Rev D A Ross
Let us now say a little about the Holy Spirit calling a sinner effectually. No more than this calling is necessary, and no less will do if the outward
2If any of you would like a little mind-stretching exercise in divine matters, I would recommend Thornwell’s Collected Writings, vol 1, pp 366-374.
1October’s article showed the absolute necessity for a divine work in the human soul because of his terrible state by nature.
call of the gospel is to be applied savingly to a sinner. By the gospel, the Holy Spirit outwardly calls sinners to repent and believe in Christ for the salvation of their soul. Further, while this outward call comes to everyone within hearing, it becomes an inward call when the Holy Spirit applies it to whoever He will. Then the subjects of sin and salvation, so clearly set forth in the outward call, are brought home powerfully to the understandings of the elect. Christ says of the Holy Spirit: “He will reprove (or, convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged (Jn 16:8-11).
How often Christ, by the reading and preaching of the Word, spoke to many about sin and salvation! How they trembled at times under that Word! They were in great fear over the sentence of eternal wrath due to them because of their sin, causing in some a remarkable outward reformation; yet in the end, apart from the Spirit’s effectual call, they return to their old ways of ungodliness, like the dog to his vomit and the sow to her wallowing in the mire. However, in the Saviour’s mercy, the time comes for the Word and the Holy Spirit to work in them effectually, and there is no going back. Now, there is an earnest cry for mercy, as the publican prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner”.
When we are told in the Westminster Confession and Catechisms that effectual calling is a work of God’s Spirit, we must expect to see the results of that work in the lives of those who are effectually called. Such people are now serious about the exceeding sinfulness of sin and about the way of salvation; they feel drawn to Christ in His Word. Before they come to feel a tenderness for Christ, much was going on in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Some of these experiences can be traced in Nicodemus, the ruler in Israel. Even before he met Christ at night there was no doubt the beginning of a preparatory work of the Holy Spirit leading on to effectual calling. Here is a troubled man: troubled about his religion, troubled about who Christ was, troubled with the fear of man. Others would have had similar experiences which receded, never again to become active, as the Holy Spirit had then left them to themselves. This was not the case with Nicodemus; these experiences were an early work of the Holy Spirit in his soul, leading on to better things.
Nicodemus was constrained to come to Christ. The slavish fear of man was a great problem, but such was the urgency and necessity of meeting Christ that his problem was solved by coming covertly, at night. Though not as yet regenerated he was, as it were, peering through the darkness of his limited understanding in the direction of Christ. And what brought him thus
far? The works of Christ. He was deeply moved by them, to the extent of being convinced that Christ was no ordinary person. “Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews . . . came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him” (Jn 3:1-2).
“We know, said Nicodemus, “that Thou art a teacher come from God.” He seems to have been speaking for others, and perhaps they had agreed among themselves to make him their spokesman. For Nicodemus to speak like this may seem a very slight matter in one who was eventually brought to follow Christ. It was not slight. When we compare what he said with the words of others who saw the same miracles of Christ, we find their response was: “He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye Him?” Nicodemus was not of this sort, but one of those who, as Christ directed, “believe Me for the very works’ sake”. It is apparent that Nicodemus’ early experiences were the beginnings of an effectual work of the Holy Spirit.
But though Nicodemus, at this juncture, was a teacher in Israel, he was woefully ignorant of his need of a saving change and to have Christ as his Saviour. Indeed he was as yet in the darkness of the natural man, who does not understand the things of the Spirit of God. Christ therefore proceeds to teach Nicodemus words of life. In the clearest of language He tells him: “Ye must be born again”. He tells him that this new birth is in fact the work of the Holy Spirit.
The new birth is a new creation in the soul of the sinner; it results in a new disposition whereby the sinner is now, for the first time ever, properly inclined towards the gospel. This inclination is created in the soul by the Holy Spirit. Here we have a person at last prepared to take to heart the serious nature of sin and the necessity for Christ to save from sin. In that soul, the Word of God begins to work. Indeed, immediately after Christ told Nicodemus about the new birth, He preached the gospel to Nicodemus and others who were then present. Thus that sinner was now, not only disposed to listen attentively to the Word, but was troubled about the great sin of unbelief.
And Nicodemus pondered the truths of the gospel that Jesus had told him: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:16-19).
Probably the gospel had a profound influence on Nicodemus that very night, for not long afterwards we see the same Nicodemus bravely coming to the defence of Christ in the face of the strong criticism directed by the Pharisees at those who spoke well of Him. Nicodemus asked, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” (Jn 7:50). This is further evidence that the Holy Spirit had been at work in the soul of Nicodemus – not only in his defence of Christ but also of those who spoke well of Christ.
A further aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work was bringing Nicodemus to a spiritual maturity which he did have previously – not now coming under cover of the darkness of night to meet Christ, but standing up for Him publicly, in the presence of Christ’s enemies. Nicodemus now understood a little about sin and salvation and of his dire need of the Saviour, and he was receiving Christ by faith. The word of Christ was still ringing in his ear: “He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already”. The man who not so long ago was only able to say of Christ: “We know that Thou art a teacher come from God”, could now say with Peter: “We believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God (Jn 6:69).
The next appearance of Nicodemus was at the burial of Christ. The man once governed by the slavish fear of man now does not hesitate to identify himself with Him. Indeed it was a time when the success of the wicked seemed to be at its highest, when their triumph seemed absolute, when Christ and His cause seemed at their lowest. Yet Nicodemus identified himself with Christ and His people. Nicodemus gave a further mark of his devotion and love for Christ: he “brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight” (Jn 19:39). What brought about such a radical change? There is only one answer: it was undoubtedly the work of the Holy Spirit. “Effectual calling is the 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.”
Though every sin is not apostasy, yet it is a step towards apostasy if God shall allow it to go on until it is finished.
In all our approaches to God there is no substitute for godly sincerity.
Would you obtain humility? Ask for it. Never adopt the belief that you can work this or any other grace in your heart without the help of God’s Spirit. It was a good prayer of a saint of former days: “O Thou who only knowest what I would do if I had health, ease and abundance, do Thou in Thy wisdom and mercy so proportion Thy gifts and restraints as Thou knowest best for my soul”.
W S Plumer