Salvation: The Work of the Spirit Alone
I have heard it said too many times that a person’s salvation depends on their understanding of doctrine. People argue that regeneration is proven by how precisely someone grasps sovereign grace or whether they agree with a set of theological points. Let me say this plainly: that is wrong. Regeneration is the work of the Spirit alone. It is the act of bringing the spiritually dead to life, and no part of that process depends on human intellect, decisions, or propositional accuracy.
Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus in John 3:6–8: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Here, Jesus emphasizes that spiritual birth is a sovereign work of the Spirit, free from human control or prediction. The metaphor of the wind conveys the mysterious and independent activity of the Spirit, which does not conform to human effort or understanding. Flesh, representing human nature, is utterly incapable of generating spiritual life. This aligns with the larger biblical narrative that salvation is a divine initiative (e.g., Ezekiel 36:26–27, where God promises to replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh and put His Spirit within His people).
Flesh cannot create spiritual life. There is no magical combination of words, no prayer or decision, no intellectual ascent that can make someone alive in Christ. The Spirit moves where He wills, giving life to whom He wills, and the result of His sovereign work is faith. Faith does not bring about regeneration; it is the fruit of regeneration.
Paul reinforces this in Ephesians 2:4–5 when he writes, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
The phrase “even when we were dead in our trespasses” underscores the helplessness of humanity in contributing to its salvation. Paul depicts salvation as an act of resurrection, where the dead are made alive by God’s grace. This imagery reinforces that faith is a response to God’s prior work of regeneration, not a precondition for it.
Salvation and Faith: Beyond Transactional Thinking
Let me go further. Salvation itself is a metaphor. It describes the reality of being reconciled to God, being delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13–14). It is not a transaction or formula. It is the work of God bringing His people into eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Paul’s language in Colossians emphasizes the transformative and positional nature of salvation. It is a deliverance from one realm (darkness) to another (the kingdom of Christ). This shift is entirely the work of God, who qualifies believers (Colossians 1:12). The use of metaphors like “deliverance” and “transfer” highlights salvation’s relational and kingdom-oriented dimensions, contrasting with a transactional or mechanical understanding.
Faith is a metaphor too. It is not about mastering theological points but about trusting and resting in Christ. Jesus explained this beautifully in Matthew 18:3 when He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus’ teaching on childlike faith calls for humility and dependence, contrasting with the self-reliance of human intellect or effort. The metaphor of a child trusting a parent underscores the essence of faith as relational and reliant, not an achievement or intellectual accomplishment.
Repentance: A Change in Trust
This is what repentance (metanoia) means. It is a turning from self-reliance to reliance on God. It is a change in the mind and heart that results in trust, not a performance of works or theological precision.
Biblical repentance involves a shift in allegiance and worldview. Isaiah 55:7 illustrates this turning: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him.” Repentance is a divine gift (2 Timothy 2:25), enabling the sinner to trust in God’s provision rather than self-effort.
The Gospel: A Simple and Powerful Truth
But some argue that faith and salvation depend on understanding “Paul’s gospel” or getting the gospel “just right.” They treat the gospel as a checklist of propositions, as if eternal life depends on mastering the correct doctrines. This is nonsense. The gospel is not a checklist. It is the story of Jesus Christ—His incarnation, His perfect life, His substitutionary death, His victorious resurrection, and His eternal reign.
Paul himself defines the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
The simplicity of Paul’s gospel centers on the historical and theological realities of Christ’s work. It highlights fulfillment (“in accordance with the Scriptures”) and the sufficiency of Christ’s death and resurrection. This gospel is transformative, not because of human understanding, but because the Spirit applies its power to the believer’s heart (Romans 1:16).
The Spirit uses this story to bring life, not because we understand it perfectly but because He reveals Christ to us. Think of the thief on the cross in Luke 23:42–43. He didn’t have time to learn about justification or election. He didn’t have a framework for understanding the theology of the cross. All he knew was that Jesus was Lord, and the Spirit gave him life.
The Warning in Galatians: Anathema and the True Gospel
Some point to Galatians 1:6–9, where Paul warns, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (anathema),” as a basis for excluding or condemning those who misunderstand elements of the gospel. However, such an interpretation misses both Paul’s intention and the context of his letter.
Paul’s rebuke in Galatians is directed at those actively distorting the gospel, not at confused believers or those still learning the truth. The Judaizers were proclaiming a “gospel” that added works of the Law, particularly circumcision, as necessary for justification (Galatians 2:16). This was not a minor misunderstanding but a fundamental perversion of the gospel’s essence: the finished work of justification accomplished by Christ alone. Justification is the definitive act of God declaring His people righteous on the basis of Christ’s perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice, apart from any human merit or response (Romans 3:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Faith does not justify; instead, faith receives the benefits of Christ’s already completed work.
Grammatically, the word “anathema” conveys the idea of being set apart for divine judgment or exclusion. Paul is not carelessly declaring every theological error accursed; he reserves this strong language for those who preach a false gospel with intentionality and persistence, thereby leading others astray. The verb tense in the phrase “is preaching” (εὐαγγελίζεται) is present continuous, emphasizing an ongoing, active proclamation of a distorted message. Paul’s concern is for the preservation of the true gospel, not for condemning those who may be confused or mistaken.
Theologically, Paul’s warning reflects his understanding of the gospel as the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). To preach a different gospel is to strip it of its power, turning it into something that cannot save. Paul’s sharp tone arises from his pastoral care for the Galatians, who were being bewitched into thinking they could perfect in the flesh what had begun in the Spirit (Galatians 3:1–3). His pronouncement of “anathema” is not aimed at those struggling to understand but at those who, like the Judaizers, knowingly twist the gospel’s message.
Immature, Mature, and Misled Believers
It is critical to distinguish between the heretic, the immature believer, and even the mature believer who can be misled. The Galatians themselves, despite their confusion, were not the objects of Paul’s condemnation. He repeatedly addresses them as “brothers” (e.g., Galatians 4:12, 6:1), urging them to return to the truth. Even mature believers are not immune to deception, as Peter’s actions in Antioch demonstrate. Despite his maturity and position as an apostle, Peter succumbed to fear and compromised the gospel by separating himself from Gentile believers (Galatians 2:11–14). Paul’s correction of Peter was firm, but it was not a condemnation. Instead, it was restorative and aimed at preserving gospel truth.
This shows that doctrinal error is not limited to the immature or the heretic. Even those deeply grounded in the faith can momentarily deviate from the truth due to fear, pressure, or misunderstanding. However, a critical difference lies in their response to correction. The heretic persists in twisting the gospel to suit their agenda, whereas the misled believer, whether immature or mature, is ultimately brought back to truth by God’s grace.
The Heart of the Warning
Paul’s pronouncement of anathema in Galatians 1 is a serious warning against willful distortion, not a weapon for policing theological precision. To declare someone accursed because they misunderstand the gospel is to misuse Paul’s words and ignore the grace of God in salvation. The gospel is not upheld by human perfection but by Christ’s perfection and the Spirit’s ongoing work in His people.
Paul’s focus in Galatians is not to create a barrier of intellectual precision for salvation but to defend the sufficiency of Christ’s work. Misunderstanding is not accursed; rejection of the gospel’s core truth—the finished work of Christ—is. Let us, therefore, hold fast to the true gospel while showing grace and patience toward those who are still learning or who momentarily stumble, recognizing that the Spirit of God works in His people to preserve them in truth.
Love: The Evidence of Regeneration
Let me be clear. False teaching is harmful. Heresy damages the church. But the absence of heresy in someone’s beliefs is not proof of regeneration. Even in the early church, heresy abounded. Paul rebuked the Galatians for turning to a false gospel (Galatians 1:6–9). The Corinthians misunderstood the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Yet Paul didn’t claim they were unregenerate—he called them to return to the truth.
Regeneration is not proven by doctrinal perfection but by the evidence of the Spirit’s work. And what is that evidence? It is love. John said it clearly in 1 John 4:7–8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Love serves as the central evidence of new life in Christ. This love flows from God’s nature (Romans 5:5), transforming believers into His likeness. John’s emphasis on love as the defining mark of regeneration reinforces that spiritual fruit, not intellectual mastery, is the true measure of knowing God.
At the end of the day, the Spirit gives life. The Spirit reveals Christ. The Spirit brings faith. We are saved because of God’s work, not ours. And the proof of this work is not how well we can explain it but how deeply we love, because love flows from knowing God.
Conclusion: The Simplicity of the Gospel
The gospel is simple because Jesus is enough. Let’s stop complicating it.
Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 11:3 warns against being led astray from the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” This simplicity is not naivety but clarity: Jesus Christ is sufficient. Knowing Him transforms lives, for He is the fullness of God’s love revealed. Let us rest in Him.
Addendum
A Pastoral Warning: The Dangers of Precisionism in the Gospel
Insisting on theological precision as a requirement for salvation or as the evidence of regeneration can cause significant spiritual, relational, and doctrinal harm. This approach distorts the simplicity of the gospel and replaces the grace of God with a human standard that Scripture repeatedly warns against. Below is a comprehensive look at the dangers of such legalistic precisionism, drawing from biblical teachings and apostolic rebukes.
1. It Subverts the Grace of God
Paul’s rebuke in Galatians 2:21 is clear: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” Requiring intellectual or theological precision as a basis for salvation adds a form of human effort, undermining the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work. When we insist on doctrinal exactness as a prerequisite for salvation, we make salvation contingent on human performance rather than divine grace.
2. It Burdens Believers with Legalism
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for tying up “heavy burdens, hard to bear,” and laying them on people’s shoulders (Matthew 23:4). The Pharisees insisted on strict adherence to their interpretations of the law, creating an impossible standard. Similarly, requiring perfect doctrinal understanding adds an unnecessary yoke that Christ has not placed on His people. Paul warns against this in Galatians 5:1: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
3. It Divides the Church
Precisionism creates unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ. Paul condemned such divisiveness in 1 Corinthians 1:10–13, where believers were aligning themselves with different teachers based on secondary matters. The gospel unites believers under the lordship of Christ (Ephesians 4:4–6). Insisting on theological perfection for unity disrupts the harmony of the Spirit and fosters a spirit of arrogance and exclusion.
4. It Stifles Spiritual Growth
When believers are constantly evaluated by their ability to articulate complex doctrines, they may feel paralyzed in their faith, fearing that they are not “good enough.” This directly opposes the encouragement given in Hebrews 5:12–14, where believers are urged to grow in maturity. Growth in grace and knowledge is a process (2 Peter 3:18), and weaponizing precision stunts that process by replacing grace with fear.
5. It Leads to Judgmentalism and Pride
Paul explicitly warns in Romans 14 against judging one another over matters of conscience and understanding, calling such behavior sinful. Precisionism feeds spiritual pride by fostering a belief that those with greater theological knowledge are inherently more righteous. This was the sin of the Pharisees, whom Jesus described as trusting in themselves that they were righteous while despising others (Luke 18:9–14). Pride in knowledge is condemned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:1: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”
6. It Confuses the Nature of Faith
Faith, as Jesus describes in Matthew 18:3, is childlike trust, not academic mastery. By demanding precision, precisionists redefine faith as intellectual agreement rather than humble reliance on Christ. This shifts the focus of salvation from Christ’s finished work to human capacity, undermining the simplicity of the gospel and turning faith into a work.
7. It Misrepresents the Apostolic Witness
The apostles did not demand perfect doctrinal understanding as evidence of salvation. Consider the Corinthian church, which struggled with gross immorality (1 Corinthians 5), doctrinal confusion (1 Corinthians 15), and factionalism (1 Corinthians 1). Yet Paul repeatedly addressed them as “brothers,” urging them toward maturity rather than doubting their salvation. Similarly, the Galatians were rebuked for their legalism and error, but Paul called them to restoration, not condemnation. The apostles modeled grace and correction, not condemnation for theological immaturity.
8. It Distorts the Gospel Itself
Paul’s strongest rebuke in Galatians 1:6–9 is directed not at those who misunderstand but at those who knowingly distort the gospel. Precisionism often replaces the gospel’s central truths—Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—with secondary or tertiary issues. This reduces the gospel to a checklist and elevates human understanding above divine revelation. Paul’s warning against such distortion in 2 Corinthians 11:3–4 reminds us to guard the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
9. It Disregards Love as the Mark of Regeneration
John makes it clear that the primary evidence of being born of God is love, not theological expertise: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). When precisionism becomes the standard, love is often neglected in favor of argumentation and exclusion. This directly opposes the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and grieves the heart of God.
10. It Undermines Assurance of Salvation
Precisionism creates doubt where there should be confidence in Christ. If salvation is contingent on understanding every theological nuance, then no one could ever be assured of their salvation, as finite minds cannot perfectly grasp infinite truths. This contradicts John’s purpose in writing 1 John: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The Spirit bears witness to our adoption (Romans 8:16), not our intellectual achievements.
Apostolic Rebukes of Precisionism
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for tying up “heavy burdens, hard to bear,” and laying them on people’s shoulders (Matthew 23:4). The Pharisees insisted on strict adherence to their interpretations of the law, creating an impossible standard. Similarly, requiring perfect doctrinal understanding adds an unnecessary yoke that Christ has not placed on His people. Paul warns against this in Galatians 5:1: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Paul’s strongest rebuke in Galatians 1:6–9 is directed not at those who misunderstand but at those who knowingly distort the gospel. Precisionism often replaces the gospel’s central truths—Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—with secondary or tertiary issues. This reduces the gospel to a checklist and elevates human understanding above divine revelation. Paul’s warning against such distortion in 2 Corinthians 11:3–4 reminds us to guard the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Conclusion: A Call to Grace
The insistence on theological precision as a test of salvation or maturity is unbiblical and destructive. It undermines the grace of God, burdens believers, divides the church, fosters pride, and misrepresents the apostolic witness. As pastors, teachers, and believers, we must guard the gospel’s simplicity, recognizing that salvation is a work of God, received by faith and evidenced by love. Let us teach sound doctrine, but let us do so with patience, humility, and grace, remembering Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:2: “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”