Geisler, Norman,

Vol. 3
Systematic
THTheology II
513 Systematic Theology
Week Eleven, Session 1
Dr. Mark E. Hardgrove
 Systematic Theology II
Geisler, Norman, Vol. 3
Chapter Nine
“The Nature of Salvation”
pp. 220-257
 Substitutionary
Atonement
The process of salvation begins before a
sinner makes a confession of faith. It is God
who takes the initiative in salvation, not the
sinner.

Geisler call this pre-salvation acts of God.

He includes: election, chosen (or chose),
predestined, foreknowledge, calling,
conviction, and prevenient grace.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Effectual Grace: efficacious in producing
salvation.
Sealing: As salvific act that guarantees our
ultimate salvation (Geisler, p. 223).
A Wesleyan view is that being sealed by the
Holy Spirit means one is marked as the
possession of God and therefore has
entered into the saving covenant with God.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Salvation (or save): From the Greek
soteria and soterion, meaning,
“deliverance,” “preservation,” or
“salvation.” Used of both physical and
spiritual savation.
Redemption: meaning “to ransom,” “to
deliver,” “to buy back,” “purchasing.”
Mediation: Hebrew, yakach, is used in Job
9:33. The Greek, mesitas is used to refer
to Jesus as our mediator—prophet, priest,
and king.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Regeneration: from the Greek paliggenesia,
which means “regeneration,” “rebirth,” or
“spiritual renovation.” It is the impartation of
spiritual life, by God, to the souls of those
who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Born Again: is parallel to regeneration. Rebith
is the point at which a person “dead in
trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) receives
spiritual life.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Adoption: means, “placing as a son.” Adoption
is the term of position whereby one becomes
a son by the new birth.
Reconciliation: from the Greek katallasso,
which means ‘to reconcile,” or “to bring
together.”
Forgiveness: from the Greek aphesis, which
means “to forgive” or “to remit” one’s sins.
“Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38).
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Justification: The act of God by which we who
are unrighteous in ourselves are nevertheless
declared righteous before God. It is a judicial
(legal) ace of pronouncing one to be right in
God’s sight. The Greek word dikaios means
“just” or “right(eous),” while the Greek
dikaioo means “justify” or “justified.” God
declares a sinner righteous before Himself on
the basis of faith alone.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Propitiation (or Expiation): From the
Greek hilasmos, meaning “to satisfy God
on behalf of the sinner.” Also, hilasterion,
which refers to the mercy seat in the OT
tabernacle (Heb. 9:5) and of Jesus (Rom.
3:25). The third Greek word translated
propitiation is the Greek hilaskomai,
which means “to propitiate,” “to satisfy,”
or “to expiate.”
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Atonement: From the Hebrew kaphar,
which literally means “to cover,” but
also carries the broader meaning of
“expiation,” or “condoining,” “wiping
away,” “placating,” or “cancelling.”
The Greek term is hiloskomai,
meaning “to propitiate,” “to
expiate,” or “to conciliate.”
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Sacrificial (Substituationary) Atonement: The
Bible indicates that Christ died in our place,
punished for our sins that we might be set free.
Arguments in favor of substitutionary atonement:
First, God’s justice demands it.
Second, our total depravity demands it.
Third, the OT sacrifices imply it.
Fourth, Isaiah 53:5-6 speak about it.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Arguments in favor of substitutionary atonement:
Fifth, Jesus was presented as the Passover Lamb,
which was substitutionary in nature.
Sixth, Jesus claimed to be a fulfillment of Isaiah 53.
Seventh, Jesus presented His death as a ransom,
which usually meant, in the Greek OT, a deliverance
from bondage in exchange for the payment of
compensation for offering a substitute.
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Arguments in favor of substitutionary
atonement:
Eighth, Christ presented Himself as a
consecrated priest and sacrifice.
Ninth, Christ’s death was “for,” that is,
on another’s behalf.
Tenth, In Christ’s death “for” (Gk. anti,
meaning “instead of) us, substitution is
explicit (Mk. 10:45; Matt. 20:28).
 Names of God’s Saving
Acts
Arguments in favor of substitutionary
atonement:
Eleven, “Expiation” is used of Christ’s
death, this implies a substitution.
Twelfth, Appeasing God’s wrath by
Christ’s death implies a
substitutionary death (Rom. 2:25).
 Three Stages of
Salvation
First, is justification, an instantaneous, past
act of God by which one is saved from the
guilt of sin—his record is cleared and he is
guiltless before the Judge (Rom. 8:1).
Second, is sanctification, which refers to
salvation from the power of sin. In
Calvinist teaching this grace is
instantaneous at salvation, but is also
progressive as one matures and is made
righteous before God.
 Three Stages of
Salvation
Second, is sanctification, (cont.) which refers to
salvation from the power of sin. In Wesleyan
Theology sanctification is a second definite act
of grace. It may occur at salvation, or it may
occur later as one is “sanctified.” In some
views it is complete at the moment the second
definite act of grace is applied in response to
faith, in others it is progressive.
 Three Stages of
Salvation
Sanctification: There are three areas of victory
over the power of sin:
1.) Victory over the world (1 John 5:4);
2.) Victory over the flesh (Rom. 7:24-25);
3.) Victory over the devil (James 4:7).

Third Stage, is glorification. This is the future

act that will save us from the very presence of
sin.
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Be Sure to Read Chapter
10
• Pay close attention to the Catholic position
and Martin Luther's response.
• Be familiar with the chart on pp. 287-288 of
Geisler, Vol. 3.

Before reading the next PowerPoint

presentation for chapter eleven, be sure to
read the attachment from the book of
French Arrington, “Refuting Eternal
Security.” The next PowerPoint will
summarize this article.