Bible Question:
What do you believe is the proper order of the following events in the life of someone becoming a born-again Christian? By that I mean in what order do they occur? -Regeneration -Grace -Faith -Justification -Repentance -Forgiveness -New birth (born-again) |
Bible Answer: I hold that the order is the following: First of all, grace encompasses and is the motivation for all steps. -Regeneration (same as born-again) -Faith and Repentance (simultaneousmental decisions -- two sides of the same coin) -Justification/Forgiveness (basically the same thing) The "ordo salutis" in Romans 8:28-30 is foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, sanctification, glorification. The first two are acts of God outside of us, the first two taking place in eternity past and the third taking place in our lifetime. If you are already a Christian, sanctification is in progress and glorification will come at Christ's return. We also know that we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1), so faith logically precedes justification, and the peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ is the result of our faith according to that same verse. --Joe! |