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Chapter 10 of effectual calling, 
I'll just begin reading in paragraph 1. Those whom God hath predestinated 
unto life, 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, 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. This effectual call 
is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything 
at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature 
co-working with his special grace, the creature being wholly 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, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ 
from the dead. Elect infants dying in infancy 
are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who 
worketh when and where and how he pleaseth. So also are all 
other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by 
the ministry of the Word. Others not elected, although 
they may be called by the ministry of the Word and may have some 
common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn 
by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ 
and therefore cannot be saved. Much less can men that receive 
not the Christian religion be saved, be they never so diligent 
to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the 
law of that religion they do profess. Amen. So a presentation 
here and a short compass of the doctrine of effectual calling. 
If you are aware, there are two types of calling that the Bible 
speaks of. There is a general or an external 
or an outward call. The gospel is preached indiscriminately 
to all men everywhere. Jesus tells his people, tells 
his disciples to go and preach the gospel to every creature. 
That takes place hopefully every Sunday. It hopefully takes place 
in our witness and evangelism. We give that general call concerning 
the gospel of the Lord Jesus. We tell sinners the truth, that 
Christ lived, He died, He was raised the third day, and all 
those who believe in Him will have salvation. The general call, 
or the external call. And then the Bible speaks of 
this internal, or efficacious, or effectual calling, where God, 
by the Word of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, does 
effectually call unto himself those who were predestinated 
unto life, those who were elected by God before the foundation 
of the world. So effectual calling, specifically 
the internal working of God upon the hearts of sinners. And if 
you remember the particular flow of the Confession, this particular 
chapter makes perfect sense here. In chapter 7, we see the Covenant 
defined, the Covenant introduced, the Covenant spoken of, And then 
in chapter 8, the covenant mediator, the one who will execute all 
of the things promised by God in the covenant of grace. And 
then chapter 9 deals with free will. And specifically, chapter 
9, paragraph 4, man in a state of sin. The fact is, he has free 
will, but he is bound in sin, and as a result, he never will 
choose for God. And so effectual calling shows 
us how we move from the decree of God, his predestinating plan 
to save his people by their sins. We see that man cannot choose 
in and of himself, and so then we move into this effectual calling, 
and we learn what the prophet Jonah declared so clearly, salvation 
is of the Lord. or what Paul indicates in Romans 
9.16, it doesn't depend upon him who wills or upon him who 
runs, but on God who shows mercy. So effectual calling is that 
sort of initiation of the ordo salutis. Now, the ordo begins, 
or the idea of salvation wrought in the hearts of God's people, 
certainly begins with election and predestination, but in terms 
of the application of the benefits wrought by Christ in his life, 
death, and resurrection, This effectual calling is that means 
by which God draws us onto himself and thus blesses us with every 
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. The Westminster 
Shorter Catechism, basically encapsulating everything that 
is stated here, defines effectual calling as 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." Now the confession does not contain 
a separate chapter on regeneration. But the language of regeneration 
is found here in this chapter on effectual calling, specifically 
there in chapter 10, paragraph 1, taking away their heart of 
stone and giving unto them and heart of flesh. It's the language 
of Ezekiel chapter 36, which I think the Lord sort of has 
in the backdrop in John 3, which indicates the power of God effectually 
calling by His grace to Himself and regenerating by His own power 
to bring them forth unto salvation. So that's a bit of an introduction. 
I think the chapter is pretty straightforward. We have a general 
overview of the doctrine in paragraph 1, and then some specific issues 
relative to effectual calling in paragraphs 2 to 4. But note 
in the first place the recipients, those who are or those whom God 
hath predestined unto life. He is pleased and has appointed 
and accepted time effectually to call." So it's not every man 
indiscriminately. Remember, there's a difference 
between the external or general call of the gospel that is preached 
indiscriminately to every creature under heaven. That is something 
that we do, we engage in, we preach to everyone everywhere, 
but this effectual or this internal calling is for those whom God 
hath predestinated unto life." So it's not based on our response. It's not based on, you know, 
what we do. It's not based on our free will, 
which we learned in the last chapter, actually paragraph 3, 
that man in a state of sin cannot choose for the Lord God Most 
High. So it is for those whom God hath predestinated unto life. William Ames says, the calling 
does not depend on the dignity, honesty, industry, or any endeavor 
of the ones called, but only upon the election and predestination 
of God. And you can turn specifically 
to Romans chapter 8 to see this sort of fleshed out. Romans chapter 
8, which gives us sort of a skeletal framework of what's called the 
ordo salutis or the order of salvation. There's certainly 
other things that can be added to this skeletal framework, but 
in terms of the broad swath of God's redemptive mercies toward 
His people, we find them here in Romans 8, 28 to 30. We know 
that all things work together for good to those who love God, 
to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, 
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that 
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom 
He predestined, these He also called." Again, the idea here 
is the internal or the factual call. It's not the general call. 
It's not the indiscriminate. preaching of the gospel to every 
creature, but it's those who were predestined by God, those 
who are elect in Christ before the foundation of the world. 
So whom He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, 
these He also justified. And whom He justified, these 
He also glorified. And Thomas Watson makes an interesting 
observation concerning the relationship between election and this effectual 
calling. He says, of comfort, this doctrine 
of effectual calling is of comfort to those who are the called of 
God. He says, this call evidences election. This call evidences 
election. In other words, if we've been 
effectually called by God to believe the gospel of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, that is an evidence that we were chosen in Him before 
the foundation of the world. Certainly not an evidence that 
we're wiser, smarter, or better equipped to respond to the gospel. He goes on to say, election is 
the cause of our vocation. Vocation here means calling, 
not our specific job, but the Puritans typically use the word 
vocation, not just with reference to what you do Monday to Friday 
in terms of your calling and labor, but our vocation, calling, 
our life before God. He says, election is the cause 
of our vocation, and vocation is the sign of our election. 
Election is the first link of the golden chain of salvation. 
Vocation is the second. He who has the second link of 
the chain is sure of the first. As by the stream we're led to 
the fountain, so by vocation we ascend to election. So the 
idea is we don't know what belongs to the secret things of God, 
but if we are by God's grace believing the gospel, having 
repented of our sins, and walking in union with Christ, we would 
thus conclude we've been effectually called by God, which indicates 
we have been elected by God from before the foundation of the 
world. And I think that does produce a great deal of comfort. 
Again, it's not election because we're great guys and girls, but 
it's election because God is a great and merciful God, because 
Christ is a glorious Savior, because the Trinity has purposed 
from love to set aside a great multitude that no man can number 
for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So the 
backdrop in this first statement is Romans 8, 29 and 30, the ordo 
salutis or the golden chain. And then notice back in chapter 
3, in paragraphs 3 and 4, the confession indicates that it 
is only the elect that receive this calling. Chapter 3, paragraphs 
3 and 4, by the decree of God for the manifestation of His 
glory, some men and angels are predestined or foreordained to 
eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious 
grace, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation 
to the praise of His glorious justice. These angels and men, 
thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably 
designed, and their number so certain and definite that it 
cannot be either increased or diminished." So when we come 
to chapter 10, paragraph 1, and we see this, those whom God hath 
predestinated unto life, this isn't our first introduction 
to this concept of being predestinated unto life. I think we ought to 
appreciate, as we often remind you, the cohesiveness and the 
systematic integrity of the confession of faith as a whole. Earlier 
chapters set the foundation for later chapters. There is consistency. There is clear articulation. 
of all the truths that are presented here and rooted, of course, in 
the scriptural context. So the backdrop is those whom 
God hath predestinated unto life, and then we ought to appreciate 
the author of the effectual call, those whom God hath predestinated 
unto life. It's God. It's not man that orchestrates 
or initiates or applies the redemptive benefits of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is monergistic. This is 
God alone working. You see this monergism highlighted 
as well in paragraph 2. This effectual call is of God's 
free and special grace alone. not from anything at all foreseen 
in man. It's not because God looked down 
the tunnel of time and saw that you and I might choose for Jesus, 
and those are the ones He predestined, and those are the ones... Well, 
it wouldn't even be an effectual call, because it would have been 
initiated by us. We would have placed ourselves 
under God's blessing in and of our own strength. Paragraph 2 
goes on to highlight with some additional language that the 
particular Baptists included that were not found or was not 
found in the Westminster or in the Savoy. Notice this next phrase 
in paragraph 2, "...nor from any power or agency in the creature, 
co-working with his special grace, the creature being wholly passive 
therein, being dead in sins and trespasses." You see how the 
emphasis here is on God? The emphasis is not on man in 
terms of the effectual calling. The emphasis is upon God. And 
then that continues on, until being quickened and renewed by 
the Holy Spirit. This is in the Westminster. He 
is thereby enabled to answer this call and to embrace the 
grace offered and conveyed in it. And then the particular Baptists 
add this last bit, and that by no less power than that which 
raised up Christ from the dead. So you see, the emphasis is upon 
God in the effectual calling. And I think by way of a real 
practical observation, and I say this often as we move our way 
through the Confession of Faith, understanding that this effectual 
call is wrought by God, it is according to God, it is not synergistic 
in the sense where we've got to create the right environment, 
we've got to turn up the the heat a little bit, we've got 
to dim the lights, we've got to woo people with some certain 
music and piano and try to coax them to a place where they'll 
make a proper decision. That is not what's in view in 
evangelism and in preaching. The idea is that we need to beseech 
the God of heaven and earth, to rend the heavens, to come 
down, to open the hearts of those who are dead in their trespasses 
and sins. We will presumably have sinners 
in our midst, now obviously all of us are sinners, but I mean 
unredeemed sinners that will stand with us and sit with us 
during the preaching of the Word. This idea of the effectual call 
ought to be preeminent in our minds on the Lord's Day morning 
when we pray for our services. It's not men that respond favorably 
to the preaching of the gospel. It's God who makes them alive. 
It's God who takes out the old stony heart. It's God who puts 
in the fleshly heart and gives them the grace to believe the 
gospel and to repent from their sins. What we are engaged in 
this morning and evening, whenever the gospel is preached, or in 
your day-to-day life, when you witness and you testify and you 
share the gospel, You cannot change their hearts. You present 
the data, you present the material, you can certainly pray for them, 
and you must pray for them, but your prayer isn't that they will 
make good decisions, but that God would effectually call them, 
that God would draw them by His sovereign grace, that this God, 
who was pleased to purpose the salvation of a great multitude, 
would use your feeble words, feeble as they may be, as the 
means by which He would draw sinners. call them out of, darkness 
into marvelous light. So these doctrines, they are 
wonderfully theoretical and blessed to consider and to contemplate, 
and they're certainly ammunition for when we go on Facebook and 
we argue with Arminians or Pelagians or cultists or whatever. But 
they ought to get into the fiber of our being and affect the way 
that we pray. I mean, as the people of God 
who affirm total depravity and the primacy of the will of God 
in salvation, if that doesn't trickle down into our prayer 
life and cause us to earnestly entreat the Lord that His Holy 
Spirit would be present among us, then it really hasn't affected 
us practically. And then notice what else we 
find. The particular occasion. I love 
this. He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually 
to call. It's not our time. I'm not saying, 
God, if you don't come today, then you just prove that you're 
not God. No, we're always dependent upon 
God. It's always about God and His 
sovereignty. It's always the case that the 
Lord, in His calling men, women, boys, or girls unto Himself, 
operates according to His appointed and accepted time. And John 3 
confirms this, the whole idea concerning the Spirit, when Jesus 
likens the operation of the Holy Spirit to the wind. You don't 
know where it comes from and you don't know where it goes. 
Right. I mean we can't control the wind. We don't snap our fingers 
and then see the wind. But I do like Spurgeon's not 
but it almost sounds like there's a contrast. And I like Spurgeon's 
observation though in terms of that analogy and John 3 8 says 
we can't know where the wind is coming from, and we don't 
know where it's going, we don't know when it's going to originate, 
but we can open the windows and be ready for it. We can open 
the doors to facilitate its movement through our particular dwelling 
places. And I think that's a reality 
as well. I think that when we come to this matter of the effectual 
calling, it ought to affect church services, that we, as the people 
of God, are mindful of the fact that there will be sinners present, 
so we not only, A, pray for them, but B, we pray for the preaching 
of the gospel, that it would be clear, that it would be accurate, 
that it would be simple, simple enough for the most uneducated 
sinner to follow. I think at times we, you know, 
if the food is placed on a bottom shelf, we get a little irritated. 
Well, you know, I already know that. But the pastors or preachers 
are preaching to people at various levels. There's children, there's 
older people, there's educated, there's uneducated. The preacher's 
task is to put the food out there so that everybody gets to gobble 
up some of it. And if the, you know, extra-spiritual 
and intellectual ones are always complaining, and I'm not suggesting 
that happens here, praise God. But if they are, because the 
hay is placed too low, it's sort of just to disregard the simple 
ones in our midst. And simple, I don't mean, you 
know, mentally handicapped, just people that aren't the brightest 
bulbs on the chandelier. We have to realize that that's 
what happens. Not everybody's tracking at the 
same level. And that may sound offensive 
and unkind and unpolitically correct, but brethren, we got 
two, three, four-year-olds here, and they're not able to sustain 
extended thought concerning a theological argument. Sometimes they need 
to hear, God's holy, you're not, you need to believe the gospel. 
You say, well, that's not stimulating to me because I've studied, you 
know, all these other theologians. Well, hopefully there's going 
to be something put on the shelf for you. Lloyd-Jones made this 
emphasis. The pastor or preacher puts the hay where all the horses 
can reach it. There's some at the lower level, 
there's some at the higher level. It's just the nature of the case. And so we need to be mindful 
of that. We need to be mindful of the fact that the gospel ought 
to be central. I don't care what the text is, 
I don't care what the passage is, it ought to lead us to Christ. It ought to be conspicuously 
Christocentric. All roads must lead to Calvary 
in Christian preaching. If a preacher can preach and 
a Jew or a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness or some other cult or 
false religion can say, yeah, that was good, then the preaching 
wasn't good. It ought to offend the Jew because 
of the emphasis upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It ought to offend 
the cultist because of the emphasis on the triunity of God. It ought 
to offend the carnal man because he is told that he is wretched 
and undone and stands in need of sovereign grace. Everybody 
ought to be offended through good gospel preaching. That's 
my point here. You take what I'm saying here, 
hopefully. But these things ought to flesh themselves out in our 
lives and in our prayers and in our church and in its way. I mentioned or alluded to earlier 
this whole idea of moral suasion. It was Charles Finney that sort 
of popularized the anxious bench. And basically what you have toward 
the late 1800s is an emphasis on revivalism. And revivalism 
was the attempt by man to manipulate the situation in such a way that 
sinners would get saved. Now again, I have nothing wrong 
with opening the window and letting the wind in. But there's something 
patently different about turning down the lights, turning up the 
heat, or making it warmer, playing music that's calculated not to 
inform men concerning the truth of Scripture, but calculated 
to play on their emotions, put them in a particular part of 
the church, the anxious bench, to induce or entice them to come 
forward and make decisions. That is wrong, brethren. We are 
not to manipulate people to try and get them to make a confession 
of faith. That ought to be the last thing 
Christian preaching is about. Christian preaching sets forth 
the truth of the gospel in all its beauty and then you know, 
opens the window such that God the Spirit does the work of conversion. I love the book of Acts and the 
way it emphasizes evangelism. Do you know what one word is 
conspicuously absent from the book of Acts? The word love. You say, well, that's pretty 
odd, isn't it? I mean, didn't they love? Of 
course they loved. They loved God. They loved sinners. 
But what's the gospel presentation in some sectors today? God loves 
you and has a wonderful plan for your life. First of all, 
that's a lie. You don't, well, I mean, it may 
be a lie, you know, at least whatever the numbers in terms 
of election are, you just don't know. But if a sinner doesn't 
repent, what God has in plan for him is not wonderful things. 
It's not wonderful things at all. But this idea of the book 
of Acts is to set forth the truth of Christ. Life, death, resurrection. It wasn't to play on people's 
emotions. It wasn't to try and manipulate 
crowds. It wasn't to try and get them 
to raise their hands. Every eye closed. Every head 
bowed. Shoot your hand up if you want 
to make a profession. No. They set forth the truth 
of the gospel, trusting that God of the gospel was able to 
save to the uttermost by His grace and for His glory. These 
doctrines should affect church practice, church life, individual 
Christian practice, individual Christian life. It should affect 
prayer, all these things, this view of God's sovereignty. isn't 
simply to help us to beat up those who disagree, but to promote 
in us more dependence upon the Sovereign Lord, who alone saves 
to the uttermost. Notice the efficacy of this call. It says, "...those whom God hath 
predestinated unto life, He is pleased and has appointed an 
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." He is able to do this, 
right? He is not frustrated in his purpose 
or plan. He is not stopped in his purpose 
or plan. There is none who can say, what 
doest thou? Or stay his hand. The Lord our 
God does accomplish the purpose for which he sends the word. 
And this underscores it. It also highlights specifically 
the particular means employed by God. Notice, by his word and 
spirit. And there's an emphasis everywhere 
in the Scriptures concerning this two-fold instrumentality 
concerning those whom God effectually calls. Turn to Romans 1. Romans 
chapter 1. By His Word and Spirit. Notice 1.16, I'm not ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation 
for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the 
Greek. For in it, the righteousness 
of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the 
just shall live by faith. You see, the emphasis here is 
upon The message, the gospel, the word, the truth, it, the 
gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. 
Now, there aren't conspicuous passages that say, and it has 
to be because the Holy Spirit blesses it. That's everywhere 
undergirded. That's everywhere assumed. The 
idea being that someone dead in their trespasses and sins 
cannot choose for Jesus, cannot believe the gospel, unless the 
almighty power of the Holy Spirit causes them and enables them 
to do that. So the instrumentality is the 
word, but that distinction between the general and internal, or 
the external and internal, or the general and effectual call, 
indicates that the particular element missing, or absent in 
that general call is the power of the Holy Spirit. What differentiates 
the general from the internal? What differentiates the external 
from the effectual? It is the presence and the power 
of the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit is there, then 
it will be an effectual calling unto life and salvation by faith 
in Jesus Christ. In the absence of the Holy Spirit, 
that gospel is preached to every creature, but it's not the case 
that every creature will believe and repent and be saved. But 
the emphasis throughout the New Testament is the emphasis upon 
God's Word. Romans 10, 17. You all know these 
texts, but they're helpful to remind ourselves of. Romans 10, 
17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Ephesians 
1, 13, the apostle connects salvation with obviously grace, that's 
the overarching theme in his presentation of salvation, but 
the instrumentality of the word. Ephesians 1, 13, in him you also, 
after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 
in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his 
glory." One of the means by which churches open the window for 
the influence and the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit 
is to make central the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly 
subjects, you know, studies in particular doctrines or topics 
or issues or things in the Old Testament, in the New Testament 
that are not absolutely, you know, cross-centric are helpful 
for Christians. We need to be taught. We need 
to know about Rehoboam and Abijah and Esau. We need to know about 
you know, the overtures of God toward his recalcitrant people 
in the Old Testament. But then even those things ought 
to be driven back or taken back to a view of the cross. The cross 
needs to be central. I have met Christians who have 
said to me, we're at such and such in church and the gospel 
was never preached. I mean, that's like saying, you 
know, we had a two-year-old child and we never gave him food. If 
somebody said that to you, you'd say, wow, you know, you're a 
child abuser. You've got a two-year-old child 
and you don't feed him? You haven't learned that he's 
addicted to food? You haven't learned that he needs nutrients? 
You haven't learned that he needs that for his sustenance? But 
for whatever reason, some Christians continue in contexts or churches, 
and some churches continue in existence, that do not preach 
the cross. Now, I'm not suggesting that 
they never preach it, but there ought to be a steady diet of 
the gospel. There are those who say, well, 
you know, we're already believers, we don't need the gospel, we've 
already been saved. I absolutely, positively, 100% 
disagree with that sentiment. As a believer, I think one of 
the best things we can hear week by week, day by day, hourly by 
hourly, and minutely by minutely, is the gospel of our salvation. Like that quote I gave from Luther, 
I preach justification by faith every week because my people 
forget it every week. I mean, we need it, don't we? 
What gets you going on a Thursday morning? Your goodness? Your 
greatness? Or the centrality of the cross 
of the Lord Jesus Christ? At some points, especially when 
we're going through trials and difficulties and tribulation, 
that's what gets you out of bed. It's not the fact that I'm such 
a great guy. It's that Christ is such a great 
Savior. He has bought me. He has purchased 
me. So I'm going to fall out of bed. 
I'm going to go about my task. I'm going to do what I'm supposed 
to do with an eye to His glory. You see, the cross needs to be 
central. Paul in Romans, back in Romans chapter one. I love 
what he says in verse, let me see here. Verse 13, now I do 
not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come 
to you, but was hindered until now, that I might have some fruit 
among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor 
both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So much as is in me, I am ready 
to preach the gospel to you who are also in Rome also. He's writing 
to Christians. He's writing to the church, he's 
writing to the people of God, and he not only is eager to preach 
the gospel to them, but what does he write concerning this 
letter? What is the subject matter of 
the letter? It's gospel. We ought never get to the point 
where we say, well, you know, we already know the gospel. No, 
I think the preacher ought to be wise and be able to preach 
it in such a way that, you know, it's helpful and encouraging 
and it's not just this rote presentation, sort of tacked on at the end 
of a service. Notice in 1 Peter 1, again, the instrumentality 
of the Word. Understanding these doctrines 
ought to affect us as individuals, they ought to affect us as churches. 1 Peter 1.23, having been born 
again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the 
Word of God. which lives and abides forever, 
because all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the 
flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower 
falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now, James 
1.18, of his own will, by the word of truth he brought us forth. 
You see, all of these converge upon us to indicate that the 
divines were absolutely correct, by his word and spirit. And then notice, very specifically, 
the means by which, or the sort of description of what happens 
in this effectual calling. Again, the language speaks of 
or reflects Ezekiel 36. In about the middle of paragraph 
1, enlightening their mind spiritually and savingly to understand the 
things of God, taking away their heart of stone, 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." This caricature 
that God somehow drags sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely 
wrong. God changes the heart. When the 
change of heart comes, there's a change of will, a change of 
affection, a change of desire, change of orientation. The sinner 
comes most willing, being made willing by God in the day of 
His power. It's not that He drags us kicking 
and screaming, it's that He changes the heart. And when we hear, 
by His grace, the truth, we run to the Lord Jesus Christ and 
we confess Him as Lord and Savior. It really is a beautiful and 
a wonderful thing. And now notice, let's look specifically 
at some specific issues in paragraphs 2 to 4. Again, I think paragraph 
2 sort of reiterates what has been stated, but with the primary 
emphasis being on the monergistic power of God in this, that it's 
not cooperation, it's not the sinner responding favorably without 
any help or aid by the Holy Spirit. It's not the case that we can 
just wake up and start singing that song, I have decided to 
follow Jesus. Anybody who has decided to follow 
Jesus has been effectually called by God. It is not the case that 
a man who's dead in trespasses and sins decides to follow Jesus. See, I think that when we get 
to this particular chapter with its repeated emphasis upon monergism, 
God alone working, rather than synergism, Now, that's not synergism, 
like me as a sinner working with God, but sin means with. The 
idea of synergism is God and man cooperating to get the job 
done. Monergism is God alone working 
to get the job done. Get the job done may not be the 
best description, but you get the gist, right? The emphasis 
here on monergism does reflect, again, the movement in the confession 
of faith. If you paid attention to chapter 
6 concerning the fall of man, if you paid attention to chapter 
9 concerning the free will of man, if you have read those paragraphs 
or chapters proficiently and you've gotten to this point, 
you're going to scratch your head and say, well, what hope 
is there for man if he is as described in chapter 6 and chapter 
9? The hope is in God. The hope is in chapter 10. The 
hope is in the reality that those whom God hath predestinated unto 
life, He is pleased and is appointed and accepted time effectually 
to call. That effectual call is a beautiful 
and a wonderful, wonderful thing. And in paragraph two, it highlights 
that it's a result of God's free grace. It is not the result of 
man's foreseen faith, the effectual call is not synergistic, and 
just in case we miss that, the creature is wholly passive, being 
dead in trespasses and sins. See, they couldn't have added 
anything more to make the case here. You can't wriggle out and 
say, well, I'm not sure what they mean here. I'm not getting 
it. Well, if you're not getting it, 
you need to open your eyes just a little bit because there are 
so many statements and reiterations concerning the emphasis upon 
God in this particular section. The creature is wholly passive, 
being dead in trespasses and sins. And it's the creature is 
such until he is quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit. And 
then notice that last statement in paragraph 2, "...and that 
by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead." 
The almighty power of God displayed in the resurrection of the Lord 
Jesus is that selfsame power that is displayed in the salvation 
of a sinner. Thomas Watson again, when he 
refers to the effectual call, he calls it a powerful call. And he makes this beautifully 
Watsonian statement, God rides forth, conquering in the chariot 
of his gospel. He conquers the pride of the 
heart and makes the will which stood out as a fort royal to 
yield and stoop to his grace. Isn't that beautiful? That's 
what God does in the effectual call. That's what God has done 
in the effectual call as we have experienced, as we have been 
blessed with it and by it. And I think at this point we 
ought to suggest that it should promote worship. It should promote 
gratitude. It should promote a heartfelt 
desire to please the God who has affectionately called us 
unto Himself, who has conveyed upon us every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ, who has saved us from sin, from 
bondage, from death, from the devil. He has delivered us from 
all those enemies. Certainly, gratitude, thanksgiving, 
and worship and praise are fitting. And then notice the status of 
others in paragraphs 3 and 4. Elect infants dying in infancy 
are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who 
worketh when and where and how he pleaseth. So also are all 
other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by 
the ministry of the Word. So persons oftentimes ask the 
questions concerning infants, and the mentally handicapped. 
That's who I think is in view here. These other elect persons 
who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the 
words. You see the idea here. God in the effectual call works 
by his word and spirit. So the question might arise, 
well what happens to the one-year-old, or the two-year-old, or the three-year-old, 
or the mentally handicapped person that doesn't understand the preaching 
of the gospel, that doesn't understand the presentation of the facts 
concerning the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus? 
What is their particular condition? And I think this particular paragraph 
here is placed here for a particular reason. Now, some would say, 
well, the Bible doesn't tell us what happens to infants, and 
it doesn't tell us what happens to the mentally handicapped. 
So we should remain silent on this particular subject. I think 
what the confession is doing here is highlighting that the 
normative way of salvation is effectual calling. the Spirit 
through the Word. But the inclusion of paragraph 
3 highlights God's sovereignty and His prerogative with reference 
to infants and the mentally handicapped. In other words, God normatively 
saves in this particular manner. But that doesn't mean we can 
bind God to only that particular manner. God's sovereign. What 
He does with infants and what He does with the mentally handicapped 
is up to God. Now there have been, in the history 
of the church, two particular views on these issues. Some teach that all infants, 
and I don't know about all mentally handicapped, but persons in this 
category, necessarily go to heaven. There are others that teach they 
necessarily go to hell. There are persons that teach 
everybody who doesn't hear the gospel, who doesn't believe the 
gospel is necessarily going to go to hell. The insertion of 
paragraph 3 says, let God be God with reference to this matter. Let God be sovereign with reference 
to this matter. When it comes to these secret 
things, we can trust God for these secret things. So it's 
not to start controversy, it's not to suggest or not to say, 
we're going to put something in that the Bible doesn't address 
it. It's probably speaking, David Dixon says that the Anabaptists, 
now again, Anabaptists was a very broad group. It's like saying, 
the Christians today. I mean, does that ever bug you 
when they say, the Christians, and they include, you know, Westboro 
Baptist, or they include, you know, Jehovah's Witnesses, they 
include anybody who can say the name Jesus. That's kind of something 
that I think bugs us. Well, Anabaptist is, you know, 
one of those types of things. There was just a whole host of 
Dandabir Sheba movement within the Anabaptists. But David Dixon 
says some of the Anabaptists... No, he said the Anabaptists taught 
that all infants necessarily went to hell. So you see, the 
confession, I think, wisely inserts something here to remind us the 
normative way is this way, but in terms of the secret things, 
they do belong to God, and we can rest assured that He has 
His purposes. He is a God of grace, a God of 
kindness, a God of mercy, and He is able to work when, where, 
and how He pleases, and we ought to rest content in that. And 
then the last section, specifically in paragraph 4, deals with the 
non-elect and with the heathen. Paragraph 4, others not elected, 
although they may be called by the ministry of the Word and 
may have some common operations of the Spirit. Turn to Hebrews 
6 to see these common operations of the Spirit. Hebrews 6, common 
operations of the Spirit. Just real quick, look back at 
paragraph 4 in chapter 10. Others not elected, although 
they may be called by the ministry of the word. Based on everything 
that has been said thus far, what would you call that? You 
would hopefully call it the general call or the external call of 
the gospel. Others not elected, although 
they may be called by the ministry of the Word." In other words, 
Mark 16, 15, go and preach the gospel to every creature. Cast 
the net far and wide. So the confession recognizes 
this reality that there are those, they're not elect, and they may 
be called by the ministry of the Word. Can't be effectual 
calling because that's not what's consistent with what we've already 
seen in paragraphs 1 and 2. It's not suggesting that non-elect 
are effectually called. The calling in view there at 
the beginning of paragraph 4 is that general or external call. 
But then it says, and may have some common operations of the 
spirit. Notice in Hebrews 6 at verse 
4. Hebrews 6, 4, For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, 
and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers 
of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, 
and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew 
them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves 
the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Now the primary 
emphasis here is on apostasy. It's those who made a profession 
of faith and fell away. It's the same sort of people 
that the apostle will deal with in Hebrews chapter 10. But look 
at what these people did experience for a time. And I think this 
is answerable to our experience. We have seen what John describes 
in 1 John 1.19. They went out from us, but they 
were not of us. Because if they were of us, they 
would have not gone out from us. In other words, there was 
a time when there were persons among us, they made a profession, 
they received some common operations of the Holy Spirit, and yet they 
have departed. The same idea is in view in this 
particular instance. Those who have tasted the heavenly 
gift and chewed it up and swallowed it, they've become partakers 
of the Holy Spirit. Again, not the indwelling, sealing, 
guaranteeing of the Holy Spirit as outlined in Ephesians 1 and 
Romans chapter 8, but by virtue of their association with Spirit-filled 
people of God, they have indeed become partakers of the Holy 
Spirit. They've been witness to His power. They have been 
witness to the demonstration of His glory in the life and 
context of the local church. They have tasted the good word 
of God. I mean, that's not uncommon for 
an unconverted man to say, hey, that was a good sermon. This 
is one of the complaints that God said, or one of the things 
that God told Ezekiel the prophet was going to happen. They're 
going to love your preaching, Ezekiel. It's going to sound 
like a well-played instrument, but they're not going to do what 
you say. I mean, they're going to say, Ezekiel, that was a great 
sermon. It sounded like, you know, Stradivarius. But they're 
going to go out and commit adultery. They're going to go out and commit 
idolatry. So some can respond favorably to that Word of God, 
at least externally, and the powers of the age to come. Again, 
not the full orbit of blessing and the consummate age, but they're 
with Christian people. They're experiencing some of 
those common operations of the Spirit. And if you doubt this, 
just listen this morning in our Sunday morning service. Who was 
sitting at that last Passover feast, and at least in the language 
of Calvin and, you know, very obscure in Matthew, a little 
bit tilted to the fact that he wasn't in John 13, but some suggest 
that Judas was at the Lord's Supper as well. Now, Judas is 
described here. He tasted the heavenly gift. 
He became a partaker of the Holy Spirit. He had tasted the good 
word of God and the powers of the age to come. He was indeed 
a reprobate, so he was non-elect. So back to paragraph four, others 
not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of 
the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet 
not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will 
nor can truly come to Christ and therefore cannot be saved. So the absence of the effectual 
call means they will not come to Christ and hence they cannot 
be saved. The confession everywhere upholds 
the validity of John 14, 6. I am the way and the truth and 
the life. No one comes to the Father except 
through me. In other words, the confession 
of faith rightly reflecting Scripture is very particularistic. It is 
very narrow. It's not all-inclusive. It's 
not a statement that says, you know, all roads lead to Jesus. 
If you do what you're supposed to do, you act upon the light 
of nature, you go to the right places, you do the right things, 
then God is going to indeed include you among the elect. Again, this 
whole idea of universalism, that everybody will be finally saved, 
this idea even of annihilationism, that even the unsaved will go 
to a dreamless sleep, is dealt with by Jesus in that announcement 
concerning His betrayal. What does He say to Judas? It 
would have been better if he had never been born. I mean, 
that's curious language if hell isn't a reality. It's curious 
language if universalism is true. It's curious language if annihilationism 
is true. It would have been better for 
him had he never been born. You see, brethren, the confession 
rightly reflects the scripture's emphasis on the narrowness of 
the narrow way. And then it deals with the heathen 
at the end of paragraph four. Much less can men that receive 
not the Christian religion be saved. Wouldn't this just be 
so popular today? Just stand up in the public circle 
and read our confession of faith. I mean, obviously the Bible, 
but they already hate the Bible and have already excluded the 
Bible. But much less can men that receive not the Christian 
religion be saved. Well, that sounds, you know, 
Islamophobic. No, it's not Islamophobic at 
all. It's theophobic. If you don't fear God, you don't 
believe the gospel, you're going to go to hell. It doesn't sound 
kind to our Sikh neighbors. It doesn't sound kind to the 
Hindus. No, much less can men that receive not the Christian 
religion be saved. What could be more kind than 
telling them the truth? Why lie to them or delude them 
or let them think that somehow their particular approach to 
God is going to work? That's terrible. That's pernicious. That's a lie that has eternal 
ramifications. It's better to say, you know 
what, you're wrong and the Christian religion is right. They might 
not like it, they might want to throw things at you, but in 
the final analysis, that's the act of kindness that they most 
desperately need. So much less can men that receive 
not the Christian religion be saved, be they never so diligent 
to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the 
law of that religion they do profess. Be they never so diligent, 
based on what they know through the created order, through the, 
you know, maybe decent rules of their religion. Maybe their 
religion says don't murder people, don't do this, don't do that. 
No matter how hard they try, it doesn't mitigate against the 
sin problem. It doesn't deal with the fact 
that God is a righteous God and that Christ alone is the way 
of salvation. And I like what the Westminster 
and Savoy add here, that for whatever reason our confession 
deletes. It goes on to say, and to assert and maintain that they 
may, this idea that the heathen can indeed somehow get themselves 
to God, and to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious 
and to be detested. In other words, we can't allow 
them for the moment to think that what they're doing is okay. 
I don't mean we get bullhorns and scream in their faces, you're 
wrong, we're right. But when it comes to this whole 
debate concerning religion, we are right and they are wrong. 
And we need to be faithful and kind, faithful of the wounds 
of a friend, not faithful of the lies of a friend. We need 
to tell them the truth concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Well, let's close in a word of 
prayer. Our Father, we thank you for this doctrine, we thank 
you for your effectual call in our lives, and we would pray 
that this morning as we gather for worship, as we trust there 
will be unsaved sinners in our midst, we pray this word would 
go forth, attended by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we would 
witness the power of God demonstrated in effectual calling. We know, 
Lord, that You are sovereign. We know, Lord, that You are good 
and gracious. And we know, Lord, that our Savior 
secured the salvation of a great multitude that no man can number. 
And we would pray today that we would see the exercise of 
that power, that it would redound to the praise and glory of the 
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We would ask that You 
would go with us now and help us as we worship to do so in 
spirit and in truth. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen.