Ordo Salutis

 

 

Ordo salutis is a Latin phrase that means “order of salvation.”  It is used sometimes in theological circles of discussion, particularly, amongst the debates between Calvinists and Arminians.  It is a debate concerning the theological order, in particular, which leads to the rebirth or regeneration of the lost man.  But before it can be fully defined, the condition of both repentant and the unrepentant man has to be examined.

 

Scripture is replete with references of the condition of fallen man.  Some are quite descriptive.  Genesis 6:5 reads, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This is not a benign description of man.  He states that he is “wicked” and his heart is continually “evil.”  How much clearer can that be?  Genesis 8:21 includes, “…for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth...”  Numbers 32:13, “…until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord...”  Psalm 51:3, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”  Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Isaiah 9:17, “…for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly…”  Jeremiah 11:8, “Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart...”  Micah 3:2, “Who hate the good and love the evil…”  Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”  John 3:19, “…men loved darkness...”  Romans 1:30, “…haters of God…inventors of evil things…”  Romans 3:10-11, “…there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Ephesians 2:3, “…by nature children of wrath...”  Ephesians 2:5, “…dead in sins...”  These are just a few verses that define and describe sinful man.  Psalm 51 obviously describes King David but even he states his sinful condition from conception.

 

The above sampling of scripture is important when one looks at the ordo salutis.  The debate over man’s salvation will never be completely resolved or properly understood here on earth.  God is sovereign but man is responsible for his actions as it relates to salvation.  The two camps are divided primarily over Who/who makes the final determination/decision to man’s eternal home. It is also important to remember that scripture does not lie or contradict itself. What should be easily recognizable from the scripture is that man is not only helpless in any capabilities to do “good” but he does not want to do “good.”  Those who hold to any type of free will must find it difficult to defend man’s desire as it relates to a Sovereign God.  On the other hand, scripture does command men to “believe” and “repent.”  But if man is evil in his mind and heart then his own will, seemingly, is away from a Holy God.  So, the question remains: how is man, at all, saved if he is so evil and waxed against God?

 

Although the acrostic TULIP is helpful in remembering the condition of man and God’s sovereignty in salvation, the letters are out of order.  The “T” which represents man’s pre-salvific state of Total depravity is correct but in the ordo salutis it is certainly not the first thing that has to happen.  Pelagius (ca. 360-420) preached man’s ability in free will and did not believe that one was totally depraved.  This is obviously contrary to scripture.  Semi-Pelagianism came along to counter both Pelagius and Augustine, who took man as depraved.  It compromised the view by saying that man is (somewhat) depraved but has a free will in any final decision in salvation.  This view is also known as Arminianism.  Because of the different views of man’s ability/depravity and God’s sovereignty/man’s responsibility there are different views in the ordo salutis.

 

Scripture is clear in its use of the words/doctrine “election”, “predestination” and “foreknowledge.”  Sadly, these words can be misinterpreted or twisted to fit a theological mindset or intent.  It is not the goal of this paper because of its brevity to look at every scriptural use of those words.   By definition we can accept the following:

            Elect/Election – OT is “choose” or “chosen”, NT is “chosen”

Foreknow/Foreknowledge – NT – “to know beforehand (ordain), forethought”

Predestinate/Predestination – NT – “to behold in advance, determine before, ordain, predetermine”

 

Two easily readable and understandable scriptures concerning this are penned by the Apostle Paul.  In Romans 9:11 he writes, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth…”  In verse 13 he continues, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”  Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4-5, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

 

Calvinism teaches based on scripture that God did the choosing before the individual person was born.  This is an unconditional election not influenced by man’s free will or choice.  Scripture validates this teaching.  Arminianism teaches that election is conditional on man’s decision, though God gives him the opportunity to decide.  This conflict of interpretation will place in a different order the doctrine of salvation.  Arminianism uses the word “foreknew” by saying that God knew in advance who would chose Jesus Christ.  But the word “foreknew” has a stronger and more intimate meaning than that as written in Romans 9 where before Jacob or Esau was born He loved Jacob.

 

Election seems to be the first step in the ordo salutis.  The Arminian believes that God calls us first.

 

It could be, perhaps, difficult to separate election and predestination but it is clear that because a Sovereign God has chosen/elected some to salvation that He would insure their predestinated standing in Jesus Christ.  As stated, Paul wrote that God “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ.”  By its very definition, “predestination” cannot come before “calling.”  It is interesting that the Arminian does not include election and predestination in their ordo salutis.

 

If the redeemed are elected unto salvation and predestinated to be children by adoption to Jesus Christ then there has to be another step in God’s purpose to having them come to faith.  Scripture has shown that man, of himself, cannot and will not come to Christ because in his natural state he does not care about God.  If God did not choose man than man will not be saved.

 

Romans 10:17 says that, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”  If God has elected some unto salvation He has to have a means for them to be saved.  Certainly, a Sovereign God could use any method or none at all to save the elect but He has chosen the Word of God.  This is the “call” to the Gospel.  There is a reason that the saved are to be evangelists, witnesses, etc.  The lost have to hear the call to salvation to be saved.  Even though the gospel call is general in nature, it is specific to whom God wants to hear.  No one knows who the elect are prior to salvation and it should not matter.  The command is to preach/teach without respect of who is listening.  God will see that His elect will hear the Word.  II Peter 3:9 tells us that God is “…longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish…”  A brief study of that scripture in light of the context of both lst and ll Peter identifies the “us ward” as the elect.  God is patient and will see that His elect hear the Word of God.  But if everyone hears the Word of God then why are only some saved?  They have been elected unto salvation. Again, Ephesians 1:4, “…chosen in Him before the foundation of the world…”  The Arminian believes that the calling comes first but they fail to acknowledge that man is spiritually dead so he is incapable of responding to the Gospel.  Unrepentant man also hates God and is evil, therefore, has no interest in it.  Sure, there are a lot of people that go to church or attend evangelistic meetings but there are a lot of preachers preaching messages that scratch their self-righteous ears as II Timothy 4:3, 4 proves, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.”  The Gospel is the Truth.  Jesus Christ Himself is recording as saying in John 14:6, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man can cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The Gospel message has to be heard and the Sovereign God of the Bible will see that it happens.

 

There are some who want to say that God called His people first.  Then He chose or elected those that He saw would accept Jesus Christ.  The biggest problem with that, other than its attempts to defeat the biblical definition of election and predestination, is that they forget the wickedness and deadness of the natural man.  Scripture has already made clear man’s unrepentant state.  If God is going to give man the ability to make a “decision for Jesus” then should He not regenerate them so they can truly see Jesus?  The Sovereign God of the Bible calls people with purpose.  It is not some willy-nilly flippant sit back and wait call.  Sure there is a general call but that is because preachers/evangelist/missionaries do not know who the elect are.  But God sees to it that the elect will hear the Word of God.  Matthew 22:14 reads, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  The chosen few that are called are limited in number.  The gate is not open for everyone to enter.  Romans 8:30 proves this by stating, “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He called…”  There is orderliness to God.  He predestinated then he called.  It makes absolutely no sense to reverse that order.  There is no hidden definition for the word “called.”  It is just the way God chooses to expose the truth of scripture to the elect.  And by that, His means unto salvation is the gospel.

 

Paul wrote to the Galatians in chapter 1 verse 15 that God “…called me by His grace.”  And to the Thessalonians in II Thessalonians 2:14, “Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I Peter 2:21, “For hereunto were ye called…..”  And who are the “ye.”  According to Peter they are the elect.  I Peter 5:10 further supports this by adding, “But the God of all grace hath called us unto His eternal glory…”  Nowhere does scripture say that man made a decision without God’s will and purpose involved.  Again, God is orderly in calling men unto salvation.  The Arminian likes to say that calling is the first step in the ordo salutis but scripture proves otherwise.  The Catholics are not far removed from the Arminians in this order.  They say that God through grace enables man to respond to the gospel.  Sadly, they omit regeneration until they start baptizing.  The Arminian says that God also provides an enablement before regeneration.  But scripture does not support faith without regeneration.  Therefore, regeneration must follow God’s call to the elect.

 

Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.”  This word has a spiritual tone to it.  Just like when Jesus spoke to Nicodemas about being born again.  This is no something man can do of himself.  God must elect, predestinate, call them by the gospel and they must be regenerated until salvation before they can have the faith to believe.

 

Romans 10:17 says that, “So the faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  How can a man hear if he is spiritually deaf, evil by nature, a hater of the Word of God and spiritually dead?  The answer is: he cannot.  To use the term of the Arminian and the Catholic, God must enable the person to believe.  But He does not do that without first electing him to salvation, calling him and regenerating him to believe and understand his wickedness and need to repent.

 

Without faith, why should a sinner feel the need to repent?  Without the cognizant self-recognition of their sinful nature why should they feel the need to repent?  After all, so many contemporary preachers preach about the not-so-bad nature of the sinner and encourage an easy-believism which can lack true repentance.  But, what does scripture say?  Luke 13: 3 records the Lord Jesus Christ as saying, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”  And for emphasis, He repeats Himself in verse 5 of that same chapter.  Man is responsible for his actions and his appeal to the scripture but at the same time he is incapable of responding if God does not regenerate him unto salvation.  It is God’s choice, not of men.  Man will not repent of himself.  John 6:44 says, “No man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up the last day.”  It is God who draws men to faith and repentance.  John 6:66 says, “…many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”  Disciples learning from and about Jesus Christ and hearing the gospel turned away.  And, why?  Because they had not been electing unto salvation and, at least, at this point had not been regenerated unto salvation and believed and repented. 

 

It is clear that repentance is only the work of a regenerated heart wrought by the Holy Spirt because of the election of a Holy God.  The Arminian places repentance before regeneration.  But how can that be when the natural heart has no desire for God?  Of course, the Catholics place regeneration with infant baptism.  But how can an infant have even the slightest spiritual inclination toward a Holy God when they, too, have been conceived in sin?  God can save anyone He chooses at any age He chooses. However, His grace is not some flippant attribute that has no sense or lack of orderliness to it.  God has chosen to make someone through election spiritually alive to give them the faith to repent.

 

Since a Holy God will not allow anyone in heaven without a righteous nature, a regenerate sinner must be justified.  Romans 5:1 reads, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Justification allows a sinner through the righteousness of Jesus Christ to stand before God as if he were innocent from his sin.  Following a list of sins Paul says, “And such were some of you: but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11).”  We are not justified by anything that we did.  It is all of the triune God.  If any man says that he can make a decision for Christ then believes that he is justified as a result of his action, does that not take away God’s sovereignty in salvation?  He further writes in Galatians 2:17, “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin?  God forbid.”

 

Paul mentions sanctification in I Corinthians 6:11.  Part of the ordo salutis is God’s sanctification of the regenerate sinner.  If regeneration alone is a miracle then sanctification certainly is not any less one!  This is the work that God does to make the individual grow more in faith to be like Christ.  This is the step which sinful man can mis-step but by God’s grace and the perpetual work of the Holy Spirit man can grow.  By its definition we are to be made holy and set apart from the world.  This can be a difficult task for man who was born into this world, lives in this world and can be influenced by this world.  It is written in Act 20:32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” 

 

Jude 1 says,”…to them that are sanctified by God the Father and persevered in Jesus Christ…” Jude is but one scripture verse that shows our preservation in salvation.  The Catholic Church obviously denies this doctrine for the sake of the false doctrine of purgatory.  The Arminian view on eternal security may be somewhat debated in today’s circles.  In fact, there may be a hybrid form of Calvinism and Arminianism to this doctrine.  God does not make mistakes.  God is immutable.  Therefore, if God saves a sinner He does not change His mind about the sinner though the sinner may continue to sin.  John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life…”  Although some may believe that, they may add that if someone falls out of grace or becomes apostate then the eternal life they forfeit.  Again, God does not make mistakes.  John 10:27, 28, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  Jesus Christ makes a promise in this verse.  He says he gives His sheep eternal life and no man can change that.  Jesus Christ is God and He does not make mistakes or lie or change His mind.

 

The Holy Spirit is God and does not make mistakes, either.  Ephesians 1:13 says “… in whom after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” And in Ephesians 4:30 we read, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”  There is never an unsealing of the Holy Spirit.  We are sealed as a result of our regeneration because we were elected unto salvation by the Triune and Sovereign God of the Bible.

 

God does not do all this for man for nothing.  Because He chose some unto salvation then made sure the means of preaching was present and He preserves His saints they will be glorified for His good pleasure as well.  Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.”  II Corinthians 4: 17, 18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  Our glorification awaits us.  The sins of this world will no longer be a burden to us and we await to see God’s fullest glory.  He has promised us this and will not remove this state of glorification from those who have been redeemed.  It is a reality that we cannot fully grasped in our current state.  This will truly be the last step (that we know of) in God’s eternal past, present and future work with man.

 

Romans 8:28-31, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.  For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among the brethren.  Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them he also glorified.  What shall we then say to those things?  If God be for us, who can be against us?”

 

There is a biblical orderliness to the salvation of man.  The Arminians and Catholics may have different views but any view must align itself with scripture to be valid.