Saved By Grace Through Faith

The core reason every individual is saved by grace through faith is fundamental to Christian theology: Someone paid the full penalty for sin. Jesus Christ bore the full cost of human transgression, offering a complete atonement that sets humanity free from sin's bondage at no cost to the recipient.

The message, "Saved by Grace Through Faith," establishes a crucial relationship between the Saviour and those who are saved. For the concept of salvation to be relevant, a clear context of sin must first be established.

The Concept of Sin

The concept of sin is broadly understood across various levels of maturity, indicating its deep integration into the human experience. The scene of sin was initially displayed in the Book of Genesis in the Garden of Eden.

It fundamentally portrayed an attitude of disobedience displayed by humanity toward God. Therefore, the theological concept of sin is defined simply as humanity’s active refusal to comply with God's instructions.

Note on Acronyms: While not formal theological definitions, some common mnemonic devices for the term SIN include Satan's Imputed Nature or Simple Instructions Neglected.

The Sinner and the Wages of Sin

A sinner is an individual who is found guilty of sin, thereby standing as unrighteous before God. This state carries the consequence, or wages, of sin.

In the simplest term, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death is the payment every sinner is required to make for the service of sin.

How Sin Entered the World

Sin, often described as a disastrous spiritual disease, is the primary downfall of humanity. The point of entry for sin was through Man.

Sin entered the world through one man (the first Adam), and death followed as a consequence of that sin. Death thus serves as both the inevitable consequence and the required payment for sin.

The Apostle Paul explains this transmission:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned... Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." (Romans 5:12, 14, KJV)

Sin entered the world through Adam in Genesis and was subsequently passed to all men, save for the one—Jesus Christ—whom Adam was intended to illustrate or foreshadow.

The Accomplished Work of Salvation

The deliverance from sin and eternal death is solely God's initiative, known as the work of salvation. Any human attempt to achieve salvation outside of God’s established way is considered futile.

Paul contrasts the offence with the provision:

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many... For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification." (Romans 5:15–16, KJV)

The first Adam brought condemnation into the world. In parallel, Jesus Christ, the one whom Adam prefigured, brought a superior provision: salvation from sin and eternal death.

The scriptures emphasize three linked concepts: The Free Gift, The Grace of God, and The Gift by Grace. These concepts reveal that the Grace of God encompasses the Free Gift, which is Salvation through the sacrificial act of Jesus Christ.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15, KJV)

The work of salvation was fully accomplished by Christ Jesus on the cross, where He paid the full price for the sins of the world. Therefore, individuals are not the architects of their own salvation; rather, they are the recipients of salvation, received freely by believing in Christ.