Effectual calling

All people everywhere are guilty before God, and condemned. Rom 3 vs 10-20. Their only hope of getting right with God lies in the Gospel. Rom 1 vs 16-17. So God has commissioned His people to preach it to every person. Matt 28 vs 19-20.

It is by the Gospel message alone that people are brought to faith in Christ, and therefore to salvation. Rom 10 vs 17, 1 Cor 1 vs 21.

• Why do some people accept the Gospel when they hear it, while others do not ?
  • The reason is not in the Gospel itself, The same message is preached to all.
  • Jesus Christ is freely offered to all sinners without exception - see Rom 10 vs 13, John 3 vs 16, Rev 22 vs 17.
  • there is nothing in the message itself which prevents any person from accepting the offer of salvation contained in it.
  • The reason does not lie in the nature of the hearers
    • all are equally sinful (Isa 64 vs 6), equally dead spiritually (Eph 2 vs 1), equally unable to grasp spiritual things (1 Cor 1 vs 23, 2 vs 14), equally determined NOT to come to Christ (John 5 vs 40).
      - whatever their intellect, culture or background, all of them, left to themselves, would never accept the saving Gospel and would certainly perish.
  • The reason IS that some are effectually called, and some are not
    • all hear the same message, but to some it is a life-giving message which gives them spiritual understanding, and the power and desire to choose the Lord Jesus Christ freely offered to them in the Gospel. 1 Peter 1 vs 23, James 1 vs 18.
    • this is because of the work of the Holy Spirit. What is taking place is "the new birth" (regeneration). John 3 vs 1-8 tells us that the new birth is :-
      • prevenient - God's work precedes all spiritual activity in man.
      • monergistic - it is accomplished solely by the Holy Spirit.
      • mysterious - it cannot be observed or described.
      • sovereign - it takes place when and where He wills.
      • effectual - it produces the desired result - the person concerned DOES come to see and to enter the Kingdom.
      • the heart is overcome with sin, Christ is seen as God's appointed Saviour, and He is most freely and gladly chosen and trusted. The sinner receives power both to hear and obey the Divine summons. Acts 2 vs 37-41.
      • it is a miracle - just like Lazarus being raised! John 11.
• This does not make men and women into mere pawns :-
  • no-one is lost or saved against his will. Natural men do not want the Gospel, and called people do! 1 Cor 1 vs 18.
  • effectual calling is not an act of 'forcing', but an act of creation (2 Cor 5 vs 17, Eph 2 vs 10). A new nature is given, and thus the will chooses new things. The called person WANTS to do what he did not want to do before - as we saw last week. Psa 110 vs 3.
  • he sees the Gospel as true, as a blind man sees the sun. 2 Thess 2 vs 13 - 14
  • he sees his unworthiness and guilt before God. Acts 2 vs 37.
  • he sees the Saviour as Substitute and Advocate. John 6 vs 44.
  • he wants the Saviour, and not his sin, so turns from it to Him. Ezek 11 vs 19, 36 vs 26-27.
  • he trusts what the Saviour has done for sinners; he relies on this and nothing else for his standing with God. Acts 26 vs 18.
• Two dangers to avoid.
  • Effectual calling may be sudden, or it may be gradual. It may be accompanied by deep feelings, or it may not.
  • Do not assume that because you have had a sudden religious experience accompanied by deep feelings, that you have been effectually called. TRUE callings lead to CONTINUING faith (Hebrews : 2 Peter). Where is your faith now? - that is the question to decide whether you are truly called or not (see Heb 6 vs 4-8, 2 Peter 2 vs 20-22).
  • Some people say they would repent and believe if they could, but they can't, because God has not given them His Spirit.
  • Do not assume that you must feel that you have the Spirit before you repent and believe. You are COMMANDED to repent and believe, whatever you do or do not feel. Do so without delay. Acts 17 vs 30, 16 vs 31.
  • God does not permit ANYONE to know he is regenerated before he believes. But all who obey the Gospel invitation, and are trusting Christ NOW, may be certain that the Spirit has worked in them. 1 Cor 12 vs 3.
  • "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure ..." 2 Peter 1 vs 10