If you’re the type who likes to flatten out Scripture in order to develop a tidy little systematic theology, you are probably already familiar with the term “Ordo Salutis”.
If you’re not that type (and good for you!), I should explain that “Ordo Salutis” is a Latin phrase meaning “Order of Salvation”, in other words, an attempt to outline the steps in God’s work of salvation in the life of a believer.
I say “attempt” because theologians cannot agree on the proper sequence of the steps. In fact, they can’t even agree on which steps belong in the Ordo or how many steps there are.
For instance, the Calvinists say that a person’s regeneration – being “born again” – comes before he or she can have faith. Everyone else says a person has faith and THEN is born again.
Terms like Predestination, Foreknowledge, Election, Faith, New Birth, Sanctification, and Glorification are regularly found in various depictions of the Ordo Salutis.
What’s interesting is that a majority of those terms come from Paul’s writing.
There’s no clear Ordo presented in the narratives of the Gospels in general and, most interesting, none specified directly in the teachings of Jesus Himself.
Unless … maybe in the Beatitudes?
Go back and reread the first few verses of Matthew 5.
3 “Blessed are ethe poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Is Jesus listing random blessings – in a random order?
Or is He describing a spiritual journey?
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