Sword and Trowel

All men need the Gospel. Our only hope in life and death is to belong to God. In our current climate, as we are seeing the disastrous effects of the rejection of the gospel in our nation, the ever present need is for the people of our nation to repent of their sin and turn to God. As such, I would like to take the opportunity to speak to you all a little bit about the gospel call. Specifically, the two calls of the gospel. The general call, and what is known as the effectual call. There are important distinctions between the two that should both motivate and encourage us in our evangelistic efforts.

Scripture describes two different kinds of calls to the unbeliever. First, there is the general, outward call of the gospel, addressed to all men. That call is to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the general call to all men to turn from their wickedness and turn to God. God declares in Isaiah 45 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” This is God’s message, and it must be our message as well.

Scripture also describes a specific, inward call that is addressed only to the elect and only at the point of conversion. This is the effectual call and is the point at which, by an act of God, the unregenerate are called out of the world, given a new birth, and made able to respond to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Again, the general call of the gospel is a call to all men to repent and believe. It is the message of Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried, and raised. This message is extended to all freely. It is the call for all sinners to repent of their wickedness and turn if faith to Christ. As Christ says “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). The promise of God is that, for any who repent and believe, they will be forgiven and receive everlasting life: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The general gospel call is the ordinary means by which God has appointed to bring unbelievers to himself, and it is the example we are given by the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ. However, the general call can be rejected by men, and it is rejected by everyone who hears but does not believe.

The effectual call, in contrast, cannot be rejected, for it is the call of the Holy Spirit whereby those chosen by God are enabled and convinced to embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. All who are effectually called are saved: I point you back to the text I opened with “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called; He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Whom God has predestined, he will call, justify, and glorify.

The general call is our responsibility. Christ says in the high priestly prayer “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” The effectual call is the God’s responsibility. Christ says in John 6 that “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” Again Christ says “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. . . . Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6:63-65).

It is the effectual call that produces in us new life. Scripture teaches us that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins. The dead cannot respond to anything, internal or external. The dead cannot come back to life unless God raise him.  Ephesians 2 states that: “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” It is the Spirit, then, that makes our hearts and minds alive to the gospel, convinces us of our sin and misery, and enables us who were once dead to respond in faith to Christ.

So, there is the general call, given to all men, which is our responsibility, and there is the effectual call, given only to the elect, which is God’s responsibility.

At this point, I would like to give you some concrete examples of the two calls of which I am speaking, so I want to look at two separate events out of the book of Acts: the saving of the three thousand at Pentecost found in Acts 2, and the martyrdom of Stephen found in Acts 7. I just want us to notice three things out of both passages: first, the same gospel messaged is proclaimed in each; second, the gospel message has the same temporal affect in each; but, third, the gospel message two very different eternal affects.

Both Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 and Stephen’s testimony Acts 7 are quite long and I am not going to replicate them here. I encourage you to read and compare both passages when you have the time, but for now, just take me at my word that both Peter and Stephen preach Christ Crucified, Dead, Buried, and Raised. Same message in each passage. Looking at Pentecost, what was the temporal effect of the Gospel message? Acts says “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.” What was the eternal effect: the men who heard said ‘what shall we do.’ They repented, and three thousand souls were added to the church.

Looking at the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7 we see that Stephen shares the same Gospel message. What was the temporal effect on Stephen’s listeners? Acts 7:54 says “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart.” Same temporal effect. But what was the eternal effect? They gnashed at Stephen with their teeth, stopped up their ears, drug Stephen out of the city, and beat him with rocks until he died. Same message, same temporal effect, two different eternal effects. What made the difference? The Holy Spirit made the difference. The gospel call went to both groups. But the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit was given to the first, and not the second.

So, then, how does this distinction between the general call and the effectual motivate and encourage us as Christians to press forward in faith with evangelism? I have three things for you:

First, we have the message. It is the same message to all people, all times. If you want to know how to share the Gospel, then tell people about Christ crucified, dead, buried, and raised. Be encouraged that all of you are equipped to share that message.

Second, ours is the duty, but the power is Gods. Romans 1:16 says “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew fist and also the Greek.” If we believe the promise that the unlimited power of God is in this message that we have, ought it not to motivate us to share it?

Finally, knowing that you have the message, the general call that you can be bring to others, and that the power of the effectual call is in God’s hands, do not fear rejection. Do not be ashamed of the Gospel out of fear of rejection. Bring the message, and trust in God. For all those whom God predestines, He will call, justify, and glorify. Let us press on in faith, sharing the gospel message to a dying culture around us.