But the Bible makes it clear that salvation is sola gratia — by grace alone. As Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. It is not from yourself or anything you’ve done, but the gift of God.” Salvation, therefore, is a free gift of grace from God.

What Role do Grace and Faith play in Christian Salvation? Salvation is a gift from God’s free grace received by faith (Lecture 5). Ephesians 2:8 says, “by grace you have been saved through faith; and not by yourselves, it is a gift of God”. Christians believe that they have a strong connection with God.

God’s Word says that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ.

Faith and grace are both amazing things. Faith could be simply defined as believing God. The Complete Jewish Bible often translates the word faith as trust or trusting. Grace is God’s willingness to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. It is His power at work on your behalf.

The key preposition for faith is “through,” which refers to the means or instrumentality by which we are saved. We are saved by God’s grace (grace is the ground and agency of our salvation) through faith, which is the means by which we receive the gift of salvation.

By the grace of God, through faith, we receive the forgiveness of sins. And yet, even the faith itself which the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens in us is the unmerited gift of God, and therefore ‘by grace’. Your received grace even before you had faith.

“By faith” shows Israel that they cannot be saved/justified by their works. They wrongly thought they could (for instance, see the attitude of a Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14). The expression “through faith” emphasizes the system or process. We are saved by the faith of Christ (emphatic in the Gentiles’ salvation):

+ Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” + John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Therefore, the Assemblies of God disapproves of the doctrines of double predestination and the unconditional security of the believer, which holds that once saved it is impossible for a person to be lost.

Catholic, Methodist, and Eastern Orthodox theology hold to synergism with respect to salvation and view the doctrine of eternal security as heretical, instead teaching that one’s one’s salvation is conditional on one’s continued faith, good works, sanctification, and avoidance of sin.

Assemblies of God, Pentecostal denomination of the Protestant church, generally considered the largest such denomination in the United States. It was formed by a union of several small Pentecostal groups at Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1914.

The Assemblies of God

Pentecostalism or Classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Christian movement that emphasises direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostalism, charismatic religious movement that gave rise to a number of Protestant churches in the United States in the 20th century and that is unique in its belief that all Christians should seek a postconversion religious experience called baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Q: OK, well, what’s with the long hair and skirts? A: Apostolic Pentecostals are the strictest of all the Pentecostal groups, according to Synan. Like most Pentecostals, they do not use alcohol or tobacco.