What really happens when one is born again? If all one does is consider what is seen and felt, one will conclude that one is born again by choosing Christ or accepting Him. 
But there is an unseen, spiritual reality described in the Bible – that man is born of the flesh dead spiritually, unable to do anything good and unable to desire to do anything good – as defined by God.
The humble creature who desires to know the Truth will – as best a man can do – set aside his presuppositions and preconceived conclusions that are based on what he sees and feels, and he will inquire humbly of the Lord, seeking wisdom from His Spirit, as he reads His word.
This that follows is an outline showing the spiritual reality – God predestined those He would save, in time, through faith (a gift given the elect) in Christ; who saves by grace alone and not through the deeds of the flesh or will of man, but by the will of God (John 1:12 – 13).
Order of Salvation (Ordo Salutis)
Predestination:
Rom. 8:29, 30; 9:1-25;
Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess 2:12,13
Effectual Calling (Regeneration)
John 1:12,13; 3:1-10; 6:44,45, 63-65
Eph. 2:1-5; Titus 3:3-6, Rom. 8:30
Faith/Repentance
Acts 20:21
(Faith)
Eph. 2:8,9; Phil. 1:29; Acts 13:48; 16:14;
18:27; James 2:14
(Repentance)
Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10-11
Justification (Legal Declaration)
Deut. 25:1; Acts 10:43; Prov. 17:15
Rom. 3:21; 4:8; 5:1,2, 12-18; 8:32;
Gal. 2:16; 3:1-13; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9
Adoption
Rom. 8:15-17, 23-25; Gal. 4:1-5
John 1:12-13; 8:40 to end
I John 3:1,2
Definitive Sanctification
John 10:26-30; Rom. 6; I Cor. 1:2; 6:9-12
Progressive Sanctification
Lev. 11:44; Matt. 5-7; Rom. 13; Eph. 4-5;
Phil 2:1-13; I Cor. 13; Gal. 5:16-23;
I Peter 1:15,16; 2 Peter 1:1-10; 3:18
(Preservation of the Saints)
Jer. 32:40; John 6:37-40; 10:26-30
Rom. 8:30-end; Phil. 1:6; I John 3:9
Glorification
Matt 25; I Thess 4:13-end; 2 Cor. 5:1-8
Phil. 1:23; 3:20,21; I John 3:1-3
Rev. 6:9-10
Christ Alone Wyoming 
I will go over these scriptures soon! This is an interesting layout and should be helpful for those who don’t understand the progression.
Please check your second sentence in paragraph one. Blessings-
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Thanks for the note – got it corrected.
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Thanks for this post.! May all understand this. I did have a question for the moderators..Ive recently ran across someone who was a Messianic Jew…well she used to be a Christian now she proclaims a Messianic Jew and saying things that Christians nowadays are confused and should observe the Jewish festivals, etc…of the Old Testament because of Abraham, Christ, etc….
I dont believe, she believes this is binding upon Christians today as some believe, but figures we are confused and need to keep the Sabbath day holy…as according to how Messianic Jews practice..she has a Hamas (hand of God) in her place and keeps it for protection to keep evil out or something like that. Please direct me to reliable information on the Messianic Jews and their beliefs in accordance to Christians, etc….Should a Christian take interest in someone who is a Messianic Jew or are these just non essentials or really more than that? Sorry for all the questions…*LOL*
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As the Bible tells us, in Christ there is no Jew, no Gentile, no slave, no Greek, etc. Those “Messianic Jews” are confused, because all the OT ceremonial and civil laws (those given to the Jews as an earthly covenant people in the theocracy that God created for them) ended when the New Covenant in Christ’s blood was issued. Those who keep the OT laws – as that woman is pressing you on – are whom the Lord was addressing in Galatians and Hebrews.
Use a search engine if you are interested in Messianic Jewish stuff, but know this – Christians from any tribe, nation, or tongue are complete in Christ! All the ceremonial and civil laws and practices were types and shadows of Him was revealed – the Christ Who is the fulfillment of ALL the promises made to the spiritual seed of Abraham. The physical seed of Abraham was given all the temporal promises made to them, but they will face God’s wrath on Judgment Day.
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Excellent. I highly recommend John Murray’s book Redemption Accomplished and Applied which goes into great detail in this sequence. He adds a couple more steps such as regeneration before faith and perseverance before glorification. This is important stuff to understand.
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ATG – thanks for the book recommendation. The article above DOES include regeneration before faith and sanctification before glorification 🙂 It also highlights adoption, which many people overlook. Important, indeed – for to ignore these Truths leads one to worship himself.
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Exactly Manfred. Which begs the question for our Dispy brethren; why the return to the shadows and types in Dispy millennial eschatology? Seems especially strange in the light of the book of Hebrews.
In Christ,
CD
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CPCIV,
Galatians 4:9-11–9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
Remember, Paul is addressing the church in Galatia–a church that had been overrun by “false brethren” (Galatians 2:4) who were trying to bring Christians back under the commands and rituals of the old covenant (Galatians 5:1-6). This was, as Paul called it, “another gospel, which is no gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). The “weak and beggarly elements” he refers to is the offerings, sacrifices and rituals God required of Israel under the old covenant. Those things have been fulfilled in Christ. In fact, he would tell the Romans that we “are no longer under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
This idea that the church, under the new covenant, is to keep the terms of the old covenant, is nothing new. Paul fought against it, James fought against it, Peter fought against it (although it took him a little longer). The writer of Hebrews devoted 13 chapters to it (especially Hebrews 8-10). In fact, he said the following about the new covenant in Christ’s blood, Hebrews 8:13-14–13 In that He says, “A new covenant, ” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
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Great post, Manfred.
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Many thanks.
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Amen . Great Post Thanks for the verses. God Bless you
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Acts 5:19 “Repent ye therefore and be converted”
Mark1:15 “…repent ye,and believe the gospel”
Eph 2:8 “for by grace are ye saved through faith… it is the gift of God”
I think you might have the order of things out of sequence from what these passages imply.
From what you seem to be saying is that a man is born again before he can even repent,
and that is not how it works.
Faith cometh by hearing….Rom10:17
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Two thumbs up!!
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Keith – A dead person cannot have faith, cannot hear the gospel. He must be born before these things can take place – unless one believes that man is not spiritually dead in his natural state. The Bible is clear on this point – and one must keep in mind that the order in which words appear in English do not necessarily represent the order in which the events must take place – especially considering the message was written in Greek and then translated.
Here is a message on that passage in Romans that may clear this point up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25639766/Romans%2010_14-17.mp3
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Your ordered list seems to be in agreement with Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book entitled The Christian Life. As stated in Chapter 3, The Plan of Grace (p. 24): (italics mine)
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And here I thought the correct order of salvation was:
1) You are born
2) You grow
3) You are taught
4) You hear of Hell
5) You decide you don’t want to go there
6) You decide to ask Jesus into your heart
7) You are now safe
8) Your ticket’s punched
9) You continue to live like before you decided
10) You die
Thank the Lord for the doctrine’s of grace in His Word.
Todd
Texas
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Todd – LOL 🙂
Of course, many thought that when first saved – until they read the Bible.
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