3. Order of Salvation In this part of dogmatics will be treated A. Vocation (call). B. Conversion (regeneration, illumination). C. Justification. D. Sanctification. E. Preservation (perseverance and election). F. Mystic union. A. Vocation I. God calls and invites sinners to accept and enjoy the fruits of Christ's redemptive work. 1. Human beings have by nature no knowledge of the way of salvation. a) They are by nature unable to conceive and unwilling to seek salvation by grace. 1) This is the result of original sin. Note: Consider how this reflects both aspects of original sin: both the lack of true fear, love and trust in God and the presence of natural hostility toward him. Augsburg Confession, II, p 43: Also they teach that since the fall of Adam, all men begotten in the natural way are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence. 2) Scripture is rich in descriptive terms for this natural spiritual condition of mankind. -a) Scripture pictures it as general depravity. Psalm 14:2,3 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 2 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 53:3 Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” -b) Scripture calls this condition darkness or blindness. 297 John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Acts 26:18 [I am sending you] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Ephesians 4:17,18 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. -c) Scripture pictures it as hostility. Romans 8:7 The sinful mind is hostile (ἔχθρα) to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. -d) Scripture calls it spiritual death. Ephesians 2:1,5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. 5 God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. -e) Scripture calls it desire that is diametrically opposed to God. Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 8:21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” Galatians 5:17,24 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 298 James 1:14 But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Romans 7:8,21,23 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 23 But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 3) Sinful human beings oppose the gospel of free justification. 1 Corinthians 1:18,23 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 23 But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 2:8,14 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Corinthians 4:3,4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Acts 17:6,7,18 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Isaiah 53:1-3 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. b) Therefore, if Christ's work of redemption is not to be lost, God himself must bring sinners to acceptance. 299 1 Corinthians 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 2:12,13 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 2 Corinthians 5:19 God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” 2. God proclaims salvation and invites sinners to accept and enjoy it. a) God's overtures to the sinner are often referred to as a call or vocation. 1) Scripture in several places uses this term specifically. Romans 1:5-7 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 You also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:28,30 We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 1 Corinthians 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Galatians 5:8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.