Here the summary and implications for witness are outlined as follows:
1. God justifies people solely because of the work of Christ on the cross. This was accomplished 2000 years ago. But God the Father’s saving love is not only what Christ accomplished, but that he also sends his Spirit to our dead spirits.
2. The Holy Spirit awakens one dead in sin and gives the gift of saving faith. Any presentation of the Gospel will fall on deaf ears until the Spirit begins to "call." For most people their “awakening” is very much like waking up from sleep—it doesn’t happen immediately.
3. In the actual experience of coming to Christ, very few people have an adequate understanding of the work of the cross. The faith that is exercised to reach out to Christ is frequently based on very elementary knowledge. This can be seen in many Scriptural and contemporary examples of people coming to Christ.
4. Those who share the good news of the Gospel must be careful not to omit essential elements of the truth. At the same time it is vital to be sensitive to the realities of what is stated in #3. The beginnings of experiencing life in Christ should not be made to depend on understanding certain information, however true. (However people cannot truly come to Christ if they reject truths of the Gospel.) Life in Christ is a gift of pure grace, received by childlike faith, which is part of the gift. We come to believe in Jesus, however inadequately we may understand.
5. Spiritual growth of those who have begun with Christ is rooted in a deepening awareness of Jesus (the Gospels) and the cross (Romans). Assurance of salvation in Christ will come as new steps of understanding and obedience are taken. Do not talk people into assurance of faith, this is a witness of the Spirit.
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