The Ordo Salutis Conference

From a Christian perspective, where did the idea of salvation originate? When I use the term salvation, I mean it from the Biblical use of the word; which refers to lost sinners entering into a saving relationship with their Divine Creator. Hence, who came up with the plan to reconcile sinners? Or, is there a plan at all? If so, how is this spiritual deliverance accomplished, and who is responsible for the implementation, application, and completion of this plan? To dig even a little deeper, who should receive the credit for the achievement of this great act of redemption … if such a feat exists?

These are some of the questions we hope to ask and answer this year at Memorial Heights Baptist Church at our Theology Matters Conference. April 12-14, our church is hosting a conference on the Ordo Salutis. Now, don’t let that Latin phrase fool you, or intimidate you. It simply means the order of salvation. The Christian faith teaches, that God, by His unmerited grace has originated, implemented, and will accomplish this wonderful act of granting eternal life to every single person who savingly trusts in Christ Jesus. The Ordo Salutis teaches there is a logical order and Scriptural sequence to the unfolding of the achievements necessary to complete this gracious act.

Let me list these distinct teachings in the normal arrangement given. But understand, these doctrines are more than just Divine achievements, they are also Biblical truths, clearly taught in Scripture that reveal to us the order of salvation. The Ordo Salutis is as follows; Election, Calling, Regeneration, Conversion, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Perseverance and Glorification. When these truths are properly taught and ordered, they reveal that salvation is completely an act of grace, for which God alone deserves glory. 

Let me quickly flesh out and offer a short summary of the Ordo Salutis. First, though this truth is often rejected, the Bible declares that before the dawn of creation, God elected a people to Himself. Of His own Sovereign will, God chose certain individuals to become part of His family and recipients of His grace. Then in the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ came and purchased redemption for these elect individuals. At some point in the life of these undeserving persons, the Holy Spirit comes and in glorious efficacious power calls that sinner out of darkness and into light. The Spirit does this by revealing the Gospel and convicting the stony heart of these elected ones of their sins against God. God’s Spirit then regenerates this person and grants them repentance towards God the Father and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At that moment, they are converted, justified, and adopted into God’s family. The Spirit will then begin to progressively sanctify this person more and more from who they were, and into the image of Christ. These born-again believers, kept by the power of God, will persevere throughout life until that wonderful, wonderful day, when they will be wholly glorified and the sin nature completely eradicated.

Now, there is a sense in which these doctrines logically unfold in an obligatory order. But like most things, if this subject is pressed too hard, it will distort the truth it is meant to reveal. For example, when the Holy Spirit comes in the day determined by God’s gracious providence and grants spiritual life to a person; at that moment they are instantaneously regenerated, converted, justified, and adopted. There is no space of time between these Divine actions. However, there is a logical order to them. Since the Bible teaches the unsaved are spiritually dead, then of necessity, regeneration precedes faith and repentance.

Someone might suggest, well – isn’t all this a little too much for the average Christian to comprehend, or expected to know? Or shouldn’t a study like this be confined to a seminary classroom, and not the local church? I would pushback against that mindset and insist, the deeper our understanding of theology, the higher our doxology. Or said another way, the more we know about God’s gracious plan of redemption, and the more fully the Chrisitan comprehends what all God has done (is doing, and will do) for them, the loftier our praise.

So, come join us this weekend and learn more about the Order of Salvation. At 7:00PM on Friday night, we will hear more about Election and Calling. On Saturday, at 10:00AM, we will consider Regeneration and Conversion. Saturday afternoon at 2:00PM we will hear sermons on Justification and Adoption. Then finally on Sunday, at 10:00AM, two speakers will address the subjects of Sanctification and Glorification.

Simply stated, this conference is intended to cause all men to marvel at God’s perfect plan of redemption and how He alone is author and finisher of the believer’s faith. When everything is said and done, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. Christians are Christians, only because God has graciously made them so. And there is a Divine order and Sovereign plan in this wonderful gift of salvation.

Adopted By God

This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at a conference hosted by a church in southeast Georgia. The theme of the meeting was on the doctrine of adoption. I was thankful for the wisdom of the church leadership in hosting this conference, and even more appreciative of the chosen theme. Sadly, too many Christians, myself included, have not given nearly enough thought to the subject of Spiritual Adoption. It might be surprising to the average church-goer just how much the Bible has to say about this teaching. Throughout Scripture we are told that it has pleased God to take spiritually orphaned children and adopt them into His family. Of course, to adopt someone is to make that person a legal son or daughter. Hence, spiritual adoption is when God adopts us and make us part of His family. Adoption is one of the primary metaphors used in the Bible that illustrates the Christian’s relationship with their Creator. Through conversion, God Almighty becomes the born-again believer’s loving Father, and the believer becomes His beloved child.

Contrary to the cliché, we are not all children of God. Yes, all of humanity is made in the image of God. And certainly, God is abundantly good to all people. For example, He causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust and sends rain on those who love Him and those who deny Him. However, that does not mean we are all naturally children of God. Instead, when we are born into this world, we are separated from God (Ephesians 2:1-3). Rebellion against God’s law orphaned our original parents, Adam and Eve. Their sinful disobedience has been passed down generation after generation, causing all of humanity to be born, alienated from God. Had the Almighty not intervened, there would be no hope for humanity.

Yet God, in and by His marvelous grace, has seen fit to adopt a vast number of humanity and bring them into His family. Those who were by nature spiritual orphans, separated from and under the wrath of God – can be gloriously transformed, redeemed, and adopted into God’s wonderful family. When someone is convicted of their sins, quickened (made spiritually alive) by the Holy Spirit and given the gifts of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father adopts them into His family and they are legally and judiciously His child.

Galatians 4:4-6 states, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” This passage teaches us that God sent His Only Begotten Son into this world with the intent of doing for us what we could not and would not do for ourselves. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, lived a life of perfect obedience to every detail of God’s law. In doing so, He earned a righteous standing before God. We, on the other hand – don’t do that. We don’t live a life of perfect obedience; hence God’s moral law reveals the sin that dwells within us.

Yet, when we, by the enabling grace of God’s Holy Spirit, place our faith in the finished work of God’s Son, our sins are forgiven and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. At that moment, God the Father brings us into His family and we judiciously adopted and belong to Him forever. Which is why the organizers so wisely entitled the conference, “The Gospel of Adoption.” For certainly, the doctrine of adoption is good news and glad tidings for wayward children like us!

Let me ask you friend, have you been adopted into God’s family? Has God sent His Holy Spirit to give you spiritual life and enabled you to call God your Father? Today, right this moment, if you are not saved, if you are not a Christian, I have good news … there is room in the Father’s House for you! You can become an adopted child of God by placing your faith in the finished work of God’s only begotten Son. Turn to God, repent of your sins and you can have a forever home with a perfect loving Father. That my friends, is Good News!