The following selection of definitions start in eternity past, move to eternity future, and cover a basic pattern of salvation that is true for all those whom God has saved, is saving, and will save…they will serve you as you study the Scriptures and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, grace, and knowledge.

And those whom he predestined he also called,and those whom he called he also justified,and those whom he justified he also glorified.—Romans 8:30
Last Sunday I preached a sermon with lots of big but important words. In two verses (Romans 3:24–25), Paul uses justification, redemption, and propitiation to speak of the saving work of God in Christ’s death and resurrection. Tomorrow, I will add to that list a number of other big words as our men’s group discusses John Murray’s Redemption Accomplished and Applied. In Part 2 of his book, Murray outlines the order of salvation (ordo salutis) starting with regeneration and ending with glorification. Added to this list we could describe God’s eternal plans for salvation in things like predestination, election, and adoption.
All in all, there are a lot of -ion words that Christians (at least English speaking Christian) need to grasp in order to understand their salvation. To be clear, salvation does not depend upon knowing how it works. We can fly on a plane without understanding aerodynamics. Just the same, we can be saved by faith in Christ, without understanding everything about it. There are many, indeed all of us, who possess wrong ideas about salvation who are still saved. So great is God’s grace.
Nevertheless, for those who delight in God and his salvation, we are urged (Ps. 111:2), even commanded (Matt. 28:19), to grow in a knowledge of our salvation (2 Pet. 3:18). And to that end, I share the following selection of definitions that start in eternity past, move to eternity future, and cover a basic pattern of salvation that is true for all those whom God has saved, is saving, and will save. I hope they will serve you as you study the Scriptures and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, grace and knowledge.
Sources

Twelve Salvation Words
1. Salvation
A broad term referring to God’s activity on behalf of creation and especially humans in bringing all things to God’s intended goal. More specifically, salvation entails God’s deliverance of humans from the power and effects of sin and the Fall through the work of Jesus Christ so that creation in general and humans in particular can enjoy the fullness of life intended for what God has made.  (Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, 105)
The master theme of the Christian gospel is salvation. Salvation is a word-picture of wide application that expresses the idea of rescue from jeopardy and misery into a state of safety. (Concise Theology, 146)
(N.B. I would add that everything that follows in this list of terms is a part of salvation. While salvation is often thought and described synonymously with redemption, justification, or regeneration, salvation (theologically speaking) really is the umbrella term for all that the triune God does to save us. Moreover, this term must encompass the eternal grace of God and the work of God—past, present, and future. Anything short of that comprehensive view of salvation shrinks this glorious truth. Moreover, when we fail to consider the various “parts” of salvation, it may lead to a misunderstanding of the doctrine.)
2. Predestination and Election
Predestination is word often used to signify Gods foreordaining of all the events of world history, past, present, and future, and this usage is quite appropriate. In Scripture and mainstream theology, however, predestinaion means specifically God’s decision, made in eternity before the world and its inhabitants existed, regarding the final destiny of individual sinners. In fact, the New Testament uses the words predestination and election (the two are one), only of God’s choice of particular sinners for salvation and eternal life (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4-5, 11). Many have pointed out, however, that Scripture also ascribes to God an advance decision about those who finally are not saved (Rom. 9:6-29; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4), and so it has become usual in Protestant theology to define God’s predestination as including both his decision to save some from sin (election) and his decision to condemn the rest for their sin (reprobation), side by side. (Concise Theology, 38)
The verb elect means “to select, or choose out.” The biblical doctrine of election is that before creation God selected out of the human race, foreseen as fallen, those whom he would redeem, bring to faith, justify, and glorify in and through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28-39; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9-10). This divine choice is an expression of free and sovereign grace, for it is unconstrained and unconditional, not merited by anything in those who are its subjects. God owes sinners no mercy of any kind, only condemnation; so it 1S a wonder, and matter for endless praise, that he should choose to save any of us; and doubly so when his choice involved the giving of his own Son to suffer as sin-bearer for the elect (Rom. 8:32). (Concise Theology, 149)
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The Bible is not what men define it to be; it is what God declares it to be. Men can believe that or deny that, but they cannot alter that. The premise that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, infallible, sufficient, and effective Word of God should be the foundation for the study of Scripture. All truth has its source in God and, consequently, His truth is universal and timeless. Although times change, truth is changeless. 

The Bible is unique; there is nothing like it. Sixty-six separate books written by multiple authors over a span of 1,500 years, the Bible is ultimately one book with one Author, God Himself. The Scriptures, therefore, are not what ancient men thought about God or divine matters; they are the very words of God expressing and revealing His mind. By a supernatural operation referred to as inspiration, God breathed out His words (2 Tim. 3:16) to holy men who were carried along in the writing process by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The Bible is God’s Word because it claims to be God’s Word, and faith believes it. That may seem to be circular reasoning, and perhaps it is, but it is reason that rests on God who is incapable of lying (Titus 1:2).
When we view the Scriptures through faith, we do so with a set of beliefs that we take for granted to be true. These presuppositions are essential and inevitable. It is absolutely impossible to come to the Bible with an open mind.1 Liberal scholars often claim they approach Scripture with an open mind in order to evaluate the Word of God and judge its accuracy. In reality they come with the presupposition that human reason is superior to divine revelation. That is not an open mind; it is a closed heart that evidences a mindset predisposed against God and truth. Man cannot stand as the judge of Scripture; Scripture stands as the judge of man. As believers, we must come with an open and receptive heart to receive and believe what God says. The mindset of a believer every time he opens the Bible must be the conviction that whatever the Bible says is true. The believer may not completely comprehend all that he reads, but he does not doubt its truth. We cannot trust our reason to determine what is true or false, right or wrong. By faith we believe in the inspiration of the Bible, and therefore we affirm its authority, infallibility, sufficiency, and effectiveness from cover to cover. Each of these corollaries to inspiration are topics for thorough treatises, but for now simple definition will suffice.2
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While God’s judgment awaits his people, this judgment is not unto condemnation, but unto vindication in Christ (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 50:4; 135:14; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 10:30). Beloved, we have been justified in Christ by his blood, more so, we shall be saved from the impending wrath of God on sinners (Romans 5:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:18). However, it is not only the redeemed ones that are longing for redemption, but the whole creation itself is also longing to be renewed.

Niyi Osundare’s famous poem teaches that much wisdom lies in living today in anticipation of tomorrow. To ensure “tomorrow,” Osundare says, “it is meet to live on herbs and grains today.” Unfortunately, health and wealth gospel preachers stand as the “prodigals” portrayed in Osundare’s poem, whose belly is their god. They have led many to falsely believe that the gospel primarily attends to material benefits, rather than the restoration of holy communion with God that endures the various hardships and suffering of this present age. They exhort their people to get as much as they can now, instead of anticipating God’s glorious consummation of all things. 
The Bible teaches that this age is headed towards Jesus Christ’s second coming. But what are we to anticipate when Christ returns? How does it give hope today? In this article, I give a cursory view of three things that the Bible teaches concerning Christ’s return to consummate history. First, Christ will bring retribution against sinners. Second, he’ll redeem his people. Lastly, Christ will renew all things.
1. Christ Brings Retribution on Sinners
In the Apostles’ Creed, we confess that after Jesus Christ rose from the dead “he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead” (see 2 Timothy 4:1). By his substitutionary atonement, Christ dealt with sin and death once for all (Hebrews 9:26b; 1 Peter 3:18). However, he is coming back in the fullness of his glory to judge unrepentant sinners. This judgment is righteous, true, just, impartial, and inscrutable (Psalm 7:11-12; 50:6; 96:10; Isaiah 33:22; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Matthew 25:31; John 5:30; 7:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 16:7; 19:2).
Many arguments have been made concerning the nature of Christ’s thousand-year reign of judgment and the timing of Christ’s return (Revelation 20). It is, however, beyond doubt that God hates unrepentant sinners. And when Christ returns, they will experience the wrath of God in its fullness (Psalm 5:4-6; 11:4-7). And the clearest form of Christ’s retribution is casting them into the lake of fire (Isaiah 66:15-16; Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:7b-10; Revelation 20:15; 21:8). 
God is “holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3). The unrighteous will not escape God’s fire of fury at Christ’s second coming, for they are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath by their unrepentant lifestyle (Psalm 1:5; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 2:5). Therefore, believers must not envy the ungodly, because their supposed flourishing is short-lived, and Christ’s retribution awaits them at his appearing (Psalm 37; Proverbs 24:1-2, 19-20). But what hope is there on the day of retribution for us sinners who have sought refuge in Christ? Redemption!
2. Christ Will Redeem His People
The doctrine of the consummation can be understood in terms of ‘the already, not yet.’ The ‘already’ points to God’s redemptive work, accomplished in redeeming sinners through the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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