What a transformation it is that must take place! What a wonder of God's matchless sovereign grace, that God the Father, before the foundation of the world, set His redeeming grace and love upon a definite number of corrupt, Hell-deserving sinners from among Adam's fallen race -- who in themselves are no different from the rest; they also are by nature His enemies, rebels against Him, "children of wrath," in bondage to sin and Satan. Yet He purposed to exercise mercy and grace toward these Hell-deserving sinners, granting them repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and working in them a glorious and mighty deliverance by blood and by power, with the ultimate goal that they would be just like the Lord Jesus! According to I John 3:2,

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is."

(See also Philippians 3:21; I Corinthians 15:47-49). As we will study in more detail later, in order for the triune God to accomplish His goal and plan for these elect ones, it was absolutely necessary that God the Father send His only begotten Son, God the Son, into the world to be their Saviour and Redeemer by His substitutionary atonement and blood-shedding on Calvary's cross.

This ultimate goal of God the Father's foreknowledge, or election of His people -- predestination to the image of Christ -- is also referred to in Ephesians 1:4 as their being "holy and without blame before Him." This marvelous transformation, planned by God the Father for His people in eternity before the world began, begins to take place here in this life as the Third Person of the triune God, God the Holy Spirit, puts the grace of God into action, carrying out the eternal purpose of God the Father in election by effectually and powerfully calling each one of the elect into fellowship and union with Christ in the New Birth.

My friend, if we are God's elect, He begins to transform us into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ when God the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to the truth of His Holy Word (Acts 16:14), commanding the Light to shine out of darkness, and shines into our hearts "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," according to 2 Corinthians 4:6.

This transformation into the image of Christ is progressive in this life, as we continue, by faith, to behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ as He is lifted up and revealed in the Word of God by the powerful working of the Spirit of God, according to 2 Corinthians 3:18,

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

As we shall see, this transformation is perfected and consummated in the fifth link of this "Chain of Grace" which is glorification, according to the later part of verse 30, "whom He justified, them He also glorified."

(3) The Link of Effectual Calling

"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."

We come now to consider the third link in God's wonderful "Chain of Grace," as set forth in Romans 8:28-30. The first 2 links of this chain, election and predestination, are anchored in eternity, being conceived in the Mind and purpose of God before the world began, before He created the universe, and before Adam plunged himself and his entire unborn race into ruin in the Garden of Eden. For this third link, we are transported in thought out of the realm of eternity and into the realm of time and space, where God's great blueprint of redemption, His eternal purpose of grace, begins to find its actual fulfillment in the effectual calling of those whom God the Father has chosen and predestined to be conformed to the image of His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we continue to use the term, "God's Remedy," we might also say that at this point in Romans 8:28-30 we are carried in our thinking by the Apostle Paul out of the realm of "The Remedy Planned," and into the realm of "The Remedy Applied".

I Corinthians 1:18-31 is probably the clearest and most detailed passage in the New Testament dealing with God's effectual calling of His elect. It is too lengthy to quote all of it here, but I urge the reader to study it carefully. When we read this passage, the first thing that grips our attention is the centrality of the CROSS of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our attention is immediately riveted and focused upon the message of the cross, Christ crucified, the voluntary Substitutionary Atonement and blood-shedding of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross. The Apostle Paul says at the outset in verse 18, "For the message of the CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." In verses 22-24, we see that THE CROSS is inseparably connected with the effectual calling of God's elect: "For Jews require a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach CHRIST CRUCIFIED, to theJews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to THOSE WHO ARE CALLED, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Paul stresses and emphasizes again the centrality of the cross in chapter 2, in these words, "For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (verse 2). The literal translation from the Greek reads, "Jesus Christ, the One having been crucified." It is of the utmost importance that we understand that in preaching "Christ crucified," Paul was not preaching a dead Christ, but "the One having been crucified," the risen, glorified and exalted Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:5), the One who was crucified, but now lives and is enthroned in Heaven and rules and reigns as absolute sovereign Lord over all creation (Romans 14:9; John 17:2).

The Gospel, the good news of salvation by the sovereign grace of the triune God through faith in the crucified, buried, risen, and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, is to be preached and proclaimed to both Jews and Greeks, or Jew and Gentile alike -- in other words, to all men and women throughout the entire world indiscriminately. But the vast majority of both groups reject it. WHY is this so?

According to this text, to "the Jew," Christ crucified is a stumbling block, and "a rock of offense" (1 Peter 2:8); they "require a sign" (Matthew 12:39; John 6:30; Matthew 16:4), looking for their Messiah to establish an earthly, carnal kingdom. It is my conviction that the term "the Jew" here in this passage could also be considered as a generic term that embraces not only the Jew, but all religion without Christ, the One having been crucified, and that the term "the Jew" is representative in character of all those who are seeking by any kind of religious profession to establish their own righteousness, and to be acceptable or justified before God through their own works (Romans 10:1-4). To the Jew, and all other religions without Christ, Christ crucified is offensive, because the first implication of the CROSS is that God looks upon all men as guilty sinners, and that He will accept none, or count none as righteous, except on the basis of the "blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20), being "justified by His blood" (Romans 5:9).

Now, my friend, we find such terms as the following used repeatedly throughout the New Testament: "the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:19); "purchased with His blood" (Acts 20:28); "a propitiation through faith in His blood" (Romans 3:25); and "in whom we have redemption through His blood" (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). What does the Word of God mean when it uses such terms? We may be sure that when the New Testament uses these terms, it is always a reference to the Substitutionary blood-shedding, the bloody sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ as He voluntarily laid down His own life as a Substitutionary sacrifice unto God the Father in behalf of guilty sinners, thereby satisfying the justice of God and suffering the wrath of God in their behalf -- voluntarily and gladly surrendering Himself into the hands of His enemies to be crucified upon Calvary's cross. When rightly understood, this glorious message of blood redemption in Christ deals the death blow to self-righteousness, all false religion, and reduces every one of us to the same level -- guilty sinners in need of a crucified and risen Saviour!

Again, according to this text of Scripture, to "the Greek," this message of Christ crucified is pure foolishness and the object of scorn and ridicule. "The Greek" is also, I believe, a generic term, being representative in character of all the so-called "wise" of this world -- the great philosophers, the "great thinkers" of every age, the men of science, the evolutionists, and all men and women in our day who consider themselves to be so highly-educated that they reject the Bible as the Word of the living God, and count it as a mere fable or tale. Such people feel that we are now living in such an "enlightened" age, and that the message of the cross, the message of "Christ crucified" is offensive and distasteful. It is a subject not considered fit for discussion in "refined and polite society." If you want to discover how offensive the cross really is to the pride and self-righteousness of man (Galatians 5:11), and if you want to stop all conversation at any social gathering, including many religious gatherings, there is one sure-fire way to do it -- just begin to talk about the glory of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14), and how that poor sinners can be saved through the bloody, substitutionary sacrifice of Christ! The so-called "intellectuals" who reject this "bloody Gospel" in our day do it because it lays low both the pride and self-righteousness of men and women, reduces all of our so-called "wisdom," great learning and brilliant philosophy to dust and ashes, and forces us to face the stark reality of our lost and fallen condition before a holy and just God, and our desperate need to be saved through the Substitutionary blood-shedding of God's own dear Son, and on the basis of His perfect righteousness. My friend, both self-righteousness and pride are demolished at the foot of the cross!

Now, you might be saying, how is all of this connected with effectual calling? Remember the third link of God's Chain of Grace as stated in Romans 8:30, "Moreover, whom He did predestinate, THEM HE ALSO CALLED..." We have already seen that God the Father elected and predestined from eternity a definite number of persons out of Adam's fallen and condemned race to be conformed to the image of His Son. In order to get a better understanding of God's eternal purpose of grace, as it is being fulfilled in time through effectual calling, the third link in this wonderful "Chain of Grace," we need to carefully study I Corinthians 1:18-31.

After stating in verses 22-23 that mankind in general, represented by the terms "the Jew" and "the Greek" reject the Gospel message of Christ crucified as a stumbling block and as foolishness, Paul goes on to make this statement, "But to THOSE WHO ARE CALLED, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Some chosen individuals from among both Jews and Gentiles will not reject the Gospel message; they will be effectually called, given spiritual eyesight by the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit, "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18). God the Holy Spirit opens their heart (Acts 16:14), and shines the light of truth into their hearts, "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Because of this powerful, supernatural operation of God the Holy Spirit upon their hearts, they are enabled to see and actually experience personally the Gospel of the crucified, risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ as it truly is -- both the power and the wisdom of God. In this passage, these individuals are distinguished from the rest of mankind, and are identified as "those who are CALLED".

But aren't all men and women called to repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, for the universal call of the Gospel is addressed to all men without distinction or discrimination (Acts 17:30; 20:21; Mark 16:15). However, it must be obvious to the reader that this universal call of the Gospel can be, and often is, rejected and refused (Proverbs 1:24-27). It is an outward call, reaching only the ear, and is repudiated and rejected by most who hear it. But it must also be obvious to the reader that both in Romans 8:30 and in I Corinthians 1:24-31, reference is made to an effectual call, a call to certain individuals, from among both Jews and Gentiles, that cannot be rejected because it actually accomplishes the purpose for which it was intended. The links in God's "Chain of Grace" are inseparably connected, and cannot be broken. Those same individuals whom God the Father elected and predestined in eternity, before the foundation of the world, are now being effectually called in time. The call of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in their case reaches beyond the outward ear; it is a powerful inward call that penetrates to the very depths of the heart, so that they are brought by the powerful operation of God the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6) -- Who uses the Word of God as the instrument (Psalms 119:130; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) -- to true repentance toward God, and to personally experience and know, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, "the One having been crucified," as both "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (verse 24).

The difference between the outward, universal call of God addressed to all mankind in general and the particular, distinguishing effectual call which comes to God's elect is taught very clearly by our Lord Himself in the parable of the marriage feast in Matthew 22:1-14. I urge you to read that parable for yourself, and take note of how the Lord Jesus interprets His own parable as He draws this conclusion found in verse 14, "For MANY are called, but FEW are chosen."

The outward call can be resisted or rejected, or in many cases may lead to only a mere profession of faith in Christ (Matthew 7:15-23), but the inward call to God's elect cannot be successfully resisted, and always terminates in the elect's possession of Christ and union with Christ, fulfilling God's eternal purpose of grace for them, as expressed in 2 Timothy 1:9,

"Who hath saved us, and CALLED US with a 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."

It should be stressed at this point that God never saves anyone against his will, but by this effectual call -- a work of God's supernatural power in the heart -- the elect sinner is irresistibly drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ, "the One having been crucified," by the cords of love, the essence of which is expressed by the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting love (election): therefore, with loving-kindness have I DRAWN thee (effectual calling) " (Jeremiah 31:3). The Psalmist David, too, understood these great eternal truths of election and effectual calling, and testified to them so beautifully in Psalms 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest (election), and causest to approach unto Thee (effectual calling), that he may dwell in Thy courts." And how clearly does our blessed Lord teach this same precious truth in John chapter 6! In verse 37 He says, "All that the Father giveth Me (election) shall come to Me (effectual calling)." Again, our Lord Jesus emphasizes this same truth from both the negative aspect and the positive aspect in verses 44-45,

"No man can come to me except the FATHER which hath sent Me DRAW him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath LEARNED OF THE FATHER, cometh unto Me."

What are some other characteristics of this effectual call? As we shall see, the Word of God is rich in its description of this special call that comes to every one of God's elect.

First, it is hearing the voice of God Himself, according to a literal rendering of Romans 10:17, "So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ, the Messiah [Himself]." (Amplified Bible). The Lord Jesus also explicitly taught this same truth in John 5:25, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." Our Lord is referring to spiritual death here, which, as we have seen, is the natural state of every son and daughter of Adam. The voice of the Son of God as described in this verse is not an audible voice, but a life-giving, spiritual voice, according to John 6:63, "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are SPIRIT, and they are LIFE." Every one of God's elect is effectually called out of spiritual death, and raised to spiritual life and salvation (Ephesians 2:1-5), by hearing the life-giving voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Living Word (John 1:1,14) as He powerfully speaks to us through the Written Word, the Holy Scriptures of truth. See also John 10:27.

Second, God's effectual call to His elect is a call to holiness, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:7, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." It is a holy calling, according to 2 Timothy 1:9, "Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling..." and 1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." In connection with this, see also 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:24; Hebrews 12:10,14.

Third, according to Hebrews 3:1, this effectual call to God's elect is a "heavenly calling"; according to 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, it is a call "to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ"; according to 1 Peter 5:10, "The God of all grace...hath called us unto His eternal glory...", and 2 Peter 1:3, God "hath called us to glory and virtue..." It is a calling out of the world, and into a heavenly citizenship, according to Philippians 3:20, "For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." Because it is a high and heavenly calling, a calling to enjoy, relish, and be ravished by the things of God and of Heaven, believers are exhorted, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."

And fourth, my friend, this effectual call of God is a call into fellowship with EACH PERSON of the triune God! What an amazing truth this is, once it really begins to grip our hearts! It is staggering to think that the God of absolute sovereignty, whose most defining characteristic is holiness, should love and actually desire to have fellowship with poor wretches who have been His enemies and rebels against Him! Yet it is true! According to 1 Corinthians 1:9, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." And according to the Apostle John, God the Father seeks our fellowship, too: "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3). And how our hearts should be encouraged and strengthened to seek out His fellowship by our Lord's teaching in John 14:21,23: "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him...If a man love Me, he will keep my words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Our fellowship is not only with God the Father and with God the Son, but also with God the Holy Spirit, according to our Lord's words in John 14:15-17. The same truth is expressed by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

When we come to the section, "The Remedy Applied," we will study in more detail how God the Holy Spirit in the grace of the New Birth accomplishes this mighty effectual call to the elect without violating or forcing our wills, but enlightens, convicts, and transforms us in such a way that it causes us to cease our rebellion and hostility toward God, and we are drawn by the Father to the Lord Jesus Christ, "the One having been crucified". Attracted and drawn to Him by His great sacrificial love for sinners (John 15:13), we gladly and willingly come to the risen Lord Jesus by faith, who extends a hearty welcome to poor sinners in need of salvation (Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:37). My friend, if we have truly received that effectual call from on high, we have been brought by the grace and power of God to see by faith, at least in some measure, the BEAUTY and the GLORY of the crucified, risen Lord Jesus Christ! And we can truly say with the Apostle Peter, "...Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, YE LOVE, in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye REJOICE with JOY unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:7-8). For us, 1 Peter 2:7 is also truly a reality, "Unto you therefore which believe, He (Christ) is PRECIOUS!"

(4) The Link of Justification

"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."

As we continue our study of the five links of God's unbreakable "Chain of Grace" as set forth in Romans 8:29-30, we come now to the fourth link, which is justification. As we have followed the Apostle's progression of thought in this passage, we have already seen that the first two links of this chain -- God's foreknowledge and predestination -- have their setting in eternity. Before the foundation of the world, before creation had any existence, the triune God chose, or elected, in Christ, those whom He would have to be His redeemed people from among Adam's fallen and condemned race, and predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we saw that the third link of this unbreakable chain, effectual calling, occurs in the realm of time and space, when God infallibly calls to salvation those individuals whom He has chosen and predestined, and He accomplishes this through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, "the One having been crucified", and the powerful internal operation of the Holy Spirit upon the elect through the New Birth.