'Redemption': God's unilateral act in Christ of reconciling and restoring the relationship between Himself and His creation. Humanity in [because of] Christ has a renewed stance.

'Justification': God's conferring and declaration of the status 'righteous' upon man - being put to the right with God - the result of the faith [faithfulness] of Christ in bringing redemption i.e., the forgiveness of sin.

'Salvation': means deliverance and is two fold in application. Primarily, deliverance from the power and fear of sin-death, resultant in the assurance of redemption, so enabling the renewal of the mind. Secondary, deliverance from the coming temporal wrath of AD70.

"Unless a man is 'born again' he will not go to Heaven when he dies" - otherwise read as: "Unless a man is 'born again' he will suffer eternal torment in the fires of Hell - that is how traditional evangelical Christianity has read and interpreted the 3^rd chapter of John's Gospel. 'Comprehensive Grace' turns this notion on its head.

What Jesus actually said was one could neither "see" i.e., comprehend nor "enter" i.e., apprehend the Kingdom of God/Heaven as a present reality without the rebirth. In the Greek these injunctions are in the aorist tense, meaning: an action as having occurred, the results of which being past indefinite - Jesus was not pointing to some future state of being, nor to some future destination beyond the grave i.e., Heaven. He was pointing to the established standing or condition in God of having ones heart and mind opened up to know the reality of His presence in the 'here and now'. This is eternal life and is qualitative not quantitative, it is relational not spatial - as Jesus prayed:

Jn 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

1Jn 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. cf. Jn 20:31.

The outworking of this equates to the salvation of the soul and is not to be confused with Redemption - the reconciling of humanity to God. Salvation in this sense is the constant deliverance of the soul, the inner life, from that which obstructs fellowship with God - the constants of life that challenge us to change. This approach to understanding the salvation of the soul being thematic, as seen in the renewal of the inward man, the hidden man of the heart [2Cor 4:16; 1Pt 3:4; Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23; Col 3:10; Tit 3:5] - as opposed to the strict grammatical use where soul is indicative of the physical body or the totality of the person. cf. 1Thess 5:23. This aspect however is not to be ignored, as we again see the dual nature of this salvation, on the one hand in the covenantal sense i.e., deliverance from the 'Old World' of the Law, and on the other the temporal, tangible and quite literal physical escape from the forth coming wrath-judgment of God that was occurring in that last days time frame. As Jesus said: "In your patience possess your souls". Lk 21:19. And: "But he who endures to the end shall be saved". Mt 24:13.

Reconciliation on the other hand was the unilateral act of God with absolutely no reference to the desires or wishes of man. For example, Israel was redeemed out of Egypt without their consent. They were redeemed, period, whether they believed or not. Israel's redemption was not conditional upon their active response in faith nor any act of repentance. They were elected by God in spite of themselves. Belief and obedience [active faith or faithfulness] certainly brought success and blessing, but these were built upon God's predetermined choosing of Israel, with no prayer of faith nor required "confession". Corporate Israel, unbelieving and rebellious were redeemed.

Those who then realised [comprehended] the inestimable value of this great gift, in faith entered [apprehended] the Land i.e., salvation - the blessing of knowing His peace. We see a picture of the two-fold nature of restoration in Jesus' encounter with the 'ten lepers' of Luke 17:11-19 - all were healed and restored [reconciled], yet only one entered into the fullness of this wholeness [salvation], and it was his faith that appropriated this blessing. In like fashion Jesus elsewhere said "go in peace, your faith has made you well" i.e., saved you. [Lk 7:50; 8:48].

Redemption can produce a believer, but believing cannot produce redemption. When were we reconciled - when we believed? No, but when we were dead in trespasses and sins.

Rom 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

What then makes a believer? - revealed righteousness or required righteousness?

Rom 1:17 For in it [the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith".

Did the Law [required righteousness] make one a sinner? No - the Law only revealed a pre-existing condition of man's sin - revealed through his inability to walk uprightly.

Does the Gospel [revealed righteousness] make one righteous? No - the Gospel reveals the pre-existing condition of God's righteousness - revealed through the faithfulness of Christ, and puts out 'the call' and proclaims "come walk in it" - finding rest and peace for the soul - salvation, the assurance of redemption.

Although 'redemption' and 'salvation' are indelibly linked and often appear as interchangeable terms, there are important and significant differences between the two, not unlike that of 'justification' and 'sanctification'. Some crossover of thought occurs where either salvation or saved are used in the "global" sense, properly referring to 'redemption' - reflecting the essence of Divine deliverance.

Redemption enables us to find the Way of salvation which is in Christ alone. It is the work of Grace. If our believing could produce redemption then Jesus died in vain. Redemption however can produce belief - the working of repentance which is the turning of the mind and heart in thankfulness to God.

Salvation is the realisation, the revelation of mind and heart that knows I am loved and accepted by God, that knows all are loved and accepted by Him. The work then of salvation is that of assurance - the knowing that I have been restored unto God - accepted in the Beloved [Eph 1:6] . This knowledge of acceptance i.e., assurance is what multiplies grace and peace and works divine growth and transformation [2Pt 1:2-4] .

Someone might say "if all be redeemed then why believe!?" Why? Because, as a 'believer' I know there is no conflict between me and God - the bondage of fear has been removed:

Heb 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. cf. 1Jn 4:18; 5:4. 

Faith in Christ appropriates this saving of the soul this releasing from bondage, but this saving is not in a "next life" heavenly sense, no, this saving means the restoration of the inner life here and now - as King David prayed: "He restores my soul" - this is the perpetual work of the Spirit i.e., sanctification - the maintaining of what has been eternally established. cf. Heb 10:14. This is the reality of being 'born again', the reality of 'salvation' - comprehending and apprehending the Kingdom. To not do so is NOT to be outside the Kingdom, but is to not fully appreciate or experience the blessings of it - for all are under His Domain [Act 17:26-29; Psa 24:1]. It is similar to that of illegal immigrants, not knowing the peace, security and assurance of the legal status of citizenry - hence subject to the bondage of fear.

'Comprehensive Grace' acknowledges this reality of a reconciled humanity in line with the Scriptures:

Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Gal 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Has God by the life giving faithfulness of Christ justified the nations?

Jn 1:9 That [Christ] was the true Light which, coming into the world, gives light to every man.

Jn 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin [the offence] of the world!

Jn 6:33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Has Jesus taken away the sin of the world by the sacrifice of himself, so bringing light and life i.e., redemption to every man? Or does "every" not mean that?

Jn 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Jn 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Did Jesus really draw "all" to himself, "tasting death" so that the world might be saved?

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

1Tim 1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Rom 11:32-33 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

1Tim 2:4-6 who [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Is God's mighty work and desire of redemption really hamstrung by unbelief, or is it an opportunity for the exercising of His great mercy?

Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offence. For if by the one man's offence many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Rom 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man's offence judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

1Cor 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Clearly "many" means "all" - and it was the soon coming Parousia that made or declared the many-all, righteous!

2Cor 5:14-15, 19 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. ...that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

1Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Col 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

"having made peace" - was it a perfect or partial peace, how broad was Christ's world?

John 4:42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."

1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.

1Tim 4:10 For to this end we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe.

1Jn 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

He is the Saviour of "all" men - especially the faith sanctified firstfruit saints.

The comprehensive scope of redemption for all is scripturally sound, and only our limited view of it causes us to do the following:

We have turned Jesus' statement "I am the way the truth and the life - no one comes to the Father but by me" into a condition, a clause, a caveat for 'conversion', when Jesus was in fact stating the actuality, the centrality of his mission in redeeming humanity back to God. We have added to Jn 14:6 and made it into a formula for faith. 

This whole area of "faith" in the light of Comprehensive Grace is quite interesting. It is the faith of Christ [faithfulness] that wrought redemption, it is faith in Christ that accesses salvation i.e., the active knowledge - assurance of our justification i.e., being declared by God "My people".

Much of what has been touted as our faith response to God is better understood as the faith response of Christ in his obedience to the Father i.e., his faithfulness. This is not discounting active faith on behalf of believers, for surely that is a given in scripture eg., Heb 11:6 and Gal 3:36 et al. There are however enough scriptures that place the onus of faith on Christ in his work of salvation - in the greater sense of that word. The following verses from the KJV reflect the Greek text better on this point. They all show the action of faith being on the part of Christ and NOT the believer, as is reflected in many modern translations:

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

Paul in Romans chapter 10 verses 6 through to 8 is drawing on Deuteronomy 30, along with the subsequent passages dealing with the blessings and the curses of walking or not walking with God. Not walking with God does not nullify God nor make Him non existent - it does however miss the divine goodness in more specific ways, though He is good to all [Lk 6:35] .

Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Seen in the firstfruit setting we have the dual sense of "being saved" from the coming wrath - a frequent theme of Paul [Rom 1:18; 2:5-9; Col 3:6; 1Thess 1:10; 2:16; 5:9], and the ongoing transformative work of salvation. This is evident from verse 10 where both "believes and confession" in the Greek are in the present continuous tense - not a one time singular event as such, but a continuing reality. And "righteousness" of verse 10 is better understood as "justified".

Rom 10:10 For with the heart one [continually] believes unto righteousness [into being justified], and with the mouth [continual] confession is made unto salvation [into being saved].

Paul said: "we believe therefore we speak" 2Cor 4:13, coming to the knowledge [belief] of the stance wherein Christ has already placed us [Rom 5:1-2] will bring with it the accompanying confession, this is redemption producing the believer, not vice versa. This verse is the only one in the entire New Testament where these two words believes and confession are rendered in the passive voice - hence into being justified/saved, being brought into the blessings of Redemption through the archway of faith - that which comprehends and apprehends [born again] God's Kingdom i.e., salvation - the transformation of the inner man, the saving of the soul. 

Eph 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

                  David G. Embury      Copyright 2003