Plan of Salvation

The plan of salvation (also called the divine economy, counsel, or purpose of redemption) refers to God's sovereign, eternal design to redeem fallen humanity through Jesus Christ — a plan conceived before creation (Eph. 1:4–5; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8) and progressively disclosed through redemptive history. Paul describes it as a "mystery" hidden for ages and now revealed: "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Eph. 1:10). The plan encompasses election (Eph. 1:4), the giving of the law as a guardian until Christ (Gal. 3:23–25), the incarnation (John 1:14), the atonement (Rom. 3:25–26; 1 Pet. 1:18–20), justification by faith (Rom. 3:21–26; 5:1), regeneration (John 3:3–8; Tit. 3:5), sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:13), and final glorification (Rom. 8:30). The OT foreshadowed it through types and prophecies (1 Cor. 10:6; Heb. 8–10), and the NT declares its fulfillment in Christ. The unity of OT and NT rests on the conviction that one God has been executing one coherent plan of salvation across both covenants.