INTRODUCTION
     Imagine visiting a town at night that appears to have no lights, no TV, not even alarm clocks. And then imagine learning that this town's power supply is virtually limitless, but...no one in town has thought to turn any of their electrical appliances on.  Wouldn't that town seem like a silly place to live?

     Yet the church is all too often much like that silly town. God has given us the power of  His Holy Spirit to fulfill His mission in the world,   yet few Christians have  come to depend on that power.

     If you are a Believer , you already have that power in you. (Rom. 8:9) The source of this power is the 3rd person of the Trinity, God, the Holy Spirit.. This means that the God who created the heavens and the earth, who parted the Red Sea, who defeated the 850 prophets of Baal, who worked mightly throught the Prophets in the OT and who performed miracles 2000 yrs ago in the life of the early disciples.........is with you this very moment........and every moment. this also means that God, if He chooses and you are obedient, can do the same kind of  works through you...(James 5:14-18)

     But He oft times doesn't because most Believers don't understand the power they have within them.  This is our challenge over these next few weeks.

     What exactly does the HS do?
     How do we tap into that power?
     What is keeping us from experienceing that power?

QUESTION: What habits, or beliefs keep Believers  from experiencing the full power of the HS in our lives?

 1. Fear of the unknown
 2. Fear of where He will take us: Charismataphobia
 3. Traditional limitations:  'Tradition is the living faith of those already dead.
                                         Traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living.'
 4. Personal Choice: 'fanatic' ,  too much time,

QUESTION:
     1. What are some of the habits, beliefs, fears that is keeping you from experiencing the power of the HS in your life?
     2. How do you feel about where the power of the HS might take you?
     3. What traditional limitations have you placed on the HS in your life?, in your church?

    The work of the HS in the live of an individual involves TRANSFORMATION  From sinner to saint..........
            .........from Christian to Christlike

     All of us, who name the name of Christ, were transformed by the HS at one time in our lives. The study of the work of the Holy Spirit in the plan of salvation is incorporated as part of a larger study called soteriology.

 According to Berkhof, soteriology is 'The communication of the blessing of salvation to the sinner, his restoration to divine favor and to a life of intimate communion with God.' (Berkhof) Of importance is that special work of the Holy Spirit in the plan of salvation, often called 'ordo salutis'.  This term was made popular by Jakob Karpov, a Lutheran , in 1737.

 Defined: ordo salutis:
        The process by which the work of salvation wrought in Christ, is subjectively realized in the hearts and lives of sinners. It aims at describing their logical order , their inter-relatedness and the various movements of the Holy Spirit in the application of the work of redemption. The emphasis is not on what man does in appropriating the grace of God but on what God does in applying it.' (Berkhof)

 Biblical authority
      The ordo salutis does not lie in an all inclusive placement in the Scriptures. Rather, the Scriptures as a whole, point to it's  Biblical foundation . However, Rom. 8:29-30 is perhaps the closest to a complete listing in one place in the Bible.

ACTION: Read Rom. 8:29-30

     Included there are the terms 'called' , 'justified', and 'glorified', which are basic to any order of salvation. These three , called, justified and glorified , are the foundation for my personal theory of the components and chronology of the ordo salutis.

     But before I give you my order, I'd like to spend some time looking at and discussing yours.

ACTION: Have a few people number the component parts of the Ordo Slautis on the board and then ask them to defend it.

QUESTION: What importance, if any, does understanding the Ordo Slautis have on our  evangelistic efforts?

     Included  in my order is Effectual Call, Regeneration, Justification, Conversion, Sanctification, Adoption and Glorification.  I believe that this is the general order but that there is overlap within the list.  I further believer that there are three separate works of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in respect to the salvation plan.

                                                                               Effectual Call (1 Cor. 1:9)

                                                                            Regeneration (2 Cor. 5:17)
 
                                                                             *Repentance (Acts 2:38)
                                                                                                                                *Conversion
                                                                             *Faith (Acts 16:31)

                                                                            Justification  (Rom. 3:28)

                                                           -Point of Baptism of the H.S. (1 Cor. 6:19; Acts 2:38)

                                                                            **Santification                                                                Union With Christ
                                                                                  -Immediate (Positionally) (1 Thess. 5:23)                      (Gal. 2:20)
                                                                                  -Progressive (Practically) (Rom. 12:1-2)

                                                                               **Adoption
                                                                                   -Past (Eph. 1:4-5)
                                                                                   -Present (1 John 3:2)
                                                                                   -Future (Rom. 8:23)

                                                                                 Glorification
                                                                                    -Future event
                                                                                         -Of the Body (Phil. 3:20-21)
                                                                                         -Of the Soul (Rom. 8:29-30)

                                                               **Occurs Simultaneously with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
 

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Effectual Call:
     'Because all are lost in sin, spiritually blind and unable to believe, God intervenes between His eternal decision and the individuals conversion.' (Erickson)
     'God summoning men by His Word and laying hold of them by His power to play a part in and enjoy the benefits of His gracious redemptive purposes.' (J.I. Paker)

 GREEK: kaleo   'to summon, invite' (Mt. 2:7; 22:3-9)
     kaletoi 'called' (Mt. 22:4) They are the recipients of God's summons.
     eklektoi 'chosen, elect'  larger group of those choses.

     It is the work of the Holy Spirit of illumination which enables the sinner to understand the true meaning of the Gospel.

 QUESTION: What does efficacious mean?

  Effectual: The divine Word of God is creative (Genesis:Creation).
                 God's Word causes to exist that which is declared by God.
                 Therefore: those who are called  will actually be saved, (Rom. 8:30)

The calling is from God the Father and He can not be refused. (Rom. 8:30) (Acts 13:48)
  1. Believing is the consequence of God's decree and not the cause of it.
  2. The number ordained is limited. It will not be all.
  3. The ordination of God is to eternal life. Not just the possibility of eternal life.

     The Effectual Call, the illumination of the Holy Spirit, is the Holy Spirit's first work in the life of the elect. This first work is part of the Antecedent Grace of God which is necessary for our conversion. It takes place by faith through the secret operation/work of the HS who unites us to Christ according to God's gracious purposes in election.

Election
    5 Types in Scripture
         1. Elect Angels (1 Tim. 5:21)
         2. Election to service or office (1 Sam. 16:7-12,  Lk. 6:12)
         3. Election of Abraham's descendents to form Israel (Deut. 4:37; 7:6-7; 10:15)
         4. Election of the Messiah (Isa. 42:1, Lk. 23:35, 1 Peter 1:20)
         5. Election to salvation. (Rom. 8:30, 1 Cor. 1:9, Gal. 1:15, 2 Thess. 2:13-14, 2 Tim. 1:9, Heb. 9:15, Eph. 1:3-11,
            1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:3)
 

DEFINITION: 'The unchangeable purpose of God whereby before the foundation of the world, out of the whole human race, which had fallen by it's own fault out of it's original integrity into sin and ruin, He has according to the most free good pleasure of His will, out of mere grace, chosen in Christ to salvation a certain number of specific men, neither better nor more worthy than others, but with them incolved in a common misery.'(John Calvin)

Main features of Election
 1. Election is the soverign, eternal decree of God. He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:11)

QUESTION: How do you interpret Rom. 8:29 with regards to foreknowledge of God?
                     Did God know who would be saved and then elected them to salvation?

          Election is based on the foreknowledge of God. This foreknowledge is founded on the determined counsel and purpose of God. God planned everything He has done, and the reason God foreknew who will be saved is because He decreed it.

 2. Election presupposes a fallen humanity and involves God's gracious rescue not based on human works. (Rom. 9:11)

 3. Election is in Christ. God decreed to 'give' Christ to those who were to be saved and effectually called and drew them to
    Christ throught His Word and His HS. (Jn. 6:38-39; 17:2,6; 10:28-29, Rom. 5:10)

 4. Election involves the elects salvation and the means to that end. God chose the elect to be saved through the sanctifying
     work of the HS and thru belief in His Word. (2 Thess. 2:13)
      -Therefore, the presching of the Gospel is indespensible in effecting God's election. (Rom. 10:14-17)
      -God chose His elect to be 'holy and blameless in His sight..to be adopted as His sons' (Eph. 1:4-5)

 IMPLICATION:  -This negates the idea the idea that if one is a Christian (elect) he can do whatever he wants
    (careless living). this is not consistent with Scripture. Negates the idea that since one is the elect, they will not have to         believe..its automatic.

 5. Election is individual, personal, specific and particular. It is not umiversal. God elects individuals, not everyone and anyone.
        -Universal Call of the Gospel is the offering of grace in the Gospel given to all individuals w/o distinction. This is true and must be maintained.
      -Matt. 22:14 'many are called but few are chosen' 'called' = presented  with the choice to believe. The 'many' are those other than Israel to whom the Gospel will be presented. Form this 'many' diversity, some,  few will be chosen.
      -The term 'called' is most often used in the NT in reference to Salvation and is not universal but effectual. (Rom. 8:30, 1 Cor. 1:9, 2 Peter 1:20)

HS in Election and Effectual Calling

     The HS is sovereign in His work in salvation. His mission/work is confined to the Elect. They are the ones He comforts, seals, guides to all truth and shows the things to come. The work of the HS is necessary to the complete accomplishment of God's eternal purpose and plan.

     If God the Father had ONLY sent God the Son to die for sinners, no sinner would have been saved.  If God the Father had done nothing but send God the Son to die for sinners and then send His servants to proclaim salvation thru Christ, leaving sinners entirely to themselves to accept or reject as they please, everyone would reject God as the heart of man is evil and hates God. (Rom. 8:7) The work of the HS is needed to bring the sinner to Christ, to overcome his innate opposition and bring him to accept the provision God has made for him.

Regeneration:
     'Is the subjective change in the soul of man by the grace of God.' (Hodges) It is referred to in Scripture as the 'new birth', 'a resurrection', 'a new life' and 'a new creature'. It is a spiritual resurrection and is the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6) in the life of the individaul. It involves a whole reversal of the persons natural tendencies. (Gal. 5:24-25) And it is instantaneous (2 Cor. 5:17). This is primarily  positive in effect since it deals with a new birth in to Christ.

Repentance:
     Is the abandonment of sin. It is our turning away from sin. It involves  both metamevlomai which is regret and metanoevw which is to think differently, to change one's mind.It is man's recognition of his sinful nature as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Faith:
     Involves our turning to God. It is laying hold of the promises of God in Christ. It is through faith that we receive the grace of God. It involves both  pisteuvw which means to believe what someone says as true and  pisti" which means personal trust as distinct from mere credence or belief.

Conversion:
     Faith and Repentance together form the conversion experience. They are two parts of one act, the negative (repentance from sin) and the positive (turning to God).  Conversion  is our response to the Effectual Call of God. There does not seem to be any Biblical support for a specified norm as to the duration or  length of time necessary to be converted.

     The Effectual Call and Conversion  are the result of  the  work done by the Holy Spirit. The Effectual Call and Conversion are both prior to and necessary for  Justification.

Justification:
     'Is an act of God's grace wherein He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight, because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.'(Hodges) It is an immediate act. Justification takes place in heaven before God and changes our relationship to God. It is the restoration of  the individual to a state of righteousness. I It is making us 'just as if we had never sinned" This is however, primarily negative in effect since it deals with removing our unrighteousness which would have led to death and alienation from God.

Sanctification:
 'The work of God's grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness.' (Hodges) It is  both immediate (positional) and progressive (practical).  And it involves both God, through the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 5:23) and the individual. (Phil. 2:12-13).
 It is the process where our moral condition is brought into conformity with his new status or position before God. We will never be practically perfect  until we are in heaven . (1 John 1:8-10; Rom. 7)

Adoption:
     This is the transfer of one who is alienated and hostile to God to one who has found acceptance and favor before God. This is done by God's adoption of the Regenerated/Sanctified individual as His sons and daughters. It involves a change of status and condition. We become God's children (John 1:12) and we become favored by God. We share the same rights and privileges as Christ because  of His substitutionary death for us.

    Adoption has three phases:
         Past: Eph. 1:4-5  We were chosen and predestined to adoption as sons from the foundation of the world.
         Present: 1 John 3:2  We are now called sons of God.
         Future: Rom. 8:23  Our adoption will be complete when we are in heaven w/ God.

QUESTION: What does 'eschatological' mean?

Glorification:
     Is the final stage of salvation. (Rom. 8:29-30) There are two parts of this Glorification, the first is the Glorification of the Soul. It is eschatological in nature and is the promise of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (Eph. 1:13-14) It includes the full and complete vindication of the believer. It also includes the moral and spiritual perfecting of the believer and the fullness of knowledge for the believer. (Erickson).

     There is also the Glorification of the Body which will take place simultaneously with the Glorification of the Soul. This includes the resurrection of the physical body. (Phil 3:20-21, 2 Cor. 5:1-5).

     Sanctification, Adoption and Glorification are all part of the Preserving work of the Holy Spirit. This Preserving work is the third work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the elect. This work is part of what I believe is the Sustaining Grace of God.

QUESTION: When are individuals united with Christ?

Union With Christ:
     Like Sanctification, Union with Christ is both immediate at the time of the baptisdm of the Holy Spirit and progressive beginning with the Effectual Call to individuals by God. Anytime God's grace is showered upon us, we have some limited Union with Christ. Therefore I believe that Union with Christ  includes the whole of the salvation experience.

QUESTION: What have you learned from studying the HS's work in salvation?
                     What questions do you have concerning the Ordo Salutis?

     There are those who would disagree with my ordo salutis. I do not fit into any real categories. However, for me, the necessity of nailing down a precise order is really only for academia. God's elect will be saved if I proclaim the Gospel to them. I will let God be concerned with the order. My responsibility is just to witness, it is His to save.

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Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion.Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989
Douty, Norman F. Union With Christ. Swengel: Reiner Publications, 1973
Elwell, Walter A.  Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983
Ervin, Howard M. Conversion-Initiation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Peabody: Hendrickson 1970
Fee, Gordon D. God's Empowering Presence. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994
Freligh, Harold M. The Eight Pillars of Salvation. Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1962
Hodges, Charles. Systematic Theology Part III. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989
Logos Research Systems. Logos  Bible Software 2.0a. Oak Harbor:Logos Research Systems 1995
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