THEOLOGY III:
The Doctrines of Salvation
Part I (previous presentation)
• Common Grace
• Election and Reprobation
• The Gospel Call and Effective Calling
• Regeneration
• Conversion
THEOLOGY III:
The Doctrines of Salvation
Part II
• Justification
• Adoption
• Sanctification
• Perseverance of the Saints
• Death and the Intermediate State
• Glorification
Ordo Salutis:
The Order of the Events of
Salvation
1. Election and
Reprobation
2. The Gospel Call and
Effective Calling
3. Regeneration
4. Conversion
5. Justification
6. Adoption
7. Sanctification
8. Perseverance of the
Saints
9. Death and the
Intermediate State
10. Glorification
Justification
• What is it?
• Why do we need it?
• What difference does it make?
On our own, what is our standing
before God?
• “None is righteous, no, not one; no one
understand; no one seeks for God….no one does
good, not even one.” (Rom 3:10-12)
• “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Is.
64:6)
What does it mean that we aren’t
good?
• “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you…
you hate all evildoers.” (Psalm 5:4-5)
• “But nothing unclean will ever enter [Heaven], nor
anyone who does what is detestable or false” (Rev.
21:27)
What does it mean that we aren’t
good? (cont)
• “All liars…will be in the lake that burns with fire and
sulfur, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8)
• Death penalty for one lie (Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5)
• Seriousness of crime is seen in the punishment given
• $5 fine vs. Multiple life sentences
• Punishment for sin is eternity in Hell
• God is a holy God who hates sin and must punish it
But, doesn’t God save wicked
sinners?
• “And to the one who does not work but believes in
him who justifies the ungodly…..” (Rom. 4:5)
• Justifies – declares right
• God declares ungodly people to be right with Him
apart from works
Up to this point…
1.
God is a holy God who hates sin and must
punish it
2.
God justifies the ungodly (declares sinners
to be right)
What if our revelation of God stopped here?
Is God contradicting Himself?
•
“He who justifies the wicked and he who
condemns the righteous are both alike an
abomination to the LORD.” (Pr. 17:15)
•
God is one “who justifies the ungodly…..” (Rom.
4:5)
How does God punish sin but
overlook our sins?
•
How can God keep His righteousness, holiness, and
hatred of sin and not destroy us?
•
How can God take His enemies and bring them into
His family?
•
•
The answer is Justification
Justification - on the basis of what Christ did for us,
God rescues us from the penalty of sin without
compromising His character
How does God punish sin but
overlook our sins? (cont)
•
Courtroom analogy
•
“God demonstrates His love for us in that while we broke
the law, Jesus paid our fine”
•
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming
a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13)
•
“He was wounded for… our transgressions
He was crushed for… our iniquities
The Lord has laid on Him… the iniquity of us all”
(Is. 53)
1st half of Justification: Forgiveness of
our sins through Christ
• “[God] might be the just and the justifier of the one
who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26)
• “On the cross, God treats Jesus as if He had
committed every sin that was ever committed by
everyone who would ever believe”
- John MacArthur
2nd half of Justification: The
righteousness of Christ for us
• God provides His righteousness for us not on the basis of
keeping His moral Law, but on the basis of our faith in
Christ
• “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested
apart from the law…the righteousness of God through
faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe
• Through our faith, God replaces our moral neutrality with the
righteousness of Christ
2nd half of Justification: The
righteousness of Christ for us (cont)
• God declares us right as an act of grace. The perfect
obedience of Christ is given to us:
• “The righteous one, my servant [Christ], make[s] many to be
accounted righteous” (Is 53)
• “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as
righteousness” (Rom 4:3)
Justification is an instantaneous
legal act where God
1.
Sees our sins as forgiven because Christ
takes our punishment and
2.
Sees Christ’s righteousness as belonging
to us
Justification
“God made him who had no sin
to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness
of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
“On the cross, God treats Jesus as if He had lived your life so that
He can treat you as if you had lived His life.”
- John MacArthur
Summary of Justification
1.
God is a holy God who hates sin and must
punish it
2.
God justifies the ungodly (declares sinners to
be right)
3.
God does this for the Christian by punishing
Christ for our sins and giving us His
righteousness
Why is Justification so Important?
• “A true view of justification is the dividing line
between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone
and all false gospels of salvation based on good
works.”
- Wayne Grudem
• Works-based salvation
• Judaism
• Hindusim
• Islam
What happens when Justification
is slightly modified?
What if someone came to you and advertised a
justification based on how much righteousness God
puts in you (depending on your obedience and moral
character)?
Roman Catholic Doctrine
• “The degree of justifying grace is not identical in all the
just….grace can be increased by good works”*
• “Without a special revelation nobody can with certainty of
faith know whether or not he has fulfilled all the conditions
which are necessary for the achieving of justification”*
*Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott
True vs. False Gospel
• Roman Catholic Church teaches a false gospel where man
co-operates with God in justification
• Protestant Reformers teach that man contributes nothing to
the finished work of Christ in justification
• Strong Warnings for False Teachers and False Doctrines
• “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other
than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”
(Gal. 1:8)
• Right understanding of Justification is essential to the
Biblical gospel
But, doesn’t James say that
works are needed?
• “You see that a person is justified by what he does and
not by faith alone.” (James 2:24)
• Justify can also mean “shown to be righteous”
• Intellectual agreement with the gospel is not faith
• Works are the outward evidence of genuine faith
• 2 kinds of faith- dead faith with no power to save and
genuine faith that results in a changed life
How does Justification affect
everyday life?
• Justification frees us from the performance trap*
• Subtle form of works-based salvation
• Justification frees the believer from condemnation
• “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus” (Rom. 8:1)
• Justification is the basis of all of blessings we have in Christ
• “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how
will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom.
8:32)
*From the Cross Centered Life by Mahaney
How does Justification affect
everyday life? (cont)
• Justification gives hope to all unbelievers
• If justification was based on works, then many would
lose hope
• None of us are worthy to be saved
• All grace, all faith
Conclusion
• Justification gives us the right understanding of
the gospel, the complete work done for us by
Christ
• Justification gives hope to the Christian and nonChristian
• As a result, we will worship and love God more deeply
A new way of looking at
success
“From now on we regard no on from a worldly point of view.” – 2
Corinthians 5:16
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may
gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my
own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in
Christ— the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
(Philippians 3:7-9)
Is forgiveness sufficient to have
God’s favor?
• Forgiveness only gives us moral neutrality
• We are still missing righteousness
• Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48)
• Accounting analogy- Go from owing a large sum of
money to being debt free
What’s wrong with Catholic Doctrine?
• Justification - declared right by
God
Justified
Unjustified
• Sanctification - being made
right by God
Believing
person
Unbelieving
Person
• Distinct, but not Separate
Regenerate
Unregenerate
• Justified person is always a
changed person
Has Holy Spirit
No Holy Spirit
Sanctification
has begun
Sanctification
has not begun
• Sanctification flows from
Justification but is never the
basis for Justification
From Getting the Gospel Right
by R. C. Sproul
Some people confuse
justification with sanctification
Justification
Sanctification
1.
Objective – declared
righteousness
1.
Subjective– demonstrate
righteousness
2.
Imputed righteousness
2.
Imparted righteousness
3.
Legal act
3.
Transforming righteousness
4.
God’s work for us
4.
God’s work in us
5.
Based on death of Christ
5.
Based on present ministry of
Christ
6.
Basis of sanctification
6.
Result of justification
7.
Finished at conversion
7.
Finished at consummation
Sanctification
“A progressive work of
God and man that makes
us more and more free
from sin and like Christ in
our actual
lives”
-Grudem
When does it occur?
1. In the past
[1Cor 6:11]
2. In the present
[Rom 6:19]
3. In the future
[Heb 12:23]
Three Stages
1. Sanctification has a definite beginning
at regeneration.
2. Sanctification increases throughout life.
3. Sanctification is completed at death
(for our souls) and when Jesus returns
(for our bodies).
The Four Positions of Humans
with regards to Sinning
1. Creation:
A. able to sin (posse peccare), and
B. able not to sin (posse non peccare)
2. Fall: not able not to sin (non posse non
peccare)
3. Redemption: able not to sin (posse non
peccare) – again
4. Consummation: not able to sin (non
posse peccare)
What occurs in Sanctification?
- Mortification of the flesh
- “...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.” [Rom 8:13]
- Vivification of the Spirit
- “...he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies
through his Spirit who dwells in you.” [Rom 8:11]
What is Sanctified?
The whole person
•
•
•
•
Intellect - Colossians 1:10.
Emotions - 1 John 2:15.
Will - Philippians 2:13.
Body & Spirit - 2 Corinthians 7:1.
The Father's Role
- He causes us to desire His will
“I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so
powerfully works in me.” – Col. 1:29
- He gives us power to obey His will
“...work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, for it is God who works in you, both
to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
[Php 2:12-13]
- He disciplines us
[Heb 12:5-11]
The Son's Role
- He earned it for us
“And because of [God] you are in Christ
Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,
righteousness and sanctification and
redemption”
[1 Cor 1:30]
- He is our example
[Heb 12:2]
The Holy Spirit's Role
- He works within us to change us
[1 Pet 1:2; 2 Thes 2:13]
- He produces the fruit within us
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law.”
[Gal 5:22-23]
- After all, he is the Holy Spirit
Our Passive Role
- We depend on God to sanctify us
• Romans 6:13 & 12:1
- We are encouraged to trust in
God, and to ask him to sanctify us
• 1 Peter 2:24
- So, do we just:
“Let go and let God?”
Our Active Role
- We are to strive to obey God and
take steps to increase our
sanctification.
[Rom 8:13]
- We are commanded to do it, not the
Holy Spirit.
[Phil 2:12-13]
- Since God is at work, our work
will be profitable.
[1 Thes 4:3]
How do we grow?
- Bible reading/meditating
[Ps 1:2; John
17:17]
- Prayer
[Phil 4:6]
- Worship
[Eph 5:18-20]
- Christian Fellowship
[Heb 10:24-25]
- Self-discipline, Self-control
5:23]
- Suffering
[Php 3:10-11]
[Gal
Why Are We Sanctified?
- To become more like Christ – 1 Peter
1:2, Acts 11:26
- We are getting closer to heaven.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of
eating and drinking but of righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
[Rom 14:17]
Motives for Sanctification
• A desire to please God - John 14:15
• The need for a clear conscience – 1
Peter 3:16
• The desire for increased effectiveness –
2 Timothy 2:20-21
• To see unbelievers come to Christ – 1
Peter 3:1-2
Motives for Sanctification
• To receive God's blessings – 1 Peter
3:9-12
• To avoid God's displeasure –
Colossians 3:5-6, 1 Timothy 5:20
• A greater heavenly reward – Ephesians
6:8
• A deeper walk with God – John 14:21
• Peace, joy, and favor with God and men
– Romans 14:17-18
Death
For Your Small Group:
Most people don’t like to think about and talk
about death. Why not?
Death is Real
The reality of Death:
Everyone
dies eventually (by old age, accident, war,
murder, natural disaster, famine, etc.)
No one can avoid one’s own death
“…man is destined to die once,
and after that to face judgment”
(Hebrews 9:27)
Types of Death
12
Three Types of Death:
1.
Physical Death:
Separation of the soul from the body (Gen. 35:18-19;
Ecc. 12:7; James 2:26)
2.
Spiritual Death:
Separation of the person from God (Eph. 2:1-2)
3.
Second Death (Eternal Death)
Separation from the presence of God in an endless
period of punishment (Rev. 20:14; 21:8)
Physical Death
Natural or Unnatural?
“Though death is both real and inevitable, it
is unnatural. When God created the
heavens and the earth, death was not part
of it. And that is why, eventually, death will
be finally conquered (1 Cor. 15:26).”
Paul Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy, 346
Physical Death
Natural or Unnatural?
“Physical death was not an
original part of the human
condition. It is something
foreign and hostile. Paul
pictures it as an enemy
(1 Cor. 15:26)”
Erickson, Christian Theology, p.1177
Physical Death
Natural or Unnatural?
“We must still remember that
death is not natural, it is not
right; and in a world created by
God it is something that ought
not to be. It is an enemy,
something that Christ will
finally destroy (1 Cor. 15:26)”
Grudem, Systematic Theology, p.812
Death
Death is not natural because it is penalty for
sin and needs to be destroyed.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Rom. 6:23)
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death”
(1 Cor. 15:26)
Effects of Death
Death of the believer:

The believer still dies physically, but its curse
is gone because Christ himself become a
curse for us by dying on the cross (Gal 3:13).

While believers still die physically, they do not
experience spiritual and eternal death.
Effects of Death
Death of the unbeliever:
•Death
is a curse, penalty, & enemy.
•They
will experience physical, spiritual,
and eternal death for not believing in
Christ as their Savior.
•Therefore,
the penalty for sin is upon
them in these three areas of death (Rom.
6:23).
Death
How should we think of our own
death and the death of others?
-
Death of our own:


We do not fear our own death because
when we die, our spirit will be with the
Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
Scripture also assures us that death
cannot separate us from the love of God
in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:38-39).
Death
How should we think of our own
death and the death of others?
-
Death of Christian friends and relatives:


We may mourn for them in sorrow
However, at the same time we have
hope and joy because they will be with
the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8) and they will live
with the Lord (1 Thess. 5:10).
Death
How should we think of our own
death and the death of others?
-
The Death of Unbelievers:
Our sorrow will be very deep because they
will be gone through spiritual and eternal
death forever.
Summary
Death is…
•unnatural
•not God’s intention
•penalty for sin
•not extinction
For Believers…
•Our penalty for sin was
paid by Jesus Christ.
•We should not fear death
though we will die
someday.
•We will be with our Lord
Jesus when we die.
•Death is but an entrance
into a better mode of life.
The Intermediate State
What does it mean?
It is a state of existence for a believer between the
time of death and before resurrection- Benware
The condition of humans between their death and
the resurrection – Erickson
The Intermediate State
The early Christian church held that the intermediate
state included four specific and distinct areas
1.
2.
Hades. Hades is the realm of the dead and it has a
separate place for the evil and righteous.
The second area is Purgatory. In purgatory, those
who would enter heaven were cleansed of their
remaining sins through suffering.
The Intermediate State
3.
4.
Third, is Limbus Patrum. In Limbus Patrum we find
the Old Testament saints who waited for Christ's
death and resurrection to take them to heaven.
Finally, we find Limbus Infantum. Limbus infantum
is where we find the souls of all the infants who died
without being baptized.
The Intermediate State
Current Views:
Soul Sleep
 Holds that the soul, during a time period between
death and resurrection, exists in a state of
unconsciousness or sleep.
 This view is based on a view that denies a separate
existence at death for the soul of man and that the
sleep of the physical body will one day “wake up” in
the resurrection.
The Intermediate State
This doctrine is based upon understandings of scriptures
whereby the imagery of sleep often refers to death.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Stephen’s death is described as sleep. (Acts 7:60)
Paul noted that David fell asleep after serving God’s
purpose. (Acts 13:36)
Paul uses the same imagery repeatedly. (1 Cor. 15:6,
18, 20, 51; 1 Thess. 4:13-15)
Jesus used the same imagery for Lazarus (John 11:11,
14)
The Intermediate State
The Issue:
Soul Sleep is hermeneutically unsound and
while death is often depicted as sleep in the
New Testament, it is quite clear that we are
dealing with a word that speaks of appearance
and not fact.
The Intermediate State
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as
we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We
live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would
prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Philippians 1:21-23 (NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on
living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet
what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the
two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by
far;
The Intermediate State
Now, in view of the evidence presented in
scripture, we conclude that at death, both the
saved and unsaved experience continuing
existence (Luke 16:19-31).
There is not a cessation of the being, but
rather a separation of body and soul: the
believer immediately into Christ’s presence
and the unbeliever to a place of punishment.
The Intermediate State
Purgatory
It is essentially a Roman Catholic teaching whereby
it is believed that immediately upon death, the
individual’s eternal status is determined and the soul
becomes aware of God’s judgment upon it.
The soul is “moved of its own accord to hasten
either to Heaven, or Hell, or Purgatory, according
to its deserts.”
The Intermediate State
In Purgatory, it is a state of temporary punishment
for those who are not entirely free from sins or have
not yet fully paid for their venial sins. The
forgiveness of such venial sins can be accomplished
through three different ways
1. An unconditional forgiveness on God’s part
2. By suffering and the performance of penitential
works
3. By Contrition
Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great that the following prayer would
release 1000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said:
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy
Divine Son, Jesus, in union
with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the
holy souls in Purgatory. Amen."
The Intermediate State
It is rejected by Protestants because this theory
appeals mainly to the Apocrypha, which
Protestants do not accept as Canonical.
Further it implies a salvation attainable by
works which is contrary to Scripture.
The Intermediate State
Instantaneous Resurrection
A more novel and creative concept of recent years
A belief that immediately upon death, the believer
receives the resurrection body promised by God.
W.D. Davies holds that Paul had two different concepts
concerning resurrection between 1 Corinthians 15
and 2 Corinthians 5.
By 2 Corinthians 5, Paul no longer believed in an
intermediate state but rather upon an immediate
transition into the final state.
The Intermediate State
1.
2.
3.
Nothing can separate the believer from the Lord
Jesus Christ, not even death. (Romans 8:38-39)
Believers need not fear death because Jesus, who
overcame death, is with us. (Ps 23:4)
Death brings believers immediately into the presence
of Christ. One is either living in the physical body or
has left it, going into Christ’s presence. There is only
two states of being mentioned here. (2 Cor. 5:6-8)