What is calling?
This is how we come to be saved.
What is it?
It is God calling us to turn trust in Jesus for our salvation.
It appears then that God is a calling God.
Yes, for sure. We read this on the very first page of the Bible. God called the universe into existence:
- Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)
- Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” (Genesis 1:6)
- Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:9)
- Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; (Genesis 1:14)
What is noteworthy about God’s calling at the time of creation?
We note that God’s call is a creative call or a performative call. In other words, the very thing it is calling for it actually creates and brings into existence. God’s call has a creative power; God called for light and light was brought into existence by that very call. We see similar teaching in Isaiah:
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
What does Isaiah teach in these verses?
These verses show that God’s call has its own power to bring to pass what it is calling for. In this way, God’s call never fails; He always gets what He calls for. A father might call his children to obey him, and a politician might call people to vote for him, but their call will not necessarily succeed. Children will disobey their father in spite of his calls, and a politician will not receive all the votes of every person who hears his pitch.
Is there any analogy to this kind of a call in our human experience?
Consider this faint analogy; when a judge sentences someone to five years in prison, we could say that, in a way, his call makes that five year sentence a reality. The judge’s word is performative since it created the reality for which it was calling.
If God’s call has this power, then why is not every person who hears God’s call saved? Certainly, there are many who hear God’s call but still go lost.
It certainly is true that many who hear God’s call dismiss it and are not saved. This has led theologians to distinguish between God’s general call and His effectual call.
Explain this distinction.
Both God’s general call and His effectual call are calls to the same thing. They are both calling people to turn from their sin and to put their trust in Jesus. God’s general call, however, has a different purpose than His effectual call. God’s general call is simply to make known the conditions upon which God is willing to save them. God’s effectual call, however, is intended to actually bring men and women into a state of salvation. This is the call which, as explained above, is performative. It does not just call, but it also draws the person to Christ.
Where does the Bible teach this distinction?
The difference is seen in the way the Bible speaks of God’s calling. First, consider these verses:
- “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.” (Joel 2:32; also Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13)
- “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1)
- “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
- The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. (Revelation 22:17)
Each of these are calls to salvation. Clearly, however, these calls are not always heeded by those who hear them. Thousands hear this call, dismiss it, and miss salvation. This is actually true of all God’s revealed will. Every command which God has given is disregarded by large numbers of people.
In what other way does Scripture speak about calling?
It speaks of a calling from God which always accomplishes its purpose. Consider the following texts:
Romans 1
What do we learn about calling from this passage?
We notice that in the very first verse, Paul introduces himself as one “called as an apostle.”
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (κλητος ἀποστολος), set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures… (Romans 1:1-2)
When was Paul called to be an apostle?
Immediately after his conversion, God sent a certain man named Ananias on a mission.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:10-16)
What is noteworthy about this call?
Note the power of this call. We never read that Paul pondered this call or weighed his different options as to whether he should accept this call or decline it. We do not read that he sought the advice of trusted friends on the matter. We only read that Paul was called and immediately stepped out and preached Christ to the Jews.
So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:17-22)
Why is this noteworthy?
Because we find that one of Paul’s favorite metaphors for salvation is this idea of calling. In this letter to the Romans, after identifying himself as “called as an apostle,” Paul goes on to identify Christians as the “called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6) and “called to be saints.” (Romans 1:7)
Why does Paul like this metaphor of calling?
He does not say in so many words exactly why he chose this metaphor, but surely his experience of being called as an apostle shaped his understanding of God’s call to salvation. Paul understands God’s call to salvation not as a general invitation or as a gracious offer but as an effectual call that carries with it its own power to bring to pass what is called for.
What else can we learn about God’s calling in this passage?
We note that Paul says he was commissioned “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the gentiles for His Names’ sake.”
Why is this noteworthy?
Because there is a reference here to the general call or the free and gracious offer of salvation which comes to all who hear the gospel. Paul writes that his commission was to bring the gentiles to the “obedience of faith” or to obey the gospel summons which called on them to turn to Christ for salvation. (Acts 6:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; John 3:36) Clearly, in this sense, Paul issued God’s call to salvation to many people who dismissed it (Acts 17:32), disregarded it (Proverbs 1:24), or even violently opposed it. (Acts 14:19)
Is there a reference to God’s effectual call in this passage?
There is; note the reference to the “called of Jesus Christ” and “called as saints.”
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7)
How do you know that these are references to God’s effectual call?
Because it is clear that, by this expression, Paul means to refer to Christians. A Christian is synonymous with one-who-is-called. Those who have rejected the gospel are not “the called” in this sense.
Why do you say this? There isn’t anything in these verses which would lead us to believe this.
Because this is so clearly Paul’s understanding of this expression. Consider what he wrote to Timothy:
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. (2 Timothy 1:8-11)
Notice that those people, who receive the calling mentioned here, did not earn this privilege by their own merits, but this call came to them purely as a gift of God’s grace. It was His decree in eternity past to call His people out of darkness and to unite them savingly to Jesus. This means that God called those whom He had previously chosen to save. Note that these called were “in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” Also note that Paul calls this calling a holy calling which means that there is something special and unique about this calling.
Why is this important?
It shows us that unbelievers are not called in this sense. Believers are the called; unbelievers are not called. This teaches us that Paul’s understanding of calling is an effectual call that always accomplishes its purpose. So when Paul speaks in this chapter of those who are “called of Jesus Christ” and those “called to be saints,” he is referring to this powerful, effectual call, not the general invitation of the gospel.
Romans 8
Why is this text significant for our understanding of God’s call?
Paul writes:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)
Note that this text repeats what we saw before in 2 Timothy 1:9, that God’s call is “according to His purpose.” What this means is explained for us in the verses which follow. All those, who are called, are those who have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. The predestined are the same group of people as the called, the called are the same people as the justified, and the justified are the same ones who will eventually be glorified. Non-Christians are not called in this sense.
Ephesians 1
What do we learn about calling from this chapter?
Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus:
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:15-21)
Here Paul prays that God would lead his readers to a deeper understanding and appreciation for these things:
- the hope of His calling,
- the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and
- the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
What is meant by “the hope of His calling?”
The Greek expression is ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ. This hope is identified for us as the saint’s inheritance; #1 in the list is further explained by #2. The hope is the inheritance. Then, #3 in the list is referring back to the calling given in #1. So to summarize, God has called us to a hope.
- This hope is our inheritance which we will take possession of when we enter heaven.
- This calling is the surpassing greatness of His power towards believers.
What does this teach us about our calling?
It teaches us that there is a calling which comes from God which is powerful. It is not a calling that comes to unbelievers and fails. On the contrary, it comes to unbelievers and makes them believers. In these verses, Paul piles up so many terms because he struggles to find words which can adequately capture the true extent of God’s power. He writes of the exceeding greatness of God’s power; the working of the strength of His might. Then he writes that this power which called us out of darkness is the same power which raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at God’s right hand. (Ephesians 1:20) This is Paul’s doctrine of calling. Hodge writes (p697): He raises our salvation out of the realm of the natural and into that of the supernatural.
1 Corinthians 1
What do we learn about God’s calling in this chapter?
Here Paul writes the following words:
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
Notice that Paul speaks of both general calling and effectual calling in this passage. He speaks of “the word of the cross” which he preached both to those who are perishing and to those are being saved. He speaks of “the message preached” which consisted of “Christ crucified” and which was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolish to the Gentiles. Then, however, he says that to “the called“, the preaching of Christ was “the power of God.” But had not Paul extended the call of the gospel to everyone in his audience? Why now does he now speak of “the called?” Clearly, this call is not the same as the general call he had extended before by “the word of the cross.” He asks his readers to consider their calling which he says did not come to the wise, mighty, or noble but to the foolish and those whom God had chosen. These had received God’s unique and special call. Paul’s grand conclusion is that our salvation is “His doing.”
The Arminian Confession of 1621
What does this confession teach?
In chapter 17 of this document, we read the following:
1. But that man may not just perform the commandments of God thus far explained, but also willingly want to perform them from the mind, God willed for his part to do everything necessary for effecting both in man, that is, he determined to confer such grace to sinful man by which he might be suitable and apt to render everything which is required of him in the gospel, and even more, to promise such good things to him, whose excellence and beauty might far exceed the capacity of human understanding, and that the desire and certain hope of this might kindle and inflame the will of man to render obedience in acts to him. Indeed, God habitually both makes known and bestows all these benefits to us by his Holy Spirit (about which we have declared more fully above).
2. Therefore, in the first place, when God calls sinners to himself through the gospel and seriously commands faith and obedience either under the promise of eternal life, or to the contrary, under the threat of eternal death, he not only bestows necessary but also sufficient grace for sinners to render faith and obedience. This calling is sometimes called election in Scriptures, namely, to grace as the means of salvation, very different from election to glory or to salvation itself; more on this below. This calling, however, is effected and executed by the preaching of the gospel, together with the power of the Spirit, and that certainly with a gracious and serious intention to save and so to bring to faith all those who are called, whether they really believe and are saved or not, and so obstinately refuse to believe and be saved.
3. For there is one calling that is effective, so called because it attains its saving effect from the event rather than from the sole intention of God. Indeed, it not administered by some special and hidden wisdom of God from an absolute intention of saving, so as to fruitfully unite with the will of the one who is called, nor so that by it the will of the one who is called is so efficaciously determined to believe through an irresistible power or some omnipotent force (which is nothing less than creation, or raising from the dead) that he could not but believe and obey, but because it is not resisted by the one who is now called and sufficiently prepared by God, nor is a barrier placed against divine grace which otherwise was able to be placed by him. Indeed there is another which is sufficient, but nevertheless ineffective, namely, which on man’s part is without saving effect and through the will and avoidable fault of man alone it is unfruitful, or does not attain its desired and due effect.
4. The former, when either joined with its saving effect or already constituted by its exercised act, is sometimes called in Scripture conversion, regeneration, a spiritual rising from the dead and a new creation, clearly because by it we are efficaciously turned from a corrupt style of living to live justly, soberly and godly, and are raised on a heavenly account from a death of sin or a deadly custom of sinning to a spiritual life or holy way of living. And finally, being reformed by the spiritual effectiveness of the Word according to the image first of the teaching and then of the life of Christ, it is as if we were born again and made new creatures through repentance and true faith.
5. Man therefore does not have saving faith from himself, nor is he regenerated or converted by the powers of his own free will, seeing that in the state of sin he cannot of himself or by himself either think or will or do anything that is good enough to be saved (of which first of all is conversion and saving faith), but it is necessary that he be regenerated and totally renewed by God, in Christ, through the word of the gospel joined with the power of the Holy Spirit, namely, in his understanding, affections, will and all his strengths, that he may be able to understand, meditate on, will and finish correctly these things that are savingly good.
6. We think therefore that the grace of God is the beginning, progress and completion of all good, so that not even a regenerate man himself can, without this preceding or preventing, exciting, following and cooperating grace, think, will, or finish any good thing to be saved, much less resist any attractions and temptations to evil. Thus faith, conversion, and all good works, and all godly and saving actions which are able to be thought, are to be ascribed solidly to the grace of God in Christ as their principal and primary cause.
7. Yet a man may despise and reject the grace of God and resist its operation, so that when he is divinely called to faith and obedience, he is able to render himself unfit to believe and obey the divine will, and that by his own true and conquerable fault, either by secure carelessness, or blind prejudice, or thoughtless zeal, or an inordinate love of the world or of himself, or other inciting causes of that kind. For such an irresistible grace or force, which, as to its effectiveness, is no less than creation, nor generation properly called, nor raising from the dead (and causes the very act of faith and obedience in such a way that, being granted, a man cannot not believe or obey) certainly cannot be but ineptly and foolishly applied where free obedience is seriously commanded, and that under the promise of vast reward if performed and the threat of the gravest punishment if neglected. For in vain he commands this obedience and requires it of another, and without cause promises to reward the obedience, who himself alone both ought and wills to cause the very act of obedience by such a force as cannot be resisted. And it is silly and irrational to reward someone as truly obedient in whom this very obedience was caused through such an alien power. And finally, punishment, especially eternal, is unjustly and cruelly inflicted on him as disobedient by whom this obedience was not performed solely through the absence of that irresistible and truly necessary grace, who really is not disobedient. We cannot here state how everywhere in the Scriptures it is affirmed of some, that they resisted the Holy Spirit,g that they judged, or rather made, themselves unworthy of eternal life,h that they made void the counsel of God concerning themselves;i that they would not hear,k come,l obey,m that they closed their earsn and hardened their hearts,o etc. And of others, that they promptly and freely believed,p that they obeyed the truth and the faith, that they showed themselves attentive and teachable, that were attentive to the evangelical doctrine,q that received the Word of God with cheerfulness, and that they were more generous in this than those who rejected the same, and finally, lastly, that obeyed the truth, or the Gospel, from the heart, etc. To attribute all this to those who in no way can either believe or obey, or cannot not believe and obey when they are called, is very certainly foolish, and plainly ridiculous.
8. And even if there truly is the greatest disparity of grace, clearly according to the most free dispensation of the divine will, still the Holy Spirit confers such grace to all, both in general and in particular, to whom the Word of faith is ordinarily preached, as is sufficient for begetting faith in them, and for gradually carrying on their saving conversion. And therefore sufficient grace for faith and conversion not only comes to those who actually believe and are converted, but also to those who do not believe and are not really converted. For whoever God calls to faith and salvation, he calls them seriously, that is, not only by an external show, or in words alone (that is, when his serious commandments and promises are declared to those that are called in general) but also with a sincere and unfeigned intention of saving them and the will of converting them. Thus he never willed any prior decree of absolute reprobation or undeserved blinding or hardening concerning them.
What is wrong with this statement of the Bible’s teaching on calling?
First, the teaching in §3 certainly contradicts the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 1 given above. This confession states that unbelievers are not brought to believe through an irresistible power or some omnipotent force such that they cannot do anything but believe and obey. Paul, to the contrary, heaped up words upon words to make exactly this point; that our salvation is not the result of our own effort but the result of the mighty power of God working in us. The Arminian Confession says that God saves us because we do not resist and because we place no barrier in the way of God’s saving grace, but this is to make our salvation dependent on our own effort.
Second, the teaching in §5&6 is wonderfully biblical but how is it consistent with the other articles? Apparently, the Arminians believe that the wonderful operation spoken of in these paragraphs can be performed on a person and yet that person still persist in his unbelief and be finally lost as is taught in §7. Furthermore, the objection in §7 is not a biblical one but an objection from human reasoning.
Finally, in §8 the real problem is clearly stated. The reason one person believes the gospel and another does not is in the person himself. It is not God who makes the difference, but the person himself. This is the dividing line between Arminian theology and the Reformed; there is no middle ground on this point.