Sunday Hymn: My Faith Looks Up to Thee

My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour Divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine.

May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm and changeless be,
A living fire.

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll,
Blest Saviour, then, in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.

—Ray Palmer 

Another hymn for this Sunday:

• I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say at The Happy Wonderer 

Theological Term of the Week: Effectual Call

effectual call

A work of the Holy Spirit in which sinners are convicted of their sin and drawn to Christ in such a way that they are persuaded to embrace him in saving faith; “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 persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.”1 Also called internal call or effective call.

• From scripture: 

…we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23 ESV).

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he 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 8:28–30 ESV)

• From the London Baptist Confession, 1689, Chapter 11: 
  

  Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
  A. 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.

  Q. 31. What is effectual calling?
  A. 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.

  Q. 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
  A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

• From Systematic Theology by Robert Letham, pages 656-658: 

Because of sin, no one can respond unaided to the universal call of creation; besides it provides no remedy for sin. Furthermore, no one an respond unaided to the gospel call either. The will is bound (John 8:34; Rom. 6:13; 7:13-14). By nature, people are dead in sin (Eph. 2:1) and so cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3); they cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:14) and so cannot be subject to the law of God (Rom. 8:7). In summary, fallen humanity cannot do good in the sight of God (Rom. 3:18; 15:5; 2 Cor. 2:3-5). A positive response to the call to fellowship with Christ is from the human standpoint impossible. How then, do people believe? The answer is in terms of effectual calling (Matt. 19:26). 

… . [S]ince the calling is the work of the Holy Spirit, it is effectual and immutable (Rom. 11:29); is high, holy, and heavenly; and has as its goal fellowship with God’s Son, union with Christ. Here is the answer to the question of how people repond to the gospel. Calling itself cannot be understood in terms of our faith, although it includes our response of repentance and faith in order to reach its goal. The Spirit, in calling, unites us to Christ by awakening faith in us. He does this by regenerating us.

Learn more:

1. Got Questions: What is the effectual call?
2. Ligonier Ministries: Effectual Calling
3. Matthew Barrett: Effectual Calling
4. Thomas Watson: Effectual Calling
5. Steven Lawson: Effectual Calling (video)

Related terms:

• conversion
• external call
• irresistible grace
• prevenient grace
• monergism
• regeneration

1Westminster Shorter Catechism

Filed under Salvation

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Sunday Hymn: O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free;
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of thy love;
Leading onward, leading homeward,
To thy glorious rest above.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Spread his praise from shore to shore;
How he loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore;
How he watches o’er his loved ones,
Died to call them all his own;
How for them he intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of ev’ry love the best:
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
‘Tis a haven sweet of rest.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
‘Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to thee.

—S. Tre­vor Fran­cis 

Another hymn for this Sunday:

• Beneath the Cross of Jesus at The Happy Wonderer