1. The Doctrine of Salvation
Soteriology
The Doctrine of Salvation

2. Soteriology
Comes from the Greek verb sozo “to save” and soter “Savior”
This doctrine looks specifically at the salvation of mankind.
Various subtopics that aid our discussion:
Common Grace
Effectual Calling
Election and Reprobation
Justification by Faith Alone
Sanctification
Glorification
Perseverance of the Saints

3. Soteriology
Our salvation centers on Christ: we cannot save ourselves, Christ saves us from our sin.
Our salvation is by grace alone (Sola Gratia)
What is Grace? God’s Unmerited Favor to rebellious sinners
Grace is always a divine prerogative, never a requirement.
Difference between common grace and effectual calling.

4. Common Grace
This is grace that is virtually universal, hence “common.”
This is not a ”saving grace”
Common Grace is given by God to all people indiscriminately
Common Grace includes mercy and kindness that God extends to the human race.
Matt. 5:45

5. Common Grace Common Grace is seen in the example of two farmers.
Common Grace includes also standard of living (quality of life, improved health, and better safety).
Common Grace can be an avenue where Christians and non-Christians alike can stand together on certain issues. (ex: AIDS epidemic)

6. Special Grace
Special grace involves the redemption that God gives to the saved.
This distinction of grace is only for those who have been redeemed by Christ.

7. Effectual Calling
One of the questions that arises in soteriology: Who does the saving? Is it God or mankind?
Two schools of thought:
Augustinianism – Purely a sovereign act of God
Semi – Pelagianism – Cooperation between man and God.
Both schools agree that grace is absolutely necessary for salvation
They disagree over the degree to which grace is necessary.
This discussion comes down to two terms: Monergism and Synergism

8. Monergism & Synergism Mon – one , Ergon – work
Monergism – only one does the work.
Syn – with, Ergon – work
Synergism – two or more people working together
Thomas Aquinas framed the question of the degree to which grace is necessary this way:
Is the grace of regeneration operative grace or cooperative grace?

9. Monergism and Synergism
What does Aquinas mean?
Does God alone change the heart of the sinner? Or Does the Change rest on the willingness of the sinner to be changed?
Ephesians 2:1-3
Paul’s reminder of the believers state before Christ:
Spiritually dead

10. Monergism and Synergism
Dead people do not cooperate.
Lazarus in John 11
Lazarus has been dead for 4 days
Jesus did not invite Lazarus out of the tomb
Lazarus had no part in his resurrection.
Jesus didn’t wait on Lazarus to cooperate, Jesus simply said ”Lazarus, Come out”

11. Monergism and Synergism
Lazarus did not cooperate in his transition from death to life.
We are children of wrath, by nature.
Jesus in John 6:44. “NO man can come to Him unless the Father draws him.”
Paul continues in Ephesians 2:4-7
Left to ourselves, we would never choose the things of God.

12. Monergism and Synergism
We are spiritually dead, and it is God, alone, who makes us alive spiritually.
God does not wait on us, he intervenes and changes the disposition of our hearts of spiritually dead people to spirtually alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, is salvation a unilateral work of God alone? Or does man and God cooperate together in this work?

13. Monergism and Synergism
From the Scriptures, it is evident that we cannot work together with God in our salvation, we are spiritually dead. Salvation then, according to the Scriptures, is a unilateral work of God to awaken dead hearts to new spiritual life.

14. The Ordo Salutis or Order of Salvation
There is also a difference in the ordering of what comes first in salvation.
The Reformed position says that regeneration comes before faith:
Regeneration →Faith→Justification by Faith Alone→Sanctification→Glorification
The Semi-Pelagian or Arminian position would posit the opposite:
Faith→Regeneration→Justification by Faith Alone→Sanctification→Glorification

15. The Ordo Salutis
A vast majority of Christians believe the Second option rather than the first. That Faith comes before regeneration.
So for one to be ”born-again” one has to believe, so one has to choose Christ
According to Scripture, if this were the case, then we would never choose Christ, because a spiritually dead person who is at enmity with God cannot choose God.

16. Ordo Salutis and Evangelism
How does this discussion apply to Evangelism?
We cannot change the hearts of people. We can share the gospel and try to be persuasive or convincing, but ultimately people’s hearts are changed by God.
But this raises an issue: does this mean that we have no will in our believing and choosing Christ? Absolutely not! We choose Christ, we respond.
God changes our wills from one of enmity to one of adoration.

17. Ordo Salutis
It is a distortion of Scripture to say that man is desperately seeking God, but God won’t let them in because they are not on his list
Romans 3: Paul says that no one seeks after God.
No one comes to God apart from the special grace of God.

18. The Golden Chain Romans 8:28-30
Foreknowledge→Predestination→Calling→Justificat ion→Glorification