What are the wages of sin?...

Death! Death in our spirit! Death in our soul! Death in our body!

Death is the absence of the eternal resurrection life that can come only from Christ and is Christ. He Himself is the Resurrection and the Life. When we possess Him we possess resurrection life.

But the spirit, soul, and body that are without Christ are without eternal life.

Salvation consists of much more than a vocal expression of belief in the facts of Christ’s atoning death and triumphant resurrection. The devils are assured of these facts and tremble in terror. Yet they possess no redemption.

Salvation includes the actual possession of the Life that is in Christ. The proof that we actually have received such life is found in our speech, in our deeds, and in our imaginations and motives.

If our behaviour is not, over a period of time, obviously being transformed into what is pleasing to God, then it is not possible that Christ is in truth dwelling in us; for what is born of Christ does not commit sin (I John 3:8-10).

It is not our intention, in so saying, to discourage some sincere disciple who is not growing as fast as he thinks he should. Spiritual growth is slow but certain. Many times the Lord’s ways are difficult to understand and it appears no progress is being made in our transformation. But if we are praying, reading the Scriptures, gathering together with the saints when possible, giving, serving, and doing all else we know to do, God’s Spirit will cause us to grow in Christ.

Rather it is our intention to point out the error of Christian teaching that maintains no growth is necessary, that we are saved by unconditional grace such that it is not critically important whether or not we serve the Lord. Those who teach the error of unconditional grace are leading multitudes astray in our day.