Officer Training

Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Soteriology

The Doctrine of Salvation

What is Salvation?Being rescued from a dangerous or threatening situation.

There is a sense in which we were saved (from the foundation of the world); were being saved (by the work of God in history); are saved (by being justified); are being saved (by being sanctified); & will be saved (experiencing the consummation of our redemption in heaven). - RC Sproul

Redemptive-Historical Timeline

Election New Heaven & Earth

Creation

Adam’s Fall Atonement Ordo Salutis

The Ordo Salutis “Order of Salvation”

Election, Calling, Regeneration, Faith, Repentance, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Perseverance, Glorification

Eph. 1:3-14; Rom 8:29-30

Conversion = Faith + Repentance

These happen in response to our having been Elected, Called, and Regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Faith

Faitha personal trust in Jesus Christ as the one who secures full forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

WSC 86: What is faith in Jesus Christ? - Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Faith & Belief - noun, pistis = “faith”; verb, pisteuo = “belief”

FaithKnowledge - Rom. 1:32; 10:14; 4:19-21

Belief (assent) - John 3:2; Acts 26:27; Heb. 11:6; Jam. 2:19

Trust - John 3:16; 1:12; John 7:37-38; Rom. 10:9-10

A Gift From God - Eph. 2:8-9; John 6:44

FaithFaith & Works - Jam. 2:14-26 - We are justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.

Since Faith is turning to Christ, it involves repentance, which is turning away from sin. - Mark 1:15

Repentance

Repentanceis not only feeling sorry for sin but actively renouncing it.

It is a heart commitment to seeking righteousness.

metanoia - “a change of mind, repentance, turning about, conversion”

RepentanceSorrow - 2 Cor. 7:9-10

Renunciation - Titus 2:11-12

Turning away from Sin - Heb. 6:1

Turning towards Christ as Lord (obedience)- Rom. 10:9-10; John 14-15

RepentanceWSC 87: What is repentance unto life? - Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.

Justification

JustificationGod’s legal declaration that our sins are forgiven and that Christ’s righteousness is ours.

Forensic Justification - judicial declaration of righteousness, the opposite of condemnation.

Rom. 4:5; 5:18-19

Forensic JustificationForgiveness of Sins - Rom 4:6-8; 8:1

Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness - Isa. 61:10; Rom. 3:21-22; 5:19; 2Cor. 5:21

Forensic JustificationNot to be Confused with Sanctification: We are declared righteous, not made righteous. (RC Doctrine of Infused Righteousness)

Rom. 3:27-28; 4:5; Gal. 2:16

JustificationWSC 33: What is justification? - Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

ReadingFrame, chs. 8, 13-17

Sproul, Sec. VI-VII

See Handouts.

Murray, John. Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., © 2015

Sproul, R. C. Chosen By God. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., © 1994.