Ordo Salutis

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Ordo Salutis is the Latin for “the order of salvation,” which deals with the steps or stages in the salvation of a believer (e.g., election, foreknowledge, predestination, redemption, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification—see especially Romans 8:29-30). There is disagreement within the church concerning this order and about the causal connections among them. Before discussion, it might be helpful to provide some basic definitions of many of the terms involved:

Foreknowledge: God’s knowing (in this sense) prior to salvation those who would be saved.

Predestination: God’s choosing before time all who would be saved.

Election: God’s choosing of all who would be saved.

Regeneration: God’s renewing of one’s life (not physically, but as opposed to the spiritual death caused by sin) (Titus 3:5).

Evangelism: The communication of the gospel by which one can be saved (Matthew 28:19).

Faith: Belief and trust in the message of the gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Conversion: One’s turning to God based on the gospel (Acts 26:18).

Perseverance: One’s continued true belief—remaining in the state of salvation (Jude 1:24).

Repentance: Changing one’s mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ (Acts 26:20).

Justification: God’s freeing of one from the penalty of sin—the pronouncement of “not guilty” on a sinner (Romans 5:9).

Sanctification: God’s separation of one from the lure of sin (2 Timothy 2:21).

Glorification: God’s final removal of all sin from the life and presence of one (in the eternal state) (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).

Bible Chiasm Structure

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A chiasm in the Bible is a literary technique that uses a symmetrical structure to emphasize and clarify key ideas. This structure often appears as a mirror-like pattern, where the ideas in the first half of a passage are mirrored in the second half, with a central point of emphasis in between. This technique helps to highlight important messages and makes them easier to remember and understand.

For example, in Matthew 23:12, Jesus uses a chiasm to emphasize the idea of humility and exaltation:

A. Whoever exalts themselves
B. Will be humbled
X. Those who humble themselves
B’. Will be exalted
A’. Will be exalted

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Steven Lawson breaks silence about removal from ministry: ‘I’ve sinned grievously’

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Former pastor Steven Lawson has acknowledged that he has “sinned grievously,” speaking out for the first time about the scandal that removed him from ministry. 

In an X post on Wednesday, Lawson wrote: “I have sinned grievously against the Lord, against my wife, my family, and against countless numbers of you by having a sinful relationship with a woman not my wife. I am deeply broken that I have betrayed and deceived my wife, devastated my children, brought shame to the name of Christ, reproach upon His church, and harm to many ministries.”

“You may wonder why I have been silent and largely invisible since the news of my sin became known. I have needed the time to search my own soul to determine that my repentance is real,” he insisted.

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Finally! ImPastor Robert Morris Indicted in Oklahoma on Five Counts of Lewd or Indecent Acts to a Child

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Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. The allegations come from Cindy Clemishire, who accused Morris of sexually abusing her from the ages of 12 to 17, starting in 1982. The abuse reportedly began during a Christmas visit in Hominy, Oklahoma, and continued for over four years.

Morris resigned as senior pastor in June 2024 after Clemishire publicly accused him. He admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior” but claimed it involved a “young lady” and not a child. Clemishire, however, emphasized that she was only 12 years old at the time.

The Oklahoma Attorney General, Gentner Drummond (who briefly represented Clemishire in 2007 in a planned lawsuit against Morris), highlighted the gravity of the case, stating that there can be no tolerance for those who exploit children. The statute of limitations does not apply to this case because Morris was not a resident of Oklahoma.

Christians among over 1,000 massacred amid worst atrocities in Syria since Assad’s ousting

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Christians and other religious minorities in Syria are sounding the alarm as more than 1,000 people have been killed since last Thursday in what rights groups describe as some of the worst atrocities since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December.

The violence, centered in Syria’s coastal regions, has primarily targeted Alawites, Christians and other minority communities, GB News reported, explaining that tensions escalated after an ambush on a security patrol near Latakia by gunmen loyal to Assad. This triggered a severe response from forces linked to Syria’s Islamist-led interim government.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 745 of the dead were civilians, many of whom were killed in shootings. Hundreds of others were members of security forces or militants. Witnesses and local monitors cited in media described the unfolding events as “sectarian massacres.”

Gateway Church’s Robert Morris asks court to dismiss lawsuit over money-back guarantee on tithes

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Disgraced Gateway Church founder Robert Morris joined with other leaders and public interest law firm First Liberty Institute in asking a federal court to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by four church members accusing the Southlake, Texas-based megachurch of misallocating their tithes and failing to honor a money-back guarantee.

The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 by Gateway Church members Katherine Leach, Garry K. Leach, Mark Browder and Terri Browder. In addition to Morris and Gateway Church, it also names as defendants Tom Lane, a former executive pastor of Gateway Church; founding elder Steve Dulin; and Kevin Grove, who previously served as an executive global pastor and elder at Gateway Church and a trustee of The King’s University.