The salvation of God (4)
[Romans 8:29-30]
Look at Romans 8:29-30: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Let's review the five stages of salvation taught in these verses: (1) First stage: God saves those whom God foreknew, that is, those whom God loved. (2) Second stage: God saves those whom He predestined, that is, those whom God chose before the foundation of the world. (3) Third stage: God saves those whom He called, that is, those whom God effectively called. (4) Fourth stage: God saves those whom He justified. (5) Fifth stage: God saves those whom God glorified. Today, I would like to think about the third stage, God saves those whom God called, that is, those whom God effectively called.
The third stage is ‘God called’ (Rom. 8:30).
Looking at the Westminster Confession of Faith [Chapter 10 Of Effectual Calling], we need to consider some important key lessons: (1) “All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call (Rom. 8:10, 11:7; Eph. 1:10, 11).” God predestined those whom he foreknew, that is, those whom he loved beforehand, in order to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29, 30). Here, the word “predestined” means that God chose them before the foundation of the world. God called them effectively at His appointed and accepted time. (2) “by his word and Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6), out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rom. 8:2; Eph. 2:1-5).”
Then, in what way does God effectively call? It is through “his word and Spirit.” In effectively calling those whom God foreknew (loved) and predestined to salvation, God calls them through the Word of God, that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, God calls us through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to hear the Word (gospel), understand it, receive it, and make us believe in Jesus Christ. These are the Bible verses about the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit: (Acts 26:18) “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (1 Cor. 2:10, 12) “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” (Eph. 1:17-18) “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” These are the Bible verses about the Holy Spirit softening our hearts to receive the word of God (Gospel): (Ezek. 11:19) “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezek. 36:26-27) “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ‘I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.’” (Deut. 30:6) “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Phil. 2:13) “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The Holy Spirit works in us to hear, understand, and receive the word of God (gospel), and to believe in Jesus Christ.
Then, in what condition does God call us through the Word (Gospel) and the Holy Spirit? We are in that state of sin and death in which we are by nature. The state of sin means we were brought forth in iniquity, and in sin our mother conceived us [(Ps. 51:5) “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me”]. The state of death means that we were spiritually dead because of our disobedience and sin (Eph. 2:1). Look at Ephesians 2:1-3: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” At that time, we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind. In other words, when we were children of wrath by nature, God called us. At that time, the Holy Spirit moved us, who were dead in our trespasses and sins, made us alive (regeneration) [(Tit. 3:5) “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”], and made us call God “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15). And the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (sanctification) so that we become more like Jesus. Then, when the Lord comes (the Second Coming), He will resurrect us/transform us so that we may enter into a new heaven and a new earth, so that we may enjoy eternal life. All this is because of God's effectual calling we are glorified (v. 30).
These are the Bible verses about God’s call: (2 Thess. 2:13-14) “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God loves us and has chosen us. And God has called us through the gospel. At that time, the Holy Spirit worked so that we could be saved through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. (2 Tim. 1:9-10) “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” God has called us to a holy calling, and salvation is not based on our works (good works), but according to God's will of salvation and grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus from eternity. Our Savior, Christ Jesus, took away death and showed us the way to eternal life without dying as the good news (gospel) (v. 10). Look at Ephesians 2:4-5: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Because of God's great love, we were dead in trespasses and sins (v. 1). But were made alive together with Christ (regeneration). And only by God's grace we are saved. Look at John 6:37 – “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” Those whom God foreknows (loves), those whom he has predestined, and those whom he has called will all come to Jesus. Look at John 5:25 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” We who were dead in trespasses and sins, we who were spiritually dead, and those of us who are bound to die forever, will be raised to life when we hear the voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through God’s effectual (effective) calling. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, causes us to repent, and allows us to believe in Jesus Christ and obey the word of God, so that we become like Jesus as we grow spiritually. Then, when Jesus comes again, we will be resurrected/suddenly change and enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy eternal life.
In this way, we who have been saved by God's effectual (effective) call should focus on the Lord's work. We must preach the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, while praying for the work of the Holy Spirit. We must become imitators of the Lord by receiving the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit in the midst of adversity and tribulation (1 Thess. 1:6). When we receive the word of God, we should not receive it as the word of men, but as the word of God (2:13). The word of God is also at work among us who believe (v. 13). We must obey this word of God, lead a holy life, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in a life that resembles Jesus [the worthy life of the gospel (Phil. 1:27)]. Since there are still other sheep who are not of Jesus Christ's fold, we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, so those sheep whom the Holy Spirit loved and preselected by God must also hear the voice of Jesus and become one flock under one shepherd (Jn. 10:16). Therefore, when Jesus comes again (the second coming), all of us must be glorified and enter the kingdom of heaven to enjoy eternal life.