The Order Of Salvation For Dummies

A complete study guide on how the salvation process works with a modern twist

1. Election

Election is a tricky subject and while there may be disagreement on what election means, each Christian has a doctrine of divine election. Election is something that the Lord solely ordains. It is a blessing that the Lord gives us to be able to have a relationship with Him. Election is not a superficial or trivial doctrine, therefore:

it is obligatory that we seek to understand it and celebrate it as Paul did. Isaiah states in verses 43;1-4 that election is grounded in God's value of Israel. This is not something that can be achieved by Israel but rather grace and love from the Father. Because of this God is able to vindicate his elect and have a relationship with them. John 10:14-16 states that God is the one shepherd, who calls one flock and that in this the act of election os sole die to God's purposes for His children John Howe states:

“God knows how to govern his creatures according to their natures and changes the hearts of men according to that natural way wherein the human faculties are wont [accustomed] to work; a thing that all the power of the whole world could not do.”

Because we are elected to serve God’s purposes we have purpose in our lives that are revealed through God's word and the Holy Spirit. Otto Weber sates; “In the Holy spirit, our own freedom is God's work, the gift of his free grace.”Election does not just give is eligibility to a free trip to heaven. Through election God has a purpose for us to take off the old self and liberates us from the powers of sin.

Isaiah gives us a good glimpse of this in chapter 44:1-5. God's elect preservers through hardship because we are destined and called for the work of the Lord.

There are two versions of election; conditional and unconditional. The conditional view of election, also known as the Armenian view. This view hold that God foreknows who will believe in Him, and because they believe in Him, He chooses them in Christ for salvation. This can be seen in John 6:64, when talking about Jesus' foreknowledge of those who would not believe as well as Rom. 8:29 which states that God’s election seems to be based on his foreknowledge of their faith.

The unconditional view of election, or Calvinistic view states that God’s election is not conditioned on anything about the elect. EY Mullins in his book Baptist Beliefs quotes;

“Apart from infants and others incapable of responding to the gospel call, salvation never comes otherwise than through God’s choice of a person is prior to that person’s choice of God, since God is infinite in wisdom and knowledge and will not make the success of the divine kingdom dependent on the contingent choices of people. God does not fling out the possibility of salvation among human beings, say, like a golden apple, and leave it for people to use or not use as they will.”

This quote shows God's sovereign rulership over all as seen in Ephesians 1:11. The call of election is not just a general call, but a particular call to believers where their belief grows out of it. Just as stated above how God found election in Israel through their value, God’s Election is said NOT to be based on human will or work. While this is true it is based on foreknowledge (properly understood). This “foreknowledge” does not merely mean ‘foreseen faith’, but rather it means: Foreloved , or, ‘a prior disposition to favor’. Since faith is the work of the Holy Spirit, then election is rooted in Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:11-14). While there are different views to election, the arminian and calvinistic views do agree that election is God’s choice before creation of those who are saved. no one will be saved until they believe, and everyone who comes to faith must continue in faith until the end.

Some view unconditional election as unjust, because God predetermines who is to be saved, so the non-elect do not have a chance. Yet, they are condemned anyway. Some view unconditional election leading to the conclusion that there is need to evangelize, yet others see that of someone is elect, he/she will be saved regardless.

Scripturally Conceived, those who are elect should have God inspired :

Humility we have nothing about which to boast before God, Reassurance: having come to Christ, God is working by enfolding our faith and continuing to preserve us through to the completion of our salvation and Motivation for mission to bear God's message to all those who are chosen for salvation

Dig Deeper:

read In Deuteronomy 7:6-8. In this passage we see that election is grounded in God’s love, and not in Israel’s merit. In what ways can you find this truth in your election.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 – God’s election impacts the elect, how does this knowledge effect the dreams and plans you have?

Read Luke 18:1-8a – God will vindicate His elect. Sit in this knowledge knowing that you are forgiven in all aspects. reflect in all the Lord has given to you and find where your faith faulters in this area.

2. Calling

Calling can be defined as the proclamation of the gospel to all people such that they are made aware of God’s offer of salvation in Christ. This call can be an uncomfortable aspect of salvation because of how hypersensitive our culture has made us towards sharing beliefs about religion. God calls us through an Effectual Call. This call effects belief in Jesus in the heart of the recipient; only The Elect are called in this sense.

general call and the effective call are only effective because of God’s eternal degrees

The work of the Spirit resides first in the outward Word or general call, but it is directed toward the inward person. However, it does not make the person’s inwardness its criterion. The “internal call” or the effective call, is nothing other than the inconceivable miracle that the person called under the Yes of God (i.e. God’s love in action for us) then speaks his/her ‘little yes’ in response.

Dig Deeper

Read1 Corinthians 1:22-28 – the proclamation of Jesus Christ is rejected by most, but to the called it is illumination. In what ways does this proclamation illuminate your calling?

3. Regeneration

Regeneration is that act of God by which the principle of the new life is implanted in the individual believer, whereby He transforms them. God reverses their sinful tendencies, and gives them new spiritual direction that is oriented towards God and His purposes. This is not limited tour moral disposition but it affects our heart, soul and human nature as well. The basic characteristics of regeneration are a new outlook creating a radical change. This change affects, the heart, intellect and will. By having a changed life, our mindset as well as actions change with it. This change is instantaneous and miraculous as it can change person completely. It is a secret and incomprehensible work of God known solely by him as stated in John3:3-8. The necessity of regeneration is that it changes the heart, mind and soul of the believer so that they may do the work of the Lord with understanding and willpower. By this regeneration enables our faith, and faith is the automatic expression of regeneration.

Dig Deeper

Read John 3:3; 1 Cor. 2:14

In what ways do these verses point out the importance of regeneration?

4. Conversion

Conversion emerges from regeneration, as a turning to Jesus Christ in form of faith and repentance which ultimately turns us from sin. This is shown in

Isaiah 55:6-7 that turning to the Lord is turning from sin. Within regeneration is repentance and faith with three aspects to each which are intellectual, emotional and volitional.

Repentance is godly sorry for one’s sin against God and the hurt inflicted upon Him together with a resolution to turn from it. The three aspects of of repentance are:

Intellectual: knowledge of sin and need for a savior

Romans 7:7

Emotional: attitude of sorrow for sin and a plant o change it

2 Corinthians 7:8-11.

Volitional: The willful rejection of sin as an object of my attention and good pleasure, and willfully acting in accordance with a regenerated nature.

The faith aspect is assenting to the truth of Jesus Christ as a living person who is savior; entering into a relationship that trusts Him alone for salvation; and willingly turning from a life of sin to one that is directed towards the reality of God in Christ.

Three Aspects of faith are:

Intellectual - recognition of God’s truth in contrast to the lies of sin and evil.

Romans 10:9

Emotional - assent or affirmation in one’s heart that the gospel and God’s word to us and Christ’s work for us are all true.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Volitional – the will to give oneself to Jesus Christ and enter into a relationship by accepting His payment of your sin.

John 1:12

Dig Deeper

Meditate on this knowledge:

Repentance cannot proceed without Faith.

Faith cannot fail to manifest itself in Repentance.

5. Justification

Humanities origin was righteous at the beginning of our relationship with Christ, but our corruption led to our rebellion and separation to Christ and God.

Justification is God’s declaration that the one who has believed in Jesus Christ stands before Him fully righteous by virtue of Jesus Christ’s imputed righteousness. By faith in the death and resurrection of Christ we are able to have peace (Romans 5:1), Salvation (Romans 5:9.), and glorification (Romans 8:30). God the father initiated our justification ad salvation and therefore our faith in that is not merit, an achievement or obligation.

Dig Deeper

MILLARD ERICKSON states that justification is something completely undeserved. It is not an achieved. It is an obtainment, not an attainment. Our faith is not some good work that we performed which God must reward with salvation. It is gift from God

Mediate on this and how it affects how you live.

6. Adoption

Adoption is an act of God whereby he makes us members of his family thereby becoming children of God. As children of God we have all the accompanying responsibility and privileges.

Ephesians 1:4-5 – our adoption is based on God’s eternal love and grace.

Romans 8:14-17 – our adoption is mediated by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 3:1-2 – our adoption in the present also gives us future hope.

Ezekiel 16:1-14 – even Israel’s election is grounded in adoption.

Because of adoption we are treated by God as a family member, instead of a slave. Because we are in God;s family Jesus is not only our father but also our brother we can turn to.

Because we are adopted we have the responsibility to bear the family name well and represent it in a way pleasing to the Lord.

Dig Deeper

read Gal. 4:4-7 and meditate on what it means to be a child of the kind with a future.

7. Union With Christ

A union of believer with Jesus Christ so that the two are indissolubly united and the believer is empowered by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Believers are in Christ as Christ is in believers, the Father and son are in believers as well. With this being said we have full access to the trinity and are in union and relationship with them. The first aspect is federal and representative. This means that Jesus Christ is the second Adam who was victorious where Adam failed (1 Cor. 15:22). A. A. Hodge in Outline of Theology states:

“The consequences which arise from our union with Christ under this aspect of it are such as the imputation of our sins to him, and of his righteousness to us, and all of the forensic benefits of justification and adoption, etc.”

The second aspect is spiritual and vital this means a new spiritual birth in Christ. (1 Cor. 15:47): This new birth is spiritual because the union is actualize by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17)

This is vital because our spiritual life is sustained by this union with Christ

Dig Deeper

With the last statement in mind read John 14:19; Gal. 2:20. Focus on how we are reliant on Him in our spiritual life.

8. Sanctification

9. Perserverance

Sanctification is the Work of God’s free grace that makes us more and more free from the power of sin to become more like Jesus Christ in our day-to-day existence, living a life of righteous reconciliation. To sanctification there are two positions one should be aware of.

The first aspect is is positional sanctification. This position states that the believer’s position or standing before God, based on the death of Christ. In positional sanctification, the believer is accounted holy before God and he is declared a saint. Thus we are set apart by God for His use.

The second aspect is Progressive sanctification which states that growth in righteousness over time that is the outworking of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, so that we are able to discern and obey the Father’s will through our union with Christ. Some of us go fast, some take time, so go through a roller coaster, but God works in ways that help improve us regardless of our stage in faith. This working up to be sanctified is through God's will to have us persever and rely in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7).

“This then makes the goal clear: it is the restoration of the image of God in human beings from the human side. Harmony with God, the source of life, goes hand in hand with harmony with all the living, who live from this source; and it therefore goes together also with reverence for life itself, wherever we encounter it." Jürgen Moltmann

Dig Deeper

Think about the two aspects of sanctification and which one you take. Why do you take this view,

10. Death

Death is the seperation of the soul from the body which brings us to a different mode of existence; it is not, extinction or annihilation. While physical death is universal, spiritual death is not. Because of God plan we are able to have a new life in Christ and after death with God. We have the ability to die to our humans and follow a path of righteousness. Adam’s fall, as a representative of humanity, forfeited the opportunity to obtain the gift. Death is an enemy, a source of punishment for sins against God (Gen. 6:13; 19; Numbers 16).

Death for the unbeliever initiates a state of permanent separation of God while

death for the believer initiates a continuation and permanent state of a relationship.When Jesus returns, God will be all in all, and “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)

Athnasiusus says that since we are created out of nothing. When Adam sinned and decided to live a life w/o God, he was brought back to the state of nothingness.

Basically,he is saying w/o the Lord, we are subject to a life of nothingness.

Dig Deeper

Death is a natural part of life but is something that is still very unknown. Fear is usually apart of the unknown and drives our emotions and actions. What are you fearful about death? Other unknown things in your life?

11. Glorification

“Glorification is the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own.” (Grudem)

Glorification is the Final Goal of Sanctification. When we die we will be glorified and made perfect with our father in heaven. Glorification involves the transformation of our entire humanity. It brings us back to our origins of being in perfect standing with the Lord and involves renewal of creation.

These signifies a qualitative change in creation; there is no more curse.

Dig Deeper

In what ways does glorification rewire how you think about yourself? About your God?