Humanity
Humans, both male and female, were supernaturally created by God in His image. Like all creation, every human will glorify their Creator, either by eternally displaying His perfect holiness and eternal wrath in Hell, or by eternally displaying His mercy in Heaven. Since the sin of Adam, the first human, all humans have been born into a state of sin and separation from God that results in an attitude of independence and disobedience toward their Creator. This fallen state brought spiritual death to humanity, making them completely powerless in themselves to do anything to please God. (cf. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-5)

 
Salvation from Sin
Salvation comes only by God’s unconditional sovereign grace, not our human works, and therefore He is ultimately the One who initiates, accomplishes, and maintains it, and deserves all credit and glory for it (cf. John 6:44; 10:28-30; Romans 3:9-28; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Ephesians 2:8-9).

God “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will, to the praise of His glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6), indicating that the choice He made “before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) was not made on the basis of any act or merit of those chosen (cf. Romans 9:10-24). Otherwise our salvation would ultimately be because of something we have done instead of by God’s unconditional grace.

Even the supernatural saving faith in Christ that God requires is an unconditional gift from Him (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9), occurring upon our supernatural regeneration which enables us to embrace Christ in the gospel (cf. Acts 16:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

This salvation grants eternal life from the moment the Holy Spirit recreates us as believing, loving, and obeying followers of Jesus Christ. This new creation is irreversible, and the eternal life promised is just that — eternal — and therefore the believer’s salvation by grace is secure, because it is by God’s grace, not human works (cf. John 10:28-30; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17). While real Christians still sin, their salvation and supernatural regeneration is proven by a lifestyle of love and holiness (cf. 1 John 2:1-6, 15, 29; 3:9-10; 5:13, 18).

Even though God Himself will ensure that every one of his chosen people will be saved from eternal punishment, these lost but future children of God must still hear the Gospel to be saved (cf. Romans 10:8-15). Therefore, God commands us to preach this Gospel and it is our greatest privilege to participate in God’s work of seeking and saving the lost, predestined children of God (cf. Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Tim 2:8-10).