Salvation is not a single event but a journey of grace, carefully guided by God from beginning to end. Throughout Scripture, we see that coming to faith in Christ and growing in Him is not dependent on human effort—it’s the result of God’s gracious work in our lives. This process, often referred to as the ordo salutis (the order of salvation), helps us understand how God draws us, redeems us, transforms us, and ultimately brings us into His eternal presence.
The Order of Salvation
The term Ordo Salutis is Latin for “order of salvation” and was first used by Lutheran theologians in the seventeenth century. The order of salvation is a systematic way of looking at how God’s grace interacts with humanity at various stages to bring us from lost sinners to redeemed saints. It provides a theological framework for understanding these steps through which God’s grace operates in a person’s life. Yet, the ordo salutis is more than just a doctrinal concept; it’s a profound and personal reality that demonstrates how God, in His mercy, actively seeks, redeems, and restores fallen humanity.
While different Christian traditions may emphasize particular aspects of this journey in various ways, they all recognize that salvation is ultimately the sovereign work of God. Regardless of how the steps are defined, they fit within the overarching framework of God’s gracious work of redemption—His ongoing mission to reconcile humanity to Himself.
The ordo salutis in this article intentionally uses descriptive terms rather than the more traditional theological terminology often associated with the order of salvation. This approach aims to offer a fresh perspective on the salvation process, making it more accessible and relatable to readers by emphasizing the personal experience of God’s grace at every stage. Each term reflects a unique aspect of the believer’s spiritual journey, from the initial working of God’s Providential Grace to the moment we are resurrected in Glorifying Grace when Christ returns. Through this framework, this article aims to offer a holistic view of salvation that moves beyond abstract theological concepts to highlight the lived reality of God’s redemptive work.
Providential Grace
Providential Grace is the first stage in the order of salvation. God’s providence begins with the foundational work of speaking creation into existence. God did not create the heavens and the earth randomly, but as a deliberate and purposeful act. He created everything that exists out of His eternal love. In Colossians 1:16, we are reminded that “everything was created through him and for him.“ All of creation, including humanity, was formed with purpose.
God’s Providential Grace is seen in the ongoing act of sustaining creation. Everything, from the vastness of the cosmos to the intricate details of daily life, is under His sovereign hand. He guides and upholds the natural world, providing for it and ensuring that it continues to function. But His providence goes further—God’s grace actively works in the lives of individuals and nations, guiding them toward His ultimate purpose. As we see in Ephesians 1:10, the ultimate purpose of God is to “bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.”
Through God’s Providential Grace, we see that the act of creation wasn’t just a beginning point in the universe; it’s a continual story that unfolds over time. Every human life, every nation, every event—even our own stories—are shaped by God’s hand, guiding us toward alignment with Him. The Providential Grace of God gives our lives meaning and purpose as we are drawn toward Him in worship and relationship.
Providential Grace is not often included in the ordo salutis because many don’t consider it to be part of the direct work of salvation in an individual’s life. However, providence, as we can see, is foundational to the entire redemptive process because it establishes the context in which salvation becomes possible. Before a person can respond to God’s call, they must first exist, live in a world sustained by God, and be placed in circumstances where they can encounter His truth. God’s providence governs the unfolding of history, the rise and fall of nations, and even the personal details of each individual’s life—all with the ultimate purpose of drawing people toward Him. Without Providential Grace, there would be no Awakening, Saving, Transforming, or Glorifying Grace because there would be no opportunity to know God at all.
The apostle Paul, in his Athens address recorded in Acts 17, provides a compelling scriptural example of how Providential Grace works in drawing people toward salvation. In this passage, Paul recognizes the Athenians’ religious inclinations and points to their altar dedicated “To an Unknown God.” He declares that this unknown God is, in fact, the one true Creator who “gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Paul further explains that God, in His sovereignty, has “determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26), meaning that He has orchestrated history and placed people in specific locations and eras “so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27).
Providential Grace has no bounds. It extends to all people, whether they believe in Him or not. According to Matthew 5:45, “he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”
Some Christian traditions refer to this as common grace, which is God’s benevolence toward all people. Common grace includes His sustaining of creation, the establishment of a basic moral conscience in humanity, and the ability for even unbelievers to act with general goodness. Through common grace, God allows for human flourishing and restrains evil in the world. However, common grace does not in itself point individuals toward salvation.
Because of this, I believe Providential Grace is a more fitting term because of its broader implications. Providential Grace is God’s loving guidance over all things, directing them toward His divine purpose. It sets the stage for salvation by orchestrating circumstances that have the potential to awaken us to His presence and our need for Him. For those who respond to His call, providence continues to shape their lives—deepening their faith, transforming their hearts, and equipping them for their journey to eternity.
Providence and Tragedy
Sometimes, recognizing God’s providence is difficult when we are faced with so much evil and tragedy. When hardship strikes, we experience a flood of emotions—sadness, anger, frustration, fear, and even hopelessness. You may even find yourself angry at God for allowing such things to happen. Good! Tell Him you’re angry. He’s a big God—He can handle it. But be ready, because He will respond.
When you’re in the depths of anguish, the last thing you want is someone quoting Romans 8:28 at you. But its truth remains, and eventually, we must come to grips with its message: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This doesn’t mean that everything that happens is good—not by a long shot. God doesn’t cause evil. The brokenness of creation is a result of the fall and is what leads to suffering and tragedy. But when we face these hardships, God grieves with us. And in His goodness and sovereignty, He works through even the darkest circumstances to fulfill His will—and His will is always what’s ultimately best for us, even when it hurts.
Consider Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and falsely imprisoned—yet ultimately rose to become the second most powerful leader in Egypt. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Joseph didn’t ignore the evil he endured, nor did he blame God for his suffering. Instead, he recognized that, even in his pain, God was sovereignly working all things together for His greater purpose.
When we consider Providential Grace, we must recognize that God’s hand is always at work, preparing the way for something greater. His ultimate desire is to draw us into a relationship with Him. To accomplish this, He orchestrates circumstances that awaken our hearts to the reality of His holiness and love, helping us see our deep need for Him.
Awakening Grace
When we experience the Awakening Grace of God, the Holy Spirit stirs within us a longing to seek Him, even before we fully understand. This grace draws us out of spiritual blindness, revealing our need for a Savior. It’s a divine gift that leads us to the truth of the gospel and opens the door for us to respond in faith.
The natural man, in his fallen state, is unconcerned with God and doesn’t recognize his need for salvation. He doesn’t even see sin for what it truly is—the master of his soul. In this state, we are dead in our sins. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, when we are physically born into this world, our spirits are stillborn. And without God’s intervention, we remain in a state of eternal condemnation. As spiritually dead people, there is nothing in us that desires to be made right with God. Romans 3:11 makes it clear: “No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.”
Not only are we spiritually dead, but we’re also enslaved to the desires of the flesh. Romans 8:7-8 tells us that “the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” In our fallen state, we are helpless. But the Awakening Grace of God stirs the heart and prepares the way for us to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This isn’t yet salvation, but it is the essential next step.
The concept of Awakening Grace is powerfully captured in Ephesians 5:14: “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Before we can respond to the gospel, we must first be awakened to the presence and reality of who God is and who we are in relation to Him. Through Christ, God calls us out of spiritual darkness and into the light of His truth. This awakening is not something we can achieve on our own; it is the work of the Holy Spirit, stirring our hearts and opening our eyes to the truth of God’s holiness and our need for salvation. Left to ourselves, we would remain blind and unaware of our true condition. But in His mercy, God reaches out, calling us to wake up and recognize His call. Awakening Grace is the divine invitation to step into the light of Christ, where we can see ourselves clearly and respond to God’s offer of salvation.
Three Views of Awakening Grace
In the Wesleyan Holiness tradition, Awakening Grace is known as prevenient grace. The word prevenient is an older term not commonly used today, but it essentially means “to come before” or “to anticipate.” It conveys the idea of something that prepares the way or precedes what is to follow. Prevenient grace, or preceding grace as it’s occasionally referred to, is God’s grace that works ahead of salvation, gently awakening a person’s heart and enabling them to respond to His call. This grace is universal in its reach—it works in the hearts of all people, drawing them toward God, softening their hearts, and giving them the ability to respond to the gospel.
Awakening Grace in the Catholic tradition is referred to as actual grace. This is God’s divine help that empowers a person to do good, resist sin, and move closer toward salvation. Catholics understand it as a temporary, supernatural intervention that stirs a person’s heart, awakening them to God’s presence and truth. Actual grace works to prompt individuals toward repentance, drawing them to faith and a deeper relationship with God. It’s not a permanent state but rather a momentary, powerful act of God’s love, encouraging the individual to make choices that align with His will. Through actual grace, God makes His presence known and provides the strength to respond to His calling, ultimately leading the person to salvation.
The Reformed tradition refers to the Awakening Grace of God as effectual calling or irresistible grace. In this view, when God calls someone to salvation, His call is powerful and cannot be resisted by those He has chosen. Unlike a grace that simply awakens a person’s heart to the need for salvation, effectual calling ensures that God’s grace actively transforms the heart, compelling a response of faith that cannot be refused. This call is not a mere invitation or offer but is an irresistible work of God that guarantees the individual will respond.
However, nearly all Christians outside the Reformed tradition would argue that this doctrine undermines the biblical teaching on human free will and responsibility. The Bible presents God’s call to salvation as an invitation to which individuals may freely respond or reject (Matthew 22:14, Revelation 3:20). The idea that God’s grace overrides human will to the point that salvation becomes inevitable raises concerns about the nature of genuine human responsibility. If those not chosen by God cannot freely choose Christ, it seems to undermine their accountability for rejecting Him. Critics argue that such a doctrine is inconsistent with the biblical portrayal of God’s justice and mercy.
Ultimately, while different Christian traditions have varying perspectives on its extent and workings, the common thread is that awakening grace is essential. Through this grace, God stirs the human heart, opens our eyes to His truth, and enables us to respond to the offer of salvation. Regardless of how it works, awakening grace is the divine intervention that moves us from spiritual blindness to a place where we can freely choose to embrace God’s call to redemption.
Lydia‘s Awakening
Acts 16 tells the story of Lydia, a businesswoman from the city of Thyatira. One day, as she gathered with other women by a nearby river, Paul found them and began to share the good news of Jesus with them. Verse 14 says, “As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14).
This is a textbook example of Awakening Grace. Before Lydia could even respond to the gospel, God Himself took the first step. He opened her heart and enabled her to see the truth in a way she had never seen before. When God awakened her heart, everything changed. She believed in the gospel, and after being baptized, she established a church in her home to continue spreading the gospel message.
Lydia’s story shows us how awakening grace works—God initiates, God opens hearts and minds, and God makes a way for people to respond to Him. Lydia could never have come to faith on her own, but because of God’s awakening grace, she saw the truth and responded with faith.
Saving Grace
This capacity for faith leads us into the next stage of the order of salvation: God’s Saving Grace. At this moment, our spirits are reborn. Through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we are declared righteous and holy, regenerated as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Saving Grace—also called justifying grace—is the work of God that frees us from the slavery of sin and invites us into a new relationship with Him. Justification is God, the righteous judge, declaring us righteous—not because of anything we’ve done, but because of what Jesus did on the cross. As Romans 3:24 says, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” He took the penalty for our sin, fully satisfying the demands of the law so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to the Father.
Christ didn’t just make a way for us to be pardoned for the wrongs we’ve done—He secured our reconciliation with God through the sacrifice of Christ so that we could be made holy as He is holy. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The cross is the bridge that spans the gap between our sin and God’s holiness. The resurrection of Jesus proves it. In Him, we find the way forward through the truth of His gospel into the life we were created for. He is our journey, He is our guide, and He is our destination.
Through Christ, we are no longer merely God’s creations; we are adopted as His children and heirs to His kingdom. As Romans 8:17 explains, “Now if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” This is an incredible truth. Through Saving Grace, we transition from being lost in sin to being adopted into the family of God. As co-heirs with Christ, we are given a new identity, a new purpose, and an eternal inheritance in His kingdom.
By Grace Through Faith
The key to receiving God’s Saving Grace, as we saw with Lydia, is faith. But faith isn’t just about believing in God; it is a holistic response to God’s precious gift. There are four key elements to faith: repentance, belief, trust, and obedience. Each of these plays a crucial role in how we receive and live out our salvation.
Repentance is the beginning of belief. It involves a change of mind—a turning away from sin and a turning toward God, choosing the path of righteousness. Belief is the conviction that Jesus is who He said He is—the Son of God, our Savior, and the only way to reconciliation with the Father. Trust is the confident reliance on Jesus for salvation. It’s knowing that His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient, and because of His resurrection, we trust in His promises. Obedience is the natural outflow of our belief and trust in God. Paul calls it “the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26). Motivated by love for Christ, we desire to please Him with our lives. This obedience reflects His holy love, shining through our words and actions to those around us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 explains, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Faith is the means through which God’s saving grace flows into our lives, but it’s important to understand that even faith is a gift. We don’t conjure up faith from within ourselves. Instead, God, in His mercy, grants us the faith we need to believe in Him and respond to His call.
The Assurance of Salvation
One of the most beautiful aspects of Saving Grace is the assurance it provides. When we place our faith in Christ, we can have confidence that we are saved and reconciled to God. 1 John 5:13 says, “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”
The assurance of salvation is the certainty that, because of Christ’s sacrifice and the faith we have in Him, we are secure in His promise of eternal life with Him. This isn’t something we have to wonder about. It’s a truth we can confidently hold on to, even when we face doubts or seasons of difficulty.
The Bible teaches that once we are saved by God’s grace, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul writes,
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
This seal of the Holy Spirit brands us as belonging to Christ. It’s God’s guarantee to us that we are His and that our salvation is secure. When God declares us righteous through faith in Christ, that declaration is final. Romans 8:1 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Even in our imperfections, we have the assurance that God’s grace is sufficient and that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
Transforming Grace
As Christians, the Spirit of Christ resides within us, and as He lives in our hearts, His Transforming Grace reconditions us from the inside out, enabling us to yield genuine spiritual fruit that reflects the virtues of Christlike character. Our role is to lean into the work God is doing by actively practicing our faith. In doing so, we invite the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). The Bible refers to this process as sanctification.
Sanctification is the process of being made holy, and holiness is to be set apart as special instruments for worshipping and serving God. There are three aspects of sanctification: initial, gradual, and entire. Initial sanctification happens at the moment of our salvation, when we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. It’s separate yet simultaneous with justification. In the transforming grace of Sanctification, we’re not only declared righteous, but the righteousness of Christ begins to transform us into His likeness. 1 Corinthians 6:11 explains, “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” This initial sanctification marks the beginning of our new life in Christ, setting us apart as God’s own and empowering us to live according to His will. It’s the starting point for the ongoing work of transforming grace, as the Holy Spirit refines and shapes us into the image of Christ moment by moment.
The second aspect of Transforming Grace is gradual sanctification. This is the maturing of our faith that takes place throughout our entire lives. When a seed is planted, it doesn’t grow to full maturity and bear fruit overnight. But with time, care, and nourishment, the seed sprouts into a sapling, and that sapling eventually grows into a fully mature fruit-bearing tree.
In the same way, we are spiritually transformed over a lifetime and gradually shaped into the character of Christ. Paul describes this beautifully in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
Growing into spiritual maturity requires nurturing. A sapling that isn’t properly nourished either dies or remains weak and stunted, never reaching its full potential. Likewise, if we neglect to invite the Gardener, who is God, to cultivate our spiritual growth, we risk stagnation in our faith. But when we actively engage in discipleship with Christ, His truth shapes our thoughts and actions, and we continue to grow stronger and reflect more and more of His holy character.
Entire Sanctification
The third aspect of Transforming Grace is a bit controversial. It doesn’t need to be, but the vocabulary used to describe it can be challenging to understand, let alone accept. It’s called entire sanctification. In the Wesleyan Holiness tradition, it was originally called Christian perfection. Now, before we start picturing ourselves walking on water or never again forgetting where we put our phone, we need to recognize that this language comes straight out of Scripture. More than that, it’s the direct command of Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 5:48, “You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
But if this is what’s expected of us, then who in the world can be saved? That’s exactly the point that Jesus was making. God established the Old Testament law to show us that by our own power, we are unable to live up to God’s standards. This is actually what the word sin means—to “miss the mark.”
The disciples expressed the same frustration to Jesus when He told a rich man, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). The man, of course, couldn’t do it and left in sorrow.
So the disciples asked, “Then who in the world can be saved?” (19:25). They didn’t understand yet, so Jesus explained it to them: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible” (19:26).
To spend eternity in heaven with God requires complete perfection in righteousness and holiness, but humanly speaking, this is impossible. Thankfully, God, in His eternal grace, has provided the means for us to be perfected in Christ through His transformative work. In doing so, He accomplishes the impossible and makes a way for us to dwell in heaven with Him forever.
Today, we avoid the “P” word (perfection) and instead call it entire sanctification. But this phrase has its own set of challenges. One might ask, “What’s entire about it? Does it mean that we have reached the pinnacle of faith and we have no more growing to do?” Absolutely not!
Entire sanctification is a pivotal moment in the sanctifying journey, both preceded by and followed by gradual sanctification. The gradual work that precedes this moment is our transformation from being sinful in nature to becoming holy in nature (Hebrews 10:14; Colossians 3:10), while the gradual work after entire sanctification involves God expanding our hearts so that we may express more and more of His perfect, holy love (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).
Every branch of Christianity, whether they explicitly acknowledge it or not, believes that at some point, all Christians will be fully sanctified. The debate lies in the timing and nature of this transformation. The Wesleyan Holiness tradition teaches that entire sanctification can occur in this lifetime after we have fully consecrated ourselves to the mission of holiness. In contrast, the Calvinist tradition tends to view entire sanctification as something fully realized only at the resurrection, when Christ returns, equating it with glorification and perfect sinlessness.
The Catholic tradition speaks of purification occurring in an intermediary state called purgatory, where believers are further refined after death but before entering the fullness of God’s presence. While Christians might disagree on the timing and nature of entire sanctification, the important thing is that there is a central agreement among all Christians: at some point, we will be entirely sanctified through and through.
The doctrine of entire sanctification does not—and has never meant—sinless perfectionism. This wasn’t what John Wesley taught; it isn’t what we teach today, and it certainly isn’t what Paul taught in Scripture. To clarify this common misconception, let’s look at a couple of passages to get the full picture, starting with 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This verse is where the term entire sanctification came from, pointing to the idea that God’s transformative work is meant to affect every part of a person—spirit, soul, and body. John Wesley described it as being “inwardly and outwardly devoted to God; all devoted in heart and life” (A Plain Account). When we fully immerse ourselves in the mission of holiness, God sanctifies us for that purpose. The ultimate state of entire sanctification is complete holiness, and the ultimate expression of entire sanctification is perfect, holy love. This is the love that casts out fear, that loves God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that loves our neighbor as ourselves. It’s not about achieving perfect sinlessness in this life but about being fully surrendered to God’s will, allowing His love to flow through us and shape every part of our lives so that we can, in turn, impact the lives of others and lead them toward salvation.
The other key passage to consider is Philippians 3:
I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:8-11).
In Saving Grace, the righteousness of Christ is credited to us as a legal declaration, despite our actual guilt. This is why we say we are pardoned for our sins. However, Paul speaks of something more; his commitment is not merely to the declaration of righteousness but to living out the righteousness of Christ in every aspect and allowing it to shape his very being.
Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (3:12-14).
Though Paul acknowledges that he has not yet attained the perfection of righteousness, his confession shows that he is fully consecrated to Christ—setting aside his status, accomplishments, possessions, and desires—with the singular goal of wholly dedicating the remainder of his life to embodying Christlike holiness.
Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways (3:15).
There’s a play on words happening here. In verse 12, Paul acknowledges that he has not yet attained the perfection of righteousness that comes in the resurrection, but in verse 15, he uses a variation of the same Greek word teleios (τέλειος) to describe himself and other mature believers as perfect. In this case, however, perfect doesn’t refer to being perfectly righteous and sinless but rather to being wholly committed to the mission of the Kingdom. Some Bible translations render this as “spiritually mature,” which doesn’t quite catch the full meaning. I would argue that spiritually whole or fully equipped might be a more fitting way to think of it. To be perfect in this sense is to be wholly sanctified—undevided in love, purpose, and allegiance, set apart and fully equipped for reflecting the holiness of Christ in this world in both character and mission. This is a key aspect of what it means to be entirely sanctified—not sinlessness, but fully equipped for holiness.
The Apostle John described it in 1 John 4:17: “As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” Not just perfect, but “more perfect.” And not just something we look forward to in the afterlife, but something we can experience and express here and now in this world.
Glorifying Grace
The ultimate goal for the entirely sanctified person—as it was for Paul—is glorification, the culminating work of God in the Ordo Salutis that completes our transformation and fully prepares us for eternity in His presence. This Glorifying Grace takes place at the resurrection when Christ returns. In that moment, we are made perfectly righteous in spirit, soul, and body. Our transformation is complete.
Philippians 3:20-21 says, “Our citizenship is in heaven—and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.”
Glorifying Grace is the completion of the journey toward salvation, a journey that was prepared in Providential Grace, illuminated in Awakening Grace, established in Justifying Grace, and developed in Transforming Grace. Glorification is the culmination of God’s sanctifying work, where we are wholly prepared and equipped to stand in the full presence of God.
In entire sanctification, the sinful nature is fully cleansed from us, and the disordered desires of the flesh are reordered and fully subdued by the Spirit, no longer hindering our journey. However, while the power of sin is broken, its effects persist in the physical and emotional aspects of the human body. We, as a race, still bear the consequences of the fallen human condition inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, subject to mortality, sickness, and weakness.
This is why we still experience physical death. Yet in Glorifying Grace, even our bodies will be renewed and fitted for eternity. Scripture teaches that the body of Christ was restored to glory in His resurrection (John 17:5). Likewise, we too will receive glorified, spiritual bodies like His. 1 Corinthians 15:46-50 says,
What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
The promise of Glorifying Grace isn’t just a future hope—it ought to have a profound impact on how we live today. Knowing the glory that awaits us should motivate us to pursue living out our lives in purity, holiness, and love. 1 John 3:2-3 reads, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.” We don’t pursue holiness to earn glorification; we strive to lay hold of it because glorification is our certain future.
Furthermore, no matter what trials we face—pain, loss, or persecution—we know they are temporary. The weight of future glory far outweighs the burden of present suffering. This hope strengthens us to persevere, knowing that our struggles are shaping us for eternity, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”
We don’t have to live in fear of failure because our transformation is not dependent on us—it’s the work of God. Philippians 1:6 assures us that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Because God is faithful to complete what He started, we can live in joyful expectation, striving toward holiness while resting in His grace.
Remembering the Journey
Are you fully committed to the mission of holiness? Are you expressing holiness in love? Are you enduring trials with unwavering faith? Are you living with an eternal perspective? These are the questions we must ask ourselves as we eagerly await the day when we will experience the perfection and power of the resurrection.
Let’s remember that the journey of grace—Providential Grace, Awakening Grace, Justifying Grace, Transforming Grace, and finally, Glorifying Grace—is ultimately about one thing: bringing us into perfect union with God. Every step along the way is God’s work in us, shaping, refining, and preparing us for the day when we will stand before Him, fully restored, fully redeemed, and fully alive in His presence. Until that day, we press on with unwavering faith, trusting that the One who called us is faithful. So let us walk in the assurance of our faith, knowing that the best is yet to come. Our pursuit of holiness is not in vain, our struggles are not meaningless, and our hope is not misplaced. One day, we will see our Savior face to face, and in that moment, the work He began in us will be made complete.
“God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).