The Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation)

In our continuing process of doctrinal rethink, we now consider the Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation).

Introduction

The Ordo Salutis is the presumed order of events that constitute salvation. We were surprised that someone would take the time to actually delineate how salvation happens and in what order. Indeed, what would be the purpose of such an endeavor?

Frankly, we find that the Ordo Salutis to be little more than an intellectual exercise. We think it is unfortunate that a large part of Christianity is dedicated to the pursuit of various intellectual exercises, things like the eternal Sonship of Christ, the hypostatic union, impassibility, and eschatology.

This is not to say that these concepts are not important in some fashion. However, we think that much doctrinal hair-splitting occurs in the course of insisting on goodthink regarding these things, which frequently results in division and accusations of heresy, up to and including questioning someone's salvation.

But these things are not a matter of salvation. Holding wrong doctrines does not make someone unsaved. Having different views of what certain Scriptures say is not automatically salvation-impairing heresy. It seems to us that this is one of those arcane parsings of theology that has no fruit for the Christian walk. It does not speak to the way of salvation, holiness, or Christian service. It holds no benefit to the worshiper, preacher, or evangelist. It does not come to bear on Christ-likeness, the fellowship of the saints, or even the Gospel itself.

In fact, a Christian can be completely ignorant of every one of these doctrines and still live a holy life, serve and worship God adequately, and bear spiritual fruit. Simply put, what someone believes about the Ordo Salutis does not necessarily come to bear on any practical aspect of living the Christian life.

This is what we mean by "intellectual exercise."

It is certainly possible to hold heretical views. If one is a confirmed antimonian (depending on how that is defined), it could very well be a matter of grave concern. But people are not saved because of their doctrines. Sometimes, people are saved in spite of their doctrines. And sometimes people go through there entire lives as Christians and never encounter any of these theological concepts.

Nevertheless, we shall take the time to examine the issue.

What is the Ordo Salutis?

The Ordo Salutis is a systematization of the process of salvation. It attempts to describe a step-by-step process by which we get saved. Here's a typical explanation:

In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 1) election/predestination (in Christ), 2) Atonement 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30). 

In the Arminian camp, the ordo salutis is 1) outward call 2) faith/election, 3) repentance, 4) regeneration, 5) justification, 6) perseverance, 7) glorification.

Note: Remember the Reformed understanding ordo is not linear, so redemptive benefits such as regeneration, faith, repentance, justification and sanctification occur concurrantly. (sic) In other words, by placing repentance prior to justification in the above chart it does not mean, in any way, that repentance causes justification, or is a condition for pardon. 

We note from the proviso that these steps may be concurrent, and that the procession does not require the previous step be satisfied in order for the next to happen. Therefore we might wonder why we should go to the trouble of an Ordo Salutis at all if none of the steps are critical to the others, and that the antecedents are not necessarily contingent?

The net result is that an Ordo seems irrelevant, and might even be damaging. Why?

• It simultaneously complicates and oversimplifies the situation
• Only a binary choice is offered, correct vs. incorrect
• The exercise appeals to the intellect but does not edify
• It precipitates divisions and factions

Systems tend to be imposed in a way that makes them rigid. Systems try to categorize, parse, and explain things, which can rob the edification from what is being explained. Systems seem to satisfy one's preconceptions and make one more assured of one's thought processes. Systems make people right, or they make them wrong.

As we consider the two "Ordos," it becomes apparent that neither is sufficient to explain the mystery of godliness (1Ti. 3:16). Yet there are many who are willing to die on their respective doctrinal hills, metaphorically speaking, leaving a trail of spiritual detritus in their wakes.

The preferred Ordo very much depends on one's doctrinal perspective, of course. Generally, one must be a Calvinist to be in the "Reformed camp" (the first Ordo.). Similarly, if one is an Armenian (the second Ordo) one must elevate certain other ideas, particularly those articulated by Arminius, which automatically places one in opposition to Reformed doctrine. And apparently these are our only two choices.

A Brief Critique of the Reformed Ordo

A key sticking point for us is the placement of regeneration (regeneration, conversion). Regeneration is the moment where the Old Man, the carnal nature, dies and the Holy Spirit creates the New Man. 

2Co. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Ph. 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

Every believer receives the Holy Spirit at salvation, for a person could not be born again (regenerated) without actually becoming a New Man. That regenerative event is supernatural:

Ro. 7:9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

Jn. 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.

Ga. 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 

Jn. 3:7-8 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 

Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again," not "you must be saved" or "you must be predestined." Jesus goes on to say, I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. (Jn. 3:5). This is the criteria for regeneration. This is the moment of salvation.

Baptism as a Type

Being born again is also likened to baptism:

1Co. 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

Ro. 6:4-5 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Ga. 3:26-27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Why is this important? The Reformed camp tells us that regeneration is before conversion and justification. They would say that since salvation is by grace, the carnal man does not possess the ability to exercise faith until regenerated. That is, faith isn't possible until an action of the Holy Spirit when faith becomes possible.

The Reformist would have us believe that God made us alive before we believed. That is, we died with Christ and were raised with Him before we respond in faith. This would suggest we became new creations before we were saved!

Supporting Scriptures for the Reformed Ordo

We find it difficult to identify where the Bible promulgates such an idea. There are a precious few Scriptures that seem to support this is:

1Co. 2:14 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. 

Ep. 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

Col. 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...

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There might be others, but we spent considerable time reviewing various writings on a google search and could come up with nothing else.

Let's look at those Scriptures.

1Co. 2:14

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. 

The Reformed camp would say this points to the fact that the carnal man is incapable of understanding or responding in any way to spiritual things, thus must be regenerated first before he can receive the gift of faith and then believe.

This verse is clearly describing an unsaved person. He doesn't have the Spirit. Thus, he cannot "accept" (δέχομαι [dechomaic] ...with the accusative of the thing offered in speaking, teaching, instructing; to receive favorably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject... That is, a person without the Spirit cannot receive or embrace the Spirit's instruction.

The statement Paul is making is much simpler than the Reformed people would think. Paul tells us that unsaved people cannot be instructed in spiritual things. He makes no statement about this having anything to do with the process of salvation. Rather, Paul is telling us the status of a person without the Spirit.

Thus, this verse does not speak to the issue.

Ep. 2:4-6:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...

The Reformed position on this would be that God makes us alive before we are saved. However, the Greek reads, kai ontas hēmas nekrous tois paraptōmasin synezōopoiēsen tō Christō (even being we dead in trespasses made alive with Christ). Literally, even as I am lifeless (in) the lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness; made alive, together with the Christ. 

This changes the understanding from something like "God made me alive then saved me" to "God made me alive while I was dead." Only a dead person can be made alive.

Col. 2:13-14: 

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, 14 having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

It seems the Reformed camp views this sequentially: Made alive/forgiveness/canceling the condemnation of the law. But in examining the presentation, it is clear that Paul equates being made alive with being forgiven by placing them together. Then he describes that nature of forgiveness of sins, that is, Jesus cancelled the law that condemned us.

In addition, faith is not mentioned in this passage.

Titus 3:5 

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. 

We are saved by the washing and renewal. "By" is διά (dia) ...of the instrument used to accomplish a thing, or of the instrumental cause in the stricter sense: — with the genitive of person by the service, the intervention of, anyone; with the genitive of thing, "by means of with the help of, anything... That is, regeneration is an agency, not a status. Regeneration causes salvation.

1 Corinthians 6:11 

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Again it is presumed this is a step-by-step presentation. We would suggest that this conclusion can only be arrived at if one has the doctrine first and reads the verse through that lens.

What we see here is that the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit we were washed, sanctified, and justified us from what we were. The Greek is alla apelousasthe alla hēgiasthēte alla edikaiōthēte (but you were washed but you were sanctified but you were justified). This are very formulaic descriptors, as if one is built upon another for emphasis. By way of analogy, we might describe the results of a boxing match like this: "He lost the fight, he was beaten up pretty bad, he was massacred, he was totally crushed!" Each thing is a different way of describing the same thing. We would not think our fighter first lost, then got beat up, then was massacred, then got smashed. Similarly, our salvation washed us, sanctified us, and justified us. This is all the same event. 

Conclusion

What gets ignored or minimized is that simply getting saved is the relevant objective, apart from a pedantic analysis of how, if, and why it happens. Salvation is a function of God's supernatural intervention in human history, with supernatural activities and supernatural results. We shall therefore prefer leave it up to Him to evaluate who is saved.

It is for these reasons that we resist the systematization of theology generally, and an insistence on a particular viewpoint as being the only correct one in particular.

A Brief Critique of the Armenian Ordo

Let's refresh our memory about the Armenian Ordo: 1) outward call 2) faith/election, 3) repentance, 4) regeneration, 5) justification, 6) perseverance, 7) glorification.

Armenians themselves put the Ordo differently:

1) God’s electing grace in Christ of all who will believe in him; 2) Christ’s atoning, reconciling death for all sinners; 3) Prevenient grace given by God to sinners through the Word (calling, convicting, illuminating, enabling); 4) Conversion (repentance and faith) enabled by assisting, prevenient grace; 5) Regeneration, justification, adoption, union with Christ, indwelling of the Holy Spirit; 6) Sanctification; 7) Glorification.

One of the key differences for us is the fact that Armenians believe that faith is a willing response to the Gospel, whereas Reformists believe that even the act of faith is due a sovereign act of God's will. The way Armenians describe it is found in the mention of "prevenient grace." "Prevenient grace" refers to the grace of God in a person's life that precedes conversion (or salvation). That is, the testimony of the Gospel is available to the lost soul. The Holy Spirit is able to speak to unsaved people.

The Reformist would say that if someone is totally depraved (one of the 5 points of Calvinism), that the person cannot respond in any way to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We reviewed one of the texts (1Cor. 2:14, see above) that is used to bolster this point.

However, there is no Scripture that says a lost person cannot hear the Holy Spirit.

We would quibble with the Armenian way of expressing the Ordo that puts sanctification as separate from regeneration. We believe that the moment of faith regenerates, justifies, places us as adopted and in union, infilled with the Holy Spirit, and sanctified. That is, every work of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of faith. One cannot be regenerated without the indwelling, one cannot be sanctified without being justified, one cannot be in union with Christ without adoption. 

We believe it is impossible to separate out these interrelated elements. 

Conclusion

Salvation is a supernatural act of God, who calls us forth from death to life, from being an orphan to being a son, from being separated and without hope into oneness with Christ and having a future. The evangelist in us is interested in people believing the Gospel and repenting. The teacher in us is interested in spurring these believers in maturity and holiness. The pastor in us is interested in caring for, fathering, and edifying the Christian. 

The rest of the discussion we leave to those theologians and doctrinal fine-tuners to hash out as they see fit. We simply decline to participate.