Modern 1689 Confession

Original

Reeves

Chapter 10

Of Effectual Calling

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.

( Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Song of Solomon 1:4 )

2. 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, 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.

( 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25; Ephesians 1:19, 20 )

3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.

( John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8 )

4. 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.

( Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3 )

Chapter 10

Effectual Calling

1.  In God’s appointed and acceptable time, he is pleased to call effectually,¹ by his Word and Spirit, those he has predestined to life.  He calls them out of their natural state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.²  He enlightens their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God.³ He takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh.⁴  He renews their wills and by his almighty power turns them to good and effectually draws them to Jesus Christ.⁵   Yet he does all this in such a way that they come completely freely, since they are made willing by his grace.⁶

¹Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14. ²Ephesians 2:1-6. ³Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18. ⁴Ezekiel 36:26. ⁵Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19. ⁶Psalm 110:3; Song of Solomon 1:4.

2. This effectual call flows from God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in those called.  Neither does the call arise from any power or action on their part;⁷ they are totally passive in it.  They are dead in sins and trespasses until they are made alive and renewed by the Holy Spirit.⁸  By this they are enabled to answer this call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.  This response is enabled by a power that is no less than that which raised Christ from the dead.⁹

⁷2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8. ⁸1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25. ⁹Ephesians 1:19, 20.

3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit,¹⁰ who works when and where and how he pleases.¹¹   The same is true of every elect person who is incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.

¹⁰John 3:3, 5, 6. ¹¹John 3:8.

4. Those who are not elected will not and cannot truly come to Christ and therefore cannot be saved, because they are not effectually drawn by the Father.¹²  They may even be called by the ministry of the Word and may receive some ordinary working of the Spirit without being saved.¹³  Much less can any be saved who do not receive the Christian religion, no matter how diligently they live their lives according to the light of nature and the teachings of the religion they profess.¹⁴

¹²John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25. ¹³Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5. ¹⁴Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3.