Eternal Life
Eternal life is more than never-ending life. Even the unsaved live forever—for them, however, it will be spent in eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46). Eternal life was manifest in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ: “[He] is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). This same life is now the gift of God to everyone who believes the gospel: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). It is the present possession of every believer: “These things have I written to you that ye may know that ye have eternal life who believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13 JnD). It is characterized by a knowledge of God fully revealed as the Father in the Son: “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
Forgiveness
Guilty! is the solemn verdict of Romans, chapters one through three: “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). There is nothing we can do to rectify our condition—forgiveness is a necessity. God, however, is a righteous judge and He cannot ignore sin. It is only on the ground of the sacrificial work of Christ that God can extend forgiveness. All who have placed their faith in that work receive forgiveness for their sins: “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). “Your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12).
Grace
Grace is the favor shown by God to guilty man. Grace does not overlook sin—that would mean that God is unrighteous. Rather, it is only because of the propitiatory work of Christ that grace can be extended to man. There is nothing we can do to merit the grace of God—neither works nor obedience to the law: “To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” (Rom. 4:4). “Whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). We come into the good of it through repentance and faith: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).
The believer is daily sustained by the grace of God: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Rom. 16:20; 1 Cor. 16:23; Phil. 4:23, etc.).
Holiness
Holiness has been described as “a nature that delights in purity and which repels evil.” Holiness contrasts with defilement—the opposite of holy is profane. God is holy in His character. The Christian is holy in that he or she is a partaker of that divine nature: “the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24). On this basis, we are called to live a life of practical holiness: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The Greek word used for profane in the New Testament has the sense of: accessible; a common or open place. If we are to live a life of holiness, then we must shut out all things defiling. Under the Law, an open vessel was unclean (Num. 19:15).
Justification
Justification stands in contrast to condemnation. Justification means to declare righteous. If one has been justified, then they have been cleared of every charge brought against them: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)). We are justified through grace: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). Justification is on the principle of faith and not works: “A man is justified by faith, without works of law” (Rom. 3:28 JND). The blood is the ground of it: “Having been now justified in the power of His blood, we shall be saved by Him from wrath” (Rom. 5:9 JND).
Propitiation
Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ the righteous and holy nature of God has been fully cleared. Sin brought about a condition of things completely odious to God—it was an affront to His righteous and holy nature. It is the propitiatory work of Christ that has addressed this—and as such, that work is universal and complete: “Jesus Christ the righteous . . . He is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours alone, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2 JnD). It is important to recognize that propitiation addresses itself to the injury done to God and not the guilt of man. Nevertheless, it is on the basis of propitiation that God now presents Himself as a Savior-God. All who place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ—and only those—have salvation.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation contrasts with alienation—an alienation that has come about because of sin. It is through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross that a believer is now reconciled to God: “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Col. 1:21-22). The old nature is not reconciled; it is only as possessing a new nature that we are reconciled—we now have a nature, born of God, that is suited to His nature.
Redemption
In redemption we are bought back and set free. Redemption stands in contrast to bondage: “Every one that practices sin is the bondman of sin” (John 8:34 JND). The Lord Jesus Christ paid the price of redemption with His blood: “Redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). We have been redeemed from the power of sin: “Our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:13-14); Satan: “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, He taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth His spoils” (Luke 11:21-22); this evil world: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world” (Gal. 1:3-4).
Righteousness
Righteousness is that attribute of God in which He acts in perfect consistency with His own character. Because of the propitiatory work of Christ, God can, in righteousness, justify the guilty who believe in Him. It is important to recognize that grace, as expressed in the gospel, is founded on righteousness—in no way does grace set it aside or diminish it.
In man, righteousness contrasts with sin. Man has proven himself to be without righteousness: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). As believers we are made the righteousness of God in Christ: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ’s righteousness has not been put to our account; rather, God sees us as righteous in Christ because of His work on the cross.
Sanctification
Sanctification relates to holiness. To sanctify, or consecrate something, is to declare it holy. In so doing, that thing is set apart from all defilement. In sanctification, the believer is set apart to God. This is our present standing in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2,30). “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). There is also that practical, ongoing sanctification in the life of the believer: “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10).
Sin
Sin, in the minds of most, is an act of wickedness: murder, theft, lying, and so forth. In God’s sight, however, “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4 JND). It is to live without reference to God. Scripture distinguishes between sin, the root, and sins, the fruit—the things we actually do. Through Adam’s transgression sin entered into this world and, as a result, death. All of Adam’s race have borne that same sin nature as evidenced by the fruit in their lives: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
Substitution
Substitution allows me to say: “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). In bearing my sins in His own body on the cross, Christ is my substitute (1 Pet. 2:24). “Jesus our Lord . . . who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Propitiation is that aspect of the cross which is God-ward; substitution, on the other hand, is that which speaks to each believer individually. Whereas propitiation addresses the character of sin universally, substitution may only be claimed by those who personally accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior: “unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:22).