| Back Core Competency Project Week 2 Alvin Shaul 9/28/06 Soteriology Soteriology, from the Greek soterios, meaning to be saved, is perhaps the most important aspect of Christian theology. For at the very core of Christianity lies the question of whether we are of this world or if we are of God. This sta te of being is defined by the relationship we have developed with the risen Savior whom we know as Jesus Christ. There are two basic areas to this salvation experience: justification before God and sanctification before God. Herein we will discuss the former while the latter will receive future attention. Involved in this first �half� of the salvation process are many individual steps that lead us toward sanctification. For the format of this work I will simply outline what each of these steps entails and why each step is important and necessary in the transformation from child of the world to child of God. These steps, in a generalized order of occurrence include preparation for salvation, repentance, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, regeneration, �initial sanctification� and adoption. While some of these will tend to overlap in their purpose, each step holds a great deal of importance. The preparation for salvation, as outlined by H. Ray Dunning is essential in the salvation process. �The nature of man is totally devoid of any capacity to turn to God on his own initiative� (Dunning, 431). As such, we must acknowledge that first and foremost the work of preparing for the salvific experience is done by not by us, but by the Holy Spirit of God. In our Wesleyan heritage we call this work prevenient grace. Indeed, it is prevenient grace that �awakens� us to the realization that there is a God and that he cares for us. Put another way, �God�s grace always �pre-vents� (comes before) and makes possible human response� (Maddox, 83) This awakening process occurs in three steps. First we become aware that there is a need to be saved from the consequences of our sinful actions. Second we realize and begin to understand that it is through the gracious gift of Christ that this happens. Finally, we come to re realization that we actually can be saved despite our own short comings, for we are saved by the grace of God (Dunning 434). Repentance, though following this preparation, comes before justification. Repentance is that act by which we fully acknowledge our sinfulness and imperfection before God and seek the forgiveness which he offers through the sacrifice of Christ. �In essence, it is an acknowledgement of our spiritual need, as we are awakened to it by the Spirit� (Maddox, 162). As such, a true awakening will lead to repentance. Perhaps the biggest debate in the realm of repentance comes with its relationship with faith. Although it is fairly well agreed upon that the two are inseparable to a degree, the order or work that each does in the salvation process is debated. While Calvin would say that faith always necessarily comes prior to repentance, Wesley was more apt to point out repentance as more of an acknowledgement of self. This is not to say that faith in inexistent in the repentance process, but that it is not necessarily the primary factor which drives us to repentance. Wesley is clear that repentance itself along with the fruits of repentance may exist without the development of faith. However, faith is the main instrument by which we allow God to justify us, as we will speak of momentarily. In brief, the result of repentance is forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an act of man in this sense, but is the overwhelming pardon of our sins as we have brought them before God. In modern language, it wipes our slate clean so that we might begin anew before God. Appropriately, this leads us directly into the topic of justification. For, �Wesley defined justification in one word: forgiveness� (Maddox, 166). Justification, as compared to regeneration, is a relative change in our lives as compared to a real change. This entirety of this relative change is focused on the transforming power of God. For Wesley, justification was simply the �merciful grace of God that pardons us by virtue of the merits of Christ� (Maddox 168). Reconciliation is a biblical idea that is in it most basic form a synonym of or component of justification. We see this in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21: 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ( NIV) And so what we have in this idea of reconciliation is not only a gift from God, making us right with Him again, but also a new ministry of reconciliation that we are to take into our lives. This is important because it gives another purpose to our justification before God. We are not just justified for our own sake, but we are also justified so that we might learn to reconcile with our neighbors. This will also play into the stage of adoption in the salvation process. How great a gift! Regeneration and Initial Sanctification have often times been equated. Regeneration was termed initial sanctification because it is that real change that occurs within us �that is effect by the Holy Spirit at the threshold of the Christian life� (Dunning 448). Since sanctification is the cleansing of the sinful nature from our beings, it is this �initial sanctification� that gets us on that path toward such a cleansing. This regeneration, according to Wesley, takes away the power of sin, changes us from sinners into saints, restores us to the image of God, and changes us from enemies into children of God (Dunning 449). �To be adopted into the family of God at the moment of conversion gives us the freedom to approach God with boldness and honesty and to cry out with Jesus, �Abba! Father!� (Lodahl, 190). This is the spirit of the adoption stage of the salvation process. To become one with Christ, redeemed and holy, is not to do so alone. As Lodahl also states, �Christian conversion is always a conversion into a community of faith� (191). In other words, we are �pardoned in order to participate� (Maddox 168). So, let us not become so selfish in our pardon that we forget to reach out to those around us or possibly even forget that we have an abundance of brothers and sisters waiting to share in our joy. I was very young when I accepted Christ, about four five at most. As such I do not remember much of the experience itself. However, I can distinctively point out those times in my life when I have been able to see the grace of God at work in me. Since I was too young to remember my justification experience, let me focus more directly on a few instances in the regeneration stage in my walk. The summer after my sophomore year in high school I went on our tour with my youth group in which we performed drama, mime, and worship sets. I have never been in a more Spirit filled atmosphere than I was for those two weeks. I look back on that experience and am forced to acknowledge how lucky I was to have such a great youth pastor and such a great ministry experience. We ended each service with a pantomime of Christ�s crucifixion. I was the one driving the spear through the side of Christ. I was the one giving the final blow to my Savior. As emotional as this had to have been for those watching, it hit me every time as well. So what was God doing at this time? I believe that he was preparing me for that ultimate cleansing of Spirit which we call entire sanctification. Oddly enough I have had enough struggled since then to not know for sure if I�ve ever reached that point yet. I don�t think that is such a bad thing though. It�s more important that I�m still on this journey. I know I am reconciled to Christ and I have been readily using my power of reconciliation with others. Word Count: 1453 |