#effectual calling

Dear Church and Friends, This episode of our series on the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament looks at a man whom God called, filled with his Spirit, gifted, and used to teach other men. Sound familiar? Whether in the Old Testament or the New the Spirit of God is busy calling men unto Christ for the work of the ministry. All my best, Join the Bible Bistro Mailing List Get notified of menu…

A. Effectual calling is 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.

2 Ti. 1:9 "...who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began..."

Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?'"

Acts 26:18 "...to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."

Ezek. 36:26 "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

The Gospel, Not the Preacher, is Powerful

The People’s Preacher

Yesterday, I read the news that a “major” (sic) prosperity preacher, after a month of reading Spurgeon and listening to Ray Comfort, repented of his false gospel and committed to preaching the truth of the grace of God and that all men and women are “not called to their best life now”, but instead, are called “to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ”. Time will tell,…

As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation; neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.(4)

(4) 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thesalonians 5:9; Romans 8:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:5; John 10:26; John 17:9; John 6:64

A great warrior was once painted with his hand resting on his face, as if in contemplation. But the real purpose was to hide an ugly scar on his cheek.

The German emperor, Wilhelm II, was photographed and painted standing in such a position that his withered arm would not appear.

We all try, to some extent, to disguise our imperfections. However, in the Bible, people are presented just as they…