The Principle 'Grace Alone' emphasizes grace as the reason for our salvation. In other words, salvation comes from what God has done rather than what we do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Good works and obedience are results of salvation, not requirements for salvation.
The completeness, sufficiency, and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice, all those who have truly received Christ as Savior are eternally secure in salvation, kept by God’s power, secured and sealed in Christ forever (John 6:37-40;10:27-30;Romans 8:1,38-39;Ephesians 1:13-14;1 Peter 1:5;Jude 24). Just as salvation cannot be earned by good works, neither does it need good works to be maintained or sustained. Good works and changed lives are the inevitable results of salvation (James 2).
The principle 'Irresistible Grace' means: When God calls his elect into salvation, they do not resist. God offers to all people the gospel message because he is perfectly in love and just. This is called the external call. But the elect, are the ones who respond. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God ( Rom. 9:16; Phil. 2:12-13; John 6:28-29;Acts 13:48; John 1:12-13; 2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 1:4-5)
The principle of 'Unconditional Election' means: God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:9-11) without any consideration of merit or quality within the individual. As some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15,21)
Justification is being declared legally righteous by God. This justification is received by faith alone without any ceremony/baptism (Rom. 4:1-6), in the work of Christ fulfilling the Law in his earthly ministry (1 Pet. 2:22), and his removing of sin by his sacrifice. Justification is a gift from God (Rom. 3:24) and is received apart from the works of the Law (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:21).
The principle 'Faith Alone' emphasizes salvation as a free gift. In some parts of the church good works, including baptism, were seen as required for salvation. Faith Alone states that salvation is a free gift to all who accept it by faith (John 3:16). Salvation is not based on human effort or good deeds (Ephesians 2:9).
Regeneration is the work of God that occurs with faith. This regeneration means the person is made a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and is then able to resist his sin and seek to increase in sanctification before the Lord. Persons who are genuinely regenerated do not seek to live in sin though they do fall into it but war against it and repent of sin before the Lord.
Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire and increases our ability to repent from sin, by God's grace (1 Thess. 4:7; Eph. 2:10; 1 Tim. 4:4; 1 Peter. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:25). This process continues all of the Christian's life and is the result of salvation, not a cause of it, nor a contributing factor to it. No one is completely free from sin while living in the body while sin remains in the world and until we are given our uncorrupted glorified bodies. Only Christ lived a sinless life in the body.
The principle "Glory to God Alone." It is the teaching that all glory is to be given to God alone. This is because salvation , sanctification, and glorification are accomplished through God's will and action not man's effort, even including the good works of men (Eph 2:10; John 10:27-28).
Christ has done all that is needed for our salvation, and he says that those who have eternal life will never perish. Those who appeared to be Christian but fell away never were Christians to begin with (1 John 2:19). Eternal security does not mean that we have a license to sin nor does it imply that we do not have to live by Christ's commandments (Rom. 5:21-6:2), and those who say it is a license to sin do not understand eternal security and how God regenerates the sinner and turns his heart to repentance (2 Tim. 2:25).
The principle 'Perseverance of the Saints' also called 'Once Saved Always Saved' means: You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those who are truly saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ (John 10:27-28; 6:47; Romans 8:1; 1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 1:6).
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