Latin for "order of salvation," this term expresses the thoughts of many theologians that there is an order of events in which God applies to us the salvation that Christ has wrought for us through his death and resurrection. Sinclare Ferguson defines it like this:
When applied to the application of redemption, ordo salutis denotes the orderly arrangement of the various aspects of salvation in its bestowal on men and women. In particular it seeks to answer this question: "In what ways are the various aspects of the application of redemption (such as justification, regeneration, conversion and sanctification) related to each other?" Discussions of ordo salutis thus attempt to unpack the inner coherence and logic of the Spirit’s application of the work of Christ.
Though there is some debate about its specific order, the ordo salutis is most often understood as consisting of ten elements or events taking place in the following order:
1. Election.
2. The Call of the Gospel.
3. Regeneration.
4. Conversion.
6. Adoption.
7. Sanctification.
8. Perseverance.
9. Death.
10. Glorification.
Further Reading & Resources:
S. B. Ferguson, The Holy Spirit. Leicester: IVP, 1996.
Ján Henžel, "Perseverance within an Ordo Salutis," Tyndale Bulletin 60.1 (2009): 129-156. Pdf N 6-7 (Open on Phone)
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