The doctrine of effectual calling is a clear expression how the three Persons of the Trinity work in harmony to bring about the redemption of ill-deserving sinners, like us. The Father elects people for salvation, the Son redeems them through His death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit calls them to faith.
We do not forsake sin in order to go to Christ, but rather, we go to Christ in order to forsake sin. This is because faith precedes repentance in the ordo salutis, or the order of salvation. This means that faith in Jesus Christ must logically come first in order for a person to experience true repentance and turn away from sin.
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all." - John 6:63
"And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'" - John 6:65
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." - John 6:37
These verses emphasize that faith is a gift from God and not something that comes from our own strength or effort. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that quickens us and enables us to believe in Jesus.
God is in control of all things, including our adversities.
God is in control of all things and everything that happens, is part of His divine plan for our lives (Eph 1:11). In light of this, cultivating a deep trust in God's sovereignty and His loving care for us, will result in a deep sense of contentment, regardless of our circumstances. It is by God-given faith alone that we yield to the will of God and submit to it, even in times of hardship and suffering. The more we understand the wisdom and love of God, the more we will be filled with peace and contentment, whatever situation we find ourselves.
by Thomas Manton
Because there is so much corruption in a man that hindereth the soul from believing in Jesus Christ, that it cannot be done away without the Spirit's manifestation. There is a double seat of this corruption—the mind and the heart. First, in the mind there is ignorance and unteachableness. Secondly, In the heart there is obstinacy and carelessness; which things cannot be conquered any otherwise than by the Spirit of God. Let us look upon these things severally. Consider a man naturally as he is:—
[1.] In his mind; and so—
Because we affirm the Biblical doctrine of effectual grace, some (often well-meaning) Christians make the charge that this would make human beings into automatons or robots. And the love of God requires (libertarian) freedom of the will, they claim.
Human reason and logic, such as the law of non contradiction are 1) invariant, 2) universal and 3) immaterial. The same laws of logic apply in Los Angeles and Myanmar. Although materialists and secularists use logic everyday, they cannot account for logic in their worldview. It only makes sense if an immaterial, universal, invariant God exists. A universal law among cultures which never met one another, requires a universal lawgiver. It doesn't arise from rocks.
Thirty-Six Select Sermons of John Calvin
We must not condemn others as graceless and godless, because they do not see the whole truth at once, and only reach decided Christianity by slow degrees. The Holy Spirit always leads believers to the same foundation truths, and into the same highway to heaven. In these there is invariable uniformity. But the Holy Spirit does not always lead believers through the same experience, or at the same rate of speed. In this there is much diversity in His operations.
