1. Introduction
Rev D A Ross
The subordinate standards of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland are based on the Word of God. They define accurately the doctrinal position of the Church since its inception. In these standards, effectual calling is clearly expressed.
The Shorter Catechism states, “Effectual calling is a work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel”.
The Larger Catechism enlarges on this: “Effectual calling is the work of God’s almighty power and grace, whereby (out of His free and special love to His elect, and from nothing in them moving Him thereunto) He doth, in His accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by His Word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer His call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein”.
The Westminster Confession of Faith develops this doctrine further by saying, “All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of a 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 an heart of flesh; renewing their will, 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.
“This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.”
It is a wonderful blessing to have the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. The gospel declares that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. It is a call from God to flee from His just wrath to Christ, who alone is able to save us from that wrath. The declaration of the gospel has no saving effect on some people, yet it has on others. We can therefore speak of an effectual call and one that is not effectual but it is the same gospel call that has a saving influence on some but not on others. In that all who hear the gospel are truly called to repent and believe, this call is described as outward. But the call is referred to as inward when the Holy Spirit applies it to awaken the sinner to a sense of sin and of his need of Christ, and enables him to repent of his sins and to receive and rest on Christ alone for salvation.
Much has been written about effectual calling. My intention is to cover more fully, yet in a limited way, most of the points already stated. We must first note the dreadful enmity of sinners to God and the necessity for God to make the sinner His friend (Jas 2:23). It is essential to go back to the beginning of God’s revelation, in Genesis. One purpose of the Word of God is to make known the history of mankind. Adam our first father was made perfectly holy. God graciously made the covenant of works with him, so that his obedience to the law of God would be the ground of eternal life – for himself and for his posterity. Alas, it was otherwise. Adam’s disobedience brought eternal ruin on himself and on us – spiritual death, temporal death and eternal death. Neither Adam or his posterity can reverse the sentence of death; even if we try our utmost to regain eternal life by our good works, the Scriptures assure us that it is all in vain: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil” (Jer 13:23).
But all is by no means lost. The second Adam, the Son of God, came into this world to make atonement for sin and so deliver those sinners given to Him by the Father. This involved paying the full price for their salvation, through obedience to the law and justice of God. On this ground alone could they be saved. They must believe in Christ as the One who paid perfect obedience to the law and justice of God. Thus when the Philippian Jailer cried out to Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30-31).
On the basis of His atonement for sin, Christ as Prophet makes known, in the Scriptures, the good news of salvation. When the shepherds watched over their flocks outside Bethlehem, “the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). Because of this rich provision, all are directed to repent and believe the gospel. This is the outward call which the Holy Spirit makes effectual to as many as have been given to Christ by the Father. The end result is that the sinner thus wrought upon receives Christ and rests on Him for salvation.