Here is a brief assessment of a classic expression of the ‘standard reformed view’ on effectual calling and regeneration. Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology (Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 1981) would certainly qualify as the classic expression of the ‘standard reformed’ view. So let us look at a relevant section entitled ‘3. The Relation of Effectual Call to Regeneration’ in the chapter on ‘Regeneration and Effectual Call,’ (pages 470-472.) We will compare this section in Berkhof’s magnum opus with what the assembly of Westminster divines have summarized the teaching of Scriptures in the WCF. There are 4 paragraphs in the section. We will examine each paragraph in turn. Following are quotes from Berkhof’s Systematic, in smaller font. My comments follow each paragraph.
LB: a. The identification of the two in the 17th century theology.
It is a well known fact that in the 17th century theology effectual calling and regeneration are often identified or if not entirely identified, then at least in so far that regeneration is regarded as included in calling. Several of the older theologians have separate chapter on calling, but none of regeneration. According to the Westminster Confession, Chapter 10, section 2, effectual calling includes regeneration. This view finds some justification in the fact that Paul, who uses the term ‘regeneration” but once, evidently conceives of it as included in calling in Romans 8:30. Moreover there is a sense in which calling and regeneration are related as cause and effect…
SL: Berkhof rightly distinguished the difference between effectual call and regeneration; that regeneration (as with justification and adoption also) is subsumed under effectual call, as has been set forth so plainly in the WCF, chapters 10-13. Modern claimants to the ‘standard reformed position’ have confounded the two. The effectual call of an elect out of the state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Christ Jesus, secures the justification, regeneration, and adoption of an elect that enables and prepares him to consciously respond to the gospel call. The gospel call, ministered through even the most eloquent and persuasive of men, is utterly impotent without the prior effectual call unto eternal life by our gracious and omnipotent God.
LB: b. Points of difference between regeneration and effectual calling.
Regeneration in the strictest sense of the word, that is, as the begetting again, takes place in the subconscious life of man, and is quite independent of any attitude which he may assume with reference to it. Calling, on the other hand, addresses itself to the consciousness, and implies a certain disposition of the conscious life. This follows from the fact that regeneration works from within, while calling comes from without. In the case of children we speak of regeneration rather than calling. Furthermore, regeneration is a creative, hyper-physical operation of the Holy Spirit, by which man is brought from one condition into another, from a condition of spiritual death into a condition of spiritual life. Effectual calling, on the other hand, is teleological, draws out the new life and points it in a God ward direction. It secures the exercises of the new disposition and brings the new life into action [all emphasis original].
SL: Berkhof rightly observed that:
(1) Regeneration is ‘the begetting again - is a creative, hyper-physical operation of the Holy Spirit, by which man is brought from one condition into another, from a condition of spiritual death into a condition of spiritual life.’ Nothing less than the spiritual life (which is eternal and everlasting) is birthed at regeneration; spiritual life which animates all the spiritual activities that follow. Some modern claimants to the ‘standard reformed position’ insist that in regeneration, some spiritual abilities are born to enable such ‘born again’ to believe in order to obtain eternal life. How bizarre!
(2) An elect is entirely passive in the effectual call to eternal and spiritual life. This is obvious because an elect is not only spiritually dead when effectually called, but as Berkhof rightly noted, the effectual call ‘takes place in the subconscious life of man, and is quite independent of any attitude which he may assume with reference to it.’
We need to bear these two biblical truths in mind in order to remain consistent with these two basic truths. When we contradict these two fundamental principles, then it is obvious that we have a faulty exegesis. A wise man has advised, "If you have a contradiction, then you have a misinterpretation!"
Having stated those two biblical truth, Berkhof contradicted himself. On the one hand he rightly said that, “effectual calling is the cause of regeneration” but on the other he said that the effectual calling ‘addresses itself to the consciousness, and implies a certain disposition of the conscious life.’ A certain disposition of life implies the presence of spiritual life. This is saying that effectual call addresses itself upon an elect already birthed with spiritual life, already regenerated, i.e. regeneration preceded effectual call. One cannot possibly have a disposition of the consciousness of life while spiritually dead. How could the effectual call possibly addresses itself to the consciousness, and implies a certain disposition of the conscious life when effectual calling is the cause of regeneration, i.e. to bring an elect out of that state of sin and death to a state of life? There can be no disposition of the conscious life (spiritual & eternal) when an elect is in a state of sin and spiritual death. It is irrational to speak of a certain disposition of life of an elect on the one hand, and the entire passivity of being spiritually dead elect on the other at the same time.
Berkhof also confounded the effectual call to spiritual and eternal life with the gospel call unto conversion and discipleship. Many adherents of the ‘standard reformed position’ do the same including the RBF. In the effectual call, God acts sovereignly and graciously to justify, to regenerate and to adopt an elect who is in the state of condemnation, spiritual death and slavery; He sovereignly and graciously called a spiritually dead elect unto spiritual life. The spiritually dead elect is entirely passive in this sovereign gracious call to life – as Berkhof has rightly noted. It is perfectly consistent to say, “the gospel call [not the ‘effectual call’], on the other hand, addresses itself to the consciousness, and implies a certain disposition of the conscious life” – because of the life that is already bestowed through the effectual calling to life. The effectual call of an elect out of his state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Christ Jesus, secures the regeneration of an elect – the impartation of spiritual and eternal life -that enables and prepares him to consciously respond to the gospel call. Effectual calling to life works from within; it is the gospel call to faith in Christ that comes from without. It is the effectual call that secures the spiritual life for the exercises of the new disposition; and it is the gospel call that calls that new life into action.
Berkhof is inconsistent with the Scriptures as summarized in the WCF in stating that, ‘in the case of children we speak of regeneration rather than calling.’ The WCF (chapter 10) speaks of all elect without distinction, therefore elect children are included, in these words, ‘ 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 that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ… those whom God has effectually calleth he also freely justifieth, … All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption… They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and new spirit created in them are further sanctified really and personally.’ Chapter 14 then speaks of the gospel call to faith, i.e. the effectual call to life prepares the way for the gospel call to conversion and discipleship.
Therefore, it is plain that all the elect of God, whether infant, children or sentient, are spoken of as effectually called and regenerated unto eternal life – i.e. justified, regenerated and adopted. There is only one way in which God brings His elect to eternal life – through the effectual call wherein He justifies the condemned, His Spirit regenerates the dead, and He adopts those regenerated. It is a very common mistake to think that God has one way to effectually call some of His elect to life, and another different way to effectually call the rest of the elect to life; that is, some are effectually called to life through the instrumental means of the gospel, and others are not! This popular notion goes against the plain teaching of Scriptures as summarized in the WCF which teaches that of all those who are called to eternal life by pure sovereign grace, some sentient elect will be successfully reached with the gospel call, other sentient elect will not have the gospel call, and with respect to the non-sentient elect the gospel call would have no spiritual effect.
The effectual call to eternal life is entirely independent of the instrumentality of the word of preaching. Calling to faith in Jesus Christ is ordinarily dependent upon the instrumentality of the word of preaching because ‘faith comes by hearing,’ Romans 10:17. When the gospel call is blessed and made effectual to conversion is confounded with effectual call unto eternal life, we end up with lots of irreconcilable inconsistencies and contradictions. The WCF distinguishes the two very clearly, just as Berkhof noted at the beginning. However he seems to forget the implications of the distinction between the two. Many also loosely equate the effectual calling as regeneration. But according to the teaching of Scriptures as summarized in the WCF, the term ‘effectual call’ unto life would embrace justification, regeneration and adoption – in that logical order, and chronologically preceding the gospel call and conversion. Therefore effectual call to life embraces more than regeneration. There must be removal of condemnation and imputation of the justification of life by God before the impartation of life by the Holy Spirit. And those to whom the Spirit imparted life are adopted by the Father and bestowed with the gifts of faith and repentance, thus enabling them to respond to the gospel call.
LB: c. The relative order of calling and regeneration.
This is perhaps best understood, if we note the following stages:
(1) Logically, the external call in the preaching of the Word (except in the case of children) generally precedes or coincides with the operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the new life is produced in the soul of man. (2) Then by a creative word God generates the new life, changing their inner disposition of the soul, illuminating the mind, rousing the feelings, and renewing the will. In this act of God the ear is implanted that enables man to hear the call of God to the salvation of the soul. This is regeneration in the most restricted sense of the word. In it man is entirely passive. (3) Having received the spiritual ear, the call of God in the gospel is now heard by the sinner, and is brought home effectively to the heart. The desire to disobey has been changed to a desire to obey, and the sinner yields to the persuasive influences of the Word through the operation of the Holy Spirit. This is the effectual calling through the instrumentality of the word of preaching, effectively applied by the Spirit of God. (4) This effectual calling, finally, secures, through the truth as a means, the first holy exercises of the new disposition that is born in the soul. The new life begins to manifest itself; the implanted life issues in the new birth. This is completion of the work of regeneration in the broader sense of the word, and the point at which it turns into conversion [all emphasis original].
SL: In this section we observe more contradictions and inconsistencies as a result of confounding the effectual call to eternal life and the gospel call made effectual to conversion. Let us consider each of the 4 points mentioned in the paragraph above. This sub-section is entitled ‘The relative order of calling and regeneration.’ We are not sure whether the ‘calling’ in the title refers to the ‘effectual calling to eternal life’ or to the ‘gospel call to conversion.’ Since the title of the chapter is ‘Regeneration and Effectual Calling’ and the main heading for this section is ‘The Relation of Effectual Call to Regeneration,’’ it would seem safe to conclude that the calling that is intended is the ‘effectual calling.’
LB: (1) Logically, the external call in the preaching of the Word (except in the case of children) generally precedes or coincides with the operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the new life is produced in the soul of man.
SL: Berkhof observed that the gospel call in the preaching of the Word generally precedes or coincides with the operation of the Holy Spirit by which the new life is produced in the soul of man. He is saying that the gospel call precedes regeneration. This contradicts what is plainly stated in the WCF that the effectual call to life precedes and makes possible the response to the external gospel call unto repentance. “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, being dead in sins and trespasses, 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” (WCF.10.2; is shorter than the 1689.10.2). The effectual call to life enables an elect to answer to the gospel call, i.e. to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it. Only a spiritually alive (regenerated) elect can comprehend and embrace the grace offered, 1Cor 1:18; 2:14. The Spirit of Christ working faith in the heart, thus, blessing the gospel call to be effectual to the conversion of a regenerated elect (only such could ever be converted!) is entirely distinct from the operation of God’s Word and Spirit at effectual calling in begetting new life in a spiritually dead elect. “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the by the ministry of the word” (WCF.14.1).
God does not need the instrumentality of the word of preaching to effectually call an elect out of spiritual death to eternal life. He effectually calls each of His elect unto eternal life at His own appointed and accepted time without human or gospel means, Is 55:11, John 5:25, Heb 8:10. What possible function could the instrument serve with the spiritually dead sinners who would consider even the most eloquently preached gospel as foolishness? God has indeed appointed the gospel call as the means to enable His effectually called elect to believe in the gospel. “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word” (WCF.14.1). The gospel call blessed by the Spirit of Christ of God will bring a regenerated elect to faith in Jesus Christ. The grace of faith is drawn out of a regenerated elect. There is faith to be called forth because the Spirit of Christ works faith in the hearts of these adopted children of God.
Regeneration must clearly precede the grace of faith, indicating to us that Berkhof’s statement, ‘the gospel call generally precedes or coincides with operation of the Holy Spirit by which the new life is produced in the soul of man’ is plainly inconsistent and contradictory to Scriptures as summarized by the WCF. Berkhof conditioned the effectual call to life by God upon the instrumentality of the gospel call to faith by man. This view is commonly known as ‘gospel regeneration’ – a common tenet of the ‘standard reformed position.’
Let us hear from a more worthy theologian on this point. James Petigru Boyce, the founder of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the author of the ‘Abstract of Systematic Theology.’ Let me quote from chapter 32 on Regeneration and Conversion, Section V and highlight the pertinent parts. You are encouraged to read Section VI – “There is not only antecedence, but in some cases an appreciable interval” where he give many proofs of regeneration long before hearing the gospel, e.g. Abraham and Cornelius.
[Here is Section V [Open quote]
V. The relation of regeneration to conversion will, therefore, appear to be one of invariable antecedence. Wherever the appropriate truth is at the time present its relation is almost that of producing cause, for the prepared heart at once receives the truth. Hence, as this is so generally the case, they have been usually regarded as contemporaneous and by some even as identical. But that regeneration is the invariable antecedent is seen,
1. From the fact that the heart is the soil in which the seed, the word of God, is sown, and that seed only brings forth fruit in the good soil. The heart is made good soil by regeneration.
2. Regeneration (as in infants, [and all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word]) may exist without faith and repentance, but the latter cannot exist without the former. Therefore, regeneration precedes.
3. Logically the enabling act of God must, in a creature, precede the act of the creature thus enabled. But this logical antecedence involves actual antecedence, or the best conceptions of our mind deceive us and are not reliable. For this logical antecedence exists only because the mind observes plainly a perceived dependence of the existence of the one on the other. But such dependence demands, if not causal, at least antecedent existence. Here it is only antecedent. [End quote].
There is sound logic in Boyce’s statement that regeneration precedes the gospel call. There is illogic in Berkhof’s statement that external call precedes regeneration (i.e. the operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the new life is produced in the soul of man). This is plain contradiction of the WCF. Berkhof contradicted the WCF by thinking that the elect infants are effectually called to eternal life in a different way than that of the rest of the elect. The WCF summarizes the biblical teaching that there is only one same and uniform way by which God bestows eternal life to all His elect – God’s sovereign act of effectual call without the instrumentality of the preached word. The ministry of the word is necessary for the conversion of regenerated elect: to give knowledge of salvation to His people… to give light to those who sit in darkness… and to guide the feet of God’s people in the way of peace. Lk 1:77-79.
LB: (2) Then by a creative word God generates the new life, changing their inner disposition of the soul, illuminating the mind, rousing the feelings, and renewing the will. In this act of God the ear is implanted that enables man to hear the call of God to the salvation of the soul. This is regeneration in the most restricted sense of the word. In it man is entirely passive.
SL: Berkhof speaks of ‘then by a creative word God generates the new life…’ “Then” presupposes something antecedent, i.e. the outward external call comes first, then on the basis of that instrumental call, God acts sovereignly by His creative word to generate the new life. This scheme again contradicts what the WCF has summarized neatly. “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 (God’s Life-creative Word!) and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ." It is because the ‘standard reformed’ folks have rejected ‘His Word’ in chapter 10 paragraph 1 as referring to the life-giving Christ, that they have to speak of the vague ‘creative word’ by which God regenerates the new life! The Scriptures declares Christ as the life-giving and life-creative Word of God. Having rejected ‘Logos’ as the life-giving Word in the effectual call to eternal life, they must now find a vague ‘creative’ word to fill the vacuum. This ‘creative word’ – what is it, what is the source, is it spoken word, when is it spoken, etc?
None would dispute that only a spiritual mind can be illuminated by the gospel call. Only the effectually called has feelings that can be roused by the gospel pleading. Only the mind of the regenerated elect could be renewed by the ministry of the word. Regeneration must precede the gospel call, not the other way as Berkhof stated above. The gospel call would be offensive and foolish to those who are still dead in their sin, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us who are saved it is the power of God… But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned” 1Cor 1:18; 2:14. ‘To us who are being saved’ refers to the elect who have been effectually called and were enable to believe the gospel as the power of God to save His people.
LB: (3) Having received the spiritual ear, the call of God in the gospel is now heard by the sinner, and is brought home effectively to the heart. The desire to resist has been changed to a desire to obey, and the sinner yields to the persuasive influences of the Word through the operation of the Holy Spirit. This is the effectual calling through the instrumentality of the word of preaching, effectively applied by the Spirit of God.
SL: Spiritual ear is a function of the spiritual life. When the spiritual life is bestowed at effectual calling, the regenerated elect is enabled to hear. The spiritual life gives the capability of hearing and understanding and believing the things of the Spirit of God. Spiritual ear is not received through the hearing of the gospel. Enmity is already removed at effectual calling, not at gospel calling. Had enmity not been removed, the gospel would be seen as utter foolishness and a great offence.
Berkhof confuses the gospel call blessed and made effectual to conversion as the effectual call to life. This confusion causes many inconsistencies and contradiction. The last sentence would be correct if it says, “This is the gospel calling through the instrumentality of the word of preaching, effectively applied by the Spirit of God for the conversion of the effectually called elect.” Chapter 14, paragraph 1 confirms the correctness of the amended statement.
LB: (4) This effectual calling, finally, secures, through the truth as a means, the first holy exercises of the new disposition that is born in the soul. The new life begins to manifest itself; the implanted life issues in the new birth. This is completion of the work of regeneration in the broader sense of the word, and the point at which it turns into conversion [all emphasis original].
SL: The effectual calling by God at His appointed and accepted time bestows eternal life to an elect. The gospel calling, through the truth (preached word) as a means, makes manifest that eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not true to say that the gospel calling secures the first holy exercise of the new disposition of the life that is born. Cornelius exhibited much holy exercise of the new disposition before he ever heard the gospel from apostle Peter. So were the Ethiopian eunuch and Lydia. Abraham exhibited much holy exercise of the new disposition before he heard of and believed in good news of the promised seed. There are numerous examples of the ‘God-fearers’ who were brought to faith in Christ through the gospel call. Natural men don’t fear God, Romans 3:18.
The new life bestowed at the effectual call begins to exhibit itself at once in the life of an elect. The new life will begin to animate the regenerate man to have that holy fear of God, to turn away from idolatry, to be workers of righteousness, to seek after God, etc. Even though he is still ignorant of the gospel truth of his salvation in Jesus Christ, yet God has said concerning such elect, “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Of such the Lord Jesus said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’” All these took place in the effectual call unto life in Christ Jesus. The gospel call in the ministry of the word is to make disciples of those whom God has effectually called to life. [The Great Commission is to make disciples, and true disciples can only be made out of God’s regenerated elect.]
It is illogical to speak of ‘the implanted life issues in the new birth.’ Here Berkhof confuses conversion at gospel call as the new birth! It would be correct to say, ‘the implanted life issues in the conversion and belief in the truth.’ When life is implanted, that is new birth. New birth is imparting of spiritual life. In the regeneration or new birth life is implanted! In his own words, "Regeneration is a creative, a hyper-physical operation of the Holy Spirit, by which man is brought from a condition of spiritual death into a condition of spiritual life.” It would be perfectly consistent to say, as summarized by the CoF, that the implanted life at the new birth is made manifest in conversion at the gospel call. The response to the gospel call brings to light eternal life that was already bestowed at effectual call.
In the fourth and final paragraph of this section on ‘The Relation of Effectual call to Regeneration’ we read some interesting statements by Berkhof. [The standard reformed folks would do well to take note of these statements.]
LB: “The new life is often implanted in the heart of children long before they are able to hear the call of the gospel; yet they are endowed with this life only where the gospel is preached.”
SL: We don’t know what distinction is intended between ‘the new life is implanted’ and ‘they are endowed with this life.’ Could someone please enlighten us? Are they speaking of the same thing? But please note Berkhof’s assertion that regeneration (‘new life is often implanted’) precedes ‘long before’ the ability to hear the gospel call. I believe in stating the logical and chronological priority of regeneration over the gospel call, Berkhof has affirmed a biblical truth. However his qualification ‘yet’ introduces a glaring self-contradiction. In the first sentence he affirmed that regeneration precedes the gospel call. Then he qualified and said that regeneration (i.e. ‘endowed with this life’)is possible only where the gospel is preached. If it is only possible where the gospel is preached, then it cannot possibly be prior to the gospel call. In any case, what has the preaching of the gospel to do with children and other elect person who are not able to hear the gospel call?
LB: also said in another statement: “in the case of those who live under the administration of the gospel the possibility exists that they receive the seed of regeneration long before they come to years of discretion and therefore also long before the effectual call penetrates to their consciousness. It is very unlikely, however, that, being regenerated, they will live in sin for years, even after they have come to maturity and gives no evidences at all of the new life that is in them.”
SL: We don’t know what distinction is intended between ‘the seed of regeneration’ and ‘the effectual call penetrates to their consciousness.’ I believe, as the WCF summarises, that the regeneration took place at effectual calling; the effectual call penetrates to their consciousness at gospel calling. What we know is that Berkhof is confused and contradicted himself again by confounding regeneration and effectual call. We know that Berkhof has noted at the beginning that ‘effectual calling includes regeneration… that effectual calling and regeneration are related as cause and effect.’ However in the statement above, Berkhof not only sees regeneration as the cause of effectual call, but also that regeneration precedes effectual call over a long period. He is confused between the effectual call and the gospel call. Regeneration indeed precedes the gospel call to conversion, when the life imparted at effectual call is brought to light through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.]
Regeneration may indeed precede conversion through the gospel call by many years. And Berkhof is correct in noting that ‘it is very unlikely, however, that, being regenerated, they will live in sin for years.’ Abraham and Cornelius are classic proof of this biblical statement.’ It is very unlikely because those whom God has effectually called to life, God also has put His law in their mind and written them on their heart, Heb 8:10. They shall all be taught by God at effectual calling, John 6:45. Therefore the new life begins to penetrate their consciousness – there is that holy fear of God planted, they turn away from idolatry, perform works of righteousness, seek after God, etc., before the gospel call ever comes to them. At effectual calling, the whole man is radically transformed. The whole man is acted upon by the grace of God, “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.” Therefore, it is more than very unlikely; it is impossible for an effectually called elect to live in sins before conversion, as though no effectual call unto eternal life by divine grace has taken place. Abraham and Cornelius are classic examples.
Conclusion
It is evident that the ‘standard reformed position’ – because it has departed from the Scriptures as summarized in the Confession of Faith – is inconsistent and deficient to express the biblical truth. Much truth is stated but as much is self-contradicted later. Rightly diving the word of truth is the essence of sound theology. Apostle exhorts us, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
Some major adjustments are needed to a system that is plagued with internal inconsistencies and contradictions. Let us learn from the clearer minded Particular Baptists who framed both the First (1644) and the Second (1689) London Baptist Confession of Faith. That way we prove ourselves to be true descendants of the early Particular Baptists.
"When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise."
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