Lesson 12: Redemption Applied By God Through The Holy Spirit

Introduction

Hello, and welcome back to An Introduction To The Christian Faith. In this lesson, we will consider Baptist Catechism questions 32-34. In this section of our catechism, we are taught about the application of the redemption that Christ has earned to his elect in time. In previous lessons, we have learned about the accomplishment of redemption by Jesus Christ. When did Christ accomplish our redemption? When did he earn our salvation? Nearly 2,000 years ago, when he lived, died, and rose again on the third day. We learned all about the accomplishment of salvation by Jesus Christ in questions 23-31. Question 23 is especially important. I trust you remember it. It asks, Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? The answer is, God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. We have learned all about the Redeemer – who he is and what he has done to accomplish the redemption of God’s elect. But how does this redemption come to be ours? In other words, how do God’s elect come to be saved? Are the elect born saved? No. Does salvation come to them automatically? Again, no. How then is the redemption that Christ earned so long ago applied to God’s elect in due time? Questions 32-34 of the Baptist Catechism will tell us.   

Question 32: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

Question 32 asks,  How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

Notice a few things about this question and answer.

One, notice that the phrase, ​​“of the redemption purchased by Christ”, is in the past tense. Jesus Christ purchased our redemption long ago. The accomplishment of our redemption by Jesus Christ is not ongoing. When Jesus said, “It is finished” immediately before he died on the cross, he meant it (see John 19:30). And what was finished? Well, the accomplishment of the redemption of the elect was finished. The work that God the Father gave Christ the Son to do was finished. Christ actively obeyed God’s law, he passively suffered during the whole of his life, and he laid down his life as a sacrifice for the sins of many. When Christ breathed his last, the work of redemption was finished.  

Two, notice that the phrase, “We are made partakers”, is in the present tense. The question is, how do the elect of God living throughout history come to benefit from the redemption Christ earned so long ago? As has been said, the elect of God are not born saved or justified. No, even the elect are born in sin. At some point, they must be saved. At some point, they must have the redemption purchased by Christ applied or given to them. This transition from being not saved to saved is what Paul the Apostle describes in Ephesians 2:1-10. He wrote to Christians living in the city of Ephesus saying, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind…” Notice the past tense. These people who were Christians when Paul wrote his letter were not always Christians. They were not always saved. They were not always God’s beloved children. Quoting the text again: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…”. So you can see, at some point in time, a great transition occurred in these people. They were dead in their sins and then they were made alive. They were children of wrath and then they were adopted as God’s beloved children. What happened to these people to bring about this change? Well, that is the question addressed in Baptist Catechism 32-34.

The third thing to notice about Baptist Catechism 32 is that it says, We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. So here is your answer. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?  It is by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. There are a few things to notice about this little phrase.

One, notice that the work of the application of redemption is attributed (or appropriated) to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person (or subsistence) of the Triune God (remember Baptist Catechism 8 & 9), applies it to us by effectually calling us. 

Can you see, then, that our redemption is the work of the Triune God? Truly, all of the works of God are one. But certain works may be attributed to particular persons within the Godhead. We may say that the Father sent forth the Son to accomplish the redemption of the elect (see John 3:16, John 17, and Galatians 4:4). And we may say that the Father and Son have sent forth the Spirit to apply the redemption that Christ has earned to God’s elect living in every time and place. 

Many texts speak of this. In John 16:7-10 Jesus speaks about sending the promised Holy Spirit after his ascension to the right hand of the Father. We see the fulfillment of this throughout the Book of Acts. And in Titus 3:5-6, which is listed as a proof text in our catechism, we are told that “[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (Titus 3:5–6, ESV). That passage is clear, isn’t it? When Paul says that “[God] saved us”, he is here referring, not to the accomplishment of our redemption by Christ, but to the application of this redemption to us. “He saved us”, Paul says, “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…” So, if we have faith in Christ, we came to be saved, not because of good works or obedience, but by God’s mercy and grace. And how was this salvation applied? Paul says it was “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom [God] poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” As I have said, our salvation is Trinitarian. God the Father sent the Son to accomplish our redemption. And God the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit to apply the redemption that Christ has earned to God’s elect at just the right time. 

The second thing I want you to notice about this little phrase at he end of Baptist Catechism 32 is the word, “application”. I have been using this word throughout this lesson. It would probably be good to define it. To apply is to implement. To apply is to administer. Application is the action of putting something into operation. As has been said, Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption a long time ago. What did he earn for us when he died on the cross and rose again? Among other things, he earned the forgiveness of our sins, our right to be adopted as sons and daughters of God, and life eternal. The question is, how do these benefits that Christ has earned come to be ours? They come to be ours when the Holy Spirit of God applies them, that is to say, implements, administers, or puts these benefits into operation. When does the Spirit do this for God’s elect? It differs from person to person according to God’s eternal decree. Some are saved at a very young age. Some are saved just before they die. Many are saved somewhere in between.     

Three, notice the word “effectual”. Effectual means effective. When we say that someone’s work is effectual we mean that the person gets the job done. Did Christ the Son get the job done regarding the accomplishment of our redemption? Yes. It is finished. And does the Holy Spirit get the job done regarding the application of the redemption that Christ has earned to the elect? Yes. Always. Remember, we are talking about God here and the accomplishment of his eternal decree. God the Son paid for the sins of all whom the Father gave to him in eternity (see John 17). He finished this work. His work was perfectly effective. And God the Holy Spirit has (and will) apply this redemption to every one of God’s elect at the appointed time. None will be lost (see John 10:25-30).

Question 33: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

Answer: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ, in our effectual calling.

Question 33 builds upon question 32. It asks, How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? In other words, how does this work? Answer: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ, in our effectual calling.

I have three observations to make about this answer: 

One, the Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us. Remember, it is through faith that we are saved. That is what Ephesians 2:8 says. “For by grace you have been saved through faith… (Ephesians 2:8, ESV). Faith in what? Faith in the good news of Jesus Christ. And faith in whom? Faith in God and in the Christ he has provided. But the question we must ask is, where does this faith come from? How could we, who were by nature dead in our trespasses and sins (see Ephesians 2:1, Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13), ever turn from our sins and to Christ to trust in him? Here is the answer. It is the Holy Spirit who works faith in us. Notice how carefully that phrase is worded? Who believes? Who is the one who exercises faith? Does the Holy Spirit believe for us or on our behalf? No. It is we who believe. But it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to do so. And that is why our catechism says, the Holy Spirit works faith in us. This is what Ephesians 2:8 goes on to say. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Faith, that is to say, our trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior, is a gift from God. Here our catechism is helping us see that it is a gift the Holy Spirit gives. The Holy Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us.

Two, our catechism teaches that it is by faith that we are united to Christ. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ…  This little phrase, “and thereby uniting us to Christ”, helps us to understand how faith can bring salvation to us. Please hear me, it is not the faith that saves us. No, it is Jesus Christ, his person and work, that saves us. But it is by faith that we come to be united to him. 

If you were adrift at sea and a fisherman happened upon you in his boat, drew near to you, threw you a lifeline, pulled you into his boat, and brought you to safety, you would not tell people that it was the lifeline that saved you, would you? No! You would tell them the fisherman saved you, for it was the fisherman who spotted you hopeless and helpless in the water. It was the fisherman who threw the line to you and pulled you to safety. You would give glory to the fisherman, and not the lifeline. The lifeline was merely the means by which you came to be united to the fisherman. And so it is with saving faith. We are saved through, or by the means of, faith. But it is not the faith – that is to say, the act of believing – that saves us. Rather, it is Jesus who saves us. It is through faith that we come to be united to him. And we have just learn that faith itself is a gift from God.

The Scriptures speak often about union with Christ. This concept is often expressed by the phase “in him” or “in Christ”. Listen to Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” Galatians 3:26 says, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”  Many other Scripture texts could be cited. The point is that we are saved in Christ Jesus through our Spirit-wrought union with him. And how do we come to be united to Christ? It is by faith that we are united to him. Faith is the hand that reaches out to take ahold of Christ and to cling to him unto salvation. And faith is a gift from God.

At this point, I should remind you of what we learned in lesson 10 regarding the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace. Who is the head or representative of the Covenant of Works? Adam is. It is important to remember that all born into this world through the ordinary process of procreation are born in Adam (Christ is the exception. He was born into this world but not in an ordinary way, and therefore, not in Adam). We are united to Adam as a federal head or representative by birth. We are born, therefore, into the covenant that Adam represents, namely, the broken Covenant of Works. Its promised blessings are gone – only its curses remain. And now I ask you, who is the head or representative of the Covenant of Grace? Jesus Christ is. And how do men and women come to be united to Christ and, therefore, brought into the Covenant of Grace to partake of all of its blessings? It is through faith that we are united to Christ. And we know that faith is a gift from God. In just a moment we will learn that faith is made possible only through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. So, men and women are born in Adam. The elect of God are reborn in Christ being united to him by faith.

Here is an immensely important question: who are you united to? Are you united (covenantally speaking) to Adam or Christ?  Again I say, all who are born into this world are born in Adam and into his covenant. Only by faith do we come to be united to Christ to partake of the blessings of the Covenant of Grace he mediates. Listen to 1 Corinthians 15:21-22: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” As I have said, the question is, who are you in? Is it Adam or Christ? All in Adam die. All in Christ shall be made alive. 

How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: …by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ, in our effectual calling.

The third thing to notice about this answer is that this work of the Holy Spirit is called effectual calling. 

Question 34: What is effectual calling?

Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. 

This leads us to question 34 which asks, What is effectual calling? Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. This is a marvelous question and answer. 

I trust you can see the progression in questions 32, 33, and 34. Each one answers the basic question, How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? but with increasing depth and detail. In question 32, we learn that we are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. In question 33, we learn more about how the Spirit does this. The Spirit works faith in us, and thereby unites us to Christ, in our effectual calling. And now the answer to question 34 tells us more about effectual calling, what it is, and how it works.  

First, we are told that effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit. At this point, I should probably mention that there is a kind of calling that is the work of man. When a preacher preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ and urges men and women, boys and girls, to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, he does call them to faith and repentance, but this is not effectual calling. Theologians have referred to this call – the call that a gospel preacher extends – as an external call. Why? Because when the preacher preaches men and women hear him with their natural ears only (unless the Spirit works). The call of the gospel preacher is not always effective, therefore. But when the Holy Spirit calls a person, it is always effective, for the Spirit calls inwardly. The Spirit’s “voice” is not heard with the natural ears but with the ears of the heart. Theologians refer to the Holy Spirit’s calling as an internal or effectual call. Here in this catechism question, we are talking about effectual calling, and so the answer begins, effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit.

Secondly, notice the word, “whereby”. This word indicates that we are about to be told what the Spirit does in a person to effectively call them to faith and repentance. Notice that this word,  “whereby”, is followed by three phrases. One, the Spirit convinces us of our sin and misery. Two, the Spirit enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ. And three, the Spirit renews our wills. This is how the Spirit persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.

These three works of the Spirit are to be seen as remedies to the corruptions of our nature mentioned in Baptist Catechism 21. Human beings are body and soul. The body has parts and the soul has parts. The parts of man’s soul are the mind and the will (affections are the motions of the will). We must remember that human nature was corrupted when Adam fell into sin. The human mind is not full of light as it was in the beginning, but is darkened. The human heart is not soft to God and things of God, but is hard and calloused. And the will of man is bent towards evil. This is what Paul plainly says in Ephesians 4:18-19. He speaks of the natural man when he says, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:18–19). You see when the Holy Spirit effectually calls a sinner, he repairs these defects in us to make us willing and able to believe in Christ. 

Notice that the Spirit, one, convinces us of our sin and misery. In other words, he enables us to see and know that we are sinners hopelessly lost and condemned apart from a Redeemer. By the way, someone can know that the Bible teaches that we are sinners and in a miserable condition by nature, and yet not be convinced of it. This is not what effectual calling produces. When the Spirit of God calls someone effectually, he does not merely teach them about their sin and misery, he convinces them of it. Can you see the difference?  Stated differently, when the Spirit of God effectually calls a sinner, he does not merely dump information into their minds. No, he convinces them and enlightens them so that they do not merely know about their sin and misery but see and believe that they are sinful and in a miserable condition apart from Christ. 

Two, when the Holy Spirit effectually calls, he enlightens the sinner’s mind in the knowledge of Christ. In other words, not only does the Holy Spirit enable us to see our sin and misery, he also enables us to see Jesus and know that he is the Redeemer that God has provided. Again, this is not merely factual information that the Spirit gives, but true enlightenment – enlightenment concerning Christ and his power to redeem us from our sin and misery.     

And what does the Spirit do for the will of man when he effectually calls them? He renews the will. It is with our will, remember, that we make free and rational choices. Men and women do not naturally choose God or what is good in their fallen condition. Those with fallen and sinful minds, affections, and wills do not run to God and the good but away from them. When the Spirit effectually calls a sinner, he renews their wills to make them willing and able to believe and to follow after Christ. 

This inward work of the Holy Spirit whereby he convinces his elect of their sin and misery, enlightens their minds to know Christ and to see their need for him, and renews their wills to make them willing and able to believe is called effectual calling. This may also be called regeneration or new birth. 

There is a famous story found in John 3. There Jesus speaks with a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee who came to Jesus at night to ask him questions. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, ESV). As this passage unfolds, it becomes clear that Jesus was talking about the new birth that the Holy Spirit brings. For a person to see and to enter the kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit must first make the dead sinner spiritually alive. Only then will they truly see their sin and Christ as the King of God’s kingdom leading them to repentance and faith. 

Jesus made a very similar point recorded for us in John 6. In this passage, Christ speaks to a great multitude and plainly says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). A little later he reiterated this same point with his disciples, saying, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (John 6:65, ESV). These sayings of Jesus are about effectual calling or the doctrine of regeneration. If spiritually dead sinners are to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, God must make them alive. It is this new birth that Paul speaks of when he says, “And you [Christian], who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses…” (Colossians 2:13, ESV). It is God who makes us alive, and this he does through his word and by his Spirit. 

Our catechism is correct. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. 

Before concluding, we must consider the last phrase, “he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.” I have three brief observations to make about this important statement.

One, notices the words, “he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.” Friends, repentance, that is, turning from sin, is something you must do. You are called by God to repent. And faith is something you must exercise. You must trust in Christ personally. The Holy Spirit does not repent or believe for us. And neither does the Holy Spirit force us to repent and believe. He does, however, persuade and enable the elect of God to repent and believe at God’s appointed time. The Spirit of God persuades the elect of God by convincing them of their sin and misery and enlightening their minds in the knowledge of Christ, as we have already said. The Spirit of God enables the elect of God – that is to say, he makes them able – to repent and believe by renewing their wills. When sinners turn from their sins and trust in Christ, it is something they do, willingly and freely from the heart. But we know that they are persuaded and enabled to do this only by the grace of God. They willingly come to Christ because God the Father chose them in eternity, the Son atoned for their sins on the cross, and the Holy Spirit effectually calls them at God’s appointed time. 

Two, notice the phrase, “he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ…” This reminds us of what was said in Baptist Catechism 33. There we learned that it is by faith that we are united to Christ. Here our catechism says that the Holy Spirit enables us to embrace Jesus Christ. This is another way of talking about faith. To have faith in Christ is to embrace Christ. I appreciate the warmth of this expression. Those who have true faith in Christ will warmly and lovingly embrace him, and the ability to do so is a gift from God delivered by the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit (see again Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Three, notice the phrase, “freely offered to us in the gospel”. This is a very important little phrase. For one, it clarifies that the Holy Spirit always effectually calls sinners to faith and repentance through, or in concert with, the gospel. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is through the preaching (or reading) of the gospel that sinners are called to repentance and faith in Christ in the external way described earlier. And while it is true that there is a great difference between the external call of gospel preaching and the internal, effectual call of the Holy Spirit, the two things are related. The Holy Spirit calls sinners inwardly and effectually as the good news of Jesus Christ is delivered. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that tells us about our sin and misery. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that tells us about Christ and the salvation he offers. And it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that calls us to turn from our sins, to trust Christ, and to confess him as Lord. But it is the Spirit of God who works within us to convince us of our sin and misery, enlighten our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renew our wills. In this way, the Spirit persuades and enables God’s elect us to embrace Jesus Christ as he is freely offered to them in the gospel (see Acts 13:48). To put it another way, while it is possible (and common) for men to be called by the gospel externally but not inwardly and effectually, it is not possible for men to be called inwardly effectually but not externally. The Holy Spirit always calls inwardly and effectually in concert with the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ.   

Perhaps it would help if you were to picture a preacher in a marketplace proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling men and women to repentance and faith. Some might respond in faith. Many do not. Those who do not were called in an external way only by the words of the preacher. Those who do were called externally by the preacher and inwardly by the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. Now if you picture the same marketplace filled with people who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and with no preacher to proclaim the good news, will any respond in faith? No, for the Spirit does call men inwardly apart from the external call of the gospel. The phrase, “freely offered to us in the gospel”, helps us to remember this relationship between the word preached and the effectual calling of the Spirit. 

The words, “freely offered” are also important. Friends, Jesus Christ is to be freely offered to all through our gospel preaching. You and I do not know who the elect of God are. You and I do not know who God will effectually call or when he will do it. We are to freely offer Jesus to all who will hear the proclamation of the gospel. We are to cast the seed of the gospel far and wide, having no concern for the condition of the souls of men and women. That, I think, is what the parable of the sower found in Luke 8 is about. And this is how Paul the Apostle (and others) went about their gospel ministry. They preached the gospel of Jesus Christ knowing “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). They traveled far and wide to preach this gospel knowing that none would be saved apart from it. In Romans 10:14 Paul asks, “How then will they call on [Christ] in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15, ESV). So, for sinners to be saved, the gospel must be preached. And for the gospel to be preached, preachers must be sent. But Paul also knew that for men and women to respond to the gospel in repentance and faith, the Spirit had to call them inwardly and effectually. 

In Romans 8:29 Paul says, “For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30, ESV). And in 1 Corinthians 1:26 Paul says, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29, ESV). And so Paul the Apostle endured all kinds of hardships during his missionary journeys. This he did, “for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10, ESV). Paul would journey from town to town preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ freely, knowing that “as many as were appointed to eternal life” would believe (Acts 13:48, ESV). The doctrines of predestination and effectual calling did not stifle the free offer of the gospel in the ministry of Paul. On the contrary, they were a motivation for his ministry. Paul would faithfully preach the gospel, extending the free offer of salvation through faith in Christ, to all who would listen to him. This he would do knowing that God would inwardly and effectually call his elect to faith and repentance at the appointed time as he preached.

Conclusion 

Questions 32-34 of our catechism communicate wonderful truths. Second London Confession chapter 10 is also about effectual calling. I’d like to conclude this lesson by reading paragraph 1 to you. It nicely sums everything up. “Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, 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; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone; and giving to them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and 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.”

Thanks be to God the Father for the redemption he has accomplished for us through Christ the Son and the gracious application of it to us at the appointed time by the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. 

That will do it for this lesson. Until next time, abide in Christ.