The greatest present of all is the gift of salvation, which is offered by the greatest person of all, namely God, out of the greatest love of all. It is all God's work and a breathtakingly trinitarian experience. God the Father wills it to be given, God the Son pays the price for it, and God the Holy Spirit brings it "from above," as Jesus just told Nicodemus (see John 3:1–15).
Nowhere in the Gospel of John can we find the word "faith," but the verb "believe" is used 100 times in its active form. Faith is the gift we receive from God (cf. Ephesians 2:8; 2 Peter 1:1) that enables us to actively and willingly believe, and keep believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. A better translation might be the title to the well-known hymn, "Trust and Obey."
Born-again believers are justified by faith (see Romans 5:1). Only a court has the authority to justify or proclaim someone virtuous, innocent, or not guilty. The only Judge that truly matters is God. Because of the condition and manifestation of sin in each of us, the world that God loves is guilty and completely condemned. Therefore, justification is required. Only by faith can we be become righteous and have all of our sins forgiven.
By word and Spirit, sanctification is the gift of salvation. The manifestation of God Himself is the light that God so lovingly provides. New Christians can see in a spiritually dark world thanks to light. Believers embrace and make an effort to follow God's instructions, remaining in the context of biblical spirituality and morals.
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