THE EFFECTUAL CALLING
The
Call that created all, delivers us from the fall
An
Overview of Romans with a focus on the CALL of God
How many of you talked on the
phone with each other before you were married?
When
you recieved a call from him/her what was it like? ...
...
other examples of "calls" ...
THE CALLER
Acts 2:39
For the promise is to you and to
your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
proskaleomai, pros-kal-eh'-om-ahee;
middle from Greek 4314 (pros) and Greek 2564 (kaleo); to call toward oneself,
i.e. summon, invite :- call (for, to, unto).
It is the Lord God Almighty, the
Sovereign of the universe, the Creator who created all things ex-nihilo (out of
nothing) as mentioned in Rom 4:17, who calls us.
This same power is what
re-creates us. As he spoke the universe into existence, so His call creates
spiritual life in "as many as the Lord our God will call".
God loves us far more than
anyone! Listen to what Peter says:
1 Peter 5:10
But may the God of all
grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you
have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light;
Do you realize 1. Who it is that
has called you 2. What he has called you out of
3. What he has called you into?????!!!!!
THE CALLED
Romans 1:1
Paul, a bondservant of
Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of
God
parakaleo, par-ak-al-eh'-o;
from Greek 3844 (para) and Greek 2564 (kaleo); to call near, i.e. invite,
invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation) :- beseech,
call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), entreat, pray.
Romans 1:6-7
among whom you also are the
called of Jesus Christ;
7To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to
be saints:
Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
kletos, klay-tos; from the
same as Greek 2821 (klesis); invited, i.e. appointed, or
(special) a saint :- called.
Romans 4:17
(as it is written, "I
have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom
he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things
which do not exist as though they did;
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. 29For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might
be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom He
predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and
whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Romans 9:6-24
But it is not that the word
of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are
of Israel, 7nor are they all children because they are the seed
of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." 8That
is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9For
this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah
shall have a son." 10And not only this,
but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
11(for the children not yet being born, nor having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12it was said to her, "The
older shall serve the younger." 13As it is written, "Jacob
I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? Certainly not! 15For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on
whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have
compassion." 16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who
runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17For the Scripture says to
Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show
My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18Therefore
He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19You
will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted
His will?" 20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will
the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me
like this?" 21Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same
lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His
power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction, 23and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the
vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the
Gentiles?
Romans 11:29
For the gifts and the calling
of God are irrevocable.
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION CH X
I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only,
he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,[1] by
his Word and Spirit,[2] out of that state of sin and death, in which they are
by nature, to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ;[3] enlightening their minds
spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God,[4] taking away their
heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh;[5] renewing their wills,
and, by his almighty power, determining them to that which is good,[6] and
effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ:[7] yet so, as they come most freely,
being made willing by his grace.[8]
1. Acts 13:48; Rom. 4:28, 30; 11:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; II Tim. 1:9-10
2. II Thess. 2:13-14; James 1:18; II Cor. 3:3, 6; I Cor. 2:12
3. II Tim. 1:9-10; I Peter 2:9; Rom 8:2; Eph. 2:1-10
4. Acts 26:18; I Cor. 2:10, 12; Eph. 1:17-18; II Cor. 4:6
5. Ezek. 36:26
6. Ezek. 11:19; 36:27; Deut. 30:6; John 3:5; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:23
7. John 6:44-45; Acts 16:14
8. Psa. 110:3; John 6:37; Matt. 11:28; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 6:16-18;
Eph. 2:8; Phil 1:29
II. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not
from anything at all foreseen in man,[9] who is altogether passive therein,
until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit,[10] he is thereby
enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in
it.[11]
THE CALLING
Romans 12-15
Romans 16:25-27
Now to Him who is able to
establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26but
now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known
to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for
obedience to the faith-- 27to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen.