Author: Reformed Baptista

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 185

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Day 185

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 1.

“…yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.”

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 110:3

Song of Solomon 1:4

Reflection

So much happens when God effectively calls a sinner to Himself. He calls the sinner from her state of sin to grace and salvation. He enlightens her understanding in a saving way, replaces her stony heart with one of flesh, and renews her will so that she desires that which is good. In short, when it comes to conversion, God does it all.

So what is left for Miss Converted to do?

All she has to do is simply repent and believe. Invited by the Holy Spirit to come, she willingly goes to Christ and receives the blessings that come from Him. Every one of God’s elect come to Christ freely and of their own volition. No one ever gloomily accepts the gift of salvation, furious that they are now His!

Does this mean that the elect can’t refuse to be saved? Yes, and no one would ever want to refuse it. God does not force anyone to believe against their will, but graciously changes the will so that good is desired. When you taste and see that the Lord is good, and to be preferred above everything, you do not want anything else. Indeed, you cannot choose to reject Him, for you have seen how truly wonderful He is. Refusing Him is not an option, because no one who is converted would ever want to refuse Him.

Have you been called by Christ? Do you desire to know Him? If your thoughts have been stirred towards spiritual matters, and you find yourself longing to be saved, do not delay. Turn to Him, lean upon Him, believe in Him, and He will not turn you away, for after all, He is the One who has called you.

Questions to Consider

  • Are you thankful for God’s work in regenerating you?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 184

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Day 184

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 1.

“…taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto 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;…”

Scripture Lookup

Ezekiel 36: 26, 27

Deuteronomy 30:6

Ephesians 1:19

Reflection

Lifeless. That is the condition of the sinner’s heart before conversion. We are dead in our trespasses and sins, void of any tenderness towards spiritual godliness. Blind to the beauty of the gospel, we are unable to desire any good. We only choose evil, not even capable of doing good. Yet when we are regenerated by God, we are changed. Our minds are opened to understand and delight in the things of God. He gives us a heart that quickens when we realize His goodness towards us. He enables our will to choose what is pleasing to Him. Drawn to Christ, we become His, and He is ours.

You may have heard about what God does in regenerating a sinner many times before. But reflecting on who is doing the regenerating, and what is being accomplished, should astonish us. God Himself, the immense, eternal, most holy Being, out of His mere love and good pleasure of His will, steps into time to transform you into a new creation. The most wise God is the one who enlightens your understanding, that you may behold wondrous things concerning Him. He, who is love, gives you a heart to love Him. It is God’s almighty power that directs your will toward doing good! One who is so infinitely above all creation, draws such weak creatures as we are to Himself. Such a truth should make us quake with reverence and thankfulness.

Questions to Consider

  • If it is God that draws the elect to Himself, is there any chance He will fail? How does that knowledge affect your evangelism?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 183

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Day 183

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 1.

“…enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God;;…”

Scripture Lookup

Acts 26:18

Ephesians 1:17,18

Reflection

Some hear the gospel over and over throughout their lives, and it does not affect them. They could tell you the story of Jesus, but not have any personal knowledge regarding Him. Then one day, hearing the gospel yet again, it clicks. The gospel is relevant to them. They understand their sinful condition, realize the provision that Jesus has made for them, and trust in Him. Such an awakening does not come through human persuasion. It comes through the work of God alone.

When the elect are brought from a sinful state to a state of grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, their eyes have to be opened by the Holy Spirit. For in their sinful state, their understanding is darkened regarding salvation. They do not realize their sinful condition. They do not see the need for a Savior. They do not view the gospel as good news. I remember many times reading my Bible as a girl, thinking it beautiful in a fairy tale sort of way, but not seeing it as truly real, or actually applying to me. When I read it again years later, it was as if I had never read the words before. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I am a sinner! Christ died for me! The gospel was finally understood, and it seemed remarkable that I hadn’t seen it before. Knowing it was God who enlightens the mind of the elect, my former ignorance was actually unremarkable, and is common to all people before coming to faith.

“…the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) Before God draws the elect to Himself, they are like every other unbeliever. Yet God’s word will not return void. His people will be brought to faith by Himself. God will open their eyes at the time He has appointed.

Questions to Consider

  • If God is the one who enlightens to understand the things of God, how does that affect your evangelism?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 182

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Day 182

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 1.

“,…out of that state of sin, and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ;…”

Scripture Lookup

Ephesians 2: 1-6

Reflection

None of the elect begins life already converted. Every single one of them start off as sinners. There is no knowledge of Christ, no love for God, no desire to follow Him.

I’m sure the the thought has passed through the mind of many a believer that it would  be nice to be born already knowing the fruits of salvation. Looking back over who you were before you came to faith, you can see how sinful you were, how ignorant of the things of God, how wretchedly you acted in the past. How much sorrow and grief would have been saved had you been changed at birth?

Yet all of us are born into a state of sin and misery. Then, at a time of His choosing, God calls the elect to Himself, pulling us out of our sinful state into His loving arms through grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. As we will see the next couple of days, this transformation of the mind, heart, and will enable the believer to savor Jesus more fully than any immediate conversion without a sinful existence could. We have to know about our state of sin to understand what grace truly is. Sorrowful repentance deepens our love for what Christ has done on our behalf. Desiring to trust and obey Him demonstrates the different path we embark upon as Christians. All this glorifies God that much more.

Questions to Consider

  • How has your pre-conversion life demonstrated the glory of God? How does your life as a believer give glory to God now?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 181

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Day 181

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 1.

“Those whom God hath predestinated unto Life, he is pleased in His appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call by his word, and Spirit,…”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:30, 11:7

Ephesians 1:10,11

2 Thessalonians 2:13,14

Reflection

God’s will and decree concerning the elect has been set since the beginning. As the confession states in chapter four:

Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love;…

So it is not as if God is playing Bingo with humanity, picking people each day to be elect. They have already been chosen.

But although the elect have been chosen since eternity past, their conversions happen at different points in history. It is not as if all elect persons become Christians on their eighteenth birthday, in some rite of passage that can be celebrated along with registering to vote. As part of his decree, God has appointed that each believer is called out at a time appointed by, and pleasing to, Himself. This conversion occurs for some when they are young children; for others, when they are old. The circumstances will vary, but all will experience the same calling by the Holy Spirit.

This calling is effectual: it achieves its purpose of converting the sinner. Should that surprise us, when it is the Spirit Himself, through the preaching of His word, that draws sinners to Himself? We can be confident in our evangelism that no one is beyond the ability of God to come to saving faith. The elect are out there, and will come to Christ in God’s timing. We must strive to be faithful to share the gospel, and trust that God will use it to grow His people.

Questions to Consider

  • At what ages and circumstances were the Christians around you converted?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 180

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Day 180

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 5.

“The will of Man is made perfectly, and immutably free to good alone, in the state of Glory only.”

Scripture Lookup

Ephesians 4:13

Reflection

“It’s only for a season.” This advice I have read numerous times, given to frustrated moms of little ones. While seemingly stuck in a time-loop of tantrums, tidying, and tiredness, the time these mothers have with young children is relatively short. No matter how dragged-out those days of toddlers seem, they will inevitably end.

Some seasons, however, do not end until our life does. The Christian’s struggle with sin is such a season. Until we die and are received into the presence of our Savior, we wage war against the remaining corruption of sin within us. The battle of our will to choose good is constant in this world.

While the fight against our sinful flesh lasts in this life, there is a glorious hope that the Christian possesses. All remaining corruption will no longer be part of us after death. There will be no choosing of evil in heaven, but only the free choice of good.

There shall not be the least aversion to good, nor the least inclination of evil, in their wills, but they will be brought to a perfect conformity to the will of God….they will get such a fixed habit of purity, as they can never lose. – Thomas Boston

Salvation in Christ is better than creation in the image of God and citizenship in the garden of Eden. God does not place believers back at the starting line in the same position in which Adam was created. He grants irrevocable, eternal life based on the doing and dying of Jesus to all who believe the gospel. The end is better than the beginning.  -Richard Barcellos

We may be “tempted, tried, and sometimes failing” throughout all our days, but Christian, your victory is a done deal. Because of Christ, you can look forward to the day when that fighting against evil is finished, never to return. Stand firm! This battle is only for a season. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

Questions to Consider

  • How often do you forget that you have glory to look forward to?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 179

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Day 179

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 4.

“…yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good; but doth also will that which is evil.”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 7:15,18,19,21,23

Reflection

Ah, the struggle. Changed by Christ we are free to will and do that which is spiritually good, yet find ourselves falling short and sinning every day. Failing for the fifth time, the tenth time, the hundredth time, over and over and over! Frustration, fear, and doubt all sidle up to you in these moments, offering their unwanted advice. “Look at your sin,” they scoff. “Real Christians don’t have this problem. There’s no hope for you.”

While the life of a Christian is sometimes presented as all beaming smiles and living happily ever after, the godliest Christian alive still sins. Every Christian still sins. These sins are not always the “oops, I went 10 miles over the speed limit” type of sins, but even vile, horrid transgressions. To admit otherwise is to deny the remaining corruption of sin that remains in the believer.

If Christians still sin, then, what makes them different than the rest of the world? The difference is this: the Christian is able to will and do good. When convicted of sin, the Christian is sorrowful for their sin, repents of it, and trust the work of Christ for forgiveness. Through reliance on the Holy Spirit, the believer hates sin and grows in godliness. The Christian is never left to wallow in despair, but receives in due time the comfort that only God can bring to her soul. Sin does not define a Christian – Christ does.

So when the struggle seems particularly strong, remember that Christ has saved you from this body of death. He who began this good work in you will complete it. Don’t harden your heart to prove yourself never called in the first place. Repent, humble yourself, and lean on Christ for a “more constant dependence for their support, upon Himself” (LBCF 5.5).

Questions to Consider

  • Do you ever think that Christians are perfect?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 178

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Day 178

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 4.

“…and by his grace alone, enables him freely to will, and to do that which is spiritually good;…”

Scripture Lookup

Philippians 2:13

Reflection

When Christ converts us and frees us from the stranglehold of sin, we no longer automatically want to do wrong. Our inclinations now are enabled to desire that which is spiritually good. Learning about God and His will for us becomes enjoyable, something that we want to spend time doing. We also are now able to act upon these inclinations. Loving God and loving our neighbor was something we could never do before. When God transforms us, acts of mercy and kindness are realized in our lives.

Remember, though, that it is God through His grace alone that changes us. The good works performed by the most godly people you know are not a result of some super-Christian status they possess.  Any good you do is not cause to celebrate self. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) When you want to promote yourself, or secretly envy the fellow believer that seems to have all the fruit of the Spirit and then some, remember: it is all of God.

His grace solely enables our freedom to will and do that which is spiritually good. This is also a great comfort when failure seems constant and you start to question if Christ died for you. In those times, look up from you despair! God’s work in your life, not your efforts, are what cause godliness in you. Strive to be holy, repent of sin, but rest on His omnipotence and faithfulness to produce that holiness.

Questions to Consider

  • Do you ever forget that the ability to will and do spiritual good is from God’s grace alone?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 177

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Day 177

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 4.

“When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of Grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin,…”

Scripture Lookup

Colossians 1:13

John 8:36

Reflection

Christian, sin no longer has any power over you. It is not your master. Those who are converted are freed from the bondage of sin. The guilt it holds over us is removed by the work of Christ, and we need not fear that we will be forever desiring sin. We are free!

Who is it that frees us from this bondage? Definitely not us! We cannot look in the mirror and say each morning, “I am freed from sin” and voila – it happens! No, we are powerless to change ourselves. It is God who converts us from slaves to sin to adopted sons of Himself. He makes the provision for our sin. He changes our state of loving sin to hating it. God alone makes this happen.

Knowing that it is God who has freed us from the bondage of sin gives us hope, for this freedom is an act of an all-powerful Being. Therefore, there is no way that this act of redemption could be half-baked: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We are freed from sin, all thanks to Him!

Questions to Consider

  • Do you ever doubt that as a Christian you are freed from sin’s rule in your life?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 176

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Day 176

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 3.

” …is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself; or to prepare himself thereunto.”

Scripture Lookup

Titus 3:3-5

John 6:44

Reflection

Lying on the floor, an elderly woman called out to her emergency alert system: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” That tv commercial of a couple decades ago enjoyed immense popularity, spawning t-shirts and jokes. Despite the cheesiness of the commercial, though, that one phrase – “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” – describes the state of mankind concerning salvation. Because of the corrupt nature humanity inherited when Adam and Eve fell, there is nothing we can to do restore ourselves to that place of communion with God.

Our modern culture likes to tell us that we can have it all. Great job, good friends, health, happiness, inner peace – anything can be ours if we just visualize it or work hard enough for it. In other words, we have the power within us to align stars and create our own destiny, no matter what lies in our way. Such philosophy makes us the strongest being in the universe – if we have enough drive to become it. This thinking has crept into some churches, offering a salvation of our own doing. Such insidious thinking places God in the backseat of saving faith, rather than the author and perfecter of it. The truth is, dead men cannot align stars, much less move an atom. We are wholly dependent on Christ to save us.

We are fallen, and we cannot get up. Unlike that elderly woman in that old commercial, the unregenerate man or woman cannot even cry out for help. Our wills must be changed so that we can will that which is spiritually good. Thankfully, God is the bringer of life!

Questions to Consider

  • Are you guilty of expecting people to save themselves, rather than relying on the Holy Spirit to regenerate them?