Let’s look at the verses that
explicitly teach this precious truth:
Ezekiel 36:26-27 reads: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit I will put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statues, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (NKJV). Paul proclaims in Romans 8:30: “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: whom he justified,
them he also glorified” (NKV).
Paul declares in Ephesians
1:7-12:
In whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself: That in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who wortheth all things
after the counsel of his own will: That
we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith
in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all saints, cease not to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him (KJV).
Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 announces: “But we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth: Whereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (KJV).
Paul in 2 Timothy 2:8-12
proclaims:
Remember that Jesus Christ of the
seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer,
even unto bonds but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s
sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory. It is a faithful saying:
For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:
if we deny him, he also will deny us (KJV).
Paul in Romans 11:29 declares: “For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance” (KJV).
Paul in Galatians 1:15 proclaims: “But when it pleased God, who separated me
from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace” (KJV). Paul in1 Timothy 6:12 proclaims: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good
confession before many witness” (KJV).
Paul in 2 Timothy 1:8-12
declares:
But not thou therefore ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the
afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who has saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immorality to light through
the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a
preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these
things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against
that day (KJV).
The Christian doctrine of the effectual calling of God is
essential for our theological understanding and it is fundamental in
application to our Christian lives. The
call of God is most effective. God called
the universe into existence. When God
accomplished this, the universe came into being. Nothing can resist God’s will. God’s preferred outcome came to
fruition. Our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ called Lazarus into life from the grave (John 11:43). Instantly Lazarus had life within Him when
Jesus called him forth, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43).
The
believer of God receives an effectual call from God in the Christian life. The call of God within the believer brings a
desired result. The effectual calling of
God is in relation to the utter powerfulness of Yahweh. This is with regeneration of the Holy Spirit
of the depraved sinner. The regeneration
of the depraved sinner is from spiritual darkness into spiritual rebirth. This action of God is appropriately named irresistible grace. This theological terminology comes from
the letter I within the Christian
essential of the Calvinistic acronym of Tulip.
The
effectual call of God refers to the sovereign authority of God Himself toward
His people which brings forth His intended, purposeful, appointed and ordained
result. The apostle Paul teaches the
following: Those God predestinates He calls.
Those He calls, He justifies. Those
He calls; this is in reference to the effectual calling of God from God
Himself.
There
is an inward call of God. This is known as His effectual calling toward His people. The effectual calling of God’s chosen people
is a classified work of God. The
effectual calling of God is the regeneration by the Holy Ghost toward God’s
elect people. It is also know as God’s quickening work of the action of the
Holy Ghost.
The regeneration of the Holy
Ghost is an instantaneous uncanny work of the Spirit of God. The regeneration by God the Holy Ghost acts
as an internal transformation of the nature, proclivity and aspiration of the
human spirit. Prior to the effectual
call of the Triune Lord, now the individual is capable of approaching Him. All the pre-converted elect are effectually
called. All the effectual called individuals
respond in true faith. Therefore, faith
is a beloved present of God because the effectual call by the Holy Ghost has
been given to the individual.
The outward call is the gospel
proclamation of God. The outward call is
heard by the non-elect and the elect.
The outward call may be refused.
The outward call will only be embraced by an individual if the Holy
Spirit makes the initial effective inward call a reality. When the inward call is made, accompanied
with the outward call, the person has faith.
The effectual call of God from God Himself is irresistible. God sovereignly brings forth a preferred
outcome. Yet, however, fallen creatures
do resist God’s sovereign grace. Nevertheless,
God’s grace is irresistible in the meaning that God’s unmerited grace succeeds
greater than man’s depravity.
God’s creative powerfulness is
His effective call. His effective call
brings forth spiritual life from spiritual death. To the Ephesians Paul declares:
And you He made alive, who were
dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who
now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted
ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of
the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Eph. 2:1-3 KJV).
The pre-converted elect are those God eventually within
time calls out of their spiritual darkness
into spiritual light. We all once were
children of wrath. We all were once
spiritually dead. But by virtue of the
internal call of God, through His beloved powerfulness and efficacy, He gave us
spiritual life. The Holy Spirit provides
us with eyes to see. The Holy Spirit
provides us with ears to hear. The Holy
Spirit provides us with minds to understand.
Therefore, the regeneration by the Spirit of holiness is a necessary
perquisite in order for a person to believe.
“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine
heart, and the hart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deut. 30:6 KJV).
“A new heart also will give you,
a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them”
(Ex. 36:26-27 KJV).
“Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30 KJV).
“But after that the kindness and
love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should
be made heir according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7 KJV).
The doctrine of the regeneration of the Holy Ghost is
essential, vital, fundamental and basic tents of the Christian faith. The regeneration of the Holy Ghost is
equivalent to the phrase born again. This is the ultimate experience between
non-conversion and conversion to the Christian faith. Being born
again and regenerated of
and by the Holy Spirit are the same actions of God in the life of an
individual.
There
is no such person as a non-born again believer. Or there is no such person as a non-regenerate believer. To say someone is a non-regenerate Christian
is a contradiction in language. To say someone is a regenerate non-Christian is
a contradiction in vocabulary. If a
person is truly born again, or truly regenerate, then that specific
person must be a true Christian.
Our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ initially proclaimed that spiritual life (was and
is) an absolute essential to enter His kingdom of God. He announced to Nicodemus,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 NKJV). The vocabulary of Jesus is essential for our
comprehension. He uses the word unless.
This indicates within the language of Jesus, that regeneration is a
necessary condition to see the kingdom of God.
Being spiritually reborn is a most fundamental dogma of the Christian
faith. If someone is not born again, then he cannot enter
the kingdom of Christ.
Regeneration
is spiritual revival. The regeneration
of the Holy Ghost refers to a fresh generating.
The regeneration of the Holy Spirit refers to a new genesis. The regeneration of the Spirit of God refers
to a new beginning. The regeneration of
the Holy Ghost marks a radical transformation.
Peter himself declares, “having been born again, not of corruptible see
but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1
Peter 1:23 NKJV).
Being
born again of the Holy Ghost is accomplished upon people who are spiritually
dead:
And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all
had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. But God, who is rich in
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That
in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:1-10 KJV).
The Holy Spirit of God remakes the individual heart. He quickens the human heart into spiritual
life from spiritual death. Born again
individuals are new creations:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV). Prior to being born again we were dead in
trespasses and in sin. Before we were
regenerated we had no character, partiality or longing for the aspects of
God. Being regenerated by the Holy Ghost
we have a godly, holy and pure inclination toward the Father in Christ. Without being born again, there would be no
inclination toward God in Christ.
The
complete aspect of conversion and regeneration are different. Our spiritual rebirth is the beginning point
of our spiritual journey. God’s action
of regeneration is divine, independent, direct and immediate. The understanding of our conversion may be
ongoing. Hitherto, regeneration is
immediate. Not a soul is incompletely
born again.
Being
born again is not the consequence of belief.
Instead, regeneration comes before faith. This is a needed condition for belief. People do not set out to be regenerated. We do not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in
regeneration. This reason is, how can a
spiritually dead person cooperate?
First, God in His beloved freedom chooses His people that please Him, to
be regenerated. After regeneration we do
desire, working together and trust in Christ.
Our God does not have belief for
us. We exercise our belief from our
Spirit-activated will. The Holy Spirit
quickens His people to spiritual rebirth.
He rescues His people from utter and complete gloom. He frees us from reprobate bondage and
spiritual bereavement. The Holy Spirit
makes possible faith for His people. He
makes faith a reality in actuality. The
Holy Spirit regenerates us which gives us the ability to have saving faith in
justification in Christ. Let us not
forget the order of salvation: regeneration, faith, adoption, justification,
sanctification and glorification.
