God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin; the
sinner is only forgiven on the ground of Another having borne his
punishment; for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews
9:22). . . . For one sin God banished our first parents from Eden; for
one sin all the posterity of Canaan fell under a curse which remains
over them to this day; for one sin Moses was excluded from the promised
land; Elisha’s servant smitten with leprosy; Ananias and Sapphira were
cut off from the land of the living.

- A.W. Pink

1886 - 1952

“The most terrifying news in the world is that we have fallen under the condemnation of our Creator and that he is bound by his own righteous character to preserve the worth of his glory by pouring out his wrath on the sin of our ingratitude. But there is a fourth great truth that no one can ever learn from nature or from their own consciences, a truth which has to be told to neighbors and preached in churches and carried by missionaries: namely, the good news that God has decreed a way to satisfy the demands of his righteousness without condemning the whole human race. He has taken it upon himself apart from any merit in us to accomplish our salvation. The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the righteousness of God. And what is this wisdom?”

In a sentence:

“Jesus Christ, the Son of God crucified, is the Wisdom of God, by which the love of God can save sinners from the wrath of God, and all the while uphold and demonstrate the righteousness of God.”

John Piper

1. We are totally unable to save ourselves. We can come to Christ only by the initiating and enabling grace of God.

2. Anyone who truly comes to Christ in repentance and faith He will in no wise cast out. Yet, salvation is only by God’s Divine choice and is not based on any human merit or foreseen faith.

3. The atoning work of Christ is not limited by national boundaries, ethnic origins or languages. Yet, it is applied only to that distinct and particular people whom He calls out from among every people group in the world.

4. The Spirit of God works effectively in the hearts of those whom God calls and results in genuine repentance and true saving faith in Christ. Yet, this is done without doing violence to the individual’s will by liberating them from spiritual bondage and enabling them to freely, willingly and gladly come to Christ for salvation.

5. True believers will persevere in faith unto salvation and are kept by the power of God’s grace and shall never totally nor finally fall away.