Westminster Confession, Chapter 10
Of Effectual Calling
All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, 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 unto them an 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.
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Romans 8:3030And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
Romans 11:77What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
Ephesians 1:10-1110as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
11In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
Romans 8:22For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
Ephesians 2:1-51And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
3All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
2 Timothy 1:9-109He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
10And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,
2 Corinthians 3:33It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:66And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-1413But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.
14To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 36:2626I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Acts 26:1818to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
1 Corinthians 2:1010But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1212We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
Ephesians 1:17-1817that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
18I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
John 6:44-4544“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
Ephesians 1:1919and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,
Deuteronomy 30:66The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Ezekiel 11:1919And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
Ezekiel 36:2727And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
Philippians 2:1313For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
Psalms 110:33Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.
Song of Solomon 1:44Take me away with you—let us hurry! May the king bring me to his chambers.
John 6:3737Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
Romans 6:16-1816Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
17But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man; who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.
Scripture references for paragraph 2
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Romans 9:1111Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,
Ephesians 2:4-54But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
Ephesians 2:8-98For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9not by works, so that no one can boast.
2 Timothy 1:99He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Titus 3:4-54But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:2727And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
John 5:2525Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
John 6:3737Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
Romans 8:77because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
1 Corinthians 2:1414The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Ephesians 2:55made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
Scripture references for paragraph 3
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Luke 18:15-1615Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
John 3:33Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
John 3:55Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Acts 2:38-3938Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
Romans 8:99You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
1 John 5:1212Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Acts 4:1212Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
John 3:88The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess; and to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious, and to be detested.
Scripture references for paragraph 4
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Matthew 22:1414For many are called, but few are chosen.”
John 6:64-6664However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.
John 8:2424That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Matthew 7:2222Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Matthew 13:20-2120The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
Hebrews 6:4-54It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age—
1 Corinthians 16:2222If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
Galatians 1:6-86I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.
8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!
2 John 1:9-119Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.
10If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.
11Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.
John 4:2222You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
John 14:66Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 17:33Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
Acts 4:1212Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Ephesians 2:1212remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
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Westminster Confession. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription
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