Lesson 4: Ordo Salutis, Election, Calling

Ordo Salutis is Latin for “Order of Salvation”

Scripture reveals that God applies Christ’s objective work on the cross progressively by the Spirit through a series of movements. This has led theologians to suggest that God purposefully established a definable order of salvation. 1

The ordo sequence is meant to be logical instead of chronological; some steps occur sequentially while others occur instantaneously.

There are many different formulations of the order of Salvation, as this is man’s attempt to express what is found in Scripture more systematically. So let us heed the warning from John Feinberg:

It is possible that the ordo as a rigid structure may direct our focus away from Christ to an unhealthy psychologizing of salvation (subjectivism). Nevertheless, it remains true that our God is a God of order rather than disorder or confusion.2

At the same time the more that we know about God and his working the more we are able to love him.

The ordo salutis as I will formulate it is: 1) election and/or predestination, 2) gospel call (or general call), 3) effectual call, 4) regeneration, 5) conversion (faith & repentance), 6) justification, 7) adoption, 8) sanctification, 9) perseverance, 10) glorification. Quickly Explain Each

The Order seen in Scripture:

Romans 8:28‐30 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

1 Corinthians 1:26‐31 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Ephesians 1:11‐14 (ESV) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 2 Thessalonians 2:13‐14 (ESV) But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:8‐10 (ESV) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

1 Peter 1:1‐2 (ESV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

We can see that Election and Predestination are two different things as we look at Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. And Ephesians 1:4‐5 (ESV) (God) chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption.

Election and Predestination are many times used interchangeably, but there is a distinction to be made even though it is not a huge distinction. Calvin defined predestination as “God’s eternal decree, by which he compacted with himself what he willed to become of each man…Therefore, as any man has been created to one or the other of these ends, we speak of him as predestined to life or to death” (Inst. III.xxi.5). So let us think of predestination as the general term for God’s sovereign ordaining, while election as the specific term for God choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

So when looking at election and predestination we can use them interchangeably but the electing is just a part of the bigger picture of predestination. As we see God has predestinated everything even the greatest sin ever committed, the killing of his own Son (Acts 4:27‐28).

As we looked at the Atonement last week, as what God did we now are going to look at to whom does it apply. If Jesus bore the wrath of God for people in Hell then the people in Hell would be being punished unjustly by suffering double jeopardy. So to whom is the Atonement applied? To the elect or you can say to all of those who repent and believe. Both are equally valid and true as only the elect will repent. Jesus knew this and taught and even prayed this in John 17:1‐2 (ESV) “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. So we can say that salvation is all the work of God, the Father chooses, the Son purchases, and the Spirit applies it. Scripture also teaches that the atonement was effective and that we cannot justify ourselves but God Justifies us by the atonement. Isaiah 53:11 (ESV) Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. The single effective cause of justification in view here is the bearing of iniquities; all whose iniquities Christ bore must be justified. So whose iniquities did he bear? All those who believe on him John 3:16. But why do they believe because they were chosen or the elect. As Scripture makes abundantly clear.

 John 1:12‐13 (ESV) all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  Acts 13:48 (ESV) when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and [therefore] as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

So we can see that we do not apply the atonement to us, but God does by granting us repentance. The atonement does not apply to everyone but only the ones whom God has chosen. We have no room to boast. To say that it applies to everyone as a potential atonement as long as we accept it is to empty the Cross of its power. Jesus had no question that all that was given to him by the Father would come to him John 6:37. What we can say is: the atonement was sufficient for all but only effective for the elect. Scripture testifies to this truth and to deny it is to take the glory from God for your salvation and to give it to yourself. Look what I did I believed because I “got it” or I was “smart enough” to understand so I believed. That is the height of arrogance stealing God’s glory. What one should say, if they understand the Gospel at all is: I was the chief of sinners, I was dead in my sins, and I loved my sin. But God in his mercy while I was yet a sinner saved me for himself. I did nothing to deserve it I couldn’t even believe such a thing unless he by his grace he changed my heart to believe. The difference of the two is a man centered gospel verses a God centered gospel.

 Ephesians 1:4‐6 (ESV) he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  Ephesians 1:11‐14 (ESV) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.  2 Thessalonians 2:13‐14 (ESV) But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 8:28‐30 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  Romans 8:33 (ESV) Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Romans 9:11 (ESV) though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls  John 6:37 (ESV) All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  John 6:64‐65 (ESV) But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”  1 Corinthians 1:26‐29 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV) who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,  Revelation 13:8 (ESV) and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.  Revelation 17:8 (ESV) The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.  Ephesians 2:1‐5 (ESV) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  James 1:18 (ESV) Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

We can see two things plainly from these texts: 1) God chose us before the foundation of the World, while we were non‐existent. 2) He chose or elected us based on nothing good in us for we loved our sin, we were his enemies, there was nothing praise worthy in us, we all deserve hell.

The second and third aspects for the ordo, is the general call and the effectual call. Some people group these two together but I have decided to distinguish between them and separate them into their own groups.

First in dealing with the general call or the Gospel call. We see in Romans 10 that the Gospel call must go forth for people to hear. Paul continues by arguing how will they respond unless they hear? So this leaves no excuse for the Calvinist not to evangelize as we do not know who will respond and who will not. In the parable in Matthew 22 we see that “many are called but few are chosen.” This also tells us that one cannot be saved without hearing the Gospel. So there must be an urgency about us to tell others about Jesus especially in missions to the unreached people groups. It is not up to us who will believe we should tell everyone about the Gospel and it is their responsibly before God to respond to this calling.

In the effectual calling of God is where God allows the general call to be heard in a saving way this happens by the power of regeneration which we will look at next week. But we can see that everyone that God calls with his effectual calling comes to him in Romans 8:30 (ESV) And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Understanding this protects us from dumbing down the Gospel to make it more acceptable. It is our responsibility to preach the Gospel, it is not our responsibility how people respond. If we do not understand the Gospel will save all for whom God intends, and we know that God intends to save people only by the hearing of the Gospel Romans 1:16 then we will not alter its message to make it more effective but we would proclaim the age old story.

Scripture makes it clear that there are two different kinds of Scallings we must be diligent not to confuse the two.

Works Sited

1) Feinberg, John S. / Demarest, Bruce (2006‐08‐01). The Cross and Salvation (p. 12). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition. 2) Feinberg, John S. / Demarest, Bruce (2006‐08‐01). The Cross and Salvation (p. 18). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.