Apostolic Order of Redemption:

[Aquila]

It has been a gnawing issue that has come up multiple times. How al l the doctrines of grace apply and relate to one another. Questions about election, predestination, salvation, repentance, water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, sanctification, etc. seem to be constant. In my years here on Apostolic Friends, I've wrestled with these very same topics. Recently, I've come to a more systematic belief regarding how all of these doctrines of grace relate to one another as a whole with regards to our final salvation. I call this, the Apostolic Order of Redemption. I'll list it here for your review and consideration. Please share your thoughts:

1. Election (God's choice of a covenant people to be saved according to His sovereign will, purpose, and foreknowledge)

2. Predestination (God's predetermined glory for His chosen Elect people)

3. Atonement (Christ's work of satisfying the demands of the law for all men)

4. Propitiation (Christ's satisfying God's wrath against the sins of all men)

5. Prevenient Grace (the drawing of the lost through the Holy Spirit)

6. Conversion (faith, repentance & water baptism)

7. Justification (imputed righteousness)

8. Regeneration (being born again of the Spirit)

9. Adoption (membership in God's family)

10. Sanctification (the act of taking part in the divine nature and the process whereby we are conformed into the image and likeness of Christ)

11. Death (the intermediate state wherein the soul of the saint of God is present with the Lord in Heaven awaiting resurrection & glorification)

12. Resurrection & Glorification (receiving a resurrected and transformed body in glorified form that is fashioned perfectly into the image of Christ)


Each spiritual reality opens up to the next as they are experienced accumulatively.

[Aquila]

The systematic outline above holds to a view of election and predestination that is known as Corporate Election. This view has been described as follows:

"The relationship of corporate election and predestination could be compared to a ship (i.e., the church, the body of Christ) on its way to its future and final destination (i.e., conformity to the image of Christ). The ship is chosen by God to be his very own vessel. Christ is the chosen Captain and Pilot of this chosen ship. God desires that everyone would come aboard this ship and has graciously made provisions for them to do so through its Captain. Only those who place their trust in the Captain of the ship are welcomed to come on board. As long as they remain on the ship, through a living faith in the ship's Captain, they are among the elect. If they choose to abandon the ship and its Captain through unbelief, they cease to be among the elect. Election is experienced only in union with the Captain and his ship. Predestination tells us about the ship's future direction and final destination that God has prepared for those remaining on it. God, out of his immense love, invites everyone to come aboard the ship through faith in the ship's Captain, Jesus Christ."

[votivesoul]

There is a lot good here, and much to build off of.

But if I may, a couple of points:

2. Predestination (God's predetermined glory for His chosen Elect people)

3. Atonement (Christ's work of satisfying the demands of the law for all men)

I think there should be some mention of what transpired under the hand of God between when God predestinated from time immemorial to when the Atonement occurred in real time.

For me, it has to include the history of the Jews, from Adam to John the Baptist, otherwise, going from your step 2 to step 3 skips a massive amount of important historical data in terms of how God operated in the world leading up to and including the New Covenant.

6. Conversion (faith, repentance & water baptism)

7. Justification (imputed righteousness)

8. Regeneration (being born again of the Spirit)

There are examples of the above three being in different order, both in the Scriptures and in modern experience.

Cornelius and family demonstrated no crisis repentance prior to receiving the Holy Spirit; indeed, his life was already a life of faithfulness and repentance, hence why the Spirit came so easily upon him and his household.

Additionally, he, as we all know, was immersed subsequent to his regeneration, which puts a kink in the order you've provided.

Lastly, I should like to think that you could add in the parenthetical comments something about confession and restitution being a part of the process.

[Jason B]

I think these are things apostolics need to really spend some time on. I have only skimmed the posts on my cell phone and will look at them more closely when I slow down later.

I remember looking at the Texas Bible College (UPC) curriculum some time back and their theology was all about oneness and soteriology. Very little (nothing) in way of actual systematic theology. A deeper look at God in all His attributes, no real Bibliology, anthropology, theology, Christology, ecclesiology, etc, etc. And of course salvation was all about 3 steps rather than a more structured biblical theological study as laid out in this thread.

[Acts 2:38 man]

This is all good stuff. Goes to show we cannot put God into a system. Maybe that's why we are called to follow Jesus by the Spirit. We have not been given a systematic theology other than the revealed truths of the NT and those (as has been shown by previous writer) are unable to be systematized, other than the basics Aquila mentioned. All the ingredients are there in the NT, but the order cannot be systematized totally, otherwise God would not be free to do things as He chooses in the Church and our lives. As uncomfortable as it is (for me be let God be in control theologically) I rest in Romans 11:33-34.

[DaveC519]

It has been a gnawing issue that has come up multiple times. How al l the doctrines of grace apply and relate to one another. Questions about election, predestination, salvation, repentance, water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, sanctification, etc. seem to be constant. In my years here on Apostolic Friends, I've wrestled with these very same topics. Recently, I've come to a more systematic belief regarding how all of these doctrines of grace relate to one another as a whole with regards to our final salvation. I call this, the Apostolic Order of Redemption. I'll list it here for your review and consideration. Please share your thoughts:1. Election (God's choice of a covenant people to be saved according to His sovereign will, purpose, and foreknowledge)

2. Predestination (God's predetermined glory for His chosen Elect people)

3. Atonement (Christ's work of satisfying the demands of the law for all men)

4. Propitiation (Christ's satisfying God's wrath against the sins of all men)

5. Prevenient Grace (the drawing of the lost through the Holy Spirit)

6. Conversion (faith, repentance & water baptism)

7. Justification (imputed righteousness)

8. Regeneration (being born again of the Spirit)

9. Adoption (membership in God's family)

10. Sanctification (the act of taking part in the divine nature and the process whereby we are conformed into the image and likeness of Christ)

11. Death (the intermediate state wherein the soul of the saint of God is present with the Lord in Heaven awaiting resurrection & glorification)

12. Resurrection & Glorification (receiving a resurrected and transformed body in glorified form that is fashioned perfectly into the image of Christ)
Each spiritual reality opens up to the next as they are experienced accumulatively.
I think you've done a good job here. :)