 The title of our sermon this morning is effectual grace, effectual grace. The title gives it away, the subject that we're going to be covering this morning. We're talking about God's effectual grace. And in that, welcome back to our study of the essentials, one sermon, one hour, one theological subject essential to the growth and maturity of the Christian. And in our study of the essentials, it's been our joy, our privilege over many weeks now to consider the doctrine of revelation, the doctrine of God. We've looked at the doctrine of man, the doctrine of sin, and it's been a blessing to consider our redemption accomplished in the person and work of our great Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. And now we are blessed by God being afforded the opportunity to consider the work of our redemption applied by the Spirit of God. In a stunning, a magnificent, a wondrous and glorious work involving the inseparable operations of the three persons of the Godhead, God the Father plans and initiates our redemption. He determines from eternity to redeem a segment of fallen humanity to himself through the work of the Son for the glory of his own name, working out his decreed will through divine providence. God the Son then delighting in the Father for the joy that was set before him determines to undertake that which would be necessary to save those whom the Father elects and gives to him. The Lord of glory would make himself of no reputation. He would take the form of a slave and would come in the likeness of men. And God the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and from the Son then comes to apply the work of redemption to the elect, working in them all of the blessings and benefits of Christ's accomplished work, our redemption secured through the inseparable operations of the three persons of our triune God to the praise of the glory of his grace. Although God has determined this redemption in eternity, setting his covenant love upon and elect people before the worlds began, writing their names down in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, God has also determined to bring about the salvation of his people in time through an indispensable means, through a necessary means. That means by which God has determined to bring lost sinners to salvation is the preaching of the gospel. Whatever is resurrection from the dead, the Lord commands all of those who would be his disciples go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark chapter 16 verse 15. Now this is a universal call to salvation. It's a general call, a general gospel call, a call that is given by the people of God to every creature. That's our responsibility. We the church are blessed that that work has been given to us the church. The gospel call is to be preached to all. It's an indispensable means. It's a necessary means for God gathering in his elect. Sinners must be confronted with the reality of their sin against God. They are sinners by nature. You and I apart from Christ and every lost person born in Adam apart from the Lord Jesus Christ are sinners by nature. Sinners are described as dead in trespasses and sins. They are under the just and righteous wrath, the just and righteous condemnation of a holy God and utterly unable to do anything about it themselves. They can't do anything to save themselves by their own works. Now there are two things required for our salvation. Two things that are necessary for us to be reconciled to God. A perfect payment for sin and a perfect life. We're capable of neither. So the person in work of the Lord Jesus Christ is set before sinners as the only way of salvation. He accomplishes both of those things. He himself standing in the place of the judgment at the cross on behalf of guilty sinners who don't deserve it. He harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He who knew no sin then becomes sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. He was raised on the third day from the dead for our justification and seated at the right hand of the majesty on high always living to make intercession for his own. So the way of salvation is to be preached to every person with a call for them to turn from their sin in repentance. Not merely acknowledging their sin, not merely admitting that they're a sinner. It's not enough to say, I know I'm a sinner. Proverbs 28, 13, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy. The gospel is preached to every person with a call for sinners to turn from their sin to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not merely an intellectual assent or an intellectual or a mental agreement with a set of facts, but a casting of themselves upon Christ for mercy. An abandoning of themselves upon God for grace, trusting in him alone for salvation and committing the following him as Lord. And the one who believes on him, the promise of the gospel, the one who believes on him will have eternal life. Notice the gospel involves a general or a universal call to all people that universal general call includes a command. It's not just an invitation, it's not just an offer, it's a command for all people to repent and to place their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That general or universal call, the nature of that is beautifully expressed or illustrated in the banquet parables of Matthew 22 or Luke 14. Matthew 22 is read in your hearing. Look at Matthew 22 verse 1, beautifully illustrated in the banquet parables. The Lord has been interacting with the chief priests and the Pharisees in Matthew 22. He's just told them the parable of the wicked, divine dressers and those Pharisees, they're not altogether a lost cause in the sense that they don't know what's going on. They perceive that the Lord is talking about them, right? They perceive that he's speaking of them when he's talking. And they want to lay hands on him, they want to take him, they want to kill him, but at this point they're fearful of the crowds. So Jesus tells them another parable in Matthew chapter 22 verse 1. So Jesus answered and he spoke to them again by parables and he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son. And sent out servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come. Amazing, isn't it? Lord sends out, now specifically what he's talking about here is the nation of Israel. The Lord sends out his prophets to the nation of Israel. The Bible describes God as rising early to send them. God is gracious, God is compassionate, he's kind, he's longsuffering, rising early to send them. And what do they do? They reject the king and they reject his son whom he is sent. And so they reject his gracious invitation. The rejection here is meant to be shocking. It should shock us. This is an invitation from their king. He's their sovereign, the royal son is going to be married. This is going to be an extravagant feast. Where's the love for the king? Where's gratitude to the king? Where's their appreciation for the king? Where's their gratitude, their love for the son? This is cold-hearted, cold-blooded, heartless, isn't it? This is a despicable rejection. This shows contempt for the king. Contempt for his son. Do you see? This is not a matter of indifference. This is not a matter of simply apathetic apathy. They show contempt for the king. They despise the king and his son. Notice the emphasis of verse 3. It's not simply that they cannot come. Not simply that they are merely unable to come, but that they will not come. Do you see? They're not willing to come. Well the king is rightly taken aback. The king is incredibly patient. He's gracious. He's compassionate. And so, verse 4, again, what does the king do? Again, he sent out other servants, more servants, saying, tell those who are invited. Look what I've done. See, I've prepared my dinner. My oxen, fatted cattle are all killed. All things are ready. Come to the wedding. In other words, everything's done. Everything's prepared. Look at all that I've done for you. This is going to be a wondrous feast. Look at the blessings. Come. Invitation. You're welcome to come. Do you see? Look at all that I've done. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. You see the parallel, don't you? Come buy wine and milk without money, without price. Let your soul delight itself in abundance. Here and your soul shall live. What a blessed invitation. What a good and gracious and kind offer. He's not a king who sits back in the ivory towers of his castle while his menial subjects wallow in their misery and woe. But how do they respond? Verse 5. Well, they made light of it. Wow, right? Just, they made light of it. They went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. Far worse than a mere rejection. Do you see? Far worse than a mere rejection. This is a calloused and brazen contempt. They couldn't possibly care less. They've got their own lives to be concerned about. They're not even concerned about where those lives came from, who gave them the breath in their lungs or the food on their table or the roof of their heads or the clothes on their back. All the good things in this world to enjoy. They've got no time whatsoever for the king. Even though the heavens shout aloud his handiwork. Even though all that they see around them preaches a sermon of his grace and his mercy and his compassion and his goodness and his kindness. They actively despise the king. They are openly hostile. So much so in verse 6. The rest, they didn't just reject the king's summons. They seized his servants. They treated them spitefully and they killed them. You can see in this how, can't you, how the Lord is illustrating responses to the call of the gospel. The gracious summons of the gospel and the responses of sinful men, depraved men and women to the gospel call. Well, as you can imagine, when the king heard about it, verse 7, he was furious. That is a just and righteous response to the depravity of man. Do you see? His wrath, which is holy. His wrath, which flows from his holiness, is expressed through retributive justice. Verse 7, he sent out his armies. He destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. And then he said to verse 8, he said to his servants, the wedding is ready. Wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore, go into the highways as many as you can find and invite them to the wedding. Right? Not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. Go to those outside of town, in other words. Not just in Jerusalem, but in Judea and in Samaria and in the uttermost ends of the earth. Verse 10, so those servants went out into the highways and they gathered together, all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests to the praise and glory of his grace. A vast number attend to the wedding. Every tribe, tongue, people and nation will be there. But strange, verse 11, when the king came in to see the guest, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? This one looks like he's come over the wall, like a thief or a robber. He may be sitting there at the table with a ski mask on, eating through the little hole. How did you get in here? How is it that you have presumed to come to me dressed in anything but that wedding garment which the son has himself provided? The only acceptable dress is to be clothed in that wedding garment, his righteousness, the pure righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, this is an insult for someone to come in here dressed this way. The man was speechless, the Bible says. His mouth is stopped. There's a guilty silence. He can't say anything. Verse 13, then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot. Take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is an illustration, isn't it? Verse 14 brings this illustration to a close, because many are called, but few are chosen. Under the universal or general call of the gospel, many are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Many are urged to respond to the summons of the king, but only few will properly respond. Do you see? Those few are described in verse 14 as chosen. Only few will properly respond, and those few, verse 14, are described as chosen. It's an amazing use of illustration, an economy of words, a beautiful story, a beautiful picture of God saving work in the Lord Jesus Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the response of sinful men to the gospel. The shocking and brazen rejection of the king's offer is a picture of man's depravity. Do you see? Paul describes all people outside of the Lord Jesus Christ as dead in trespasses and sins. Dead, not sick, dead. They are the walking dead. Trudging along, Paul says, in the wicked course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, they conduct themselves in the lusts of the flesh. They are by nature children of wrath, their wills in bondage enslaved to sin. So when the walking dead hear the gospel of the kingdom, many are indifferent. They appear to be. Many appear to be apathetic. They're unmoved, cold, hard-hearted. They show contempt for the summons of the king. Some are actually moved to hostility, to a brazen rejection. Moved to hostility because they loved darkness more than delight. Moved to hostility because the Lord testifies of them that their deeds are evil. All dead in sin, all unwilling, and all unable to come. Now notice also from the text, Matthew chapter 22, how the Lord in the parable lays upon each sinner the responsibility for his actions. Notice with me, no violence is done to the sinner's will. In other words, the king doesn't go about dragging people to the banquet that don't want to come. The summons is sent out. Those who are willing come. Those who are not don't. The king doesn't bar anyone who wants to come to the banquet as long as they come through the sun, the wedding garment given by the sun. So in the parable, there are two ways that the call is rejected. Two ways that the call is rejected. One, you can reject the summons of the king. You can reject the gospel by refusing to come. You can reject the gospel by refusing. Secondly, you can reject the gospel by presuming to come on your own terms. The guilt for both is the responsibility of the sinner. Now that being said, some do come, don't they? Verse 14, verse 14 tells us of those that do come, verse 14 tells us that standing behind the willing acceptance of the faithful who do come is the electing purpose of a sovereign king. You see that in verse 14. For many are called to salvation through the universal preaching of the gospel, but few are chosen to salvation through the particular electing purpose of God. Many are called, few are chosen. The parable is also very helpful in illustrating what theologians have called the well-meant offer of the gospel. Very helpful in illustrating the gospel summons of the king as a well-meant offer. The accusation is, is that well, if you believe that only those who are chosen come, well then that's a fake offer then in a universal call of the gospel. God doesn't really mean it if he's already determined who will come and who won't. But this parable is a helpful illustration that this gospel summons is a well-meant offer. In other words, God's prescriptive will is that those who hear the gospel will repent and will believe. God's will, God's prescriptive will is that every sinner would turn from their sin and come to faith in Christ. The king desires that invited guests should come. Ezekiel 18, verse 23, Lord says, do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should turn from his ways and live? The answer to that question is given to us in Ezekiel 33, verse 11, as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. In other words, he delights when the wicked turns from his evil ways to Christ for life. Flip the page from Matthew 22 to Matthew chapter 23. Matthew 23, the Lord is severely rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. We know this text, longing for the salvation of God's covenant people, the Lord laments this in verse 37. Look at verse 37, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets, stones, those who are sent to her. How often I wanted, notice the language of desire there, right? How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not elect. Is that what the text says? No. Long. How long? How long I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not chosen. No, it's not what the text says, right? You are not what? You're not willing. You're not willing. They're not willing to come. You can't blame your rejection of the gospel on God. You can't blame shift your refusal to repent to God because God somehow hasn't granted you repentance. He longed to gather them to himself and they were not willing. Do you see? The offer of the gospel is a well meant offer. Rejection of the gospel is laid squarely. The responsibility for that laid squarely on the shoulders of the sinner. Well despite the fact that all are dead in sin and despite the fact that many, many are unwilling to come at the point of response, some will come. Some will choose to come to Christ for salvation. How's this to be explained if men are dead in trespasses and sins? We know that this is ultimately rooted in divine election. Verse 14 tells us that, right? Chapter 22 verse 14, many are called few or chosen. So we know that ultimately it has its roots in election. We're not selecting purposes but to put our concern here in the language of Matthew 22 and Matthew 23, some are ultimately willing to come to Christ while others are not willing to come to Christ. How do we account for the difference between them? There are many who will come to Christ because they're willing to come and there are many who will reject the gospel because they're unwilling to come. How do we account for the difference? What causes one to differ from another? Do you see the importance of the question? Why are those who come to Christ for salvation willing to come? Why are some willing and why are others unwilling? Why do they come to Christ willingly when before for so long they were unwilling? What was me? As many of you. Why do they come to Christ when so many others remain unwilling? How do we account for the difference? Do you see? What causes one to differ from another? Well there are two basic and opposing answers that are given to that question. Two answers and they're in opposition to one another. One is biblical, the other answer is not. One answer is biblical, the other answer is not. All of the many false, erroneous, unbiblical and heretical answers may be dressed up in all kinds of theological language. Some very cunning, some very deceitful in their attempt to sound biblical, in their attempt to sound orthodox. But no matter what they say or how they dress it up, no matter what frills they put upon it, it comes down to a very simple and a very clear distinction. Out of the mass of a depraved humanity in bondage to sin, why do some turn from sin to trust in Christ? Why? One answer gives credit for the difference to the will of man. The other answer gives credit for the difference to the will of God. Two basic answers entirely in opposition to one another. One credits the will of man, the other credits the will of God. Let's flesh that out a little bit. Let me give you a couple of examples. This is important. The semi-Pelagians, who were fifth and sixth century heretics, and the Armenians, who were sixteenth and seventeenth century heretics, both believed that a man's response to the Gospel call depended ultimately and exclusively on his own free will. That is Pelagianism, that is semi-Pelagianism, that is Armenianism. It's not important to understand those terms at this point. According to both semi-Pelagians and Armenians, all who hear the Gospel have the ability to accept it. Semi-Pelagians believed that man was or is naturally able to respond, naturally willing to respond in and of himself, something the Bible clearly does not teach. Man is dead in trespasses and sins. And Armenians believed that God gives an enabling grace to every single human being in order to help them overcome their human depravity so that they could be willing and able to respond. Something the Bible simply does not teach. Both of these terminate to the effect that God in no way determines the outcome. Both of these attribute the outcome to the will of man. God in no way controls the outcome. Man ultimately controls the outcome. And it all ultimately comes down to man's will, man's decision, man's choice. According to the semi-Pelagian and according to the Armenian, this is the one place, the one circumstance in all the created order where God the omnipotent sovereign is neither omnipotent nor sovereign. No matter what they say, no matter how they dress it up, the sovereignty of God is hereby denied. Do you see? Very important. We're talking about the glory of God and salvation. It's extremely important. According to the semi-Pelagian, according to the Armenian, all men either have the natural ability to put saving faith in Jesus Christ or all men are given the natural ability to put saving faith in Jesus Christ. Man is an outright denial of the Bible's teaching on total depravity and man's inability. The other, a deceptive denial of the Bible's teaching on total depravity and man's inability. They just made it up. They made up some special form of common grace that is nowhere in the Bible that doesn't exist. They made it up to fit their theology. And no matter what they say, the Bible's teaching regarding total depravity and man's inability is hereby flatly denied. Do you see? Rather than being dead in trespasses and sins, man has the ability to believe. The Armenian, for example, to use an illustration, would say, they would agree that man is spiritually bankrupt before God, spiritually bankrupt. But then the Armenian comes and invents. He makes up monopoly money to put into the sinner's spiritual bank account. He says the sinner is bankrupt, but then he makes up fake money to put in the sinner's account, which is not true. And it denies, it has the effect of denying spiritual bankruptcy. Do you see? It's not real. It's not true. I remember this from hearing this from R.C. Sproul, really helpful on this. R.C. Sproul asks Armenians, why are they Christians and why other people are not Christians? If you're talking to someone when you're witnessing to them, you ask them, why are you a Christian and why are other people not Christians? Well, the Armenian would say, or someone who holds that theology would say, well, it's because I believe in Christ and others do not. I believe in Christ, others do not. So you ask them, well, why is it that you believe? That's the crux of the issue, isn't it? Why is it that you believe and others do not? Why? Is it because you're more intelligent than they are? And of course, you know, no sinner or self-respecting Christian is going to say that, it's not because I'm smarter, it's not based on my intelligence, so it's not that. Well, is it because then that you're luckier, you went to the right church, you're reading the right Bible, you're hanging around the right people, is it you're luckier than everybody else? No, it's not that. Is it because you're more righteous than they are? Is it because you're more holy than they are? Is it because you're better than they are? Why isn't it? You've done the righteous thing, they've done the unrighteous thing, do you see? You've done the holy thing, they've done the unholy thing. They've rejected the king's summons. You've done the good thing by believing, they continue to make sinful, bad, wrong choices by rejecting the Lord. No matter how they try to spin it, no matter how they dress it up in their theology, man in his fallen and depraved state must by an act of his own will either accept or reject the gospel. And their acceptance or rejection of the gospel is an act of their will. No matter how they spin it, they cannot escape the conclusion that the salvation of man is ultimately determined by an act of man's will. It is therefore a denial of God's sovereignty. It is therefore a denial of man's depravity. And it is one step away from the heresy of Rome. The reason that I mention these two heresies, Arminianism and Semipelagianism, is because the professing church today is absolutely overrun with these heresies. We overrun a vast, vast majority of the churches that are in place today are given over to the errors of Semipelagianism or Arminianism. The difference between them and the clear teaching of the Bible is one of synergism versus monarchism. The issue is one of synergism versus monarchism. It refers to the cooperation of God and man to bring about man's salvation. It's unbiblical. You see how synergism robs God of the glory of man's salvation. Ultimately, the salvation of man is determined by the free will of man, the decision of man, the choice of man, ultimately determined by man. Robbs God of his own glory in redeeming sinners. Monergism refers to the working of God alone in bringing about man's salvation. Synergism together with monarchism working alone, right? Refers to the working of God alone in bringing about a man's salvation. No cooperation from man. Cults are synergistic. Cults are synergistic. Roman Catholicism is synergistic. Pelagians and semi-Pelagians are synergistic. Arminians are synergistic. All false religion is synergistic. Do you see? Someone might ask, well, are you saying that all Arminians, all semi-Pelagians are lost? Are you saying that they can't be saved? No? R.C. Sproul again says that they're barely Christians. They're barely Christians on what he calls a felicitous inconsistency. They can deny those other doctrines, but at the end of the day they're holding to salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ. Faith alone in Christ. So you'll have many Arminians who are actually converted, but as Sproul says, barely. It's an error. It's a heresy. It should not be taught, and yet that's what most churches today are teaching. What causes one to differ from another? What causes one to differ from another? Why are those who come to Christ for salvation? Why are they willing? Why do they come? The Bible tells us that it is a sovereign, monergistic work of God's grace in the heart of sinful man. It's all of God. It's all of grace. Why do they come? Because God, working by His grace, draws them to Himself. Not in the heart of all men indiscriminately before regeneration. That grace doesn't happen in the heart of all men indiscriminately before regeneration. That would be the Arminian way of denying human depravity and denying total inability. No. The Bible clearly teaches that fallen people are unable to respond to the preaching of the gospel with repentance and faith. Because of their depravity, because of man's inability, the unregenerate person is unable and ultimately unwilling to come to Christ apart from a gracious work of God's spirit. Whereby the Spirit of God calls the sinner to Himself and enables them at that time to believe. When called by God, the sinner comes. You see? Otherwise, the sinner will never come. Why? Because they're dead in their trespasses and sins. They're depraved, unwilling, unable to come. This is called the doctrine of effectual calling or the doctrine of effectual grace. Turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Look there beginning with me at verse 28. Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Look there beginning with me at verse 28. Romans chapter 8 verse 28. This is the golden chain of redemption. It's a golden and unbreakable chain. Verse 28. Paul says, 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. Notice off the bat that called is not a verb. It's a substantive. It's an adjective, you could say. Standing in place of the noun. Those who are not just called according to it. Those who are the called according to His purpose, right? A group of people called the called, okay? Now verse 28. Who are those for whom all things work together for good? Who are those? What they're described in two ways. One, they are those who love God. Two, they are those who are the called according to His purpose. The first describes what they do as God's people. They love God. God's people love the Lord. They love Him. The second describes what God has done for them. He has called them according to His purpose. They are the called. Now this clearly isn't speaking of all men, why? Because all men don't love the Lord. All things don't work together for the good for all men. We know that to be true. If you've not turned from your sin to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then all things will culminate in your damnation. And that is not good. This isn't even speaking of all of those who respond favorably to the Gospel. It's not speaking of them either. We know there are many who respond favorably to the Gospel, don't we? Who eventually fall away. Who ultimately fall away. They don't persevere to the end. There are many who respond favorably to the Gospel who do not love God above all. They don't love Him heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's seen by their lives, their disobedience, their rejection of Him in so many infinite ways. There are many who will say to Him in that day, Lord, Lord, whom the Lord Jesus Christ says they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So this isn't even speaking of those who respond favorably outwardly to the call of the Gospel. All things, verse 28, all things work together for good to the called ones. Do you see? To the called ones. Those whom the Spirit of God has effectually, effectively, successfully, efficaciously called and have brought to new life in Christ. Those with new life now willing to respond with repentance and faith. Those whom the Spirit of God has enabled to respond in repentance and faith, empowered to respond in repentance and faith. Those called by the Spirit, verse 28, in accord with God's purpose. What is that? That's election, predestination. In accord with God's purpose established before the foundation of the world in their election. Now the reason for this beautiful truth in verse 28 is found in verse 29, for because whom God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, that's a verb now. Whom he called, these he also justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. Now think with me. Those called in verse 30 are those who have been predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. That's not every man. That's not everyone who hears the gospel. That's not even all of those who respond favorably to the gospel. Those are the called. Those who have been predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. Those called in verse 30 are the very same called ones that we see in verse 28. All those said to have been called in verse 30 are justified. They're made right with the living God. They're reconciled to God through the blood of the cross, right? That can't be said of every single man because many perish in hell eternally. All those said to have been called in verse 30 are also glorified. Those called have been predestined, have been justified, will most certainly be glorified. And no one can possibly say that everyone who hears the gospel call, the general call, are predestined, justified, glorified. There's a distinction between the general universal call of the gospel and that specific, effective, efficacious call of the Spirit of God in salvation. No one can even say that all those who respond favorably to the gospel are predestined, glorified, and glorified. All that can be said of this text is that those whom God has effectually called to himself through the gospel have been predestined, have been justified, and most certainly will be glorified. It's an unbreakable chain, an unbreakable chain. Our confession of faith, the London Baptist Confession regarding the effectual call in verse 10 says this in chapter 10, says this in paragraph 1. Those whom God had predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call. This call is 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. That's the effectual call. He enlightens their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, giving to them a heart of flesh, renewing their wills 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. It's often called irresistible grace because when God does this work, the sinner comes. It's effective. It's efficacious. They are made willing and they come. Paragraph 2 says this. The 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. Resurrection power is involved in the calling of the sinner to faith in Christ. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians, a few pages to the right. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and look there beginning in verse 18. Hang in there with me. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, look at verse 18. Paul in this section of text is giving reason. He's giving reasons why some people turn to Christ at the preaching of the gospel and why others do not. Why does some turn? Why does some come? Why are they willing while others are not willing? What makes one differ from another? Right back to our question, right? Paul's answering our question. Because Paul says the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, present, ongoing, passive, participle. We're being saved. I'm not saving myself. It's foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are deciding day in and day out to be saved, it's not that. To us who are making a decision, to us who are exercising our will to be, no, to us who are being present, passive, being saved, it is the power of God. The message of the cross is the power of God to salvation. Ford has written, verse 19, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where's the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Well, who are those who believe? Why do they believe? Why are they willing when others are not? Listen, verse 22, the Jews request a sign. Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. Well, Paul, when he preaches Christ crucified realizes that people respond differently. In preaching Christ crucified, Paul realizes that to the Jews, verse 23, it's a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, they respond like it's foolishness. So Paul thinks to himself, right, when I preach the gospel to most Jews, it's a stumbling block to them, and when I preach the gospel to most Greeks, they think it's foolishness. Verse 24, but where in does one differ from another? So what are we to attribute this distinction between those who are willing and those who are not? Verse 24, but to those who are called, literally, to those who are the called ones. It's a substantive again, it's a noun. To those who are the called ones, both Jews and Greeks, of all of those who are willing, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. In other words, to those whom God has effectually called to himself. See the difference between the two. To those in whom the Spirit is at work effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ such that they savingly believe in him, the gospel is acknowledged, it's seen as the power of God and the wisdom of God. It's to those who are being saved. Are those who see Christ crucified as a stumbling block? Are they called by God? No, they see Christ crucified as a stumbling block, only generally in the preaching of Christ crucified. But here Paul excludes them, those who see Christ crucified as a stumbling block. He excludes them from that group of those who are effectually called and don't see the message of the cross as a stumbling block, but rather see the message of the cross as the power of God and the wisdom of God. The general call of the gospel goes out to all, but the effectual call whereby a sinner is empowered and enabled to repent and to believe, that call is for those who are predestined, justified, and will be glorified. Effectual grace, or the effectual call of God, is that working of God's grace in the hearts and lives of God's preaching, of God's people, at the preaching of the gospel, whereby God causes them to be born again, changes their heart, works in them repentance and faith and obedience, called now to walk worthy of the calling with which they have been called. Called by many, irresistible grace. Sinners continuously resist the call of the gospel until God effectually calls them by his grace. They will always resist, hard-hearted, stubborn, stubborn. They will not come to the summons of the king. The banquet isn't worth it to them, they've got other interests. They are not willing, what causes the ones who are willing to differ from those who are not willing? Is it the will of man? Their wills are in bondage enslaved to sin. Just from a work of the grace of God in their heart, they will forever and always reject the summons of the king. John 6, verse 44, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. That drawing is not some fictitious monopoly money made up before regeneration. That calling is a work of the Spirit of God, whereby the Spirit of God effectually calls a sinner to Christ. A monogistic, not a synergistic, a monogistic work of God in the heart of a sinner. The most vivid, for all of us, the most vivid experience of this truth comes from many in the preaching of the gospel ourselves when we were called. Do you remember? You begin to acknowledge. You begin to understand. It begins to lay whole of your heart, your condition outside of Christ. Maybe it's sometimes more than at other times, but the reality of it begins to grip and it begins to occupy thoughts and mind and attention that I am a sinner and I have offended God with my sin, that my life I've made a wreck of it because I've not lived for the glory of the one who made me and that I'm offending him with every breath, consuming the goodness and grace of God on my own lusts. You begin to acknowledge. You begin to understand. You begin to agree with what the Bible says about your sinful condition outside of Jesus Christ. Through the preaching of the gospel, you come to realize that you are dead. Maybe you try and you try and you try and you try to clean up your act and you never can do it. Just simply not good enough. If I've said that stupid little prayer once, I've said it a thousand times and it just doesn't seem to be working God. I mean it this time and you go through the same motions all over again. That's nothing more than superstition. It's not what the Bible teaches. Through the preaching, you come to realize that you are dead in trespasses and sins. Unable to savingly turn to Christ unless God doesn't work in you. God be merciful to me the sinner. I need grace God. I can't do it. I can't forsake this sin apart from you. I can't even continuously or persistently or consistently believe in him. I'm forgetful. I'm neglectful. I don't even like to retain the thoughts of God in my heart and in my mind. I can't even remember to pray as I should, right? You can't work life in your own heart and the sinner must come to grips with that fact. I cannot do it. You know that it's not a decision that you have made. It is a work of God's grace and His Son that has the effectual fruit that's necessary. You begin in that sense how desperately in need you are of God's effectual grace. If you acknowledge your need this morning, if that reality has begun to grip your heart, then look to the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Abandon any confidence in your own flesh. You cannot will it. It is not of Him who wills, nor is it of Him who runs, but it is of God who shows mercy. Abandon any hope in your own will. Abandon any hope in your own decisions. Abandon any hope in your own works. Abandon your hope in any superstitious little sacramental prayer or sacramental ritual or going through the motions of doing this or that. Abandon any hope in those things. Abandon yourself to His mercy. Abandon yourself. Cry out to Him for grace. Plead with Him to draw you to Himself in love. Plead with Him. To give you a new heart. Plead with Him to make you a new creation. Plead with Him to work in you repentance, faith, obedience, and faithfulness. Plead with Him to put His Spirit within you. Plead with Him to write His law upon your heart. Plead with Him to cause you to love and obey and cherish and treasure His Word. Plead with Him to cause you to cling to Him and to never stray from Him. Plead with Him to preserve you in the faith to the end that you might be saved. Don't stop believing. Don't stop trusting. Don't stop turning. Don't stop pleading until you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He has done a work of His grace by His Spirit in your wretched heart. Don't stop until you know it. And when you know it, don't stop until by His grace He calls you home and glorifies you as a trophy of His grace for all of eternity. Seating you in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. All praise, honor, and glory to Him, do you see? Not man, but Him who has redeemed us by His blood. All praise, honor, and glory to the One who has called us with a holy calling by His wonder-working grace. Amen? Let's pray. Father in heaven, we come to you now and we acknowledge how desperately needy we are. We are wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked. Please protect us from the foolish monopoly money of this world that would presume otherwise and help us, Lord, to look to you alone for the redeeming grace and the work of your Spirit in us to call us and to cause us to be born again and to turn us from our sin and work within us faith and dependence on you and perseverance and sanctification and ultimately glorification. We are grateful to you, Lord, that it is not a work of man. Otherwise we would be destitute and hopeless without God in this world. But we give you glory, Lord, and we praise you that it is a work of your grace and we need the continual work of your grace in our hearts and lives, Lord. By your Spirit, please have your way with us. Work in us both to do and to will according to your good pleasure and knowing that, Lord, by your Spirit, cause us to work out our salvation now with fear and trembling. There's anyone here who isn't saved, who's not turned from their sin. I pray they would see how wretched a choice that is and they would turn to you and cry out for the effectual working of your Spirit within them and would be saved for the name and everlasting praise of Jesus Christ our Savior. We love you, Lord, we praise you in all things. In Jesus' name, amen.