salvation, and the Spirit applies salvation. When even one doctrine is misunderstood or displaced from its biblical sequence, the gospel becomes something man cooperates in rather than something God accomplishes.

The church is not strengthened by slogans (“Jesus saves”) but by a doctrinal understanding of how Jesus saves. Precision fuels assurance, and assurance fuels holiness. A vague gospel produces vague disciples.

2. THE ETERNAL DECREE

Salvation Begins in God, Not Man

Before there was a world, a sinner, or the cross, Scripture declares that God purposed salvation in Himself. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). Paul says grace “was given us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Tim 1:9). The Lamb is described as “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8).

This means the cross is not God’s reaction — it is His decree. He did not see history unfold and then formulate a rescue plan. The rescue was eternally willed by the Father, accomplished in time by the Son, and applied in time by the Spirit. Soteriology begins in heaven, not earth — in God’s will, not human response.

John Murray: “The atonement must be understood in terms of divine intention before it can be understood in terms of human experience.”

The eternal decree protects the gospel from the error that salvation hinges on human initiative. God does not wait for the sinner’s will; His redemptive purpose creates willingness where none exists (Ps 110:3; John 6:37; Rom 8:29–30).

3. ELECTION & EFFECTUAL CALLING

The Father’s Sovereign Choice and Summons

Biblical Election

Election is God’s sovereign and gracious choosing of particular sinners unto salvation (Eph 1:4–5; Rom 9:11–16; John 6:37). It is unconditional — not based on foreseen faith, works, or worthiness, but solely on God’s purpose and mercy (Rom 9:15–16).

Thomas Schreiner: “Faith is the result of election, not the cause of it.”

Scripture never says God foresees who will believe and then elects them. Rather, those whom He elects He then enables to believe (Acts 13:48).

Effectual vs. General Call

Scripture describes two kinds of calling:

General Call	Effectual Call
External	Internal
Everyone hears	Only the elect hear unto life
Can be resisted (Matt 23:37)	Cannot be thwarted (John 6:37)
Preaching alone	Preaching + Spirit’s regenerating power

“For those whom He called, He also justified” (Rom 8:30). The call in Romans 8 cannot fail — justification always follows. This is not the call that goes to all humanity, but the inward compelling of God's Spirit that makes unwilling sinners willing.

Counterfeit Exposed: “God only invites”

Modern evangelicalism often reduces salvation to invitation, placing sovereignty in the sinner. But Scripture teaches summoning, not suggestion (John 11:43–44; Acts 16:14). Those whom the Father calls do come (John 6:37). The gospel does not make salvation possible — it secures it for the sheep (John 10:27–29).

4. REGENERATION

God’s Sovereign Work of Making the Spiritually Dead Alive

Regeneration is not self-awakening, moral improvement, or recommitment — it is resurrection. Scripture describes sinners as “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1). Dead men cannot believe. So God must make alive before faith is exercised: “But God… made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4–5).

Jesus teaches this order explicitly: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Seeing (understanding) is the result, not the cause, of new birth.

John Owen: “The effectual work of the Spirit in regeneration is the giving of spiritual life, whereby the soul is enabled to believe.”

Regeneration is Monergistic

The sinner is passive — God performs the act. Peter describes believers as “born again… through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet 1:23). James: “Of His own will He brought us forth” (James 1:18). Regeneration is not the reward of faith — faith is the immediate fruit of regeneration (1 John 5:1).

Counterfeit Exposed: Decisionalism

Modern altar-call evangelicalism often teaches the reverse order: “Believe, then you will be born again.” Scripture teaches: “Born again, then you believe.” When regeneration is treated as a reward for human decision rather than the cause of it, salvation is subtly relocated from God’s power to man’s initiative.

True regeneration always produces new affections (Ezek 36:26–27), new obedience (1 John 2:3), and perseverance (Phil 1:6).

5. SALVATION

Deliverance From Sin’s Penalty, Power, and Eventually Its Presence

Salvation is not merely forgiveness or escape from hell — it is the Triune God rescuing the sinner from sin’s penalty (justification), power (sanctification), and one day even its presence (glorification). Scripture presents salvation not as a single moment, but as a comprehensive saving work of God applied over time (Titus 3:5–7; Rom 5:1–10).

Anchoring text:

“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.” (Eph 2:8–9)

Faith is the instrument — not the ground — of salvation. Salvation is entirely of grace, meaning nothing in man contributed to its origin. Christ did not die to make men savable — He died to save men actually (Matt 1:21; John 6:39).

John Murray: “The accomplishment of redemption and the application of redemption are inseparably joined; the cross secures what the Spirit applies.”

Counterfeit Exposed: Sacramental and Universalist Gospels

Roman Catholicism turns salvation into a process infused through sacraments, making grace dependent on ecclesiastical mediation and personal merit. Progressive Christianity, on the other hand, nullifies salvation entirely by denying sin, assuming all are already reconciled.

Scripture rejects both:

• Salvation is not mediated by priests, sacraments, Mary, or church tradition (Heb 7:25; Acts 4:12).

• Nor is salvation automatic or universal — “narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” (Matt 7:14).

Salvation is particular, purchased, applied, and preserved by God Himself.

6. REDEMPTION

Christ Purchases His People Out of Bondage

Redemption means deliverance by payment of a price. Christ did not merely rescue us from a bad condition — He ransomed us from slavery (John 8:34; Rom 6:17). The price was not silver or gold, but His own blood (1 Pet 1:18–19).

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:28)

Redemption is not generic; ransom is paid for a people — His sheep, His bride, His elect (John 10:11; Eph 5:25). The cross was not a display of sentiment but of purchase.

John Piper: “Christ did not just make salvation possible; He purchased a people who will be saved.”

Redemption is grounded in substitutionary ransom — He stood where we should have stood, so we are freed where we should have remained bound.

Counterfeit Exposed: Therapeutic Moral Deism

Modern evangelical culture reduces Jesus to a life coach or moral example. But Christ’s redemption is not inspiration — it is liberation by blood. Moralism says “improve yourself.” The gospel says “you were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20). Only one of these frees.

7. EXPIATION

Our Sin Removed and Cleansed

If redemption deals with ownership, expiation deals with defilement — the stain and guilt of sin. Under the Day of Atonement, one goat was slain (penalty), and one was sent away (removal) into the wilderness (Lev 16). Christ fulfills both.

“He Himself purged our sins” (Heb 1:3).“The blood of Jesus… cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Expiation answers the question: Where did my sin go? Answer: it has been removed from me, as far as east is from west (Ps 103:12).

D.A. Carson: “Expiation means that the guilt of sin is canceled — it no longer stands against us.”

Counterfeit Exposed: Psychological “Salvation”

Modern culture reframes guilt as a self-esteem problem rather than a judicial problem before a holy God. But Scripture is clear: sin is not a feeling to be managed — it is a crime to be cleansed.

Counseling cannot expiate sin. Sentiment cannot expiate sin. Only blood removes guilt.

8. SUBSTITUTION

Christ in Our Place, Under Our Curse

If expiation removes sin in relation to the law, substitution explains how — by Christ taking our place. The cross is not merely empathetic — it is penal. Jesus was not dying as a martyr of love but as a substitute under wrath.

Anchor text:

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)

This is the great exchange: our sin imputed to Him, His righteousness to us.He didn’t merely sympathize with sinners — He stood where they stood.

J.I. Packer: “The measure of God’s love is seen in the costliness of the atonement. Christ stood in our law place and bore our law penalty.”

Counterfeit Exposed: Christus Victor instead of Penal Substitution

Christ indeed triumphs over Satan (Col 2:15), but Scripture teaches He triumphed by satisfying justice against sin. Victory is the result of substitution, not a replacement for it.

Where there is no penalty borne, there is no gospel — only sentiment dressed as theology.

9. IMPUTATION

Christ’s Righteousness Credited to Our Account

Imputation is the transfer of moral standing — our sin reckoned to Christ, His righteousness reckoned to us. It is the hinge upon which justification turns.

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Rom 4:3)

This “counting” (Greek logizomai) means to credit something to another’s account. Our sin was not merely pardoned; it was transferred to Christ (Isa 53:6). Likewise, His perfect obedience is credited to all who believe (Rom 5:18–19; 2 Cor 5:21).

John MacArthur: “Christ took our sins and gave us His righteousness. That’s the double transaction at the heart of the gospel.”

Imputation preserves the truth that salvation is not achieved by infused grace, but by imputed righteousness. The believer’s standing before God is legal and immediate — not progressive or merited.

Thomas Schreiner: “Righteousness is not a substance poured into us, but a status granted to us because of what Christ has done.”

Counterfeit Exposed: Infused Righteousness

Roman Catholic theology teaches that justification is not merely God’s legal declaration of righteousness, but a process of becoming righteous through participation in the sacraments. In their system, righteousness is infused — poured into the soul — so that a person becomes inherently righteous over time and therefore eventually justified if they persist in charity and obedience.

Scripture rejects this entirely. Justification is forensic (legal/judicial), not transformational. God justifies the ungodly (Rom 4:5), not the already made-righteous. The righteousness by which we stand accepted before God is external to us (extra nos) — Christ’s righteousness counted / imputed to us by faith alone (Rom 3:21–26; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:8–9).

• Imputed righteousness = credited / counted to the believer Your legal standing before God is based on Christ’s perfect obedience and atoning death.

• Infused righteousness = placed inside the believer and used as the grounds of acceptance This is a denial of substitution and destroys assurance because righteousness is then partly Christ’s and partly one’s own performance.

The Bible draws a sharp distinction:

• Justification = God’s legal verdict about us because of Christ’s righteousness credited to us (Rom 4:6–8).

• Sanctification = God’s ongoing work in us by His Spirit, transforming us after we have already been declared righteous (1 Thess 4:3; Heb 10:14).

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To collapse these categories — as Rome does — is to relocate the ground of salvation from Christ’s finished work to human cooperation. If righteousness were infused as the basis of justification, then Christ’s declaration “It is finished” (John 19:30) would be false, because the decisive saving work would still be unfinished in the believer.

Imputed righteousness says:

“Christ is my righteousness.”

Infused righteousness (Rome) says:

“Christ helps me become righteous enough to be justified.”

Those are not two different gospels; one (imputed) is the GOSPEL, the other (infused) is a lie.

10. PROPITIATION

God’s Wrath Satisfied by Christ Alone

To “propitiate” is to satisfy wrath. God’s wrath is not an embarrassing relic of the Old Testament — it is His holy response to evil (Nah 1:2–3; Rom 1:18). Without wrath, there is no justice. Without justice, there is no cross.

“God presented Christ as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” (Rom 3:25)

On the cross, Jesus absorbed the divine anger that should have consumed us. He did not persuade a reluctant Father to love us — the Father sent the Son precisely because He loved us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10). The Son satisfied the wrath that the Father righteously required.

R.C. Sproul: “The cross was not a tragedy; it was a transaction — the wrath of God poured out on the Son in the place of sinners.”

Propitiation affirms that salvation is not about God lowering His standard, but about Christ fulfilling it.

Counterfeit Exposed: Sentimental “Love-Only” Theology

Modern Christianity frequently divorces love from holiness, reducing the cross to a demonstration of empathy rather than a payment for sin. This sentimental gospel cannot save. God’s love is holy love, and His grace does not bypass justice — it satisfies it (Isa 53:5; 1 Pet 2:24).

John Murray: “The cross does not make God loving; it shows that the God who loves is just.”

11. RECONCILIATION

Enemies Made Sons, Estrangement Reversed

Reconciliation is relational — the removal of hostility between God and man through the death of Christ.

“While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” (Rom 5:10)

Man did not move toward God; God moved toward man (2 Cor 5:18–19). The hostility caused by sin is destroyed because the legal debt has been paid (Col 2:14). Reconciliation is not mere friendship restored — it is adoption established. We are not simply pardoned rebels; we are invited into sonship (Gal 4:4–7).

James Hamilton Jr.: “God’s reconciling work in Christ is not just ceasing hostility but creating a family.”

Reconciliation is the fruit of propitiation: wrath satisfied, peace secured.

Counterfeit Exposed: Religious Pluralism

Culture insists all roads lead to God, yet Scripture says peace comes only through Christ’s blood (Col 1:20). All other paths remain estranged. To preach reconciliation without the cross is to proclaim peace where there is no peace (Jer 6:14).

John MacArthur: “Reconciliation does not happen when man decides to stop rejecting God, but when God decides to stop rejecting man.”

12. JUSTIFICATION

Declared Righteous by Faith Alone in Christ Alone

Justification is the legal declaration of righteousness — not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done on our behalf. It is instantaneous, complete, and irreversible.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:1)

Paul writes, “To the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Rom 4:5). The ungodly are not made righteous before justification — they are declared righteous while ungodly because Christ’s righteousness is imputed.

R.C. Sproul: “We are saved by works — but not our own. We are saved by the perfect works of Jesus Christ.”

Faith Alone

Faith is not a work; it is the empty hand that receives grace (Phil 3:9; Gal 2:16). Works flow from justification but never contribute to it. The order matters: faith alone saves, but saving faith never remains alone (James 2:17).

Counterfeit Exposed: Legalism, Rome, and Modern Revisions

Roman Catholicism, the New Perspective on Paul, and Federal Vision theology all redefine justification — either by adding cooperation, redefining faith as covenant loyalty, or postponing final justification until judgment. Scripture is explicit: justification is once-for-all (Rom 8:30). There is no future justification based on works; our verdict is secured in Christ’s past work.

John Calvin: “Justification by faith is the hinge on which religion turns.”

Lose justification, and every other doctrine unravels — regeneration becomes moralism, sanctification becomes self-help, and glorification becomes uncertain. Justification secures assurance because it rests not in the believer’s performance but in Christ’s perfection.

13. SANCTIFICATION

The Spirit Conforms Us to the Image of Christ

If justification is God’s declaration, sanctification is God’s renovation. The moment God saves, He begins to transform (Phil 1:6; 2 Cor 3:18). Sanctification flows out of union with Christ — not human willpower. It has two biblical dimensions:

1. Positional sanctification (instant) — believers are set apart as holy the moment they are united to Christ (1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:10).

2. Progressive sanctification (ongoing) — the lifelong work of the Spirit producing increasing holiness (Heb 12:14; Rom 8:13).

John Murray: “Sanctification is the work of God in us; justification is the work of God for us.”

While we participate actively in sanctification (Phil 2:12–13), the power originates in the Spirit, not the flesh (Gal 5:16). True sanctification is always evidence of true salvation (1 John 2:3; Matt 7:17–18).

Counterfeit Exposed: Antinomianism & Therapeutic Grace

Two modern distortions dominate:

• Antinomianism: “Grace means obedience is optional.”

• Therapeutic Christianity: “Jesus improves your life; holiness isn’t required.”

Both are lies. “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). The Spirit never regenerates a soul He does not also reform.

Kevin DeYoung: “The gospel is opposed to earning, but not to effort.”

Sanctification is not how we stay saved — it is proof that we are saved.

14. GLORIFICATION

The Final Perfection of God’s People in the Presence of Christ

Glorification is the completion of salvation: the total removal of sin from our nature, desires, and bodies. What God began in eternity, He will finish in eternity (Rom 8:30).

“When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

This includes:

• Resurrection bodies (1 Cor 15:42–44)

• Perfect holiness (Rev 21:27)

• Unbroken communion with Christ forever (Rev 22:3–5)

Glorification is guaranteed — not potential — because it rests on God’s decree, Christ’s accomplishment, and the Spirit’s seal (Eph 1:13–14).

R.C. Sproul: “Glorification is the divine completion of the process started in regeneration.”

Counterfeit Exposed: Over-Realized Eschatology

Progressive Christianity and “kingdom now” theology claim glorification blessings here and now — demanding victory without resurrection, fullness without consummation, heaven without Christ’s bodily return. Scripture teaches that we are pilgrims, not possessors until Christ returns (1 Pet 1:13; Heb 13:14).

15. WHY THE ORDER MATTERS

The Doctrinal Sequence Protects the Gospel

The doctrines of salvation are not interchangeable parts. They are sequential and causal. The biblical ordo salutis is:

Eternal Decree → Election → Effectual Calling → Regeneration → Faith → Justification → Sanctification → Perseverance → Glorification

Remove or rearrange one piece, and the gospel bends toward human effort. For example:

• If regeneration comes after faith → salvation becomes synergistic

• If justification is final instead of finished → assurance becomes impossible

• If sanctification is optional → holiness becomes negotiable

• If glorification is present → suffering becomes pointless

The gospel protects God’s glory by preserving God’s initiative.

John Piper: “The doctrines of grace are not a cage — they are wings. They free us from self-reliance.”

16. CLOSING EXHORTATION

Examine, Worship, Persevere

Scripture commands believers to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor 13:5). Not to deconstruct your faith or create doubt — but to anchor assurance in the true gospel, not a counterfeit one. The evidence of salvation is not perfection, but direction — the upward, Spirit-powered pursuit of Christ (Heb 3:14; Rom 8:13–14).

If God authored salvation, He will also finish it (Phil 1:6). If Christ purchased His people, He will not lose them (John 6:39). If the Spirit indwells a believer, He will sanctify them (Rom 8:29). And the God who began this work in eternity will conclude it in eternity, to the praise of His glorious grace (Eph 1:6).

The proper response to sovereign grace is not passivity, but worship — joy, obedience, holiness, gratitude, perseverance, and reverence. Not “try harder,” but “behold Him more deeply.” Not “perform,” but “abide.” Not “earn,” but “rest in the One who earned.” This is why sound doctrine is not cold — it is the furnace of true devotion.

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com