Salvation by grace through faith; four-fold gospel: salvation, Spirit, healing, return
The AG's Statement of Fundamental Truths affirms that salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Human sin and the Fall have made all people spiritually dead and in need of redemption. Salvation is entirely by grace and not by human works — it involves regeneration (new birth), justification (right standing before God), and the ongoing process of sanctification.
The AG frames its theology around what has been called the 'Full Gospel' or 'Foursquare Gospel': Jesus as Savior, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon-Coming King. Salvation is the first and foundational element of this framework. The AG affirms that genuine conversion results in a transformed life and that the salvation experience may be followed by Spirit baptism as a separate and subsequent empowerment.
The AG holds an Arminian position on salvation — that God's grace is resistible and that genuine believers can potentially fall away from faith, though the denomination encourages assurance of salvation for those who continue in faith. This stands in contrast to the Calvinist 'once saved, always saved' doctrine, though the AG does not dwell extensively on the perseverance debate in its official statements.
Key Distinctions
- Justification means:
- faith alone (sola fide); repentance and conversion emphasized
- Election type:
- Arminian — prevenient grace; conditional election based on foreknown faith
- Baptismal regeneration:
- baptism is symbolic ordinance; not required for salvation
- Eternal security:
- can fall from grace — salvation must be maintained by ongoing faith
Scripture References
Sources
- Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, §5: The Salvation of Man