Romans 8:28-30
“Predesination”; “Called/Calling”
Pastor Martin delivers the sixth message in a series on the sovereignty of God, focusing on God's sovereignty in grace. He expounds on the biblical meanings of 'predestinate' and 'called/calling,' demonstrating that God's choice and effectual call are rooted in His eternal purpose and grace, not human merit. Martin applies these doctrines to cultivate humility, provide confidence for believers, and critique modern evangelistic methods that deny God's effectual call.
Primary Texts
Topics
Outline 8 sections · 61 min
- Introduction: God's Method of Revealing Truth 0:01
- Review of God's Sovereignty in Grace: Chosen and Foreknown 7:15
- The Meaning and Use of 'Predestinate' 12:24
- The General Call of the Gospel 27:01
- The Effectual Call of God 34:06
- The Author and Nature of the Effectual Call 45:16
- The Source of the Effectual Call: Grace, Purpose, and Electing Love 52:50
- Practical Uses of the Doctrine of Effectual Calling 57:13
Key Quotes
“God has been robbed of his godhood. God has been robbed of his throne rights and our thinking has become so perverted and so man-centered that to even begin to think the thoughts that are governed from this perspective, all things are of him and through him and unto him, it's a terrible, shocking experience to the mind and to the spirit.”
“We must approach with an attitude of faith willing to believe where we cannot understand, willing to trust where we cannot fathom.”
“not according to what he saw in us, but it traces it back to his absolute sovereignty according to the good pleasure of his will.”
“The real root of the problem is that you want to think that there was something in you that moved him to lay his hand upon you. And that nerve of pride is a living fibrous nerve in every one of us.”
“But outside of those few passages, the word call, calling, called, almost invariably in the New Testament mean that special call of God, which not only summons men to the benefits of the gospel, but actually brings them into possession of the blessings of the gospel.”
“But my coming is the discovery of its beginning in the eternal purposes. Of God, all that the Father giveth shall come. The effects will call and him that comes, he never turns away.”
“Do you know what all the methodology of modern evangelism is? It's a projection of a theology that denies the effectual call of God.”
Applications
All listeners
- When God is putting the spotlight on a truth in your life, don't try to turn that light to some other truth. Let God burn that truth in.
- Approach the study of God's ways with an attitude of faith, willing to believe where you cannot understand and trust where you cannot fathom.
- Delight to give the gospel call and summon men to repent and flee to Christ and believe the gospel.
- If you don't hunger to be holy, you've never heard God's effectual call.
- For the child of God, the doctrine of effectual calling forms the source of true humility.
- The doctrine of effectual calling becomes the grounds of confidence, knowing that God who began a good work will carry it on to completion.
- The doctrine of effectual calling will shape and mold your methods of evangelism, both personally and corporately.
A full transcript is available on the tab. 185 paragraphs, roughly 61 minutes.
Introduction: God's Method of Revealing Truth
We come tonight to the sixth message in this series on the general theme of the sovereignty of God. Now, in meditating, thinking over our approach to the study tonight, I felt it was necessary to say something that I trust will be helpful to those who come with some measure of regularity and those who may be just visiting with us, and particularly for those who perhaps just started to come into our fellowship over the past few weeks since we began this series of studies on the sovereignty of God. I heard a remark by someone, all they do is sound one note at that place. They just plunk on one key.
This particular individual happened to come here about six weeks ago, eight weeks ago, when I started this series on the sovereignty of God, happened to be in a class where they're studying a book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, and happened to be coming Sunday mornings in which I'm pointing out the application of God's sovereignty to the work of redemption. And so they said, and that's all they talk about up at that place. Well, that's not altogether an accurate appraisal. You see, the way God deals with us generally is something like this.
Here's the God who is the source of all revelation. Let this represent the whole spectrum of his truth. Some of you have seen the spectrum of the rainbow, the colors going all the way from one to the other, and they're overlapping. And here is the child of God.
Now, he's indwelt by the spirit of truth, and the spirit of God, and the spirit of truth has come to lead him into the truth of God in order that being built up in the truth, he may grow up into Christ in all things. Now, generally, the way God deals with us in bringing us more and more into an understanding of the whole counsel of God and into the whole spectrum of his truth, generally now, this is the way he deals with us. He brings into focus one particular aspect of this truth. It's as though he takes a floodlight, and he turns that floodlight, and upon that one truth.
Now, we still know that there are other truths, but while God is seeking to burn that truth into our hearts, everything else seems to pale into relative insignificance as God is exercising our minds and our spirits to illuminate our minds about that truth, and then to teach us what it means for that truth to be applied to our lives. And then when we have begun to lay hold of the first principles of that truth, then God will, on the basis of this, not forgetting it, but having that truth incorporated into the life, knowing something of how it applies to my living and my witness, etc., God will then zero in on another truth, and he uses circumstances, sometimes sickness, sometimes calamity, sometimes unusual blessings, to teach particular truths. And so, as we go on as Christians, we find that again and again, there are periods in our lives when God is focusing upon a specific truth, seeking to incorporate that into our lives, and then we're able to see that truth in its relationship to all truth. Now, there seems to be some very definite scriptural warrant for this. You remember in Matthew 16, it says that from that time forward began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must suffer, be raised from the dead.
Up until that time, he didn't talk about this. Just a few veiled illusions. But now they were ready for some big doses, of his coming death. Another time, our Lord said, I have many things to say unto you, but you're not ready for the spotlight.
You're not yet able to bear them. But, how be it, when he, the Spirit, has come, he will lead you into this truth. In Acts 1, 3, we read that following the resurrection of Christ, that he spent 40 days with his disciples, speaking unto them, and this was the main area of his teaching, concerning the kingdom of God. Now, it isn't as though that was the only thing that was important, but at that time, as he was about to leave, he wanted to ground them in the truth of the nature of his kingdom, the power by which his kingdom would be established in the hearts of men.
And so, this, I think, will help those of you who perhaps have just come among us, and at this particular time, and those who have been with us, have borne witness to this. When I began this series, I had probably no less than a half a dozen people say that in a very marked way, God had already turned the spotlight on this truth of divine sovereignty, and they were already prepared to receive the truth of divine sovereignty. This is what we were about to cover in the messages. But this isn't the only truth.
Now, the first year and a half I was here, all I preached on is what it means to be a Christian. The book of 1 John, the marks of a true believer. And if you happened to come then, you would have said, they only sound one note here. What's a real Christian?
Well, as God incorporated that truth into many of our lives, we have been able then to see that in relationship to other truths. And going through the Sermon on the Mount, God focused upon the inwardness of the Christian life, the strict demands of his law, and at that time, this particular place in God's dealings with us as an assembly as a whole, we're convinced that God is seeking to bring into the bloodstream of our spiritual existence a true biblical concept of the sovereignty of God. Now, that's not the only ingredient to our spiritual blood. But at this point, it's that which God is seeking to bring into our lives.
And so for you who've just come now, we want to assure you that we don't believe the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the sunrise, the truth rises and sets upon this one doctrine alone. But it does rise and set upon this doctrine. And we have no right to minimize it. We have no right to overlook it.
We have no right to simply throw it back in the shades and say, God, you've got no business putting the spotlight on that doctrine. No, we have no right to do that. And so at this stage in God's dealings, we believe God has prepared many of us for a hearty grasp and a practical application and a follow-up following through with the implications of the truth of his word concerning his absolute sovereignty. And in a very special way in our generation, it's necessary that we go slowly through this truth for for several generations in the evangelical church, God has been robbed of his godhood.
God has been robbed of his throne rights and our thinking has become so perverted and so man-centered that to even begin to think the thoughts that are governed from this perspective, all things are of him and through him and unto him, it's a terrible, shocking experience to the mind and to the spirit. It's a reorientation to all of life and to all of truth. And that's never an easy process. It's much harder to unlearn something and relearn it right than to simply learn with a virgin mind.
And so this word of explanation, I trust, will be helpful and that you'll remember this as God deals with you. And when God's putting the spotlight on a truth in your life, don't you try to turn that light to some other truth. You let God burn that truth in because he has a wonderful way of just beating you at this game and you try to fight him. It's losing business.
Review of God's Sovereignty in Grace: Chosen and Foreknown
Losing business. All right then, so much for this general word of introduction. Now just briefly, where are we in our study? Well, we are studying the sovereignty of God which simply stated means that area of truth which teaches that God rules in the world that he has made.
That he is ordering all events and governing all circumstances to his own eternal purpose and for the fulfillment of his own plan. Now that sovereignty as we have seen is exerted in several spheres. There is his sovereignty in the realm of creation, what he made, in the realm of providence, governing over that which he made and we are focusing now upon this third area, the sovereignty of God in the realm of grace. That when God saves men, he saves them sovereignly.
Whom God saves, he saves sovereignly. As we are thinking our way through this doctrine of the sovereignty of God in the realm of grace, we said the best way to do it is to look at the scriptures which use key words indicating his sovereignty in grace and then the Lord willing we shall expound certain key passages which set forth the sovereignty of God in grace. Thus far, studying the key words, we have studied two. The first word is chosen.
The word chosen, elect, election, used 49 or 50 times in its different forms, verb, noun, forms in the New Testament and clearly teaches that there is a divine selection amongst the fallen sons of men and that the reason for that selection lies not in men but it lies hidden in the heart of God. The second word we studied is the word foreknow. Used just several times in the New Testament, seven times to be specific and two times with reference to God's purpose in grace, Romans 8, 29 and 30 and 1 Peter 1, 1, 2. And we came to see in our study that the word foreknow does not mean simply to know beforehand. It means to know with affection and with purpose. As God said to Israel, you only have I known of all the peoples of the earth. Foreknowledge then is something more than pre-science.
Simply to know beforehand it means to know with a purpose of affection that is distinguishing that knowledge being rooted in the sovereignty of God. Now I realize that some of you and all of us in seeking to ponder the ways of God with men have confronted problems. We say, well, if this is so, what about this? And if this is so, what about that?
Let me encourage you. Let me encourage you with something tonight.
Don't reject or hold in suspension what is plain because there are certain problems connected with it. Let me illustrate. A few days ago I was up to visit Jane Cavallaro. Many of you know Jane.
Used to play our organ week after week. Led our choir. Did a wonderful job. To the best of our knowledge, loves God.
Earnest, sincere. Wants to please Him with all her heart. For a year and a half she's been plagued with one kind of illness and sickness. After another she's been to the best medical centers in the area and they can't find what's wrong with her.
Do I believe that God does all things well? Do I believe God is love? You see, I could say, well, until I understand why God's allowing this to Janey, I won't believe He's love. How can He love Janey and allow this to go on?
She's prayed. We've prayed. Others have prayed. Perhaps no one with a physical need has been prayed for as often and earnestly as Jane since the passing of Mr. Olson.
I don't know of anyone with a physical need for whom more prayer has gone up before God. Now, are you going to hold in abeyance your conviction that God is love until you get an answer as to why Jane remains in this condition? How many of you would do that? Now, you've got more sense than to do that.
You know God is love because He's declared it, because you've seen the revelation of His love at Calvary, because you see the indications of His love and grace in a thousand ways upon your own life day by day. And you say, I'll believe what is clear and I'll hold in abeyance this question, but I'm not going to hold in abeyance this question. I'm going to hold in abeyance what's clear until I understand all the answers. Now, beloved, when you study the word elect, chosen, election, it's obvious that the word can only mean one thing, that God has made a sovereign choice amongst the fallen sons of men in appointing some men to His everlasting kingdom for no other reason than that He chose to do so.
Ah, but you say, I have to... Wait a minute now.
Before you look to the problems, just look at the word elect, election, chosen, all the way and what's the obvious answer to what it means? Why, you know what the answer is. Well, then the demand for you is faith. As we started these studies, we said that we must approach with an attitude of faith willing to believe where we cannot understand, willing to trust where we cannot fathom.
The Meaning and Use of 'Predestinate'
And so, though we cannot penetrate the mysteries of the problems connected with God being sovereign in His world in the realm of grace, if words mean anything, the word elect and foreknow mean that God has sovereignly chosen to save a people on no other basis than those purposes that are hidden in His own heart. And so, God calls us to faith and God calls us to trust. Now, tonight, we want to study the third and fourth words that are the key words in seeing the Scripture teaching on the sovereignty of God in the realm of grace. One of them we'll be able to dispose of quite quickly for it's only used six times in the New Testament and then we'll spend the most of our time on the last.
One of them is the word elect. The third word is the word predestinate. And again, I would remind you the only reason we'll study this word is because God the Holy Ghost put it in His word, the Holy Scriptures. Now, as I mentioned earlier, it should be relatively easy to discover its meaning for it's used only six times.
First of all, then, in seeking to discover its meaning, what is the word, what's the root of the word? Where does it come from? Well, it comes from two words. One word, which means to mark boundaries.
It's the word used, the same root, when it speaks of the coast of Caesarea Philippi. It's that which is marked out in a geographical location. It's that word which has as its root meaning to mark out a boundary. And so it came to mean to appoint.
In Acts 17.26, it says God has appointed the bounds of the habitations of men. In Acts 10.42, it speaks of Jesus Christ appointed as the judge of the world.
So it means to mark out a choice and appoint meant made. And then it has another word prefixed on the front of it, which means before. So literally translated, the word used to translate in the Bible predestinate means to appoint beforehand. And even a man who didn't believe this doctrine, who was honest enough to the teaching of the word Thayer's lexicon, which is the standard Greek lexicon, translates it as, or gives its meaning as, God decreeing from all eternity.
Now, how is the word used? First of all, turn, please, to Acts 4.28. We've looked at the root of the word, what it means literally to appoint beforehand, to set the bounds beforehand.
Now, how is it actually used? For a meaning of a word is determined by its use, not primarily by its root. And may I give a little warning to you fellows who are going to be preachers and teachers. Don't ever build a sermon on the etymology of a word.
Sometimes the etymology has absolutely nothing to do with its present meaning. I've heard men spin out some beautiful sermons, only one thing wrong with them. They were very etymological, but they weren't biblical. Because we use certain words today that their etymology has absolutely nothing to do with their actual meaning.
The meaning is determined by usage, not primarily by its root. Now, how then did the Holy Ghost use this word? Well, in Acts 4 and verse 28, we find its first use in the New Testament. Acts 4 and verse 28.
We made reference to this this morning. Back up to verse 27. To catch the train of thought. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel, and here's the word, determined before to be done.
That's the word predestinate. The same word translated predestinate elsewhere is the word here. They were gathered together to do what thy hand had predestinated, Now, notice the subject matter is the death of Christ. Now, let's ask the question.
When it says that they were gathered together, these people, to do what God had predestinated for ordained, was it God sitting back saying, now let me see, what will they do with my son? Oh, yes, they're going to put him to death. Wonderful. Therefore, I will choose to give him up to death and I'll make that my way of providing salvation.
Utterly ridiculous. No one in his right mind would ever conclude that. No, the meaning is, it is obvious that God determined that his son should be given up to death in order to redeem his people, in order to die that glorious, efficacious death about which we spoke this morning. And so that all that came to pass in time regarding the death of Christ was preordained, was determined before by the counsel of God.
So we see that there was specific action and specific people ordained to die. And so that was preordained. And so that was preordained. And so that was preordained.
And so that was preordained. And so that was preordained or involved in this predestination of the crucifixion of Christ. Now in 1 Corinthians 2, 7 we have the next use of the word. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 7.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, now here's the same word, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Paul said we speak a mystery, that which has been veiled, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before, literally, same word, which God predestinated unto our glory. Now in Acts 4, you had action determined by the sovereign will of God. Here you have blessings determined by the sovereign will of God.
The blessing of this mysterious wisdom, this wisdom hidden, this wisdom which is Christ himself, the way by which guilty sinners will approach unto the Father, and these blessings were determined before. Specific blessing, this wisdom in a mystery, for specific people. For we read that we speak wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. So you have specific blessing predetermined for specific people.
Now in Romans 8, 29 and 30 you have two uses of it in these two verses. Romans chapter 8, and these of course are the two pivotal passages here in Romans and then in Ephesians chapter 1. Romans 8, 29 and 30.
I want to back up to verse 28 and we know that all things are working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, those called according to his purpose are those whom he knew with affection and peculiar design to do something in grace for them. 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. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called and whom he called he justified and whom he justified he also glorified. So here you find predestination tied in with being saved according to God's purpose and according to his foreknowledge. All of these things are tied together. Those who are called according to his purpose, verse 28, those are the same ones who were foreknown, they are the same ones whom God did predestinate mark out before to be conformed to the image of his son.
So it involves these two things again. You have specific people whom he did predestinate. You see, some would say, well, predestination simply means that God, determined to make believers like Christ. Well, he's not talking about believers in a vague general sense.
He's talking about specific people whom he foreknew, those he predestinated. So it involves specific people and involves specific privileges. Whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. So this predestination, this determining beforehand involves predestination.
Certain people to be the recipients of certain privileges. Those people here are called the ones who love God, who are called according to his purpose. They are foreknown. And those blessings are summed up in conformity to Jesus Christ.
Now, as we turn to Ephesians 5 and verse 11, we'll find essentially the same thing again. Ephesians 5, sorry, Ephesians 1, verses 5 and 11. My number's mixed up. Ephesians 1, these are the last two usages in the New Testament.
And when we look at these two passages, we will have studied every instance where this word is used in the New Testament. Ephesians 1, verse 5, perhaps we ought to back up to verse 4 to catch the train of thought. As Paul is giving this blessing, this burst of praise to God, he says, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Now, notice you have two things again.
Having predestinated us. Who are the us? They are the ones who have been the recipients of grace. Blessed be the God and Father, verse 3, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Paul is talking about himself and all the believers at Ephesus and he says, God's predestination involves specific people, us, and it involves specific privileges. Here the privilege is adoption, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children. And then in verse 11, that privilege is an inheritance in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will. So you find again in verses 5 and 11, these two factors.
Specific people are conferred with specific blessings in terms of God's predestinating action.
Now, where does all this flow from? It's obvious that the word means action determined beforehand in Acts 4, blessings determined beforehand in 1 Corinthians 2. In Romans 8, it involves bringing specific people into the possession of specific privileges in Ephesians, the same thing, specific people into specific privileges. Now, when you trace it back and you ask the question, now, God, what moved you to predetermine that certain people should have these specific blessings of sonship, of adoption, of this inheritance, should be conformed to the image of his son?
God answers the question without any equivocation. Notice verses 5 and verse 11 of Ephesians. Having predestinated us unto the adoption, of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to our foreseen faith and repentance.
And what he says,
not according to what he saw in us, but it traces it back to his absolute sovereignty according to the good pleasure of his will.
Revelation shuts. There the child of God falls before the door and worships.
He stops asking and he begins to worship. Notice verse 11.
In whom we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to what? To the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Just as election is attributed to the exercise not of foreseen faith of repentance or that we were a little less bad than others or a little more worthy, it was according to the good pleasure of his own will. So we have here that God's predestination is according to the exercise of his own sovereign will. And so as we study this word, it brings us right where the study of the word election and foreknow brought us to that posture of absolute humility before God that recognizes it's God who made me to differ. If I stand under the canopy of divine forgiveness, if I stand tonight as a recipient of mercy, it's not an accident.
It's because God predetermines his will. He predetermines to make me a recipient of these peculiar blessings which are the possession of the children of God. I want to say something at this point because I find this in my own heart. Out of a so-called regard for what we say, well, what about those who are not the recipients of his blessing?
We want to quarrel with God's right to choose some and pass by others. But you know what the real root of the problem is? The real root of the problem is that you want to think that there was something in you that moved him to lay his hand upon you. And that nerve of pride is a living fibrous nerve in every one of us.
And it's so difficult, even for the word of God and the Spirit, if I may say that reverently, to lift that nerve of pride out until we fall upon our faces and cry out, a debtor to mercy alone of covenant mercy I sing. Why was I made to hear thy voice and sweetly enter in while others make a wretched choice and perish in their sin according to the good pleasure of his will? And so it forms the very ground of humility, and blessed be God, it forms the base of confidence. For he predetermined, it says, he predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son.
The General Call of the Gospel
And when I see so much in me that's unlike him, I can take courage that one day the work of grace which he has begun will have its completion when I shall be like him, love him with an unsinning heart. That form of grounds for confidence, a base upon which you can stand and plead with God to carry on his work to completion. So much then for that word, and now I want to spend the remainder of our time on the fourth word, which is the key word asserting and teaching the sovereignty of God in the realm of grace, and that is the word called calling, in its different derivatives as used in the New Testament. Now, first of all, we want to just think of a general use that the word has, and then we're going to look at its specific uses in terms of our study. Now, sometimes this word simply means to give a name to something or someone. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, or the Scripture says thou shalt call his name John, or David called him Lord. Sometimes it means simply to summon somebody.
It says that Herod called the wise men. In another place, in the parable, our Lord speaks of a master who calls his servants. Now, we're not thinking of its use there where it simply means to give somebody a name or to designate a certain thing with a name or to simply summon someone, but we want to look at its specific use in terms, now follow me closely, of a summons to faith and repentance and to all the blessings of the gospel. There are the general uses of the word called.
They're very obvious, but we want to look at the specific use of this word call, calling, called, literally used dozens of times. And again, I had to fight to be selective tonight to know just the verses to use because there are so many in this particular area. We're thinking of its specific use in terms of a summons to faith and repentance and to enter in to the blessings of the gospel. Now, under that specific use, we have this fourth word which is calling or called we have its general uses which we've mentioned.
Now its specific use in terms of a summons to the gospel and under this there are two kinds of calling to the blessings of the gospel. Two kinds of call to faith and repentance and to enter in to the benefits of God's redemption set forth in Jesus Christ. There is the general call or summons which comes to all men wherever the gospel is preached. This general call or summons comes to all men wherever the gospel is preached.
In Matthew chapter 22 in the parable of the marriage feast we have a beautiful illustration of the general call of the gospel that comes to all men wherever the gospel is preached. Matthew 22 verses 3 and 8. Start with verse 2 and the kingdom of heaven is likened to a certain king who made a marriage for his son and he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come and he sent forth other servants saying tell them that are bidden this is the word called same word in the original behold I've prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come to the marriage but they made light of it etcetera down to verse 8 then saith he to his servants they which were bidden the word called were not worthy go into the highways and as many as ye find bid the same word call to the marriage so here's a beautiful picture a descriptive picture of the general call of the gospel what a delight to stand before any group of people and in the name of the God of heaven say that God announces to you that in Jesus Christ there is an adequate sufficient able savior and God bids you to turn from your sin and flee to Christ and plead
for mercy from him that's the general call of the gospel it's sincere and I want you to listen carefully that call is sincere for the scripture says God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance God says through the prophet Ezekiel I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked I have no desire to live I have no one to worship and in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit I have no desire I have no desire to serve I have no desire to consume or to live but my never have I no desire to do that but I I have no fear and no fear of God I have no fear of the Lord but my never have I no fear Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be saved. No qualifications. Look just as you are. Look unto me, all ye saved.
That's the general call of the gospel. It's sincere. It's universal. And listen carefully.
Ofttimes it is attended with the overtures of the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit of God ministers through the servants of God, there are those wooings, there are those overtures of the Spirit's ministry. This is why God says, My spirit shall not always strive with men. Stephen could say, Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost.
That's why the writer to Hebrews could write to people who apparently had turned away from the faith and said of them that ye had tasted the heavenly gift and the powers of the world to come.
And so that general call or summons comes wherever the gospel is preached. It's sincere. It's universal. It's attended.
It's done by the Spirit. But it may be ignored. These people made light of that invitation. It may be resisted.
The general call is resisted. It's resisted in this place week after week and month after month. There are times when my heart has been touched by the Spirit. It's not all the time.
But there are times when I've looked out into the faces of some of you and it was only probably a matter of propriety that kept me from just jumping out of this pulpit and coming down and throwing my arms around. I'm pleading with you. How long will it be that you resist the overtures of God's grace? That general call that comes through God's servants in the preaching of the gospel, that can be resisted.
It can be ignored. It can be despised, just like we have in the marriage feast. But ah, there's a second call that the Bible talks about. And almost every reference, these are a few of the references here in Matthew and perhaps several in the same parallel passage in Luke.
The Effectual Call of God
But outside of those few passages, the word call, calling, called, almost invariably in the New Testament mean that special call of God, which not only summons men to the benefits of the gospel, but actually brings them into possession of the blessings of the gospel. It's what the theologians rightly call the effectual call, the call that affects, brings about its desired end. Now, let us look at just a few instances to show that the word call means something more than just a summons. But it actually means a bringing men to partake of what the summons offers and demands.
We're going to look at a few instances, draw a conclusion or two, then we want to break it down. Who's the author of this call? What's the nature of that call? And what's the source of that call?
All right then, let's look at several instances very quickly. And I'll try to take you again. From the front of your Bible through the back, so we don't have to do too much jumping and jiggling through. The first reference is in Romans, chapter eight, Romans, chapter eight and verse 30.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called. Now notice, and whom he called, then he also what justified. Now put in the word summons and see if it makes sense. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also summoned.
And whom he summoned, then he justified. Let me ask you something. Do you believe that every man who has been summoned to repent and believe is a saved man? Yes or no?
How many of you believe that every man who has been summoned to repent and believe is a saved man? If he's just been summoned, if a man is summoned to repent and believe, is he a saved man? All right, then the word call here can't mean simply summon because it says whoever is called is actually what? He's actually justified.
Right? He's actually been brought into a state of forgiveness. So what does the word call mean here? Let's try to translate it a different way.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, then he also brought to partake of the blessings offered in the gospel. And those whom he brought to lay hold of the blessings of the gospel, then he justified. Now it makes sense, doesn't it? You see the word calling means more than a general summons, it means an effectual call that brings men to lay hold of the blessings offered.
Now turn, please, to 1 Corinthians 1, who's talking to the saints at Corinth, and he says in verse 6, to catch the train of thought, as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, you came behind in no gift, waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful by whom ye were called. Amen. Were they called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord? Were they merely summoned?
No. They had actually been brought into possession of life. He said the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, you came behind in no gift, and God will present you blameless before him. And it all began, he said, when you were called into fellowship with his son.
There the word called obviously means to actually bring these people into a participation. Now notice later on in the chapter, verses 24 and 27, verse 23, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Is Christ the power and wisdom of God to everyone who hears the gospel? Yes or no?
Is he? No. Is this to everyone who's what? Called.
But to those who are called. So the word called cannot mean that general summons. It means that effectual call that actually brings men to repentance and faith and to a wholehearted embrace of Christ and the provisions of the gospel. Notice you find the same thing in verses 26 and 27, for ye see your calling, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called by their summon to the gospel.
But he says they're not called, they're not actually brought to partake of the gospel. But now notice verse 27, but God hath chosen the word election, the foolish things to confound the wise, and here calling and election are joined together. So the word calling means more than a summons. It means an actual bringing into participation of the blessings of the gospel.
Now turning quickly to several verses in Thessalonians, and again, I'm only being selective, I'm passing over some key verses in Galatians and Ephesians, simply in the interest of time. First Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 12. Back up to verse 11, get the train of thought, as ye know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as the father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. He's not only summoned you.
He's talking to people. Whom he's described as those to whom the word of God came in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. They were people, verse 6 of chapter 1, who became followers of Paul and of the Lord. The word of God sounded out from them.
They turned from God to idols. They are obviously men who've been soundly converted. And he says, now walk worthy of the God who called you, not only summoned you, but actually brought you into the possession of that grace which brought you into his kingdom. And will one day bring you into a sharing of his very glory.
Second Thessalonians chapter 2. We find a similar reference. Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, talking to those who are his own.
Because God had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Where? Unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He not only summoned you, but he brought you into the possession of all the blessings offered in the gospel.
And then the last reference. Well, let me, I should mention these, huh, at the clock. Second Timothy 1, 9. Let me just quote them.
You turn, if you can turn real quick. Who hath saved us and called us. With an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Notice the two things.
He saved us and called us. Salvation and calling are identical. Now salvation and summoning are not. Many are summoned like those to the marriage feast who resist the summons, who make light of it, who are indifferent to it, who spurn it.
But here calling is joined to salvation. And then the last reference. Second Peter 1, 10. Where Peter says, make your calling and your election sure.
Now how do I make sure of the fact that I've been summoned to the gospel? All I got to do is produce a ticket that I went to a gospel meeting once in my life. If calling is simply a summons, the way I make my calling sure is just prove to God that I went to a meeting one time and heard the gospel and was summoned to faith. No, it means make your calling, make sure that you have actually been brought into the possession of saving benefits.
Benefits and saving grace make your calling and your election sure. Well, we don't want to labor the point, but just so that you would catch something of the drift of the Bible teaching, that second use of the word call, that summons to the gospel in general, then there is that special summons of God to his own that actually brings men into the possession of life. That's why to be a called person is to be the distinguishing mark of a Christian. Now, the Christian is distinguished.
It's described in the Bible many ways, described as those who are beloved of God. You will never find that phrase used of unregenerate men, beloved of God. You'll never find it. That's a peculiar title for the Christian, brethren, beloved of God.
The word saint is another title, called saints, holy ones. That's a peculiar title for the people of God. Brethren, peculiar title of the people of God. Now, the word called became a peculiar title.
Notice in Jude, and the first verse, how the people of God are addressed. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, the brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and what? And called. Now, none but a Christian is sanctified, preserved, and none but a Christian is called in this distinct way.
It's not the summons alone, but it's the actual bringing into possession of life. And then we find the same thing in Revelation chapter 17 and verse 14, where the redeemed are described in this way. Revelation 17 and verse 14, these shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Three distinct words describing the people of God. Now, I trust, if words mean anything, that we are absolutely convinced that when the Bible uses the word call, calling, called, in this way, in its preponderant use in the New Testament, it's not talking of a general, indefinite call that comes to all men, but that special call that actually brings men into the possession of life. Now. As we try to bring all of this together now and think our way through in some measure of clear, logical thinking, let's ask the question, who's the author of this call?
The Author and Nature of the Effectual Call
What's the nature of this call? What's the source of this call? Who's the author? Well, the Bible answers this without any, any degree of hesitation, that God is the author of the call.
Let me just quote those verses we went through and read. I won't ask you to turn to them in the interest of time. First Corinthians 1.9.
God is faithful by whom ye were called. Called by who? Not by the preacher. Not by the pressures of an evangelist.
Not by the gimmicking and gadgetry of the slick operator who got you to raise your hand and go down an aisle and pray a little prayer. God be thanked by whom you were called. If you have been truly called into the possession of the blessings of grace, it's God who called. And if he hadn't called, I don't care who else has.
You have just a profession. Second Timothy 1.8 and 9. Who hath saved us?
God who hath saved us and called us. Romans 8. Those that are the called according to his purpose, for whom he foreknew he did predestinate and whom he predestinate, them he called. God does the calling as surely as he does the predestinating and the electing.
First Peter 2.9. That you should show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness. Out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God is the author of that call here. Man in obedience to God gives this call. And I delight to give it individually, corporately. You ought to delight to give that gospel call and summon men to repent and flee to Christ and believe the gospel.
Though men are used in this call, it's God who is its author. God called you out of darkness into light. Amen. Now what's the nature of that call?
Several things the scripture teaches us. First of all, it comes through the gospel. Second Thessalonians 2.14.
Paul says concerning the calling of those at Thessalonica that he called you by my gospel or by our gospel. Second Thessalonians 2.14. Where unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now there's no other way to expect men to be called but through the gospel. You see before men can know the effectual call of God, they've got to hear the general call. Now who's going to hear that special call? I don't know.
God's told me to go out and give this to every creature. So in obedience to him, prayerful, earnest, entreating men, we utter the general call. But God through the gospel gives the special call. Beautiful picture of it in Acts chapter 16.
It says in verse 14 concerning Lydia whose heart the Lord opened so that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul. Paul is speaking, giving the general call. Hallelujah. God the Holy Ghost is working, giving the special call, opening your heart to embrace the gospel.
It comes through the gospel. That's why anyone who says, well, if I believe that God has predestinated certain people to certain privileges. and chosen them. Why do anything?
Why preach? Why pray? Because, beloved, God who's ordained the end has ordained the means. And He calls them by the gospel.
And He's commanded me, preach the gospel and preach it to every creature.
Second thing about the nature of the call, this special call is always attended with delivering power. 1 Peter 2.9 says that God hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. This call does nothing for men in terms of an application of power.
That general summons may leave them indifferent to the gospel. Follow me closely. It may leave them making a decision and a profession of the gospel, but it leaves them where they are, lovers of sin, lovers of self, lovers of the flesh. But this call is always attended with power.
It calls men out of darkness into light, out of the realm of flesh, into the world of spirit, out of sin into righteousness.
Always attended with power. 1 Peter 2.9 Thirdly, it always results in fellowship with Christ. 1 Corinthians 1.9 God is the one, Paul says, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. This call may leave men indifferent to Christ. It may leave them professing the name of Christ. But one thing it'll never do is make them sweet, humble servants of Jesus Christ who love Him, who experience communion with Him.
It's only this call that does it. But it always does it. Always. That special call brings men into fellowship with Christ.
Fourth thing about the nature of that call, it always issues in holiness now. Ephesians 4.1, Paul says, Walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye were called. 2 Timothy 1.9 Who saved us and called us with a holy calling. 1 Thessalonians 4.7 God hath called us not to uncleanness, but to holiness. Since it is a call to fellowship with Christ, it's a call to walk in the realm of light.
That special call will always make a man basically bent in the direction of holiness. This call won't do that. And the sad thing is, beloved, many people who've only heard the general call have been patched up with a decision and a profession of faith and claim to be attached to Christ who have no hunger to be holy. If you don't hunger to be holy, you've never heard this call.
For it's always a call away from sin unto righteousness and holiness. God hath called us not to uncleanness, but unto holiness. It issues in holiness now. It culminates in glory hereafter.
Listen to what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 12 concerning the nature of that call. That you would walk worthy of God who called you to his kingdom now and to glory hereafter. That call, that summons, will land all that hear it in the presence of God. Whom he called, he justified.
Whom he justified, he glorified. It culminates in glory hereafter. 1 Peter 5.10 speaks of God who called you to his own kingdom and his glory.
And the last thing about the nature of that call, it is immutable and unchangeable. Romans 11.29 says, The gifts and the callings of God are without repentance. Has he called me to holiness now and to glory hereafter?
Then I shall be holy now and I shall be glorified in the world to come for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. What a wonderful call. God is the author. The nature of it, it comes through the gospel.
It's attended with power. It results, it results in fellowship with Christ. It issues in holiness now. Glory hereafter.
The Source of the Effectual Call: Grace, Purpose, and Electing Love
And it's an immutable, unchangeable call. Now as we conclude our thoughts tonight on this subject, let's ask the all-important question, what's the source of this call?
To whom does that call come? What's the source of it? The Bible answers it and I'm just going to give you Scripture to answer it. It's a call of grace.
Galatians 1.15, Paul says, The God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. By His grace. And when I thought of that, I couldn't help but think of this wonderful hymn that we sang a few weeks ago.
Grace, tis a charming sound, melodious to the ear. Heaven with the echo shall resound and all the earth shall hear. Grace first contrived the way to save rebellious man and all the steps that grace displayed which drew the wondrous plan. Grace first inscribed my name in God's eternal book, Election.
It was grace that gave me to the Lamb who all my sorrows took. The efficacious death of Christ we studied this morning. Grace led my roving feet to tread the heavenly road, the effectual call. And new supplies each, each hour I meet while pressing on to God, called unto fellowship with Christ and out of the fullness of Christ all that I need.
Grace taught my soul to pray and made my eyes o'erflow to its grace that kept me to this day and will not let me go. Grace all the work shall crown through everlasting days. It lays in heaven the topmost stone and well deserves the praise.
My friend, if your heart doesn't at least say a hallelujah, I don't care if it gets on your, some of you are pretty stiff. But there's something wrong.
It's a call of grace.
It's a call of eternal purpose. Romans 8, 28 says, we're called according to his purpose. 2 Timothy 1, 9 said, saved and called us with his own purpose given in Christ Jesus.
It's a call that is rooted in the eternal purpose of God. It's a call that is inseparably joined to his electing love. Jesus said, all that the Father giveth me, election, by the Father, shall come to me, the effectual call of God. All that he giveth shall come and him that comes I'll in no wise cast out.
Now dear, isn't it a terrible, terrible commentary on the state of our day that you can't be in the average gospel church longer than three weeks and not hear the last part of John 6, 37. Him that comes to me I'll in no wise cast out. The average gospel church, if you don't hear that after being there in three or four services, chances are, it's something wrong. Right?
Hmm?
No? You haven't heard that verse many, many times. Him that comes to me. But you can sit in some churches for 20 years and never hear the first two statements of that verse.
Now that's dishonest, dear ones. That's dishonest. Because the last part is not a cause, it's an effect. I begin my salvation.
It begins my conscious enjoyment of it. But my coming is the discovery of its beginning in the eternal purposes. Of God, all that the Father giveth shall come. The effects will call and him that comes, he never turns away.
We've been robbed.
We've been cheated. Worst of all, God's been dishonored.
Man has been crowned as his own savior who by his almighty decision bends God to do something. Whereas the truth of the Bible is that almighty God in grace has moved to a rebel world and sends out the general call and by the grace of God, he sends out the general call. And by the grace of God, he sends out the general call. And by the grace of God, his spirit draws to himself those whom he purposes to save.
Practical Uses of the Doctrine of Effectual Calling
You say, Pastor, what practical use could a doctrine like this have? Well, I'd say if it had none, you better believe it. It's in the Bible.
But it's got a lot of practical uses.
For the child of God, it forms the source of true humility.
One of the most humbling things is I think back to those years when I sat in those churches where I heard the gospel. And that general call went out to me and it went out to friends and went out to people as far as I know. As far as I know, some of them are in hell tonight.
I didn't love sin any less than they did. I didn't have anything to want the Savior. I wanted my own way. In fact, I hated the restraints of my Christian home and my praying mother and dad and the standards they set.
And when I saw other people being able to give full then to their sin, I envied them.
Yet, wonder of wonders, that general call became a special call.
Why?
God didn't have anything more to work with with me. According to his disciples, according to his own purpose, grace. It's a humbling doctrine.
It brings to brokenness. It becomes the grounds of confidence. That's the only thing that gives me hope sometimes. I say, Lord, what in the world did you ever start to work with the likes of me?
Then I read, he that hath begun a good work will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ. And I say, well, Lord, if you saw fit to start it, you didn't have anything that could move you to do it. Then I take a little courage that maybe you're going to carry it on and complete it. Isn't that a ground of confidence?
Whom he called, he'll glorify.
Isn't that what it says?
That gives me a little grounds of confidence that I may, by the grace of God, persevere. In the child of God, it'll be the main spring of humility and brokenness. It'll be the ground of confidence. And I want you to listen carefully.
I know I've gone long tonight, but I didn't want to quit in the middle.
Listen.
Listen carefully. It'll shape and mold your methods of evangelism, both personally and corporately.
Do you know what all the methodology of modern evangelism is? It's a projection of a theology that denies the effectual call of God.
Convinced that men are saved when they will give to God their almighty consent.
We're doing anything and everything to coerce the sinner to make a little consent to decide for Jesus.
And so the whole system of altar calls and, and raising of hands and all of this, you won't find a verse in the Bible for it.
Yet I'm castigated and abused as being a heretic when I go out in evangelistic meetings and won't do what's unscriptural. Why?
Why? Just accept it. If you're an evangelical, you call people to Christ and calling them to Christ means calling them to an altar, to a prayer room, or to the raising of a hand. Show me chapter and verse for it.
It's not there. What is it? It's a projection of a theology that, it says, man who gives the general call, if he can persuade and cajole and sing enough songs and tell enough stories to twist the emotions, he can make the general call the special call.
That's the theology behind it.
This transcript was generated by automated speech recognition and may contain errors. It is provided for study and reference only; the audio recording is the authoritative source.
Passages Expounded
This passage is expounded to define 'predestinate' and 'called' within the golden chain of salvation, showing their connection to God's purpose and foreknowledge.
These verses are expounded to further define 'predestinate' as God's pre-determination of specific people for adoption and inheritance, rooted in His sovereign will.
These verses are expounded to demonstrate the effectual nature of God's 'calling,' showing it results in fellowship with Christ and is linked to election.
Texts Expounded
Also Referenced
More from the archive