On this day, various orthodox beliefs define the concept of salvation. While salvation is commonly understood as justification through faith, individuals may not fully comprehend the essence of this grace-based doctrine. It is possible for someone to be saved without truly grasping or internalizing this belief, due to previous teachings or their inherent sinful nature. Justification by faith entails being saved from sin solely through grace and faith in Christ. Essentially, when approaching God, we bring nothing but our sins, devoid of any personal merit or desires. It is in our best interest to seek salvation through Christ, rather than foolishly hoping to glorify God through our own damnation. As sinners, we cannot reason with God, as there is nothing intrinsic within us that would warrant His acceptance.

When we embrace Christ, we humbly approach Him with open hands, acknowledging that we are unworthy of what we are about to receive. We are, in fact, being given a precious gift - the righteousness of Christ. This encompasses both His actions and His willingness to suffer on our behalf during His time on earth. However, it is important to note that this righteousness does not become our own, but rather serves as a substitute for our own flawed identity. None of Christ's deeds can be attributed to us; instead, God recognizes Christ's righteousness and deems us righteous based on His grace, without considering any inherent goodness on our part after accepting salvation.

Simultaneously, as we surrender ourselves to Christ, we entrust Him with our sins. These sins are attributed to His record, allowing Him to be intimately acquainted with sin while remaining personally untainted by it. He assumes the role of a substitute, bearing the full weight of our sins and enduring their punishment on the cross. Retribution is a necessary consequence of sin, and it is either we who receive the punishment or our sins transfer guilt to Christ. Therefore, our innocence is not solely attained upon salvation, but it encompasses our entire Christian existence. Each time we approach God, we do so acknowledging our sinful nature, yet finding acceptance through the righteousness of Christ. It is imperative that we do not deceive ourselves into believing that our ongoing sanctification has reached a fixed level, as this fails to maintain genuine transparency before God.

This is the reason why we, as Christians, approach our God with confidence. We do not come as sinners in need of salvation, but rather as His children seeking to be acknowledged. Allow me to elaborate. I do not believe it is God's intention to dwell on our sins, at least not for disciplinary purposes. However, I do believe this is in our best interest. How can we assert that remembering is purely a disciplinary measure, yet fail to acknowledge its benefits? Furthermore, how does the act of remembering compare to the discipline it entails? Yet, even in this process of remembering, God chooses not to focus on our sins but rather on us. He brings forth goodness from our sins by choosing to not remember them. This act of remembering aligns with our plea to God for the protection of our souls, or even His ability to exceed our expectations. The growth of the gospel is only possible when nurtured by encouragement, as opposed to our natural inclination to dwell on our sins. Our hope lies solely in the doctrine of justification through faith.