The two villagers can count up to three, even backwards

One late Sunday morning, two men were on their way back to their village in Emmaus. They were speaking of the things that had happened few days before, i.e. the events surrounding the judgment and crucifixion of Christ.

They said, "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done." Luke 24:21

By Sunday, it was *the THIRD day* since those things had happened.

Let's grant that the two men can at least count up to 3 as well counting them backwards. Also, those words were uttered in the presence of the resurrected Lord; they were received and not corrected; thus it is reasonable to assume them to be accurate.

Questions

- On which day did those things happen?

- On which night was Jesus arrested?

- The early morning of which day did the hastily convened kangaroo court take place?

- Which day was Christ crucified?

Some questions to ask at this time of year when bunnies start laying colourful eggs in the name of remembering Christ.

This village boy can understand their words. To them, those things happened on Thursday. Jesus was arrested on Wednesday night.

Some insist that the phrase "three days and three nights" must be exactly 72hrs and no less. Go figure.

postscript:
(The first night of the Jewish week begins on Saturday evening 6pm; the first day of the Jewish week begins on Sunday morning 6am. "And the evening and the morning were the first day.")

What do you see?

Whose binoculars are you using? Russians', Americans', or Christ's?

From four years ago...

March 23, 2014 at 1:57am ·

What do you see? Devouring giants, or nourishing bread? 

Twelve men were sent to scout out the land promised repeatedly to the nation of Israel. They saw exactly the same land, but came to vastly different conclusions! (Num 13:26 - 14:10)

Majority report:

- Surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

- BUT the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great.

- We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

- The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up the inhabitants.

- They saw the inhabitants as giants, and themselves as grasshoppers.

Majority view betrays unbelief and rebellion against their LORD!

They would rather return to Egypt, or remain where they are, instead of moving forward into the blessing the Lord intended for them!

Minority report:

a. Caleb: Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

b. Joshua:

- If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

- Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us.

- Their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Minority view reflects faith in, and submission to the LORD's will for them!

Joshua's perspective is LORD-centred, not man-centred:

- "if the LORD delight in us..." that's all that counts and matters!

- "only rebel not ye against the LORD..." that's what it amounts too! Unbelief is rebellion!

- "and the LORD is with us..." thus we are the giants that shall eat up the grasshoppers! (they shall be bread for us!)

What a man perceives is to a very great extent determined by his faith in the LORD, and His word, or lack of it.

He who has eyes to see, let him see rightly.

Lo, I come to do thy will, O God

Then said I, Lo, I come... to do thy will, O God.

John 6:38,39

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Jesus came, not even to do his own will; and most assuredly, not the whims and fancies of sincere but misguided theologians, preachers and their disciples. How many there are who teach and believe that Jesus came to do their will, that is, to die for, and to save the whole world.

What is the Father's will that Jesus said He was sent to do?

It is to save all them that God has given to Him before the foundation of the world; He will save each and every single one of them to the uttermost.

"I should lose nothing" He declares emphatically. Why?

The salvation of all those given to Him is solely, wholly, and completely dependent upon Him and His work alone, and He finished it. It is by His righteousness and blood, PLUS NOTHING.

Based upon His finished work of redemption, eternal salvation is freely bestowed to each and every one of those given to Christ, at God's approved and accepted time, making each one of them fit for eternal glory, as well as ENABLING them to respond to the gospel call when it comes to them.

However, their eternal salvation - ministered to them when they were still in their native state of sin and death, by the direct and immediate activities of the Triune God - is PRIOR TO and INDEPENDENT OF the temporal salvation that is ministered through the instrumentality of the gospel ministry.

If the eternal salvation of God's elect is conditioned upon any instrumentality of man's activity, as many imagined, then the promised salvation is no longer sure unto all the elect.

The gospel ministry is to proclaim the good news of what has been happened - i.e. the eternal salvation that has been purposed, accomplished and applied - calling those recipients to believe the truth of their eternal salvation by God's free grace.

The blessedness of the man in connection with...

Ps 133.3 "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew 

that descended upon the mountains of Zion: 

for there the LORD commanded the blessing, 

even life for evermore."

The blessedness of the man in connection with...

- the accounting of Christ's righteousness to him personally by God's free grace, when still in his native state of sin and condemnation, for his justification before God, and

- the reckoning of his faith (in Christ) to him to experience the blessedness of his justified state by God's free grace

The two are DISTINCT and INDEPENDENT; the former is logically and chronologically prior;  the justification APPLIED freely by grace is distinct and prior to the justification EXPERIENCED through faith in Jesus Christ.

For Abraham, the former took place when he was still in the Ur of the Chaldean; the latter, happened many years later in Genesis 15.

Romans 4

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

9 ¶Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Various terms for the same group of people

Psa 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."

Various terms for the same group of people

- God's handiwork in redemption.

#multifacet_jewels_of_God

Various terms used to describe God's people:
the elect, children, sons, Christians, disciples, believers, followers, saints, brethren, sheep, etc...

Before the foundation of the world, God has chosen a people. They are God's elect. All others have been left to themselves or bypassed - as far as redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ are concerned.  I reject double predestination, I'm no Calvinist, you see; I believe in election and preterition. Election does not necessarily require reprobation; those not elected were simply bypassed, left to themselves, with no injustice done to them whatsoever.)

Literally, God's elect people are EVERYWHERE, since they are redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Among God's elect: there are those already in paradise, others are on earth, and still, others are yet to be born. The names of all these were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world.

1. There are those whose spirits are already in paradise...
- God regenerated them at a certain point during their earthly lives.
- Many were never reached with the gospel ministry.
- Of those who were reached, some were converted; they were converted to vastly different degrees.
- There was Lot, and there was Abraham! There was King Saul, and there was David!
- There were those in far-flung countries, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Rev 5:9.

2. Among the elect of God on earth:
a. There are those who are still in their native state of deadness in trespasses and sin, just like any of the non-elect.- These too, have been redeemed by Christ, legally justified by the blood of Christ.
- These are no less God's elect but they are NOT children yet because they have not yet been effectually called out of their native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation; thus they are not yet born of God.
- Eternal salvation has not been applied to them personally.
- Among these, some have the gospel preached to them, and others have not. Being still devoid of spiritual life, the gospel ministry was of no benefit to them. (Penang's famous 'char koay teow' is of no value to a dead man whatsoever, no matter how many times it is sincerely offered to him by the most savvy cooks. I hope you get the point.)
- The elect who are still spiritually dead, not yet regenerated by God, would consider the gospel as foolishness, just as the non-elect would!

b. There are those whom God has regenerated, and given eternal life, without any human agency/instrumentality:
- These are born of God, and therefore they are children of God.
- Of these, some have not been reached with the gospel ministry. Others are incapable of being reached.
- These have not been brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through the gospel ministry, like the multitude of devout Jews who had come to Jerusalem to observe on the feast of Pentecost, and fearers of God like the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, and Lydia,
- These are no less God’s children BUT they are NOT yet disciples, not Christian yet, because they have not been converted to Christ yet through the gospel ministry. They have not professed Christ.

- Others have been reached with the gospel. Of these, there are believers, and others are not believers yet.
- Of the believers, they are disciples to vastly varying degrees.
- See the parable of the sower... some are fruitful, others are fruitless!
- Some are careless in hearing the word of truth and make paupers of themselves.
- Others are careful in hearing the word of truth and prosper.
- Some are converted to a great degree, others resist conversion!
- There are wise virgins, there are foolish virgins.
- There are good disciples, and there are bad disciples.
- There are those who consistently enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way; others who consistently enter the wide gate and walk the broad way.
- Some hear and do, others hear and forget!

3. There are those still to be conceived and born...
- This is obvious enough unless the last elect has been conceived.

 I hope this broad sketch helps.

Those who choose to repent and believe DO SO because they are ALREADY saved by God, i.e. regenerated and given eternal life. Only the spiritually alive (God's children, the elect that are born again) are able to exercise the choice to repent and believe, believing something that is already true - the good news of God has saved them. They believe what is ALREADY true; their believing DOES NOT make their salvation come true. They believe what is ALREADY true. One is called to believe what is already true, not in order to make something untrue come true through his believing.

Jesus Christ came to die and to save His people - not one more, and not one less. His people are those whom God has chosen, and given to Jesus Christ. They belonged to Jesus Christ, and He came to save them, and them alone - as many as God has given to Him. "As many as" means "not one more and not one less."

John 17: 2 "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

John 6: 37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day."
- "... he hath given me" (v39): this happened before the foundation of the word.
- "... the Father giveth me" (v37): this happens at the effectual calling of each elect out of his native state of sin, death, and condemnation in Adam to that of righteousness, life, and justification in Jesus.
- "... him that cometh to me" (v37): the effectually called who comes to Christ through the hearing of the gospel, "faith cometh by hearing."

He who ears to hear, let him hear and be blessed by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

If the son of peace be there...

Are there sons of peace among them?
The gospel ministry can make them manifest.

If the son of peace be there...

Luke 10

2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again

---------------

Note a few things:

1. His harvest: the harvest is of the Lord of harvest, it is ripe for harvest;  it is ready to be gathered into His church.

- Labourers are sent out to bring in the harvest field; they are not sent to till and sow to produce the crop. It is the work of gathering in the harvest into the barn, i.e., gathering in what's already there by the Lord of the harvest.

2. Carry neither purse...: beware of doing lollipop evangelism or money mission if you want to gather in the Lord's harvest. Banana-churchianity is the popular game today; tricks and treats financed by a fat purse attract crowds easily. 

- I have seen the ugliness of money mission first-hand in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Words like "Give us this amount of US$ and we will bring these churches to join you..."

3. If the son of peace be there: 
- his presence precedes the coming of the labourers sent by the Lord. 
- the son of peace is one whom God has reconciled to Himself through His Son, the Prince of Peace. Such can, and needs to be called out by the gospel ministry.
- The work of the labourers is to look for such and gather them into the kingdom of God. The gospel ministry will draw them out into the light; it is like a magnet drawing out iron nails among the plastic junks. 

The preachers of the gospel of peace are sent forth to bring the gospel of the Prince of peace to the sons of peace whom the Prince of peace has reconciled to God, and whom the Spirit of God has freely regenerated.

Rom 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For in the gospel is the righteousness of God proclaimed by those in whom the Spirit of God has worked faith and have been brought to believe the gospel, to those in whom the same Spirit has worked the same faith that they may be brought to believe the truth of the same gospel of salvation.

The sons of peace alone are able to receive the gospel of peace.

1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV —

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Some Calvinistic fables

A black tulip, the Queen of Night.

Mr. Joel, a Calvinist stated this:

Progressive Sanctification is not conversion. It is true that Definite sanctification takes place during Regeneration but they are not one and the same. Conversion is the direct effect of Regeneration. In the Ordo Salutis, Conversion logically takes place right after Regeneration but that is [a] logical priority and should not be understood chronologically. Whenever there is regeneration then conversion takes place.

=============

Few OBVIOUS errors here:

1. Progressive sanctification is not conversion.

- Progressive sanctification is conversion. Since conversion is a lifelong process beginning with the initial conversion to Christ through the gospel ministry and goes on till the last breath of a child of God. No conversion, no ongoing sanctification!

2. Definitive sanctification does not take place during regeneration.

- Regeneration takes place at definitive sanctification. Regeneration is ONE PART of the definitive sanctification by God's free grace at effectual calling, i.e. God's act of calling an elect who is in his native state of condemnation, death, and alienation to that state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. [This separation from the state of sin and death to that state of grace and salvation is a once-for-all completed and unrepeatable separation, thus definitive sanctification!] 
- Calling one that is condemned, dead and alienated to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ necessarily requires JUSTIFICATION, REGENERATION, and ADOPTION. Without these necessary divine activities, one is not separated from the native state of sin and death to the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.

3. "Conversion logically takes place right after Regeneration". - Wrong. Conversion takes place after regeneration - that is the correct chronological order. BUT it is PLAIN WRONG to say that conversion takes place RIGHT AFTER regeneration. Look at Cornelius. His conversion took place after the gospel ministered by Peter. But Cornelius was obviously regenerated long before Peter came to the scene. His devout life of prayers and works of righteousness, and acceptance with God, are indisputable evidence that Cornelius was regenerated long before, not just right before his conversion!

4. "Whenever there is regeneration then conversion takes place."

- Plain wrong too. Some regeneration is never accompanied by conversion through the gospel ministry. Some of God's children are incapable of being reached by the gospel ministry.

- Regeneration is not only LOGICALLY but also CHRONOLOGICALLY prior to conversion through the gospel ministry. So simple, even the regenerated needs time to hear, to understand before he can be converted to the truth of the gospel of Christ. Elementary.

- SO ALSO there are God's justified people who are incapable of being reached with the gospel, and therefore not justified by their faith. But everyone is justified by the free grace of God in effectual calling. This alone ensures that the promised salvation is SURE to every elect.

FOUR popular errors in one short paragraph...

PHEW! And you are a Calvinistic teacher in Israel!

I tremble!

Orderly Messed Up Order!

All jumbled up!

A Reformed Order of Salvation 

or 

A Deformed Disorder of Fiction?

The following order of salvation is taken from a short article from Monergism.com http://www.monergism.com/direct…/link_category/Ordo-Salutis/

In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 

1) election, 

2) predestination, 

3) gospel call 

4) inward call 

5) regeneration,

 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 

7) justification, 

8) sanctification, and 

9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30)

The above order is taken from the Monergism.com website because it is the top one when I googled 'reformed ordo salutis.' I checked a few others... the order is essentially the same in the other reformed sites.

I want to show you that this grand-sounding order of salvation is:

- Damning: it damns the eternal destiny of many elects.

- Blasphemous: it conditions divine sovereignty on human activities.

- Irrational: the outward/gospel call precedes inward/effectual call.

- Ignorant: have no clue on what constitutes 'effectual call', and the distinct aspects of justification.

- Nonsensical: Regeneration to life precedes/without the justification of life!

- Contradictory: contradicts the reformed Confession of Faith.

- Perverting Rom 8:29-30.

I will demonstrate each of the points above as we go along.

Anyone is welcome to dispute with me but please be kind to yourselves, and read these non-reformed order of salvation first;

here https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2011/05/order-of-salvation.html and here

https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2010/04/messed-up-order-of-salvation-of.html

If you are seeing the evils of the 'reformed' order of salvation, feel free to point them out. Have a good time.

First, let us state an assumption - that the reformed order of salvation embraces each and every elect, that is, it applies to, and is true of every elect.

The ordo's appeal to Romans 8:29-30 confirms this.

29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

It is very plain, and beyond any shadow of a doubt that this passage embraces the full and complete number of God's elect, and none excepted. The number foreknown is the exact same number called, justified, and glorified; not one more, and not one less in each divine activity. 

If any dispute the validity of the above assumption, please let him present his case.

Perhaps the reformed folks have one ordo salutis for some elect and another set of ordo salutis for the rest of the elect. That might be the case but I have not read one yet. If anyone knows another besides the one shown above, please let them tell us.

Yoel Rizo-Patron 
Do Scriptures teach that the church collaborates to bring those whom the spirit has given new birth and are out there wandering and lost without a shepherd and church family?

Orderly 

Sing F Lau 
Yes, and yes, and yes! A church home is needed for the WELL-BEING of God's children here on earth. Their BEING as God's children is entirely by God's own activity - 'which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' Not the will or good intention of the preacher. 

Matthew 10

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Harvest ALREADY there by the divine work of grace. Go and gather them into churches. They have been made perfectly fir for heaven and eternal glory. 

Matthew 28

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Disciples can only be made out of God's children, those already effectually called to grace and salvation by God's free and sovereign grace.

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?

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!

Only those effectually called to grace and salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God are able to hear the gospel, call on the Lord, and believe in him.

Sing F Lau
In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30)

======

Let me state that in this ordo of salvation, ONLY the first 2 links (election and predestination) and the last link (glorification) is correct and in the right place. All the rest, they are either in the wrong place and wrongly understood, or both. I will substantiate this as we go along.

Yoel Rizo-Patron
So let me try 3) regeneration. 4)Gospel call. 5)inward call. 6)conversion. 7)justification. 8) santification. came close?

Sing F Lau 
In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30)

=======

1. I want to show you that this grand-sounding (reformed) order of salvation, IF TRUE, will damn the eternal destiny of many elect.

According to the ordo salutis, the gospel call is the first link in the APPLICATION of redemption, and is the necessary instrument unto inward call and regeneration and conversion. The conclusion is very simple: without gospel call there would be no inward call, no regeneration and no conversion. Period. 

So, in this 'reformed' ordo salutis, the gospel ministry is indispensable unto inward call and regeneration and conversion.

This notion would work fine IF all the elect, without exception, are capable of being outwardly called by the gospel ministry. To be capable of being outwardly called by the gospel ministry, the elect must be SENTIENT [capable of perceiving and understanding spiritual truth] to hear and receive the gospel, IN ADDITION to being reached with the gospel. 

For the 'reformed' ordo salutis t be true, all the elect without exception must have the capability to receive the gospel ministry, AS WELL AS the opportunity of being reached with the gospel ministry. Without the capability and opportunity, they do not have the gospel call that is necessary to their inward call and regeneration and conversion! 

That is, they are damned by this 'reformed' ordo salutis. 

Any elect that are incapable of being reached with the gospel by whatever reason - whether the incapability in them like dying in infancy, mentally challenged, deaf and blind, etc, or never had the benefits of the gospel ministry - are thus DAMNED by this 'reformed' ordo salutis to be left to remain in their native sate of condemnation and death. 

The reformed folks may retort, and insist, 'BUT ALL God's elect have the capability for, as well as the opportunity of, the gospel ministry, God sovereignly guarantees that!.' I heard all that before! Some rant, 'ALL the elect, without exception, will hear and believe the gospel', ya, the 'reformed' gospel! 

Some who are a little less stiffnecked would suggest that for those elect without the capability for or opportunity of the gospel ministry, there is a different and special ordo salutis just for them. Their 'exception' clause does the magic!

Sing F Lau 
In the Reformed camp, the ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30)

=======

I want to show you that this 'reformed' ordo salutis starts off at a completely WRONG place with gospel call as the first link in the APPLICATION of redemption!

This notion is theologically blasphemous, biblically impossible, confessionally ignorant, and logically insane. I will address these briefly.

Theologically blasphemous

The Triune God sovereignly PURPOSED the eternal redemption of His elect, and sovereignly ACCOMPLISHED that redemption in and through Jesus Christ. The Scriptures declare that the accomplished redemption is sovereignly applied to each elect (dead in trespasses and sins) directly and immediately, without human aid or gospel instrumentality. 

The Triune God DOES NOT leave the APPLICATION of eternal redemption to the elect personally to the gospel call issued by preachers!. Why would the all-wise God commit such folly, getting puny men involved in such an all-important work of redemption?

The 'reformed' ordo salutis conditions the application of the accomplished redemption to the elect on the human activities of preaching the gospel, and of his elect of hearing and believing it. That being so, let us ask, how much and whose preaching of the gospel will be used to effect inward call? 

That will immediately endanger the eternal destiny of some of God's elect. God DOES NOT commit such foolishness. The 'reformed' ordo salutis insist God does.

Biblically impossible
The gospel ministry is consistently seen and understood as the means ordained for the benefit of God's children, to inform and instruct them of the truth of their salvation by the free grace of God.

Christ told Peter,... "FEED... FEED... FEED... my sheep and my lambs.' Feeding concerns with the living - i.e. God's existing children. Christ already has His sheep and lambs out there. Eternal redemption has been applied to them. The gospel of that eternal redemption by God's free and sovereign needs to be brought to them, so that they might know the truth of their redemption. The gospel declares what God HAS DONE.

Apostle Paul declares, 'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' The preaching of the gospel comes to them that perish, and them that ARE SAVED. Those that ARE SAVED are already there, and the gospel comes to them. Those that ARE SAVED are those elect whom God has APPLIED personally the eternal redemption, and the gospel is meant to announce and proclaim that truth to them.

Those converted on the day of Pentecost were ALREADY DEVOUT God-fearing Jews before they ever heard the gospel. The eternal redemption has been applied to them freely and sovereignly by the grace of God before they heard the gospel on the day of Pentecost. The same is true of the Ethiopian eunuch, and the centurion too. The gospel ministry is for the nurturing of the lives that God Himself has freely and effectually called to grace and salvation.

Confessionally ignorant. 
Read the WCF chapter 10. The application of eternal redemption begins with the Triune God's act of effectual calling - the free (i.e. not conditions of anything in man or of man) and sovereign activities of God in bringing an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation. And God does not involve man or the gospel ministry in his work of effectual calling. Go and read it real carefully, line by line, phrase by phrase.

And please remember well... to call an elect out of his native state of condemnation and death to grace and salvation, the divine activities of justification, regeneration and adoption with the gift of the Spirit of adoption MUST TAKE PLACE... in that number and order. (That's the order laid out in the WCF!) The effectual call turns a condemned dead sinner into a justified, regenerated adopted son of God, thus enabling him to respond to the gospel call when it comes. 

Logically insane
Why would the reformed folks condition the application of eternal salvation of God's elect upon man and his instrumentality to deliver the gospel call? Why can't God Himself be the one and only Active Agent in applying the eternal redemption to each and every one of His elect directly and immediately, without human instrumentality? Is it because reformed men are fearful that God won't be able to perform without their help? Is it because they think God purposely and wisely involve them in the work of applying redemption to His elect? Which is which? Whatever, both are insane and presumptuous.

Of course, it must be said that God does appoint human instrumentality to proclaim the good news that God Himself has freely and sovereignly applied the eternal redemption to His elect personally, that is, to announce what has happened - a world of difference from saying that that announcement is the instrumentality through which eternal redemption is applied.

......

 p/s

When thinking of the Order of Salvation, it is helpful to separate the various phases/facets in the order into their DISTINCT and LOGICAL phases/facets.

They are, in NUMBER (five of them) and ORDER, these:

- Redemption purposed by God (for the whole elect)

- Redemption accomplished by Christ (for the whole elect)

- Redemption applied by the Spirit (to each elect personally)

- Redemption experienced/evidenced through the ministry of the word (by many of the elect)

- Redemption consummated at the general resurrection (the whole of the elect)

A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.