Scripture defines salvation as a “work of God.” Many in the church reduce God’s work to a simple “belief” in Christ, or Christ’s death on the cross. But the “work” of God has a definitive meaning and a unique sequence of steps, whereby salvation is the creative result, or “product” – the unsaved person is “born again,” a “new creation.”
A project has a start point and end point, and a specific meaning, i.e., “creation of a product, service, or result.” Just as a book does not create itself, and the house does not build itself, a creator builds the project. This concept of work is well-recognized in human existence, and there is a profoundly striking correlation between the general concept of work and biblical nature of God’s work in salvation. God’s work of salvation reflects a root cause (or cause-and-effect) model, whereby God works through people to accomplish all He has determined.
The “work of God” model is different between the Calvinistic and Arminian perspectives, resulting in much division in the church. Yet from a biblically sovereign view, God’s work is profoundly clear, precise, glorious, and demonstrates God the Father’s chief agency role in salvation and His uniquely creative processes, roles & responsibilities, and steps involved.