Salvation is a sovereign work of God. A continual response on our part is not necessary. Our salvation never can be affected by our behavior because of the sovereignty of God's grace (forgiveness).

If salvation were a sovereign work of God, as often is preached in Christian churches, and a response on our part is not essential to its operation, then the verse above would be inappropriate. It would be impossible to receive God's grace (forgiveness) in vain.

In fact, if salvation were a sovereign work of God and a response on our part were not essential to its operation, then numerous passages in the New Testament would be unnecessary and misleading.

The truth is, the New Testament is one long exhortation to godly behavior. The blood of Christ gives us the authority to enter the program of salvation. The Holy Spirit provides the strength and wisdom so we may pursue the path that leads to righteousness and holiness, for it is these that lead to eternal life.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

There can be no eternal life where there is unrighteous behavior, except as the Spirit of God is bringing the believer into righteous behavior.

The exhortations of the entire New Testament reveal that the concept of a sovereign state of grace (forgiveness) unaffected by our response, not dependent on our willingness to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of moral transformation, is foreign to the message of the entire Bible. No idea more destructive of God's intention under the new covenant could be invented were all the brains in Hell assigned the task.

By standing firm you will gain life. (Luke 21:19)

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23)

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (II Corinthians 7:1)

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (II Timothy 3:15)

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:5)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

To be continued.