Anthony Pritchard
Well-Known Member
Once For All: The Daily Cross
No Second Work Of Grace
The doctrine of a second work of grace teaches that after salvation the believer must experience a second crisis event in which he receives a deeper cleansing, a fuller sanctification, or a higher level of holiness. It claims that the first work of grace saves, but the second work of grace completes that salvation. This teaching appears in various traditions under the umbrella of Christianity. Scripture does not teach this. Scripture teaches one cleansing, one salvation, one offering, and one grace. Sanctification is not a second blessing. It is the daily expression of the first blessing, the believer walking in the life he already possesses..
The believer’s life contains two surrenders, but only one work of grace. The first surrender is the fruit of repentance, the sinner turning from self to Christ in belief and faith, receiving the once for all cleansing of salvation. The second surrender is the believer yielding daily to Christ in sanctification, the ongoing walk from faith to faith. This second surrender is not a second work of grace, not a second cleansing, and not a second crisis experience. It is the daily expression of the grace already given.
Scripture says, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). It also says, “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Christ offered Himself once for all. The saving work of Christ is singular, complete, and never repeated. If Christ’s offering is once for all, then salvation is once for all, cleansing is once for all, and grace is once for all. There can be no second act of grace because the first act of grace is perfect.
The first surrender corresponds to this once for all offering. It is the sinner’s repentance unto salvation, the turning of the heart to Christ in faith. This surrender is instantaneous, complete, and never repeated. It is the moment of the new birth, the moment when the believer is made clean every whit.
The second surrender corresponds to the daily washing of the feet. It is the believer’s daily yielding to Christ in sanctification. It is continual, progressive, and expressed in daily obedience. It is the believer’s walk from faith to faith, the daily crucifixion of the flesh, the daily cleansing from the dust of the world. Paul described this when he said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Christ described it when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Taking up the cross daily is not a second experience, nor a second blessing, nor a post conversion crisis event. A cross is not a symbol of consecration. It is an instrument of execution. When Christ speaks of the cross, He is speaking of death, and when He says daily, He is speaking of the believer’s ongoing posture in sanctification. Taking up the cross daily is the believer’s daily death to the old nature. It is separation from the old man, the putting away of the flesh, the daily surrender of self rule, and the continual yielding of the will. This is not a second work of grace. It is the daily work of grace in the believer’s walk, the believer applying the life already given.
The believer resists the old man, denies the flesh, crucifies the self, and strengthens the new man. None of this is a second cleansing or a second blessing. It is the daily expression of the once for all cleansing of salvation. Grace is not dispensed in installments. The believer does not receive phase two holiness. The new man is complete at conversion, and sanctification is the daily crucifixion of the old man.
Peter’s exchange with Christ in John 13:8 through 10 is the perfect illustration.
“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit, and ye are clean, but not all.”
Peter first refused the washing. Christ answered that the refusal itself revealed the problem. Refusing surrender is the sign of a lost man, not of sanctification. Submission to Christ is the mark of belonging to Christ. Alarmed, Peter asked for a full washing, but Christ corrected him. Peter did not need to be washed entirely again. He was already clean every whit. He needed only the daily cleansing of the feet, the removal of the dust of the world.
The teaching of a second work of grace cannot stand in light of these Scriptures. Christ offered Himself once for all, and the believer is made clean every whit at the moment of salvation. The daily cross, the daily cleansing of the feet, the daily dying to the flesh, and the daily walk from faith to faith are not second acts of grace, but the believer’s ongoing response to the grace already received. The cross is taken up daily because the believer lives in a world that presses upon the flesh, not because salvation is incomplete. Sanctification is the daily application of the once for all cleansing, the continual expression of the life already given, and never a second blessing added to the first. The entire pattern of Scripture shows one salvation and one grace, followed by a lifelong walk in that grace, and nothing in the believer’s experience requires or supports a second crisis event to complete what Christ finished at Calvary.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 -
Free to use with proper attribution.
No Second Work Of Grace
The doctrine of a second work of grace teaches that after salvation the believer must experience a second crisis event in which he receives a deeper cleansing, a fuller sanctification, or a higher level of holiness. It claims that the first work of grace saves, but the second work of grace completes that salvation. This teaching appears in various traditions under the umbrella of Christianity. Scripture does not teach this. Scripture teaches one cleansing, one salvation, one offering, and one grace. Sanctification is not a second blessing. It is the daily expression of the first blessing, the believer walking in the life he already possesses..
The believer’s life contains two surrenders, but only one work of grace. The first surrender is the fruit of repentance, the sinner turning from self to Christ in belief and faith, receiving the once for all cleansing of salvation. The second surrender is the believer yielding daily to Christ in sanctification, the ongoing walk from faith to faith. This second surrender is not a second work of grace, not a second cleansing, and not a second crisis experience. It is the daily expression of the grace already given.
Scripture says, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). It also says, “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Christ offered Himself once for all. The saving work of Christ is singular, complete, and never repeated. If Christ’s offering is once for all, then salvation is once for all, cleansing is once for all, and grace is once for all. There can be no second act of grace because the first act of grace is perfect.
The first surrender corresponds to this once for all offering. It is the sinner’s repentance unto salvation, the turning of the heart to Christ in faith. This surrender is instantaneous, complete, and never repeated. It is the moment of the new birth, the moment when the believer is made clean every whit.
The second surrender corresponds to the daily washing of the feet. It is the believer’s daily yielding to Christ in sanctification. It is continual, progressive, and expressed in daily obedience. It is the believer’s walk from faith to faith, the daily crucifixion of the flesh, the daily cleansing from the dust of the world. Paul described this when he said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Christ described it when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Taking up the cross daily is not a second experience, nor a second blessing, nor a post conversion crisis event. A cross is not a symbol of consecration. It is an instrument of execution. When Christ speaks of the cross, He is speaking of death, and when He says daily, He is speaking of the believer’s ongoing posture in sanctification. Taking up the cross daily is the believer’s daily death to the old nature. It is separation from the old man, the putting away of the flesh, the daily surrender of self rule, and the continual yielding of the will. This is not a second work of grace. It is the daily work of grace in the believer’s walk, the believer applying the life already given.
The believer resists the old man, denies the flesh, crucifies the self, and strengthens the new man. None of this is a second cleansing or a second blessing. It is the daily expression of the once for all cleansing of salvation. Grace is not dispensed in installments. The believer does not receive phase two holiness. The new man is complete at conversion, and sanctification is the daily crucifixion of the old man.
Peter’s exchange with Christ in John 13:8 through 10 is the perfect illustration.
“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit, and ye are clean, but not all.”
Peter first refused the washing. Christ answered that the refusal itself revealed the problem. Refusing surrender is the sign of a lost man, not of sanctification. Submission to Christ is the mark of belonging to Christ. Alarmed, Peter asked for a full washing, but Christ corrected him. Peter did not need to be washed entirely again. He was already clean every whit. He needed only the daily cleansing of the feet, the removal of the dust of the world.
The teaching of a second work of grace cannot stand in light of these Scriptures. Christ offered Himself once for all, and the believer is made clean every whit at the moment of salvation. The daily cross, the daily cleansing of the feet, the daily dying to the flesh, and the daily walk from faith to faith are not second acts of grace, but the believer’s ongoing response to the grace already received. The cross is taken up daily because the believer lives in a world that presses upon the flesh, not because salvation is incomplete. Sanctification is the daily application of the once for all cleansing, the continual expression of the life already given, and never a second blessing added to the first. The entire pattern of Scripture shows one salvation and one grace, followed by a lifelong walk in that grace, and nothing in the believer’s experience requires or supports a second crisis event to complete what Christ finished at Calvary.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 -
Free to use with proper attribution.