In the beginning, man was created without sin, with the freedom and ability to choose to obey God while also having the ability to choose to reject God. When Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan, they chose to violate God’s one command for them. Having disobeyed God, they spiritually and physically died, because the wages of sin is death. In Adam’s sin, every member of the human race fell. All people are, therefore, objects of wrath under God’s just condemnation for sin, being sinners by nature and by choice. In this condition, all people are hostile toward God and His law and are completely unable to restore themselves to God, being dead in their transgressions and sin.

But when the time had fully come, Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, becoming fully human in every way, while remaining fully God. While on earth, Jesus lived as a man, being tempted in every way, and yet never knowing sin. Because of the joy set before Him, He humbled Himself and willingly laid down His life on a Cross. God made Jesus to be sin for mankind, a sacrifice of atonement which made perfect forever those who believe in Jesus.

In salvation, sinners are born-again, or made alive together with Christ. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, a sinner is cleansed from all impurities, given a new heart, and, having died with Christ to sin, is raised to live a new life. This transformation is certain because it is a work of God, but appears progressively in the life of individual believers, as they put off the sinful nature and put on the new nature, made to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This work is not obtained merely by human effort, but is accomplished through the believer abiding in Christ, their mind being renewed day by day as they fix their eyes upon Jesus.

The eternal inheritance for all true believers is being kept in heaven by God and is therefore secure, with the guarantee coming through the Holy Spirit, who seals them until their redemption is fulfilled. In accordance with this promise, believers are commanded to stand firm in God’s grace, not moving from the hope held out to them in the gospel.