Sermon: Order of Salvation: What Is It?

Good evening this evening. Our text will be Romans chapter 8 verses 28 to 30 Romans chapter 8 verses 28 to 30. And as Jason said earlier, we began a new series on the order of salvation. And Jason talks about how we'll talk about each of these aspects of that order of Salvation besides me. I won't get to talk about each order. I have the task that Jason gave me saying you get to talk about what it is without talking about what it is. And so

that is my great joy that I have with you all today as I get to talk about. What is the order salvation? But I want to make sure that I don't deal with every aspect today as the weeks coming along. You will hear from Great Men give the word on each aspect of this order of salvation. And in all of this one thing that I am excited for this series is that it is going to be a theologically heavy series, but I want to encourage you

all. That in the midst of this there's dangers that can arise that. We come to a theologically heavy series. with merely the goal of gaining knowledge and not wanting it to really affect our hearts or thinking that theologically dense and theologically heavy topics does not affect. Our hearts does not lead us to worship. God deep for But I believe this that the more we study the more we know the deeper we go that should naturally lead

us to even deeper Worship in a deeper all of our God. And that is the great joy of studying theology. That is a great joy of study things that are beyond our comprehension at times to challenge your mind in all of this because I believe at the same time. It's going to challenge your hearts as well, too. That is our great. Joy that we have. To be reminded that the mind is not disengaged from the heart that knowledge that comes here is not

disengaged from what it does to hear as well too that what goes from the Mind goes to the heart. It leads you to live in such a way that is always the goal. And that's the goal of the men who will be coming up here each Sunday evening each Sunday morning, especially in this series of the oral saludas to challenge you both your minds in your hearts and in your life with the word of God. Let me pray and then we'll read the text. Let's pray.

Our great God. We thank you for this evening. We thank you. That we have this opportunity in this time to come and to gather. or to hear your words not mine and Lord, we pray Lord because we need you this evening. We need you to open our eyes to open our hearts to open our minds to the truth that you have before us. Lord may we be dependent upon you to understand your words this evening. We live this time up to you. Maybe all

for your glory and your name alone. Amen. Romans chapter 8 verses 28 to and we know that for those who love God. All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. For Those whom he foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and Those whom he predestined. He also called and Those whom he called. He also Justified and

Those whom he justified. he also glorified that is reading of God's. Holy. and inerrant word Sometimes we can get the question that's asked to us. Are you saved? Are you saved? many Christians Struggle with this question when asked if they're going to be going to heaven if they're saved that they are in Christ. The answer was such answers as I hope so I think so. Maybe let's see at the end of the day. Burke Parson, he talks about this response to

this and maybe one it's one in which you really aren't saved. But secondly, maybe it's one in which we think that that's the humble answer to give. Because I'm not coming right out and saying yes, I am saved. But it's saying I will see what happens. We think it's one of humility that we step back. They don't say I hope and saying instead of saying yes, I am. We say I hope so. But there may be some of you here this evening yourself are

struggling with the Assurance of your salvation. And your response is the same. I pray that the sermon would speak to you tonight that the words of God will give you clarity as we begin this series on the order of Salvation coming to understand. What is it? And have three points for us tonight Redemption planned in eternity Redemption accomplished and applied and redemptions ultimate purpose for us. And so let's move into our first points and I

have to deal with verse 28 quickly for us just kind of introduce that because it's important for us even as we come to this text. In verse 28 says and we know that for those who God who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. It's a passage that we're familiar with the passage that we come to in times of the valleys and Times of which we are at our depths. And oftentimes we end it there that God works all things

for for good we end there, but it continues. About those who are called according to his purpose. The reminder that the promise is for the people of God, it's not this General promise given to everybody. But it's for the people of God. But it's there at that end where it says that this promise is for those who are called according to his purpose. And that's an important part about the purposes of God in this the purpose of God and calling the people of God

because verse 29 and 30 provides the explanation for what that purpose is and how that purpose is to come to completion. And it isn't this that we will explore the question of what is the order of salvation? And so in the first point that we are going to be dealing with a Redemption plan and Eternity. I am going to take us back before there. Was anything taking us back when it was just a Triune God before creation itself.

And yes, this takes us a step back from dealing directly with the oral solutus here. in the way that is often dealt with What I believe that it helps us when we dive into the order of Salvation that second point to give us a picture. It complements. It provides colors to it as well too as we deal directly in that second point. Because Romans 8:29 mentions. or knowledge and predestination It's in this first point that I wanted to deal with these two terms to

understand what these two terms mean and the implication for how we are to understand the oral today. And so when it comes to four knowledge that first. term the reformed and the unreformed are many Camp has two vastly different understandings of this term before knowledge. It can be translated as to know before hand. And so it comes to the question of who does God choose and how does God choose and what does he see in us that he chose us in home?

And it has purpose for us as we are to come to understand this term. Because a non-reformed view Armenian view would go on to say that that God looked down this quarter of time. And that God who sees everything the God who knows everything and we as reform folks as Amen to that. But where we differ on this is when it's when they say that he watches and he sees you and your actions. and decides based upon that He goes, oh, Matthew.

This Matthew started out rough fouled mouth kid as he was as a team. Or when he turned 18 and when he heard the gospel message by that man who came to me in faith. He also puts his faith in me. In Matthew this Matthew as I see through this quarter of time. He has remained up right he persevered. And So based upon his faith that I see down this quarter time. I've chosen home to be my child.

And now Matthew is one of mine. And this conception of Salvation that begins in this conception of foreign knowledge began. It begins with man because God saw faith in the man first. So what we say, is that God's election God's choosing his predestination is based upon man's response. And the reason why I bring that up is that this will have implications for how we see the order of salvation. Is it that you have faith in God chose you?

Or is this something a different order? Is it is it what God foresaw in that? The issue with this understanding of foreknowledge. That this is not the concept that we have in scripture when it speaks of foreknowledge. It's not this looking down this quarter of time and based upon your action God chooses you Lincoln Duncan, he tells us that here means that God said here. It means god setting his love on his children before the foundation

of the world. It means that God has for loved you. God has for loved you before anything. God has placed his love upon you before anything before you were born before there was even your ancestry in in eternity's past when there was nothing when it was just the Triune God. He says I have placed my stamp on you to love you to set you apart.

We see this language using Jeremiah one this language of knowing it's not just this I know about you or I know things of you and Jeremiah one. The Hebrew uses the word yadav being used of knowing where God tells Jeremiah before I formed you in the womb. I knew you. This language is also of knowing one spouse that is using the scriptures. And it's not that Adam knew about his wife or that these husbands know things about their wives.

But it speaks of this deep intimate relation and oftentimes it speaks of a sexual relation when he knows his wife. There's this deep love that he has for her and so the scripture when it says that a husband went into his wise the scriptures not being prude. And it's language, but the scripture is speaking of an intimate relationship that goes even deeper than just the physical aspect of making love. It's speaking of a deep law of a deep care for one.

so I am no way in all this saying that When God says that he foreknown us that I am applying sexual knowing of God, but I am suggesting that it is a deep intimate knowing in which God has already chosen to love you. He has already set you apart for his love he has before anything picked you. And there's nothing that you have done that has motivated God's love for you. There's nothing that he saw into the future that made him

choose to place his love upon you it is the fact that by his own wisdom by his own counsel. He says I am going to love you. It's mysterious. I don't know why. But he chose it he chose to love you. and if God chosen to love you for known you to for love you before there is anything in this world before there? Was you before you've even acted? Means he also predestined you before the foundation of the world. To predestine means that he has a particular

Destiny for his people. And that it is that we see in Romans 8:29 that we would be conformed to the image of his son. That is the purpose. That is the Destiny for God's people why he has chosen to love you why he has predestined you to be conformed to the image. of his son

Destiny the purpose is that we will be like Christ that we will love what he loves hate what he hates be a people that are holy. Your destiny as a child of God before the foundation the world stands upon this reality that he has chosen you to glorify you. What we see in both foreknowledge and in predestination is a fact that none of this begins with us. None of this begins with man. We see one who acts and all of this and it's our Triune God acting

before there was anything acting before the fall acting before there was creation. He loved you before anything. He predestined you before anything.

And many of you today here in the pews. You really struggling with finding this assurance of God's love. Feel as though God's love for me must ebb and flow that it's high one day and low one day. And so you are in this constant struggle living your life. Trying to earn the love of the father. Thinking that the Father's love for you is like the fickle worlds understanding of love. And I got to do something to earn I've got to do something to raise that love up.

I've got to do something and so you walk on eggshells at all times not wanting to disappoint you walk on Extras wondering if God still loves me today.

Ferguson when he preached at my Seminary during the preaching conference He said this that God doesn't love you because the sun died for you. The son died because the father loves you. you guys

God did not start Loving You When Christ died for you? He's loved you even before Christ died for you. That's a huge difference. When we come to understand God's love for me eternity.

What this means for you and what this means for you who are anxious at all times about God's love for you unsure if he cares for sure if he's here for you is that God cannot love you more than he did in eternity and he cannot love you less than he did in eternity. When he chose to place his love upon you. God's love is constant for his people God's love is sure for his people. It's not going to change tomorrow.

That's a huge difference as we come from stand for knowledge and predestination even has become to understand the oral solutus. That this is an arbitrarily started somewhere when Christ died. And now we have Redemption that's gonna be applied to us.

but in eternity's past Israel is set up his love for his people.

All this is for the purpose that you would be conformed to the image of Christ. In the order saludas reveals to us how this is to occur. In this way leads us to the second point. of redemption accomplished and applied Romans chapter 8 verse 30 tells us this And Those whom he predestined. He also called and Those whom he called. He also Justified and Those whom he justified. He also glorified. We see there this connection. We see

the chains that we often talk about. Those who we predestined. He also called and Those whom he called. He also justifying those who justify he also glorified there. Is this guarantee of it happening? But in one way that's helpful for us turns in the order solutus a little bit better is to make a distinction between the history of Salvation And The Order of Salvation as well too. Don't bring some clarification. The history of Salvation is the history

of is as John Murray termed it Redemption accomplished. Okay. It is often. The history of Salvation is focused on what Christ as our head has done and what he has been given and what we as members of Christ participate in Oftentimes what we focus upon is the one Obedience of Christ in its two distinction of its of his active and passive obedience. So we look at Christ's living perfectly on this earth. Look at Christ's birth. We look at all those things that and being perfect on

this Earth. And then we also look at his death his burial his resurrection now at the right hand of the father. Is oftentimes the history of Salvation deals with what Christ has done for us? We would have time today to spend on the connections between the history and the orders of salvation. But it's important to understand that God for me eternity who has four loved you and predestined you to conform to image of Christ.

He has not only loved you and predesting you but he has also. Since his son down his son has come down and accomplished that Redemption for you as well, too. We see the same theme that he not only in eternity plan and chose you but he even accomplished it for you by sending of his son by the work of Christ for us. That it's Redemption accomplished or the history of salvation. And so then what is the Auto Solutions? What

is the order of salvation? The order of Salvation then as John Murray would turn it as well too. It's Redemption applied. Redemption accomplished Redemption applied now You see it's not as if Redemption has been accomplished. And so now Christ and so now it's all for to us. And it's now based upon our response. That the Redemption then would be applied to us. It's not as if Christ died, and he fulfilled in accomplishes a year ago Matt. Do you want it or not?

And then he'll apply it to us. That's not it. Instead what we see. Is that it is that not only has Redemption been accomplished but it is in that that God has done everything isn't that the Christ has died for us, but also in that the spirit applies the work of Christ to us that all of redemption is ours. There is no part of ours that is in this. So whose hands do you see in all of redemption from eternity to even a Redemption

accomplished? Even Redemption applied is that there is only one who is solver and only one hand who's in all of this? And that is our God who is Sovereign and saving to us he applies it to us as well. It's not ours to apply for ourselves.

It's God Alone. God's alone and just to give a short definition. From Sinclair Ferguson. He says this that the oral solutus the notes the orderly arrangement of the various aspects of Salvation and it's bestowal are men and women. How are those various aspects applied to us? Just as we see here in Rome is as it gives us a very short form of it. That Those whom he called. He also Justified In Those whom he justified. He also glorified.

What is the orderly Arrangements of these various aspects of salvation? And so when we speak of these distinctions and how they're related to one another. We need to be reminded that the oral Saluda is here is not dealing with a temporal order or that which there is a Time sequence involved here. Okay, that's very important for us to understand that it's not dealing with a Time sequence. That is involved here.

and what I mean by that is that there isn't a point in time in the application of Redemption where one is called and he sits in that calling for a while and stews and that's and then and then from that calling. He moves on. And he's regenerated and we sit in that for a while. And then we turn to repentance and then and then on and on and on and on so it's not a sequence of time that we're talking about. But it is a logical order that there is

an order that does matter there's an order that does make sense. And so this order is real we need to make sure that we understand these distinctions but also understand that it is not one of time. It is one of logic. How God Saves how God applies Redemption to us?

And the reason for that is that because these are all logical steps in the same events. So we may distinctions. But we in no way implied division. between these distinctions or Ferguson says this that that's why I'm Ferguson's Ferguson's. Definition he notes the orderly Arrangements of the various aspects of salvation. in its bestow on men and women and I get it can get confused. You're saying Matt. This is one event and

various distinctions are the one event. What are you talking about? I know there's glorification in there somewhere and I am not glorified yet. I still sit. I am not perfect. I've not been brought up to my God. I still sin my sanctification is still going on each day. I'm trying to put to death sin. And so you're asking to say Matt. What are you talking about? One event? distinctions of one event that has occurred And I get it. It could be confusing because it's true.

What are we to think of that it's a good question that we have to consider in the midst of this.

We don't see it in our lives. Welcome to see that one event in our lives. We often think of the application redemption in a good imagery that's uses the golden chain of salvation. Where were these chains are linked and you can't have one without the other and if you take one out, you don't have it at all. This chain is necessary. And it's a great imagery and it's one that we need to use. But an aspect that chain analogy that that

we need to be careful of. Is that we begin to look at each of the chain as though it's complete in itself. And So within each of these changes there's a isolation of each distinction. And so your election is based upon so and so you can complete so there's a sense of isolation at least distinction.

Sorry. of these distinction and so you can have regeneration coming to end where Faith begins. But we understand this that the times we live in matters, right? The times we live in matters, we we are not in we are in this period of tension that exists we understand that we are in this already not yet reality that of this world that we are in that that Kingdom has been inaugurated but Kingdom has that been consummated that the kingdom truly is here, but we

still await something future at the same time. And so it's yes and it's no at the same time. And so it's not as clear cut and it's not as perfect and beautiful. There's tension that even exists when it deals with salvation here. So there's this already not yet aspect to all of Salvation as well, too. This is why Ferguson State system the chain model for the spirit's work tends to create the impression that the inaugurated is

also fully realized. But there is an eschatological already not yet structure to each aspect of soteriology. What this means then is that each aspect of the oral solutus is dealing with an already not yet structure to them as well too. There's an already not yet to glorific cases already not yet to justification. There's already not yet to sanctification. There's a red not yet to Salvation as a whole is why Piper says you have been saved you're being saved and

you will be saved and they're all true at the same time.

And just quickly I want to say this as we talk about that one event in the distinction of that one of events. Without saying too much on Union with Christ. I want to just say this that isn't our Union with Christ that all the benefits of Christ that he accomplishes for us on the cross is ours then and now and already and yet we are in this already not yet period in which there's that tension of we're trying to figure out what is that all mean?

It's hard. I get it. The things we have to wrestle with.

But I need to move on and in these fellows as they come after me these men as they give the word after me. We'll have to struggle with this reality as well, too. Yeah, we have to ask another question for us to hope better understand this oral solutus. When it asks does the order matter? I mean truthfully Matt you're saying it's logical. Okay, it's not dealing with time. So it doesn't matter the order that it's in. Doesn't matter how we place them.

I recently had oral surgery on my mouth. And if my oral surgeon told me a math logically. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to cut your gums first. Then I'll gas you up. and then I will. And then I will break up your teeth. And then I'll give you the shots and then I will pull each tooth out. You'd run and I'd run even logically it doesn't make sense. And yes that analogy fails because it has to deal with reality in

time as Optimist that a one aspect and one event. But logic matters God is a god of order and it matters that how God applies Redemption to us. And it makes sense and has implications for the Christian walk in the Christian Life and for the way we live

That's why we can't place glorification before regeneration or glorification at the beginning. It just wouldn't make sense to us. It just wouldn't make sense. Logically. It just wouldn't make sense to a God who is a god of order.

And this doesn't mean that every aspect I want to say this that every aspect of the order salutist carries that same weight. So something such as adoption people have in the reform church placed it in many different places some have places that's part of justification where it's part of sanctification and someone placed them in between both as well, too. It's a sum don't carry as much weight, but there are some that does.

but let's just think about this that that if you place Faith before generate regeneration You're not having Armenian oral solutus. Jobica says have you play sanctification in front of justification? Now you have a Roman Catholic view of the oral saludas. the order matters because to have the wrong order. Has implications it's not arbitrary. Because in the Armenian logic of the oral solutus if Faith precedes regeneration that means

in a man is able to have faith apart from God that man is able to have faith without regeneration.

And so then they have to include this idea of at times of provenient Grace this grace that is given to answer the man can choose God. So they have to add something that we don't see in Scripture. The same is true of the Roman Catholics. If you play sanctification before justification, then now it's about man receiving some sort of Grace to be able to do some good works and to conform himself to a point where God will justify him now.

And so your oral solutus in the order in which you place these in has implications it has consequences. To get it wrong can cause one to think that I need to live and work in such a way to earn my salvation apart from God. And in both of these implications what we see in them is that it places man at the Forefront of his own salvation. It places man at the Forefront. of the order and what we have seen from eternity is that

God was for loved. God who has predestined this God who has sent his son down to die a death For Those whom he has love and Those whom he has predestined for such a life to be conformed to his image and that it is God then also who has applied this Redemption. to you

not man at the Forefront of this. the ordinal salute us matters or your Christian walk It matters for your Christian Life.

And that is the beauty of their formed oral solutus. That is not man-centered. God days you.

What that means for you? That there are many here. Maybe you've had Covenant children in this church and other churches have walked away. Maybe you've got friends and family and people you want to know the Lord, but they don't desire seems as though in this moment to come to know the Lord.

Speaks to you because of this reality that it is not you who saves them. It is not even they who saved themselves. But it is the god of the universe who saves them. And so you as their parents you as their friends you as their daughters and sons and grandparents and whatever it may be. You get on your knees every night. You pray to the Lord a day would come that. The Lord's timing is always perfect. And what that means is that often our lips should never come

the words. They are lost cause What should be Lord saved them Lord saved them? because salvation is not yours to give ever. A vision is not yours to apply. Christ died for them Spirit applies to work to them. God has chosen them before the foundation in the world. so the day of your death you Are sharing the gospel with them so the day of your death you are praying for them unseasonably. you are not in charge of this at all.

That is great. Hope for us. That is great. Hope for us. God is the one who saves. Not us.

And so as we come to understand a little bit here of the oral saludas and what it is and what it is not. I just want to turn to our third and final point. of redemptions ultimate purpose

is true that I said that our purpose is that we will be conformed to the image of the Sun. I won't go back to verse 29 because there's more than just Conformity to the sun in which we see Redemption accomplished and Redemption applied for Saints. And Those whom he has chosen, but says Here For Those whom he forew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We saw that. one of the purposes is for Is that we would be conformed to the image of his son? But there is a second greater purpose in the midst of all this that you're performing to the Sun. Is so that Christ would be the firstborn among many. So this firstborn language, does that speak of a firstborn in the sense of physical birth? It's not speaking of firstborn as Christ the first one to rise and to be resurrected as well, too.

But it speaks of the preeminence of Christ. The and it's the same language that we see in Colossians, 1:15 and Hebrews. 1:6 Christ would be preeminent that Redemption accomplished that Redemption apply that God's love from eternity's path all serves this one purpose that yes, you be conformed to the image of Christ what that he would be preeminence. among all is like Charles Hodge says this that all of this serves the goal and purpose that Christ would be glorified and

exalted that his glory as the glory of God in the highest form of its manifestation is the great goal of creation and Redemption. The Apostle teaches that this is accomplished by making him the first born among many brothers that is by making them stand as a firstborn the head and chief among an over that countless multitude who through whom are made the sons. of God you guys see Redemption applied Redemption accomplished

should never point to us. It's never about me and it's never ends with me. Yes see our Redemption is about Christ you be transformed into the image of Christ is about Christ. Our Redemption serves a purpose that Christ would be glorified that Christ would be worshiped that Christ would be praised. This is the ultimate purpose for the oral Solutions and salvation in general that it points us and leads us to be a people that worshiping glorify and

honor God. That's why it doesn't make sense that if one is to call themselves a Christian to say I am unchurched. Because you're Conformity you being transformed into the image of Christ. Serves a very purpose that you would worship Christ that you would worship God.

And to say that he has chosen me before the foundation of time that he has predestined me to be conformed to the image of Christ that he has sent his son down to die for me and that the spirit applies the work to me and I am being transformed into the image of Christ and yet I do not worship. my Lord doesn't make sense. That's why it doesn't exist. this idea of the unchurched Christian doesn't make sense to us. The ultimate purpose in all of this is

that we would come to worship our God.

Why does make sense? And so as I just close. Want to take us back? to that question earlier

and what Burke person says that oftentimes people think that it's humble to answer. Maybe we'll see.

What guys the truth is this? To answer in such a way. It's not humility. It's arrogance.

arrogance the flows oftentimes out of a heart's that believes there's still something that I need to do. Something that I still need to accomplish so that I can be secure and assured of my salvation. We don't rest upon Christ. We don't rest upon our Triune God for our salvation.

guys We take this back from eternity's past if God has places loved upon you predestined you first purpose. Then this means that the application Redemption has called you has Justified unions glorified you. Our God never saw anything in you that was worthy of being saved you provide nothing he did not need you but he and his infinite wisdom chose you

and so when you're asked that question, are you saved? in humility You can say yes. Yes. because Before the foundation time. He already loved me predestined me. Is sent to sun down to die from not be not so that he could love me but because he does love me. Not only that. By his Spirit he applies. What the son has done to me?

And it has been applied to me and I'm his. Yes is the homeless answer we can give that question of the Assurance of our salvation. Let's pray.

our Lord we

Thank you. That you are a gracious God. Loved your children before we could ever offer anything to you. You chose us before the foundation of the world. You set us apart for your love and your care. Lord and you apply that to us you sent your son Down To Die For Us. Oh Lord. Lord we are come to you. ever mourn worship Evermore In Praise of who you are Lord May Our Lives be lived in such a way Lord that when we want is asked, how can you

be sure? How do you know you're saved we tell them because of you. Not us. May we boast in you and you alone? Amen?