Inquiries about the Effectual Call

Jesus summoned dead Lazarus to life -
Apt illustration of the effectual calling.

Feb 11, 2026
Soukyu
Sir, I want to ask about this effectual calling in the 1689 Baptist Confession.

1689:10:1 "Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased in His appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call,1 by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ;2 enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God;3 taking away their heart of stone, and giving to them a heart of flesh;4 renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ;5 yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.6"

This says that those who have been effectually called will be DRAWN TO JESUS CHRIST. And this Effectual Calling is in the Vital facet of our Salvation.

[NOT "will be drawn" as though it is a separate future event from the effectual calling; the effectual call effectually draws an elect to Christ, uniting him to Christ. The effectually called ARE drawn to Christ and united to Him. sing]

And just now u taught us that Regeneration is a subset of Effectual Calling; in fact, regeneration is included in the Justification of life

So regeneration is also a subset of (vital) Justification

[In the effectual calling of an elect out of his native state of sin, condemnation and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, these three Divine activities MUST take place:
- application of Christ's righteousness to an elect personally, vital justification by grace;
- the application of righteousness by God warrants the Holy Spirit to regenerate the justified one. That's why vital justification is called the justification of life - Romans 5:18.
- The adoption of the regenerated by the Father, and the bestowal of the gift of the Spirit of adoption to dwell in the adopted.
- These divine activities, in that number and order, MUST happen in order to effectually call an elect out of his native state into the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.  sing. ]

So, is it correct to say that only in the Vital phase of Justification of life,  the Elects are enabled to come to Christ n know Christ as our God?

 Effectual Calling also leads to Vital Adoption and Vital Definitive Sanctification besides Vital justification.

[To effectually call an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, There must be:
- vital justification by grace; righteousness of Jesus Christ is freely applied to an elect personally.
- regeneration, vital definitive sanctification; definitively separated from death unto eternal life;
- vital adoption of the born again, and bestowal of the Spirit of adoption. sing]

 I am just curious as to which stage an Elect come to the knowledge that Christ is our God.

Without being "evangelised"?

But the exact wording here is DRAWING THEM TO CHRIST
This could also mean enabling them to come to church to know who the true God is.

Sing
Absolutely not. The context is the Effectual calling an elect out of his native state of sin and condemnation to that of grace in Jesus Christ - to be vitally united to Christ.

The effectual call ENABLES a child of God (an elect already regenerated) to answer/response to the gospel call.

The gospel call is dealt with in 1689.14

Soukyu
But then, those who have been effectually called, how do they bring themselves to respond to the gospel call if they don't bring themselves to the church first? Esp when no one has shared the gospel with them yet?

Esp. when the Particular Baptists don't subscribe to evangelism?

Sing
Romans 10
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 ¶How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

Soukyu
I know but this is the preaching in the church

Sing
@ "...when the Particular Baptists don't subscribe to evangelism?"
You likely get this fable and lie from the new school Reformed Baptists.

Soukyu
My Q is, after an Elect has been effectually called but has not heard the gospel yet, how and by what means can the Elect go and find out that the church is the right place to go?

Sing
@ "I know but this is the preaching in the church."
Show that this is preaching in the church?

Soukyu
So, you are saying that after an Elect has been effectually called, he needs to be evangelised coz he doesn't know abt Christ yet, and he doesn't know how to go to church by himself?

Sing
God did send Peter to Cornelius, Paul to the Bereans, Lydia, and host of others.

The Lord God who effectually calls out His elect is also the God of Providence... causing His children and His messengers Christians to cross path, etc.

It boils down to what evangelism you are talking about. I'm evangelising all the time without a few hours of church-organized "evangelistic outreach" activities on Sunday.

Evangelism is bearing witness in our daily life.
Apostle Paul did REASON with you like this:

Romans 10:14¶How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Soukyu
If u use the last sentence here, then are you equating that one has to share the gospel with others so that those effectually called can come to Christ? Without this, those effectually called has no way to come to Christ?

Sing
Coming to Christ requires some knowledge of Christ..
That knowledge of Christ can be had from different sources - in Paul's time in the first century, it's chiefly through the God-sent preacher.

The emphasis is that there must be knowledge of Christ for an effectually called elect to be CONVERTED to Christ.

Take a look here: https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2021/11/there-are-two-distinct-comings-to-christ.html

Soukyu
My Q was not on conversion. My Q is: after an Elect has been effectually called, is he able to come to CHURCH on his own WITHOUT hearing the gospel yet? If this is not so, then he will need someone to preach the gospel to him, and this is evangelism

Sing
Yes, he is able.
The wise Lord can use all kinds of means or situations to work for the conversion of the effectually called.

But the church is not the only place he will hear the gospel of his salvation. It's more likely that in the course of daily life, he will meet some Christians who share the gospel and tell him about the church.

Soukyu
U replied ABSOLUTELY NOT here last night

Sing
Yes, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"Drawing them to Christ" in the CONTEXT of effectual calling has absolutely nothing to do with "enabling them to come to church to know who is the true God."

In the effectual calling,  an alienated elect is DRAWN TO CHRIST... DONE, IMMUTABLY UNITED TO CHRIST, COMPLETED.

Soukyu
Come to think of it, it should be at our Vital Adoption stage in our Effectual Calling where we are adopted by the Holy Spirit as God's children and the Holy Spirit indwells in us, which enables us to love our brethrens 1 Thes 4:9 and 1 John 5:1. So we start searching our brethren in church, and this leads us to Christ

Soukyu
So it is WITHOUT the need to hear the gospel that we are enabled to go to church once we have been EFFECTUALLY CALLED, and this leads us to Christ

Sing
I wonder what's the point of knowing all these things, but this detailed knowledge won't help you settle down in a church of Jesus Christ.

"...ENABLED..."  Yes.

Enabled to do many spiritual things. Read Cornelius account in Acts 10 BEFORE his encounter with Peter.

It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates.
God the Father adopts, not the Holy Spirit.

Those adopted by the Father, God gives the Spirit (of adoption) to dwell in the adopted.

Romans 8:15 KJT — For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Assurance of Salvation

[11/01/2025 - 15:10]
SyLeon
Sir, for the Particular Baptists, is there such a thing as Assurance of Salvation?

Sing
Here is what they have stated publicly.
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

Chapter 18 - Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation

Paragraph 1
Although temporary believers and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and in a state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish;1 yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God,2 which hope shall never make them ashamed.3
1 Job 8:13–14; Matt. 7:22–23
2 1 John 2:3, 3:14,18–19,21,24, 5:13
3 Rom. 5:2,5

Paragraph 2
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith,4 founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel;5 and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made,6 and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God;7 and, as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy.8
4 Heb. 6:11,19
5 Heb. 6:17–18
6 2 Pet. 1:4–5,10–11
7 Rom. 8:15–16
8 1 John 3:1–3

Paragraph 3
This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and struggle with many difficulties before he be partaker of it;9 yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of means, attain thereunto:10 and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance;11—so far is it from inclining men to looseness.12

9 Isa. 50:10; Ps. 88; Ps. 77:1–12
10 1 John 4:13; Heb. 6:11–12
11 Rom. 5:1–2,5, 14:17; Ps. 119:32
12 Rom. 6:1–2; Titus 2:11–12,14

Paragraph 4
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it,13 by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit;14 by some sudden or vehement temptation,15 by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light,16 yet are they never destitute of the seed of God17 and life of faith,18 that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,19 and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.20
13 Cant. 5:2–3,6
14 Ps. 51:8,12,14
15 Ps. 116:11; 77:7–8, 31:22
16 Ps. 30:7
17 1 John 3:9
18 Luke 22:32
19 Ps. 42:5,11
20 Lam. 3:26–31

SyLeon
Also, I want to ask: do you agree with our good friend RC Sproul that Adoption is a LEGAL event?

Sing
Imagine for a moment.
You are an orphan. A nobleman adopted you LEGALLY - everything properly transacted legally, on paper ONLY. He did not unite himself to you and make you a child in his glorious mansion.

How would you like sch an adoption?

It's good to hear that Mr Sproul is your good friend.

SYLeon
Haha, you know what I meant by our good friend
So, in Ordo Salutis, Adoption should NOT be a legal act

Sing
Adoption is also a multifaceted doctrine.
The biblical teaching on adoption is like a wholesome well-formed 5-fingered hand...

1. Adoption to sonship PREDESTINED in Christ in eternity.
- Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

2. Adoption to sonship LEGALLY transacted by Christ at the cross.
- Gal 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

3. Adoption to sonship PERSONALIZED, vitally born as son and adopted into God's family at the effectual calling out of the native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation.
- John 1:13 "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
- Gal 4:6 "And because ye are sons [i.e. legally adopted], God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father [i.e. regenerated and adopted].

4. Adoption to sonship EXPERIENCED by faith in Jesus Christ.
- John 1:12 'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name...'
- Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

5. Adoption to sonship GLORIFIED on the day of resurrection.
- Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Legal aspect of adoption is only one aspect of the doctrine of adoption.  When an aspect of the whole is equated as the whole, it becomes heretical.

SyLeon
Then the Deformed Reformed is heretical

Someone commented, why are the Particular Baptists always harping on the Reformed being incorrect on Justification by Faith, when Adoption is also a legal action. But then, we are not harping on the Legal side of Justification by Faith only. We are saying that the Reformed guys got it wrong by saying that Justification by Faith is an act of the believer being justified when he believes in Christ

The FIRST is stated by those Deformed Reformed. The SECOND is the stand by Particular Baptists? 

Sing
You asked why the Particular Baptists are always harping blah blah blah....
By Luther's own words, those who hold to Luther's sola fide ARE FALLEN CHURCHES.

Also, if one don't get justification right, then he necessarily CAN'T get adoption right.

In the Ordo Salutis, each item deals with the APPLICATION of eternal salvation to an elect.

SYLeon
All the legal actions are not in Ordo Salutis?

Sing
Take a look here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2011/12/calvinists-order-of-salvation-some.html

Here is a typical order salutis of the Reformed view.

Do you see that the items from the various aspects of salvation are all jumbled up in the so-called order?

If we want to include items from different aspects, then it must be grouped in the aspect they belong to... in their strict order.

- decretal aspect
- legal aspect
- vital aspect
- practical (temporal) aspect
- final aspect

Neither let us tempt Christ...

The exquisite turmeric flower

[04/01, 13:15]
Leongsie
1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Sir, why is it "tempt Christ" here and not "tempt God"?

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

And what does Christ mean by "to see my day"?

[04/01, 18:06]
Sing
By faith, Abraham saw the time of the appearance of the Messiah (Christ) on earth to execute the work of redeeming His people... and Abraham was GLAD.

Even Adam heard about Christ, the seed of the woman; the evidence is his calling his wife Eve.

Genesis 3:20 KJV — And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Jesus was telling the unbelieving Jews, "Be like your father Abraham... rejoice to see my day... I'm here in your midst "

Apostle Paul is addressing the presumptuous Corinthian believers - who, trusting in their gifts and attainments, their knowledge and Christian liberty, would go into an idol's temple, sit down to eat there, and expose themselves to great and imminent danger. This was presuming on Christ preserving them, thus tempting Christ,

Leongsie
Well, the Eternal Generation people will use this to say that Christ was there in the OT

Sing
The Messiah was promised in the Covenant of Redemption. The promised Messiah was announced from the beginning, but He DIDN'T appear until the eternal Word was made flesh and sent forth into the world when He was 30 years old. 

I will leave them to believe what they want. Apostle Paul was warning the presumptuous and haughty Corinthian believers to avoid the grievous unbelief of the Israelites or suffer the same consequences.

1Cor 10
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Leongsie
Thanks. I just don't want those Eternal Generation people to use these verses to support their twisted Theology.

Sing
Let them alone; you are not their keeper/guardian; guard your own heart.

Leongsie
I am just anticipating them to use these verses to support their twisted Theology and force me to subscribe to their twisted Theology also

Sing
Only sick and deranged people would FORCE others to embrace their belief. And only spineless people can be forced by others to believe something contrary to their mind and conscience.

Since you are NOT spineless, don't even hint that you can be forced to believe anything.

If a man cannot be convinced by the truth presented, I will say, as the Apostle Paul, "But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." 1 Corinthians 14:38 KJT

Is it a Pentecostal church?"

 

I received this inquiry:

"I need to know more about this church - is it a Pentecostal church?"

=======

Dear Ma'am,

Thank you for your question.

The short answer is: No, SDC is not a Pentecostal church.

And since you have asked, you deserve more than a short answer.

Here is a less short answer.

i. The day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2 is a UNIQUE event in the history of God’s redemptive purpose.

- It was an event prophesied in the OT; see Joel 2:28.

- What happened on the day of Pentecost was a SPECIAL and IMPORTANT SIGN to the Jewish believers.

ii. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, devout Jewish men “out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:6) were gathered at Jerusalem.

- The Jews had been scattered throughout the whole known world, first by the Assyrians, and later exiled by the Babylonians.

- Then, Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian empire, issued an imperial edict to allow all the Jews to return to Judah. Many did not return but remained where they were. But many of those Jews did not forget their old covenant religion; they continued to make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to fulfil their religious duties.

iii. What happened on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2 (the first Pentecost after the crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ) was a SPECIAL and SPECIFIC sign-message to the Jewish believers.

- Their old covenant religion based on the law of Moses was fast coming to an end. The new covenant religion based on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ has been inaugurated.

- Apostle Peter said, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” The word  “this” refers to the unique phenomena of “… every man heard them speak in his own tongue… we do hear them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” Acts 2:6b,11b.

- This was a specific sign prophesied by Prophet Joel, a sign that marks the dawning of the new covenant religion in Jesus Christ and "the last days", the passing of the old covenant religion in Moses.

- THAT IS, in Jesus Christ, the old covenant religion based on the ceremonial laws of Moses was being abolished. They are now called upon to believe in the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the fulfilment of all that were foreshadowed by the old covenant religion.

iv. The phenomenon of speaking in tongues (PLURAL, ONE singular gift enabled a man/woman to speak MANY languages) continued during the 40-year transitional period from the old covenant religion to the new covenant religion, i.e. AD30-AD70.

- In AD70, as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Jerusalem with the Temple (the heart and centre of the old covenant religion of ceremonies and sacrifices) was completely razed to the ground by the imperial Roman armies; THIS officially and finally brought the thousands-year-old old covenant religion to an end.

- The long-suffering LORD God gave His children among the Jews 40 long years to transition into the new covenant religion. It was SO HARD for many to give up their ritual/ceremonial religion they had been brought up with!

- Many preferred to stay put in their dilapidated hut instead of moving into the new mansion!

v. The unique gift of tongues, that enabled the recipient of the gift to speak different languages that he/she had never learned before, continued during the transitional period to facilitate and expedite the spread of the gospel during the Apostles' time. It has CEASED with the passing away of the Apostles. 1Cor 13:8.

-  The gibberish of the modern Pentecostals/charismatics is remotely related to the tongues we read of in the Bible. They are quite misguided.

I hope this enlightens you somewhat about your question.

Do visit our church blog here.

There are over a thousand notes and articles on biblical matters.

https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God...

#Cause_n_Effect

1 John 4:15 KJV — Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

This above Scripture is a statement declaring a wonderful truth: all those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, SUCH have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. Without the Spirit of God dwelling in them, there is absolutely no possibility of them confessing the truth that Jesus is the Son of God.

Confessing that Jesus is the Son of God is the effect of God's indwelling the confessor; God's indwelling enables the confession of Jesus as the Son of God; the former is the cause of the latter. Confession of Jesus as the Son of God evidences that a man has been brought into union with God.

Sadly, many will teach and believe that the confession of Jesus is the Son of God as the CONDITION to have God dwelling in them.

Putting the cart before the horse is a common but grievous error; in other words, just plain stupidity (i.e. completely lacking common sense),  just forget about being politically correct.

1 John 2:23 KJV — Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Matthew 16 KJV
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.