- The Effectual Calling

1. The Effectual Calling

I do heartily agree that regeneration takes place in connection with the effectual call, i.e., the way the Confession summarizes it, and not as the ‘standard reformed position’ understands and espouses it. The Confession states, “Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies… All those that are justified, God vouchsafed, in and for the sake of His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption.” So regeneration necessarily accompanies effectual calling unto eternal life, BUT regeneration is not effectual calling, and effectual calling is not regeneration. Kindly note this basic fact. Don’t confound the two.

To be made partakers of the grace of adoption is to be regenerated with eternal life, to be begotten and adopted as children of God. Before effectual calling – i.e., justification and regeneration and adoption – we were under the just condemnation of sin, spiritually dead and still children of wrath, just as the others. In the effectual call to eternal life, it is accompanied with three separate and distinct divine acts of free grace: they are justification, regeneration and adoption, in that logical order; but chronologically, they are one simultaneous divine act of God. Effectual call to life – spiritual and eternal – always embraces justification, regeneration and adoption, in that number and logical order. I repeat here what was said before about effectual calling unto life:

Natural state>>Effectual Call to Life>>Spiritual state
Condemned >> Justification >>Righteous in Christ
Dead >>Regeneration >>Alive in Christ
Child of wrath >> Adoption >>Child of God in Christ

Please take careful note that when the Confession uses the term effectual calling unto eternal life, the term must necessarily include justification, regeneration and adoption. Therefore the effectual call is not regeneration; it is more than regeneration. An effectually called elect is bestowed with the gift of repentance and faith. Only such are able to respond to the gospel call. This is in strict conformity to Scriptures as summarized in the 1689 CoF.

From the 1689 CoF we conclude that the ‘effectual call’ is a broad term that describes the sovereign and gracious acts of God in calling a sinner in the state of sin and death to a state of grace and salvation by Christ Jesus, i.e. bring out of the state of spiritual death to spiritual life. In effectually calling a condemned dead child of wrath to life, these gracious acts must take place: God will justify to remove the condemnation upon the sinner based on the finished work of Christ; His Spirit will regenerate the justified sinner to impart the spiritual life to the dead elect; and God will adopt as son the justified and regenerated elect who was a child of wrath. Then gifts, including repentance and faith, are given to the adopted son - which enable them to hear and believe at the gospel call. It is a common mistake to equate effectual call as regeneration. Effectual embraces more than regeneration.

Though these are three distinct gracious acts, yet they are actually three acts subsumed under one gracious act of effectual call. In that sense they are simultaneous in the one gracious act of effectual call. It is like a beautiful diamond named 'effectual call' which has three lovely facets to it. Each facet is distinct and separate, yet together they make up the one diamond.

Please take careful note of the plain and simple fact that the Confession of Faith declares that God justifies before regeneration… i.e., justification precedes regeneration. The imputation of the justification of life and the removal of condemnation precedes the actual impartation of life at regeneration. And since faith is impossible without regeneration, therefore God justifies before any possible ability in us to exercise faith. How often we forget that the Scriptures declare the wonderful truth that God justifies the ungodly. God justifies the ungodly, yes, even when we were children of wrath; God justified us when we were enemies; when we were without any ability to exercise faith. What a blessed truth to know that God justifies the ungodly!!! Only when God has justified the ungodly, then there are justified ones… and these justified ones shall live [future tense, middle voice, indicative mood] by faith… just as the Scriptures declare, ‘The just shall live by faith.’

Sadly, for some reasons, you and your churches, and I are not agreed on the identity of the term ‘His Word.’ You believe that the ‘His Word’ in your statement above refers to the “preaching of God’s Word.” I will readily agree that such understanding is not uncommon among those who hold to the ‘standard reformed position’. However, there are also other students of God’s revealed Scriptures who believe that the ‘His Word’ in the context refers to the second person of the Godhead, the eternal life-giving Christ, the eternal Logos – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. I do hold to such view.

I will make a feeble attempt to explain why I presently believe so. I do hope you will appreciate the reasons why SDC believes differently. Not everyone enjoys the same light at the same time. When I am given more light, I may be led to believe as you do. But for the moment please honour our liberty in Christ to differ from you and your churches.