Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 18. Rom 1:7; 8:28, 30; Tit 3:5.

Title: Gospel of John [JOH 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 18. EPH 2:8; TIT 3:5; 1CO 12:13.

 

Efficacious grace: completely effective call of the one who has believed in Christ as his Savior.

 

In documenting efficacious grace in the Scripture we saw it to be much like election, although the emphasis is not on what you have been called to, but in the call itself. It is a call that happens immediately when a person believes the common grace message, or the gospel, and it is totally apart from his free-will and depends completely on the omnipotence of God.

 

When some confuse the general call to the human race through common grace with this specific call of those who have believed it is then that we get false doctrines of hyper-Calvinism or Arminianism.

 

MAT 22:5

"For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

To those who are not called, the gospel remains foolishness; 1CO 1:23-24.

 

1CO 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,

 

1CO 1:24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

The Scriptures bear faithful testimony to the fact that efficacious grace is an act of God. Never in the Scriptures is divine calling attributed to human choice.

 

Efficacious grace immediately results in salvation in all cases because it is accomplished by the omnipotence of God.

 

In a moment the soul passes from a state of spiritual death to spiritual life. As an act of God, the work is inscrutable. As the human mind does not inquire how God could make man a living soul though composed of the dust of the earth, so the human mind need not inquire how God works in efficacious grace.

 

Efficacious grace is sharply contrasted to common grace. Common grace may be successfully resisted and is not sufficient to bring salvation. If common grace were always effective then the entire world, every person in history, would be saved. The link between the uncertain results of common grace and the salvation of efficacious grace is the person's faith in the gospel of common grace. The moment that occurred in the believer's life the sovereignty of God took over and called you to be someone that you could never have imagined.

 

Total depravity and spiritual death require efficacious grace. A man spiritually dead can have nothing to do with spiritual work.

 

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God

 

The words, "through faith" speak of the instrument or means whereby the sinner avails himself of this salvation which God offers him in pure grace.

 

Paul never says 'through the faith,' as if the faith were the ground or procuring cause of the salvation. The only condition on the believer's part is faith in the gospel. However, the salvation is not of the believer but all done completely by the power of God. This is not semantics. This is the reality of this verse and many others. The truth of Christ was revealed by God the Holy Spirit. The believer had a moment of faith in that revelation. God the Holy Spirit then called him in an irresistible way and that call was to God's good purpose and glory. In light of this how could any believer say that salvation was any way a part of himself?

 

Greek syntax helps us to see this clearly in this passage.

 

"that" - touto [neuter gender]. "grace" and "faith" are both feminine nouns, and so "that" could not refer to grace or faith. "That" refers to salvation as a whole. It is not of us.

 

The translation reads, "and this not out from you as a source, of God (it is) the gift." That is, salvation is a gift of God. It does not find its source in man. Furthermore, this salvation is not "out of a source of works." This explains salvation by grace. It is not produced by man nor earned by him. It is a gift from God with no strings tied to it. Paul presents the same truth in ROM 4:4,5 when speaking of the righteousness which God imputed to Abraham, where he says:

 

ROM 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due.

 

ROM 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness

 

Along with efficacious grace is the work of GHS in regeneration.

 

The doctrine of regeneration offers a rich reward to those who contemplate its treasures and live in the light of its reality.

 

The word "regeneration" is found only twice in the NT. However the term has come to appropriate and designate the impartation of eternal life to the believer.

 

Only once is the term used this way in the NT. In MAT 19:28 it is used of the second coming of Christ in restoring all things on the earth. In TIT 3:5 it is used of the regeneration of the believer.

 

TIT 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit

 

"regeneration" - paliggenesi,a [paiggenisia] = literally "again born"; new birth, re-creation.

 

God did not remodel you, but made you something brand new, newly born, a brand new creature in Christ to whom is imputed the very life of God, eternal life.

 

In the Bible we find the terms, new life, new birth, spiritual resurrection, new creation, new mind, made alive, sons of God, and translation into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

 

Simply, regeneration consists of all that is represented by eternal life in a human being.

 

This is again a sovereign act of the omnipotence of God that is totally inscrutable. Yet the Holy Spirit makes its reality to the believer undeniable through his study of the word of God. However, at salvation, God did not ask any believer what kind of life they wanted. He sovereignly, through omnipotence, imputed eternal life to every believer and made that person alive. He is made alive as now a son of the living God.

 

The call of efficacious grace cannot be realized by the old creature. God must regenerate us into new creatures so that we can enjoy what we were called to, and He can enjoy giving us these eternal things.

 

Sometimes we forget that God enjoys giving to us just as much and more than we enjoy receiving His wonderful gifts. It is better to give than it is to receive. After the believer said yes to common grace God got to work on him in transforming him which in this process the most abundant giving of gifts occurred. God loves giving to us and also loves to see His children enjoying those gifts.

 

Regeneration by its nature is solely a work of God.

 

JOH 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

 

JOH 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

JOH 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

 

JOH 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

 

JOH 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

 

JOH 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 

JOH 3:7 "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

 

Regeneration is likened unto resurrection, which only God can perform.

 

JOH 5:21"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

 

ROM 6:13

 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

 

EPH 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

 

2CO 5:17

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

 

EPH 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

EPH 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

 

It is vital to sharply distinguish between common grace and the believer's faith and what follows thereafter. If not, false doctrines germinate and flower. Man has nothing to do with his salvation, that is totally wrought by God. Man has a choice to have faith in the common grace gospel message or reject it. If he accepts it then God sets to work, a work that the believer can have no part in.