Salvation as Justification and Sanctification

I have NOT often used the word, sanctification, because some Christian factions used that same word, but gave it very different meaning; today I will use it.

Salvation is to be understood as comprising Justification and Sanctification. 

Justification

You get justified at the time that you enter into Salvation (or get converted or said the Sinner’s Prayer).  What that means is that you are forgiven of all your past sins, including the Original Sin.  Technically, I don’t favour talking about present sin, although it is common to read it used, and I ended up sometimes, putting it in, too.  It is either one has sinned or one has NOT.  When one has sinned, it is past. 

Scripture did talk about all our sins are forgiven us, at our entry into salvation.  My understanding is that as stated above, the all does NOT cover FUTURE sins.  FUTURE sins have NOT happened and so, could NOT have been forgiven by God at your entry into salvation, which could be some donkey years ago.  We can expect that post-entry (into salvation) when we confess the sins we have committed, to God, He is just and faithful to forgive us, and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

John 3:16 said that God so loved us that He gave His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, so that we may have eternal life.  The Gospel is God’s love for men.  He loved you and He acted by giving His Son to die for us.  Why His Son had to do that, die for us, essentially explains what Justification is all about. 

Scripture said the penalty for sin is death.  In other word, a sinful man is already on a death-row; and he cannot say, “I will die for another; say, spare Anthony, I will die in his place”.  He cannot, because he, himself, is supposed to die, anyway, being on the death-row.  Everyone is a sinful man.  Why?  Because everyone has “inherited” the Original Sin, and so, everyone is born sinful, and so, none can pay for the penalty of sin, for another.  Only a sinless life can do that, using his life to pay for another, so that, that another, can be free. 

Jesus Christ being the Son of God in Heaven was sinless, and He was holy, for God and the Godhead is holy.  No one can say God have NOT loved him; God has loved him, for God had given, and the Son, Jesus, had agreed, to come to die to atone for the sins of him; and we know Jesus did come and did die crucified, for the Salvation of men. 

God has loved; He sent His Son.  The Gospel is a love story.  Now, you have loved Him back when you came into salvation.  Your entry into salvation was the very first act of love on your part; you have loved Him back, by obeying God, to receive the Justification.  I will NOT elaborate here, but the kinda of love of God is love unto righteousness.  To understand this God’s kinda of love, read: ‘Ahab love – love unto righteousness

So, the very first thing God did, to have you and I able to come into the love story, loving, was to have us justified.  When you are justified, you are once again righteous.  Men were created righteous, but men became unrighteous, because of the Fall in the Garden of Eden.  When you were unrighteous, you could NOT love God rightly, and you really could NOT do any works, pleasing God (short of Him still counting righteousness to you, despite you NOT meeting up to the righteousness and holiness of God.  The concept of God counting righteousness to people was found in the OT, because the people then had NOT, the kind of justification that we are now [since Christ’s death and resurrection] having).  That was why, generally speaking, it would be as Isaiah put it down, that all the works of the people were as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). 

I, however, if I can, I will discourage pastors hitting their congregation with such harsh words like “ALL their works or deeds are as filthy rags”.  No, with Justification by Christ Jesus, it is NOT necessarily that ALL the works of a believer is as filthy rag to God.  It is however right to highlight that if we get ourselves into all kinds of sins and bondages, our works may NOT please God; for one thing, our motive of works could be no longer pure.  For one thing, God wants you and I to work on our problem with sins and bondages, even as we serve.  If we ignore our sinful condition, he is NOT pleased. 

It is NOT that you and I cannot serve at all.  God NEVER expects perfect ones, or He will have no one to serve or to do the works.  God is after the heart-condition of a believer.  But please, you cannot argue “my heart-condition is alright with God”, when you want NOT at all, to be of good works, and want NOT to resist sins and the Devil.

Is that all, just Justification will do?  After Justification, can I just ignore God, and then when the time comes, God comes to bring me to Heaven to live with Him (the people without Justification, to Hell)?  No, you can’t.  You and I cannot ignore the Sanctification portion. 

For in-depth discussion of atonement (when atoned you are justified), read under propitiation heading in this article: What about propitiation, forgiveness, and appropriation?

Sanctification

Before the Heaven, there is the Sanctification portion, and that is the Salvation Journey, or what Isaiah called it as Way or Highway of Holiness, which we have to journey on (Isaiah 35:8-10; this, a dual context prophecy). Yes, when you were justified, you entered into the Kingdom of God, but that phase of the Kingdom is the earthly phrase.  Sanctification is the will of God for believers.  1 Th 4:3a – “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified”.

Sanctification is about this earthly phase of the Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God has invaded the world, and when you were justified, you became part of the contingent living out and perpetuating the Kingdom here, in the world.  The Greek word for sanctification is G38 – hagiasmos.  G38 is often translated as holiness (Rom 6:22 [KJV], 1 Th 4:7 [KJV], Heb 12:14 [KJV]).  The word, saint, comes from the Greek word, hagios - G40.  When a sinner enters into salvation and is justified, he is called a saint; and a saint is to undergo sanctification.  If one does NOT want to be sanctified, he has to ask himself if effectively he is wanting to be back as a sinner.

You and I were from the world (fallen world) and therefore, were once sinners; and there are 2 things upon our justification that we are committed to do:

1) We to go through the sanctification process before we are ready to go the motherland, Heaven, to live with God.  The world is NOT the motherland, it is a “conquered land”, and we are the army of God in this conquered land.

2) We as active soldiers of the Kingdom are to expand, and as well as citizens of the Kingdom by our living, to influence others to embrace, the rulership of our God.  No physical violence, however.  In this respect, we have to understand that just like one country conquered another country, the conquered country is NOT fully “kingdomised” until all the people accept and embrace the laws and prescription from the Victor King.

Both the items above are proceeded by God in parallel, meaning at the same time.  We are being sanctified and we are to be engaged in the “kingdomization”.  So, in sanctification, we are being prepared for going to the motherland, Heaven, to live with God, and at the same time, serving God engaging in good works, in Kingdom expansion in the world.  So, sanctification is about being made holy, and sanctification is about being set apart in service for God.

Many preachers argue that sanctification is by God.  I am NOT saying it is NOT, yet it is when we are in step with God (that means we have to follow and so, obey), operating within His will and desires, that we can be sanctified, by God.  It is NOT that there is no part on the part of men, being all God’s part.  The correct perspective is given us in Phil 2:12-13.

Phil 2:12-13 - 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

It is clear from this Philippians text that we have to work out our salvation; and it is also clear that we are to work with God, for it is God who, through His Holy Spirit, works in us to will and act in such a way or in things, that will go towards fulfilling His good purpose (the use of conjunctive “for” was meant to link what came after it, to the fear and trembling; the notion is that wow, God [The God] wanting to carry out His purpose through you, and therefore it expressed the truth of it is God making initiations in us to will and act to bring about good to us and to others). Eph 2:8-10 stated that we are saved by grace for good works. 

How are we being sanctified?  In brief, it is when we living according God’s ways as prescribed by the Word and being led by the Holy Spirit.  The ways of God include both the prohibitive prescription/commands as well as directive prescription/commands.  One may NOT see the prohibitive commands as leading to good works, but they collectively do works for our sanctification.  By that, I mean, we are, for example, asked NOT to lie; NOT to lie may NOT be seen as a good works, but in abstaining from it, we are learning to live righteously and it works towards our holiness.  Prohibitive prescription/commands generally go towards “to righteousness unto holiness”, like it is being used in this text (Romans 6:19):

Amplified Bible - 19 I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification.

KJV - 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Directive commands generally go towards good works, and when we work with God on them, we produce fruit unto holiness.  Romans 6:22 (KJV) reads “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

In Scripture, there are actually 2 classes of fruit, NOT one, as is wrongly understood and preached by some preachers (especially the overly grace ones, for they shunned works); there is the fruit of the Spirit which we are to develop, and these are given us in Gal 5; and there is the fruit from our good works.  Sanctification should result in both, but you and I have to work with God.  But why; why NOT God just zap us holy?

It is because you and I are still with our volition.  God does NOT remove our volition even after we have entered into salvation and are justified and technically speaking, we belong to God; Scripture said God has bought us already with the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.  So, why NOT the removal of our volition so that we cannot but obey Him, cannot but obey all commands, prohibitive or directive prescriptions and all?

It is because if God does that, we will NOT be capable of true love towards God.  Is it NOT true, when you have no choice, there can be no love to talk about.  Those who truly know love, understand that first of all, love is a choice (and it is a commitment).  You and I have made that choice, to love God, at our entry into salvation (if you still have NOT realised that, today, realise this, and today, ratify this choice, that you are committed to love God).  We have to continue to love Him, even as we would like Him to continue to love us and so, we have to continue to choose to be sanctified.  But why?

Because we are loving God in sanctification, for prime moulding “tool” in sanctification is obedience. Truth is NEVER passé; “The ones who love me, obey my commands (John 14:15), and the ones who obey me, are the ones who love me (John 14:21a)”.  What God wants is NOT just you have loved Him (have entered into Salvation), what God wants include you continue to love Him.  Wanting to continue to love God is wanting Sanctification, and wanting Sanctification is wanting to continue to love God, for Sanctification prepares us to go to live with Him, eventually, in Heaven. 

Imagine with me, remembering that the Gospel is a love story, is this right?: Say, “I love you” and kiss, and then go away into the “no music no sound” mode, and still hope to “wed” successfully and live happily ever-after, in the forever blissed place.  Another way of looking at it: I say, she is a mermaid, you are man, you must learn how to swim.  God is holy, you and I got to acquire holiness.

I will say as I often said of, 1 Pet 1:15-16, the text is NOT directed at God Himself, but at us; it is that we are called to be holy.

Amplified Bible - 15 But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. 16 For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

We are being called to be holy IN OUR CONDUCT AND MANNER OF LIVING.  It really isn’t referring to imputed righteousness or holiness.  It is about how we live.  Is there a part on the part of men?  Of course. If there isn’t, and that would mean it is all God’s part, and that would mean God is saying a thing that is superfluous (God telling Himself what He is to do!).  We have a part, and that part is that we have to work with God to be sanctified, so that we grow in holiness. 

Heb 12:14 Amplified Bible - Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.  Don’t you love God, and so, want to see God?  Don’t you think going Heaven will lead to you seeing God?  Therefore, don’t you think you need to work on your holiness, with God, so that, as Romans 6:22 (quoted above) said, “the end everlasting life”?


Anthony Chia, high.expressions

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Good works explained (PART I)

What is good works? The works of a philanthropic? The big, big good undertakings, like that of Mother Theresa? What about I give my lunch pack to another? Is my working to earn an income to support myself and to provide for my family a good works?

Common definition of works
What is a works? A works is something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking. Very simply, a works is an action, a laboring or a deed. When we do something to produce something, that is a works. This is one definition, but is this the definition used in Scriptures?

What is lacking in the common definition
I believe as a minimum, we have to add “from whose point of view” into the definition. We need to interpret Scriptures theocentrically, meaning we have to interpret Scriptures from the perspective of God. In other words, whether what is done is works or not, must be viewed from God’s perspective; if God says it is works, it is works, if God says it is NOT works, it is NOT works.

For example, I can say Mr A is NOT working, but you may disagree and say he is; then another person may say Mr A is NOT working, he is playing, and Mr A himself may express that he is both working and playing! This illustrates the importance of attaching  “from whose point of view”.

Believing per se is NOT works
So how does God view works? For one thing, believing per se is NOT works; these scriptures tell us so:

James 2:14-18 –

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

James 2:20-24 –

20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

James 2:25-26 –

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

What about words or verbalization?
Are words or verbalizations, even “silent verbalizations”, works or not? I believe we have to divide such into 2 categories to consider. One category is verbalization of belief, and other, action through verbalization.

Action through verbalization
Actions through verbalization include all such actions like preaching, giving a lecture, instructing, teaching or singing; and they are works, mostly, theocentrically; are all works, generally (using the common definition) {Similarly, actions with mouth (not verbalization), such as eating, drinking, biting, kissing, etc are similarly mostly works (not necessarily good works), theocentrically; are all works, generally}.

Verbalization of belief, works or not?
First, let me pose this question, “Do you consider believing in your heart (NOT yet verbalisation) that Jesus Christ died for you, a works?” No, a mere belief or "faith" (or rather, I prefer to say, an incomplete unit of faith) is NOT works. This we have seen above, supported by verses from Apostle James, particularly James 2:22, 24.

How about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? In other words, is the verbalization of your belief or "faith" in Jesus Christ, works? For THIS verbalization of belief, there is agreement, but NOT strong agreement (some still do NOT agree) that it is works. I will elaborate a little more below.

Verbalization of belief on salvation
How does one enter into salvation? Typically, he believes in his heart, and confesses with his mouth that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior (Rom 10:10). So, is that works? Because, we are accustomed to saying salvation is by grace, through faith, and NOT by works, many of us will NOT even look at the verbalization of our belief, as works. I can appreciate that, but I also have no issue with saying that the confession with one’s mouth is a deed or works, using the common definition. But could it be regarded as a works theocentrically?

If believing with one’s heart that Jesus died for him, is NOT deed or works, and confessing with one’s mouth, the same, is also NOT deed or works, theocentrically, what is the significance of the calling for both, in entering into salvation?

Now, I said that typically, how one comes into salvation is by believing in his heart and confessing with his mouth (and that is what is said in Rom 10:10), but it really does NOT necessarily be that a confession with the mouth must be had; if for example, he was asked to come to the front of a sanctuary, and given a salvation form to fill in, and he did that, even if there was no verbalization, the person has entered into salvation. The coming up to the front of a sanctuary and filling in of the salvation form are actions acknowledging the belief in the heart (motive/purpose – to acknowledge). If you look at it that way, confessing with one’s mouth serves exactly the same function, acknowledging the belief, and is therefore, equivalent.

But I still have not answered the question of whether or not there is a unit of works here, theocentrically. Perhaps, this way of looking at the matter is admissible: Salvation believing is NOT works, theocentrically, confessing of that belief, for the first time, is works theocentrically (making confession of our salvation faith, the first good works of a believer). The point is that when it is the first time, the very act acknowledges (motive/purpose) that salvation faith.

Doesn’t contradict salvation is by grace, as far as I can see it
I see no real inconsistency with saying that the confession of one’s belief in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, completing the entry into salvation, as works, and the saying that salvation is by grace, through faith, not by works. The intent and purpose of saying that salvation is not by works, is to point to us not being able to earn or merit our entry into salvation; surely acknowledging our belief that is in our heart is no more meriting than stretching our hand out to receive or saying I will take it, when a gift is offered; rather this action pleases God, for it is in agreement with His will. As one's stretching forth his hand to receive a gift is NOT regarded that the receipient has merited or worked for the gift, in the same way, a non-believer coming into salvation, that he lifted up his hands or verbalised his belief, cannot be treated that he has merited or worked for the gift of salvation; it does NOT contradict "Salvation is a gift", by grace. But that lifting up his hands or verbalising his belief forms the first works, completing the salvation faith.

Actually viewing the process of entry into salvation in the above manner points us to “faith” in Jesus Christ is NOT faith in Jesus Christ, until the belief in Jesus Christ is acknowledged by the person; or when acknowledged, the belief in Jesus Christ becomes faith in Jesus Christ. The works of acknowledging the belief (in this case, in Jesus Christ) is what completes the faith. Belief in this sense is incomplete faith. I believe this is what James was trying to say in James 2:22, 24.

Confession and profession
Confession essentially is to acknowledge something that is already there. In this case, the “something” is the belief in the heart. Our confession acknowledges that belief that is already in the heart.

To me, there is a difference between confession and profession, although it is commonly used interchangeably. Maybe it is easier to see the difference when we reference it to sin (instead of salvation belief). When someone committed a sin against you, that is a fact, although not necessarily known to others. When he confesses that he has sinned against you, it means he acknowledges that he has sinned against you. Subsequently, when he makes mention of the same sin with you, he is not confessing, for what is already confessed, stays confessed. More correctly, to me, in the latter, he is professing (stating), not again confessing. Similarly, for belief in Jesus Christ, in the first time, we confess (acknowledge) our belief, subsequently, we profess (state) our faith.

What about subsequent professions?
When one has entered into salvation he is a believer or a Christian. His believing in his heart and his confession with his mouth made him to be a Christian. Now, what if he repeats (and repeats) he is a Christian, any works there or good works there, theocentrically? If it is MERE profession, my answer is “No”, for the motive/purpose of first time confession (to acknowledge the belief in the heart) has been expended. The first time mouthing of the belief was to acknowledge (motive) the belief of the heart. Subsequent profession of the same faith must be for a fresh motive/purpose. Now, if we just keep repeating without a motive, it is just vain repetitions, which do NOT please God. In Matt 6:7 we read this:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

In general too, MERE mouthing of words do NOT constitute works, theocentrically, unless it is loaded with a motive/purpose. For example, you are saying you are a Christian in crisis situation to encourage others, that your God is mighty to save, your professing you are a Christian is a works, a good works, for it was loaded with a noble purpose of encouraging others in a time of crisis.

Mere talk or talk per se
We have seen that if you verbalize your faith with the intention to encourage another, that is a works or deed. Of course, if you speak to discourage another, that is a works or deed, too, albeit NOT a “good” works or deed. Lying is works or a deed, for when you lied, you talked with a motive, albeit with a bad one. What about mere talk or talk per se?

We often hear people saying talk is cheap, or even NATO (No Action, Talk Only). In such, perhaps, is also found a guide as to whether or not, talk or verbalization is works. For example, if before us, there is a thinly dressed, empty-handed young girl, understandably lost her way, outside, in the open, late at night, in freezing winter season, and we are indoor, around a warm fireplace, chatting and looking out of glass windows in front of us, and we only talk about the girl’s plight and the possibility of her freezing to death in the night, and do nothing for her, our talk is cheap talk, and we are just being members of NATO, so to speak, no action, talk only. There is no works in such cheap talk. Well, we could say we have a motive, we just wanted to pass time and we just took her as a subject of conversation. In that case, it is an occasion of talk per se, or mere talk, and there is no works there, in relation to the young girl’s plight, and in God’s eyes.

We can talk all we want, how much of it amounts to works
The point of such lengthy deliberation on words or verbalization or speech or talk, is to remind us that we can talk all we want, the crucial point is whether any of it amounts to works, and good works. Actually, a lot of us talk a lot; we use up a big chunk of our time in talking, in words, in verbalization (even writing, well, consistent with change of time, with electronic communications, SMSes, emails, chats, etc). There is indeed a need for us to see that bigger and bigger portions of our such verbalizations fall into good works, not bad ones, and not into no works. How do we do that? The way is to cleanse ourselves from corruptive ones, and to avoid more, those verbalizations, speeches or talks that do NOT amount to good works, and to do more of those that do, not forgetting our motives (or purposes) are key.

What about physical actions?
The framework is similar. For example, if you are simply walking for no apparent reason or motive, what you are doing is no works, but if you are walking with a motive of getting to a place where there is a phone to call for help for someone in distress, your walking can possibly be a works, a good one; if you are walking to a place to fetch a boulder to throw at someone already fallen into a well, that is surely works, but a bad one.

Remember, it is to be from God’s perspective
We will NOT go into quarreling over whether or not there is such thing as absolutely no works. Works is always in relation to or relative to someone or something. Even a man’s walking aimlessly maybe no works to us, but to that man, walking aimlessly, serves a purpose, whatever that purpose may be (even to give him time to calm down, for example, is a purpose), it is a works in his point of view (he did not do nothing, he was trying to calm down). But we are to remember that we are to view works from God’s perspective.

So, what constitute good works in the eyes of God?
Although it is NOT necessary to begin this discussion with the confession of salvation belief (or faith, as is more commonly referred to), I will start there. If you feel very strongly that it is wrong to treat confession of salvation faith for the first time as works (the first good works of a believer), you can still skip the next paragraph and go on with the one following.

The first confession (actually, there is only one confession, all subsequent ones are really professions, not confession) of salvation belief (even if it were not verbal, e.g. came to the sanctuary front and filled in the salvation form) with acknowledgment as a motive/purpose, has made the salvation belief a complete unit of faith. Putting it in another way, faith, even salvation faith is of 2 components, a right belief, and a conviction; and it is only when the conviction is so strong and strong enough to propel the person to an action like speaking the belief out, walking to the front of the sanctuary, or filling up a salvation form, that, that faith unit is made complete, and becomes righteousness-countable to God, and all works from belief conviction is good works in the eyes of God. 

What faith is
We know from Scripture that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). My understanding of faith is that a complete unit of faith or faith that is righteousness-countable to God is of 2 components, a right belief and a strong enough conviction in that belief. The right belief must be based on the Word and truth of God, His will and desires.

For example, if you think it is right to steal from another, and you go and steal from another, your belief is NOT a right belief, although you may think that you have the correct belief, that stealing is ok, but based on the Word and truth of God, that belief you have is NOT a right belief. The other component of faith is the conviction of that belief you have. If your conviction is strong enough, you will act on your belief, and we have an action or works. If you do not feel strongly enough stealing is the thing to do (your conviction not strong enough), you will not do it.

Also noteworthy is that our motives/purposes are invariably linked to our belief system. There is a lot of truth in the common saying that we hear, “You are what you believe”. Scripture puts it this way:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:45-46)

He {Jesus} went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. (Mark 7:20-22)

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. (Matt 12:33-35)

In Scripture, where is our belief lodged in? It is in the heart.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Rom 10:10) – concerning salvation

That is why the set of verses quoted here made reference to the heart of man. God looks at the heart, for it is there that our belief is lodged, and they shape the thoughts or meditations of our heart. Before God commissioned Noah to build the ark, and sent The Flood, this was what God said:

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Gen 6:5).

This is what King David told his son, Solomon:

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts (1 Chr 28:9)

If it is not yet apparent to you, I will say it, “Many people confuse faith with belief”. One does NOT yet have a faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior until he has believed (a belief) in his heart, and confessed with his mouth (threshold-crossing conviction reached). Until one completes the second portion of the salvation process which NOT necessarily be confession with his mouth, it can be his coming to the front of the sanctuary and filling up a salvation form, he, at most, has a belief, NOT a (complete unit of) faith in Christ Jesus. What pleases God is, a right belief (as defined above) AND threshold-crossing conviction of that belief. When there is that combination, we have a faith unit, and we inevitably have an action or works. And because the action or works is based on a right belief, it is pleasing to God, and therefore, is said to be good. Righteousness-countable faith = right belief + works (motivated from that belief conviction). A NOT yet righteousness-countable "faith" or a non-expended "faith" (strictly, still an incomplete faith) = right belief + that belief conviction. When the conviction exceeded the thrusthold of inaction, works kicks in, and we have a "faith" in action that can be righteousness-countable by God. Therefore, another way of saying “without faith it is impossible to please God” is “Without good works it is impossible to please God”.  That way "faith" was used in Scripures, I believed, was in line with what described in Heb 11:1 - "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", meaning when "faith" was used, works was already factored in or expected; in other words, the "substance...." and the "evidence...." are NOT to be taken as applied on the "God's part" only but it is also to apply to the "Man's part".   In other words, it is proper to say, "Without faith it is impossible to please God", and improper to say, "With belief  I will please God"; it should be "With faith I will please God".

So, for the question of what constitutes good works in the eyes of God, from the exposition thus far, is: good works is works from and of faith; works apart from faith cannot be good works, for everything that does not come from faith is sin (Rom 14:23). Good works is works coming from faith, for it is coming from a right belief, and brought on by the conviction of that belief busting the threshold of inaction; and it is good, for faith pleases God.

Without good works it is impossible to please God
To me, the Apostle James had this understanding when he said this:

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do (James 2:18).

The Apostle James was saying if you claim there is a faith, there must have been a deed, too. Why? Because faith without deed is no faith (no complete unit of faith); at most, it is only a belief (an incomplete faith). When a belief becomes a faith, a deed would have been done. In other words, the deed evidences the belief, and when and only when there is a deed is there a (complete) unit of faith, or faith is faith only when it is an evidenced belief, evidenced by a deed, coming about when the conviction of that belief has busted the threshold of inaction. James said, “I will show you my faith by what I do”.


Although what is expounded so far, does not yet completely answer the questions and similar ones posed at the beginning of this article, I believe it has provided the beginnings of what can be used to better understand the topic of good works, viewed from the perspective of God. Watch out for other parts to this multi-part article.


Anthony Chia, high.expressions - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good (Ps 14:1, KJV).

PS: Added: 04/08/2011 - The above led us to good works as faith in action or faith in exercise.  Additionally, my latest revelation is that faith is to be exercised through love (Gal 5:6, 1 Cor 13:2).  Therefore, finally good works is from faith in action through love.  For exposition of the more excellent way, of faith is to be exercised in love, read my separate article, "You need faith, and you need love"

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Luke 6:46 - PART I – Salvation and Lordship are together

Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
A sister quoted the above, and posed a question of whether or not it is possible? She then answered it as “Yes”. Indeed, it is possible (many people are like that, NOT it is right). But of course, by asking that question as in Luke 6:46, Jesus was exhorting us to do what He said (and is saying).

Separation, it is not
I have spent some time looking at the theology of Free Grace (and variations thereof), which is increasingly being expounded to be the true core theology of the Christian faith, but regrettably in my view, much of such doctrines is flawed. One of the core doctrines of Free Grace is the separation of Salvation and Lordship (Savior and Lord). When one is born again, one is typically led to say this, “I accept Jesus Christ as my (personal) Savior and Lord {or Lord and Savior}”. In my view, this Free Grace’s core doctrine of separation is flawed. Although the living out of our submission, which is the proof of submission and acknowledgment of His Lordship, takes time, lordship goes hand in hand with salvation {Free Grace is being promoted by GES (Grace Evangelical Society) founded by Bob Wilkin}.

Not works per se, but submission to His Lordship
Now, works per se (i.e. works without regard to lordship) is not necessary for salvation, but lordship is! Man is not asked to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior, but is asked to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord AND Savior. Works per se (without regard to lordship), no matter how good they are {for examples, giving away wealth, building orphanages, hospitals, etc, etc}, do not save you. Why? Because works per se and lordship are two separate matters! As far as God is concerned, if He tells you to give away the lunch pack in your hand to the crippled beggar who is before you, and you do it, that is lordship (your submission to his Lordship); but that you go and give a million dollars to an education fund without his direction, is just a work, devoid of any lordship element (although I am not saying the Lord cannot ask you to do just that, and in which case, it is submission, if you do it)! Good works is one of the products of a life of submission unto His Lordship.

Is Lordship really necessary?
Is Lordship necessary for salvation? Well, the Free Grace Christians deliberately separate salvation (Savior) and lordship (Lord), so as to justify their lens of looking at everything from their understanding of God’s free grace. When you remove Lordship from the equation, it becomes possible to take the position that all one needs to be concerned about, is to just accept salvation, and nothing whatsoever will rob you of your eternal life in Heaven in the future, not even God could “rob you” since He had not demanded any condition, in the first place, at least not under the Free Grace theology.

To me, at entering into salvation, it is necessary to acknowledge that we are willing to come under the Lordship of God. I believe, at the end of day, God is only admitting to Heaven those whom He knows will come under his Lordship. This is not an irrelevant argument; it is true whether or not, we accept God as our Lord, He is still Lord of all, but God is after a kingdom in Heaven of men who would embrace his Lordship wholeheartedly. If you are not, why should you be there? To oppose God, or to incur wrath in Him? This is theo-centric, a God-centred perspective.

Can’t God just “zap” me into complete submission?
God, in personhood, is first of all, God (then followed by Creator, Father,… etc, etc), and in nature, holiness and righteousness (then followed by love, faithfulness, …. etc, etc). So you cannot argue, “Why can’t God just zap me with complete submission to his Lordship, when the time comes?” Indeed, God can, and maybe He would, but is He to zap you only, or zap everybody? Can you expect to live your life (“proof of the pudding is in the eating”) ignoring His Lordship, and then expect God to “zap” you into one who is completely submissive, when it is time for you to go to Heaven or Hell, while ignoring those headed for Hell? Or are you then going to say, “Let no one go to Hell?” If God had intended to “zap” everybody, there is no need of all the hassle of Jesus Christ to come to die on the Cross, would there be?

{Added 08/09/2011 - Biblically, Romans 10:9 is very clear about salvation necessitate acknowledgement of Lordship.  This is what the verse says: "That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  In addition, Jesus said these words, "“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34).  It is very clear, Jesus was saying He is the Lord, we have to obey Him; how else does one define "following someone"?}

{Added 24/01/2015 - Here, is how the Apostle viewed a believer - one who has received Jesus as Lord: Col 2:6-7 (NIV) - ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.}

Will I make the mark?
You might be tempted to say, “But brother Anthony, if it were the case, how do I know if I would make the mark {on submission to His Lordship}, and God will admit me?” We live in faith, through faith, and by faith. And faith is spelled as “R I S K”. I used to want that it should be a clear-cut issue, yes or no (it is common human tendency), but you know what, that is being legalistic! There is one thing, we cannot miss when we study the ministry of Jesus when He walked the earth, and that is He was against legalism. If it were 100%, or God MUST do it, it is not faith, it is legalism. Be careful of those who just preach grace, and nothing, but grace, it may be just another form of legalism. The Pharisees were so full of themselves, they insisted no work, 100% nothing, not even healing, saving, be done on Sabbath. Today, many of the overly grace believers, on the slightest hint of work, would accuse another of going down the slippery slope of works (for salvation). Does not that sound like legalism like that of the Pharisees?

Not any lordship but His Lordship
You might again say, “But brother Anthony, are you saying therefore, one need not necessarily have to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior, and can still go to Heaven or has eternal life?” No. Submission is not blind or Lordship cannot be accidental. By submission is not blind, I mean one does not submit to nothingness, in other words, when one submits, one is submitting to someone or something, otherwise, it is not submission. Lordship is not accidental, is to mean you cannot say, “But, I also did that what, can’t you, God, just count it that I done it, in submission to you?” In the earlier example, when God said to give away your lunch pack to the beggar, you did it in submission to Him. Another, not having heard from the Lord, cannot likewise, claim that he, too, has given his lunch pack before, to a beggar, and so he too had been in submission to the Lord. No, the latter’s giving of his lunch pack was merely a work, maybe even a good work if he was with right motive, but not a submission; he did it of his own accord or due to reason known to himself. The act, though, the same as that of the former, was only accidentally the same as that which the former did. A believer of Jesus Christ may not be told in person by God, to show that act of love or kindness, but he acted from his understanding of God’s Word, and was holding out, always, God, and His Words before himself, he has acted in submission. A non-believer, on the other hand, say, one who subscribes to some philosophy that exhorted acts of kindness, can do the same act of kindness, but he has not acted in submission to the Lord, Jesus or God, and so it is not the same. This is support, to say why one has to accept Jesus as his Savior (and Lord), without going into the justification and other works of the Cross.

Back to the question. Why is it possible?
Of course, it is possible for a believer of Jesus Christ to call Him, “Lord, Lord”, and not do what He says or said. We have been created with a free-will, and that free-will is not taken away from us, upon our being born-again. God does not “zap” you into a robot under his command and control; He does not hollow you out and replace you with Jesus Christ. He puts His Holy Spirit in you to help you in your submission to His Lordship. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you are to live out your submission of that Lordship which you professed with your mouth when you invited Jesus into your life to be your Savior. The Holy Spirit is there to help you, not that He has wrestled the command and control from you. You are to choose to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. If we do not listen to what God has said in His Word, or through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, our calling of Him, “Lord, Lord”, are just empty words to the Lord. Our sayings of we love God are also just empty words, because those who love the Lord, embrace wholeheartedly his Lordship over their lives. Jesus confirmed it in the Word: that those who love Him obey His commands, and those who obey His commands are the ones who love Him.

If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15).
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me (John 14:21a).

{Added 16/11/2010: If it was not possible, there was no need of Jesus to say this in Matt 7:21 - “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Some things are immediate, some are not
Entering into salvation is immediate, lordship and love for God, starts with an acknowledgment, profession, and commitment, and need to be lived out. Even the Apostle Paul did not omit to say that we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). It is not works, per se, that we are exhorted to do, in working out of our salvation, it is our living out of the Lordship of God in our life, which we have acknowledged, professed, and committed. Clearly, insensitive separation of lordship from salvation harms the understanding of what God is trying to do in His salvation for mankind, and may even rob many of salvation!

How are you building your dream home?
It is possible to call Him, “Lord, Lord,” and not do what He says. But we are NOT to act that way. In that Luke passage, Jesus went on to talk about how 2 different persons’ houses would see different fates, one could not stand, a complete wash-out, when water of testing came, and another, could stand firm against that same water of testing because, it was built upon the foundation of Lordship of God; the former had no foundation (mere works), and it collapsed and was destroyed. Is your dream house built on the Lordship of God or is it built without foundation?


Anthony Chia – Lord, you know I believe I entered into salvation solely by your grace, your gift unto me, which I am eternally grateful. Yet, you have impressed upon my heart that you are after a kingdom of those who would wholeheartedly embrace your Lordship. May your desire be evermore fulfilled.

PS: For PART II, click this: Luke 6:46 - PART II - As Christians we are to obey His commands

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What about propitiation, forgiveness, and appropriation?

Nicodemus’ question
In John 3, Nicodemus asked Jesus about how one can enter the Kingdom of God, and Jesus replied him, saying “no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

I have expounded on what was meant by being born of water, and being born of the Spirit, in my article, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

Just as a recap, post-Jesus’ death and resurrection, both events, born of water and born of the Spirit happen at one go/one sitting, and it is when one gives his life over to Jesus (upon his salvation/born again/conversion).

Briefly, at conversion, 2 events take place: one is born of water, and one is born of the Spirit. To be born of water is referring to the cleansing work of the blood of Jesus upon the person. The blood of Christ cleanses the person of all his unrighteousness resulted from sins; the result is that a) the original righteousness of God given to Man (Adam), lost by Adam in the Fall of Man, in the Garden of Eden, gets restored or re-established back to the person, and b) all unrighteousness from the person’s own sins are also cleansed of him.

To be born of the Spirit is referring to the quickening of the spirit of man with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the adoption of the spirit of that man as son of God by the Holy Spirit.

No explicit mention of propitiation, and forgiveness
However, in the answer given by Jesus, in response to Nicodemus' question, Jesus only stated that one must be born of water, and born of the Spirit (John 3:5), and did NOT elaborate on issues of propitiation, and forgiveness by God, except to say to Nicodemus who was already puzzled by Jesus’ saying of the need to be born again, the following words, in John 3:14-15:

14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

This leaves me to say, it must be implied in the birthing of a man by water and by the Spirit, that God has forgiven the man who has come to acknowledge Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. One may say, “But it is in the Sinner’s Prayer”, but the Sinner’s Prayer is a prayer coined by men, subsequently. The Sinner’s Prayer may have, and should have, elements of the person asking the Lord to forgive him of all his sins, and to acknowledge that the Lord will be the Lord of his life, but still it does not tell what actually will transpire in this appropriation by the reciting of the Sinner’s Prayer.

Appropriation, in brief
What is appropriation in the first place? Appropriation is the act of making something ours. To understand appropriation, and why appropriation is needed, in this context, we need to look at what Jesus did on the Cross. A good text from Scripture is 1 John 2:1-2. And I want to use the New King James Version (NKJV) because it still retains the word, “propitiation” in the text.

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2 NKJV)

Propitiation, in general
With the above, we will now tackle all the 3 words, propitiation, appropriation, and forgiveness, starting with propitiation. I must, firstly, say that there are various schools of thoughts on what is comprised in propitiation or “atonement”. Atonement is the NIV equivalent of propitiation. Just for information sake, I put down as well, the NIV version of the 1 John 2:1-2:

1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:1-2 NIV)

Now, I shan’t go, in any elaborate fashion, into the various shades of thoughts concerning propitiation or atonement, but I will point out the essence of my preferred interpretation of what is meant by “Jesus is the propitiation for our sins”.

Essentially, propitiation means to satisfy the demand of justice. There are those who argue on the words of demand or justice, including such preferences: moral demand, legal demand or penal demand, moral justice, legal justice, divine justice. Even the word, “to satisfy” is being argued, whether it should be “to appease”, “to pay for the penalty required”, “to ransom” or “to make good”, etc.

The general idea should be that Jesus became the satisfaction for what was required, and that which was required was resulted from the consequence of our sins. When a satisfaction is achieved or received, it means whatever the matter, it is now alright. In theological term we now say you are justified (with atonement, you are justified). If you can understand up to here, you are fine; although I am going to give my more precise take on what is meant by Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, next.

Propitiation, more precisely
Firstly, we must understand we are talking about God. I believe the understanding should be along the following lines: The very nature of God is holiness, or the number one nature-attribute of God is holiness. For those wanting to get a clear picture of why I hold this view, you can read my separate article, “Way of Holiness – the way of the Lord”, in which I showed where it showed in Scripture that holiness is the most fundamental attribute of God.

God being Holiness, necessarily, demands holiness, righteousness, and justice. In a manner of speaking, it is in Him, He can’t help it; there can be no lies, no evil, no wickedness, no unrighteousness, no un-holiness, no darkness, no sin, in God. Such things just do NOT go with God. There has to be judgment, righteous judgment with God. I would NOT follow an unrighteous God, would you? If there is no righteous judgment, what we get is chaos! Our God is a God of order, a God of peace, NOT chaos.

Unrighteousness must separate from righteousness, they cannot be together any more than 2 like-pole ends of 2 magnets are pushed together; the weaker magnet will be pushed away. Sin brings on unrighteousness, and so, sin causes the separation. Satan, formerly Lucifer, an arch-angel, sinned, and he had to separate from God (you can read of this in Eze 28 - dual contexts text); NOT only that, the righteous judgment of God already meted out (NOT fully carried out) the punishment required (for Satan) - be put far away from Holiness (God), in the burning lake of fire in Hell. In other words, Holiness demanded satisfaction. The satisfaction required is NOT for angels or men to decide, Holiness Himself decides {added 16/08/2010: Jude, in Jude 1:6, stated that for angels who disobeyed God, God has kept them in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day}.

If such (be thrown into the burning lake of fire of Hell) was the punishment required, then when men sin, and brought on unrighteousness, such is also to be the punishment for men. And so, when Adam sinned, he brought on unrighteousness unto men, in other words, he lost the righteousness of God which God put into men. And his punishment was the same, death, 2nd death – to go to where Satan was scheduled to go, the burning lake of fire of Hell. This is how I view the need for propitiation, the need to satisfy the demand of justice, it is being due to the very nature of God, Holiness.

Ransom, not to Satan
Yes, Bible has references containing the word “ransom”, giving the suggestion that Jesus was/is the ransom, but I personally think that, it is NOT the right interpretation to say that Jesus was/is the ransom to satisfy Satan. Yes, God is getting you and I back, so that we will NOT be counted {reckoned} with Satan, for Satan is destined for Hell. It is for that reason of NOT wanting us to be counted with Satan, and NOT that God is being held ransom by Satan, that Jesus died for us. Ransom, in context, should be referring to “that which is needed to appease the demand of Holiness, NOT Satan, so that when Holiness is satisfied, it no longer requires a man to go to Hell.

Curse, brought on by Satan
I have elsewhere referred to the penalty tied to God’s commandment for Adam NOT to eat of the fruit from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil as a curse. It is a curse because it is a consequence of NOT keeping a law (a commandment is a law), but it is also a curse because there was a precedent set, and set by Satan, and Satan was and is bent on pulling men along with him to Hell.

John 10:10 says that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy; that is the expressed wish of Satan, to bring harm/calamity/misfortune to men, and that is the definition of a curse.  Why would God want to pay tribute or ransom to Satan?! Obviously, NOT. When we say that Jesus became the “curse” for us, it is because there was a precedent set by Satan, and the same had to be meted out (for men when they sin), and Jesus had become, of His own will, that satisfaction which was required by righteous judgment which was first meted out to Satan, and which had become the precedent for men.  Put in simple layman terms, Jesus took on the "misfortune" (curse), in our place.

Propitiation AVAILABLE for all men, the whole world
Now back to 1 John 2:1-2; in verse 2, it is said that Jesus Himself is the propitiation for sins, NOT just for ours (believers) but also for the whole world. What does it mean? It means Jesus’ death, the giving of His life and the shedding of blood is good satisfaction for what is demanded by righteous judgment of Holiness, due to all the sins of every man of the world.

Does it then mean every man is no longer destined to Hell? There are people who think that is correct, based on their assumption that the very nature of God is love. The problem with that is that the very nature or most fundamental nature or the number one nature-attribute of God is NOT love, but holiness. Love side of God would say, “Yes”, but if the holiness of God cannot agree to it, and so, a conflict, holiness prevails. (Such was the scenario, I believe, concerning The Flood recorded for us in the Old Testament where only Noah and his family were the only ones spared to re-populate the earth).

Appropriation must come into the picture
If it does NOT mean everyone is saved from Hell, then what does it mean? Verse 2 should be taken to mean that Jesus has already done all that is required; he has made Himself available as the satisfaction of what is demanded by righteous judgment; He is good for all sins, and for everyone, but one must claim it, make it his. In other words, you have to appropriate it.

You have to recognize what Jesus did, He did NOT die for His own sin, He was without sin, He died for men’s sins; He died so that He can be satisfaction of what is demanded by righteousness, so that with satisfaction, you and I need NOT go to Hell for unrighteousness from sins. Jesus has done it and intended it as a free gift for all men, but you have to know what He did, and appropriate it, i.e. make it yours, meaning Jesus satisfies for you. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 1:16b – “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” That settles the connection between propitiation and appropriation.

Now, for forgiveness
Ok, where and how does forgiveness comes in, or what about the claim, "I only hear people talk about forgiveness, nothing of such propitiation, etc, etc"? The answer is that forgiveness and propitiation have everything to do with one another.

Forgiveness and propitiation – an illustration
When one is forgiven, what does it mean? Let us look at a simple illustration: I wear a new $500.00 branded white shirt, and you spilled a bottle of blue ink you are holding, over my shirt. And I yell, “That is a brand new $500.00 shirt!” You then apologise, and say that it was accidental.

If I insist, and you pay me $500.00, have you received forgiveness? No, you paid for your mistake or action, and I got my $500.00 as satisfaction.

Now, let say, you then walk over to your manager, my son, and told him that you cannot afford to pay me, and my son then yells from his room, “Dad, I will pay for him. Just come in and take it.” He (my son) then turns to you and say, “Just be more careful, the next time.” I yell back, “Son, ok.” Have you received forgiveness?

You did NOT pay for the mistake you made; I let you off without you paying for it. Did I get my $500.00 as satisfaction? Yes, my son paid for it. Everyone knows I am the boss of the company, and my son gets his money from me, so did you or did you NOT receive forgiveness?

The fact is that on the account of the payment by my son, you do NOT have to pay; you can look at it from one angle or another, but the fact is fact, my son paid so that you do NOT have to pay. My son’s payment has been your propitiation, and I consider I have forgiven you, and honestly, you did NOT pay for your mistake or action, you have received forgiveness from me. We receive forgiveness for our sins from God because the Son has been the propitiation for our sins.

Appropriation of propitiation, forgiveness, born of water, and of the Spirit, all rolled into one
Now we return to issue of appropriation again; do we appropriate only one time or should we appropriate whenever there is a need?

Some people are of the view that a person can only appropriate one time, and need only to appropriate one time. When is this one time? It is the time you decide to give your life to Jesus or upon your salvation or born again or conversion (they all mean the same thing). Yes, at this time, you are indeed appropriating the propitiation of Jesus for all your sins. For you, for the first time, the Son yells, “Abba Father, I pay for him. He should no longer be counted {reckoned} with Satan, for Satan is destined to Hell” This, I call as our Primary Appropriation; and the justification resulted from it, our Primary Justification.

NOT only that, Jesus says, “I NOT only pay for him, I am cleansing him now of all unrighteousness, from the Original Sin of Adam, and from all the sins he has committed THUS FAR. When I finish cleansing him, he will be righteous all over again, just like Adam was before he fell. Abba, you will be able to fellowship with him, like you previously did with Adam.” You are no longer destined for Hell (Jesus has satisfied that), and therefore, you are no more a sinner, you have become born of water (Jesus has cleansed you).

The moment you are born of water, you are forgiven by God because Jesus has applied Himself as the propitiation for all your sins, as explained in the above paragraph, at your appropriation. The Holiness, God, gives up all claims connected with your offense. In fact, God remembers no more (counts it no more), your offense.

Not only that, God puts His Holy Spirit in you, who quickens your spirit, and adopts your spirit to be a son of God, and in this way you become born of the Spirit.

So you see, the propitiation of Jesus for your sins and the forgiveness of God for you, are had, in your being born of the water. The cleansing by the blood of Jesus removes the unrighteousness and restores or re-establishes righteousness of God in you. Your being born of the Spirit makes you a son of God. These, I believe, are what happen at your appropriation at born again.

Is there other times of appropriation? We will look at this, separately, in another article to come.


Anthony Chia, high.expressions – Lord Jesus, may every man appropriates your propitiation for his sins, and come into salvation, be born again – be born of water, and be born of the Spirit. Amen.

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