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| If you understand the above statement, you are ahead of many theologians. |
Some
notes on Effectual Calling
(as
summarized in 1689 CoF Chapter 10.1)
1. Those
whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and
accepted time, effectually to call, 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; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the
things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart
of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to
that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as
they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
( Rom
8:30; Rom 11:7; Eph 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Eph 2:1-6; Acts 26:18;
Eph 1:17, 18; Eze 36:26; Deu 30:6; Eze 36:27; Eph 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Song 1:4 )
Introduction:
a. The Context of effectual calling:
- The
covenant of redemption, Chapters 7 and 8; here in Chapter 10, it is indicated by “Those whom God
hath predestinated unto life…”
- The impotence of man, Chapters 6 and 9; in this paragraph, it is indicated by “that state of sin and
death in which they are by nature…”
- This
leads to the absolute necessity of chapter 10, the effectual call by the free
and sovereign activities of the Triune God.
b.
Popular errors of the RBs in particular, and the Calvinists in general, and even
some Primitive Baptists.
-
equating the effectual calling as regeneration.
-
equating the Word (second Person of the Trinity) as the ministry of the word or
the inspired Scriptures, leading to the heresy of gospel regeneration.
- the normal way of calling (with instrumental means) and the exceptional way of calling
(without instrumental means).
- all
the elect, without exception, will hear and believe the gospel.
c.
Serious implications: An erroneous view of effectual calling is necessarily
coupled with the wrong views of justification, regeneration, and the function
of the gospel ministry. (if you are clueless, please inquire.)
1. The
General Overview of Effectual Calling (paragraph 1)
a. The
objects of effectual calling
- “Those
whom God hath predestinated unto life…”
- This
embraces ALL the elect, without exception. Forget about the reformed fable of
the "normal/exceptional" ways. Bear this in mind when you read
paragraph 3. More on this when we come to paragraph 3.
b. The
author of effectual calling
- “Those
whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased… to effectually call…”
- God alone is the author, and He acts according to His good pleasure.
- God alone is the author, and He acts according to His good pleasure.
- Divine predestination has to do with PEOPLE; God predetermined the eternal destiny of people. God DID NOT predestinate things and events!
c. The
timing of effectual calling for each elect
- “He is
pleased in his appointed, and accepted time…”
- God
alone determines the time of an elect's effectual calling out of his native state of sin and death to that state of grace and
salvation.
- The
gospel ministry affects the time of conversion of those whom God HAS ALREADY
effectually called, prior to and independent of the gospel ministry.
d. The
efficacy of the effectual calling
- “He is
pleased… effectually to call…”
- “… by His almighty power determining them to that which is good.”
- “…
effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ.”
- “…yet
so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.”
- The divine purpose in the effectual call of each elect is most assuredly and
immutably accomplished, by His almighty power alone; man's role is completely excluded.
- "... that which is good" is nothing less than being brought into the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
- "... that which is good" is nothing less than being brought into the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
e. The
Divine Agents of effectual calling
- “He is
pleased… effectually to call by His Word and Spirit…”
-
"His Word" is not the Scriptures; there were no Scriptures for many
centuries prior to Moses; neither is His Word the gospel ministry
- These
are the second and third Persons of the Divine Trinity respectively. See John
1:1,14; Heb 4:12; Rev 19:13.
- All three Persons of the Triune God are actively involved in the effectual
calling of those predestinated onto eternal life.
-
"His Word" is distinct and different from "the ministry of the
word" in paragraph 3; save yourself from soundbite.
f. The
transference in the effectual calling
- “He is
pleased… effectually to call… out of that state of sin and death in which they
are by nature, to [that state of] grace and salvation…”
- To
call a man out of his native state of sin and death to that state of grace and
salvation in Christ Jesus REQUIRES the free and sovereign divine activities of
justification, regeneration and adoption (in that number, and order); without these free and sovereign
activities of the Triune God, a man is not brought out of his native state and into the state of grace and salvation
in Christ Jesus.
- A man called into the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ is already perfectly fitted for eternal glory; he is freely justified by God's grace, regenerated by the Spirit of God, adopted into the family of God, and bestowed with and indwelt by the Spirit of adoption' The indwelling Spirit works in him all the saving graces.
g. The
basis of effectual calling
- “...
grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.”
- The
redemptive work by the Son of God is the basis and ground of the calling of
those predestinated to life in the covenant of redemption.
- Their predestination unto eternal life is based and grounded solely upon the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone.
- Their predestination unto eternal life is based and grounded solely upon the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone.
h. The
manifold effects of effectual calling upon the called
-
“enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of
God…”
-
“taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh…”
-
“renewing their wills...”
- That
is, the whole person is affected, a new creation, a new man.
Conclusion
Thus a man, an elect, in his native state, i.e. under just condemnation, dead, and alienated from God, is effectually called out of that state by God's sovereign and gracious activities of justification (removes condemnation), regeneration (removes deadness), and adoption (removes alienation) into the state of grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.
These three free and sovereign activities of God in the effectual calling bring an elect OUT OF his native state of condemnation, death, and alienation INTO the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thus a man, an elect, in his native state, i.e. under just condemnation, dead, and alienated from God, is effectually called out of that state by God's sovereign and gracious activities of justification (removes condemnation), regeneration (removes deadness), and adoption (removes alienation) into the state of grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.
These three free and sovereign activities of God in the effectual calling bring an elect OUT OF his native state of condemnation, death, and alienation INTO the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
