The order of salvation must be understood against the backdrop of man’s total depravity and moral inability. Therefore, God initiates and he does so by sovereignly, effectually calling by life-giving regenerating power. Man then responds in faith and repentance and conversion, and as a result of that he’s joined to Jesus Christ, justified freely, by the grace of God, separated from the bondage of sin, adopted into the family of God.
Faith and repentance, union with Christ, justification all happen at the point of salvation. In addition to that, following justification—not even following, but accompanying it—is what we call definitive or positional sanctification. You would know that when the Bible talks about sanctification, it talks about it in three aspects of positional sanctification, progressive sanctification, and perfect or final sanctification. Definitive or positional sanctification is, when by the Spirit of God, we are freed from the bondage of sin. As Paul says in Romans 6, “having been freed from sin, you’re now enslaved to God.” All believers have been positionally and definitively sanctified. All believers have been freed from the bondage of sin. They have been delivered from the dominion of and darkness translated into the kingdom of God’s beloved son.
Paul told the Corinthians, “You are the sanctified, you have been sanctified in Jesus Christ.” And he said in 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to those who had been sanctified.” They are already sanctified in Jesus Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6, “such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Past tense actions that have separated us from sin. All believers at the point of salvation are positionally sanctified. That means set apart in consecration to God, separated and free from the bondage of sin.
Adoption
Peter said, “that you are kept by the power of God for an inheritance ready to be revealed.” This world is not our home, we are not to seek the things of this life. Our home is in heaven, our inheritance is in heaven. Our Father is in heaven and every spiritual blessing is ours now and shall be then. He is no longer a righteous judge, he is a loving Father. This is the order of salvation of effectual calling, regeneration, conversion, union with Christ, justification, positional sanctification, and adoption.
All I’ve just mentioned happen instantaneously and it often happens upon the subconscious, non-experiential part of man. The question is how is that salvation applied to us? It is applied by God, the powerful effectual call, regenerating grace causing us to be born again, giving us the gift of faith and repentance that we come to Christ is true conversion. We’re joined to Jesus Christ and we are set apart to God, justified freely by his grace, adopted into his family.
Progressive Sanctification
After that, the adventure and the journey of progressive sanctification begins. We’re told to grow 2 Peter 3:18, “into the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter says in 2 Peter 2, “like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word,” that you may grow in respect to salvation. Sanctification as you well know has two parts. Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2 talk about this: the mortification of the old man, and the renewal of the new man into the image of Christ. Now hear me carefully, salvation has several dimensions. We have been saved, we are being saved, we will be saved. We have been pardoned from the guilt of sin, we have been freed from the power of sin. We are being cleansed from the pollution of sin and one day we will be freed from the presence of sin.
