Soteriology

January 28th
The Doctrine of Salvation

I recently heard a well argued talk about the ten parts of salvation: 1. election; 2. predestination; 3. effectual calling; 4. regeneration; 5. faith and repentance; 6. justification; 7. definitive sanctification; 8. adoption; 9. progressive sanctification; and finally 10. glorification. It seems pretty clear if any of the parts are missing, there is no salvation in any biblical sense. Of course, the tenth element, glorification, won’t be realized until we go to be with the Lord. Definitive sanctification (Rom. 1:7) and regeneration (Titus 3:5) are events that occur at a point in time. Election and predestination occurred before the foundation of the world (Rom. 8:30; Eph 1:4, 5). Effectual calling is, in most cases, a long process during which time we hear many testimonies, words of truth, and elements of the gospel until we put it all together and make that commitment to follow in the footsteps of our Lord until death takes us to be with Him forever. Frankly, I’m not sure if regeneration is a process or if it’s a single act of God at a given point of time when we come to the point we finally understand the gospel (see the light) and quit resisting His call. We practice faith and repentance both at the point when we finally give in to His call and moment by moment as we walk with Jesus. And adoption simply describes the process and relationship we have with God. Unlike Jesus, who is an integral part of the trinity, we were adopted at a point in time, and we will always be adopted children.

We call a particular point in time salvation or the day we got saved. In the mind and plan of God however, it occurred before the foundation of the world, and it is a continuing process. It’s important we realize the process is a lot more complicated than praying the “sinner’s prayer.” There’ nothing inherently wrong with the sinner’s prayer, unless we think praying it saved us,; and it certainly isn’t necessary to be able to recite the ten things that have to take place when salvation has truly been imparted; but it is helpful for us to realize the process is entirely the result of God’s grace and mercy. We are incapable of conjuring any of them up, though many try. All ten elements are attested to in God’s word, and they are clearly the work of God in the life of those whom He has called to be part of His eternal kingdom. Finally, it seems the topic of eternal security becomes moot when one properly understands the doctrine of salvation.