Soteriology is the study of salvation, and is rooted in the Greek word “sowdzo.” I strongly hold to the Semi-Augustinian view of salvation and do so unwaveringly. I firmly believe that I have complete original sin. Salvation can only come as a result of cooperation with the grace that the Lord makes available to me. He takes the initiative, and I respond. There is simply no other way. This isn’t to say that God does all the work, though. This is not election. God does not choose who makes the cut and who doesn’t. This is not divine monergism. But at the same time, I don’t believe in a partial original sin. I absolutely do not believe that humans have the capacity in and of themselves to realize their sinfulness and come to the Lord on their own terms and expect Him to impart saving grace when we come to Him by our own power. No one comes to the Lord, the most Holy being in the universe, without first having an invitation. No one shows up on the doorstep of the Whitehouse and expects the President to see them. Make no mistake, this is the Almighty Lord God Creator of all things. We only come to Him as a result of the prevenient grace He freely gives purely out of love.
An “ordo salutis” is a clear pathway to salvation. It is the order in which salvation takes place. This can be different from a “via salutis” which is the way that salvation actually plays out in one’s life. Each person has their own view of the way that salvation should play out. My own ordo salutis begins with an awakening experience. By the grace of God, we are made aware of our sinfulness. This is where we cooperate with the prevenient grace God gives. Through that grace, God reveals to us our depravity. Secondly, we must respond with sincere repentance. It is possible to experience awakening and not feel penitent. But when we repent of our sins, the Lord ushers us into the intermediate state along the pathway of salvation.
The third, fourth, and fifth steps in the pathway of salvation take place at the same time. These three are full faith in God, justification, and adoption. Full faith in God, then, is step number three in the pathway. It is believing in the Lord completely. Justification in the fourth step and is granted to us through faith and repentance. God cleanses us of our unrighteousness and forgives our sins. We are then adopted as the fifth step. This means that we are called sons and daughters of God. Many people end here in their theology. All they want from God is what they get at this point: a ticket to heaven. This makes little sense to me. In order to be ushered into the presence of God, believers need to do much more than simply believe and repent. Stopping there implies that we have little desire to truly pursue the Lord or even show Him the respect He deserves by seeking a relationship with Him for saving our souls. Doesn’t he deserve at least that? I feel as though white middle-class Christianity is content with justification and adoption and still living a life oriented toward sin. If this isn’t the most extreme example of ungratefulness and selfishness, I don’t know what is. It’s like taking an engagement ring that your love worked hard for and sacrificed that which was most precious to them in order to purchase it, and you take it and abuse that love. You cheat on your love knowing they love you so much that they would simply forgive you. You show off the ring for all the beauty it possesses, but you never pour any of your own life into your love. It’s simply tragic. But God does not want to stop there. He wants much more from us so that He can do a greater work in us and for us and through us. This happens if we take the sixth step in my ordo salutis: full surrender to the Lord.
When we surrender ourselves completely to the Lord for the sake of His will in our lives, He begins the seventh step in the process in us called regeneration. He begins to break us of our need to sin. Our habitual sins no longer have control of us. We begin to learn to live a life of love. This sets us down the road of progressive sanctification. We begin to move towards sanctification through grace which is the eighth step. When we are fully sanctified, we become bent towards love instead of sin. After entire sanctification comes bodily resurrection. When we are resurrected, we will then have final justification and, ultimately, glorification.
I believe that by the grace of God, we can be set free from the guilt of original sin, the power and stronghold of willful and habitual sin, and even sins of surprise will begin to fade as we are bent towards love in this life. All of these things can take place in this life. Why would we want to wait until after death? Can’t God do even more amazing things through someone who has given themselves entirely to the Lord cooperating with grace daily to produce amazing fruits of love and self sacrifice? This is a life I want to live. I do not think that we can be set free from sins of infirmity in this life, though. But the moral image which was destroyed can be restored in this life, while the political and natural images remained marred throughout our lives.
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