In the last newsletter article we looked at the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Baptist Catechism. The interest was in the older understanding of the Gospel. The Gospel of grace includes the application of Christ and His work to and in the soul. When we speak of Christ, even highly of Him, we are not teaching the whole Gospel of Christ unless we speak of how the Gospel is applied by grace. The Scriptures speak to this issue though it is largely forgotten today. The Gospel, regardless of words, is about the triune God and must not be limited to one or two of the Persons. Many dwell on election, but that is to be unbalanced if the work of Christ and of the Spirit are not brought in. Many dwell much upon the work of Christ, but even that can be quite unbalanced if the electing work of the Father and the Spirit’s work are not taught. Others focus on the Spirit without dealing with election and the true work of Christ. All are needed for the Gospel to be presented as from and about the triune God.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern English:
Q 30. How does the Holy Spirit apply to us the redemption Christ bought? A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption Christ bought by producing faith in us and so uniting us to Christ in our effective calling.
Q 31. What is effective calling? A. Effective calling is the work of God’s Spirit, Who convinces us that we are sinful and miserable, Who enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and Who renews our wills. This is how He persuades and makes us able to receive Jesus Christ, Who is freely offered to us in the gospel.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is being used because it is in modern English. Within the realm of orthodoxy most all say that the Holy Spirit must apply redemption to the sinner. But that is nothing more than words if we do not get to how this is done. When was the last time that you heard or preached a sermon, or perhaps taught a class on how the Holy Spirit applies redemption? What we hear (at most) is that the Spirit must apply it and perhaps that faith is from the Spirit, but we don’t hear how that is done. We prefer to say those are mysterious and assume that the Spirit has worked that in a person if he claims to believe. This is confusing and brings many unconverted people into the local assemblies. There is a huge difference between the faith that a natural man has and the faith worked in the soul by the Holy Spirit. Only converted souls will have the kind of faith worked in it by the Spirit.
According to the Catechism, when the Holy Spirit produces faith in the soul that person is also united to Christ in effective calling. This is something to work with. The faith of a converted soul can be seen because it is united to Christ and now the life of Christ comes through that person. A natural man claims to have faith but is not united to Christ by that faith. The truly converted soul has true faith and is united to Christ. Faith cannot be seen, but the life of Christ will be seen in the soul by His Spirit. This should teach us how to speak to sinners about conversion and the evidences of conversion. Paul told the people in II Corinthians 13:5, in regards to salvation, that they were to examine themselves to see if they had Christ in them rather than to see if they had prayed a prayer.
In our modern day we look at faith as if it could be seen rather than looking at faith as the work of the Spirit who unites sinners to Christ. The difference is massive. James 2:18 says this: “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Faith is seen by something else than words or a claim. The faith that the Holy Spirit produces is a faith that works by love since that is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:6, 22). A true faith has true love and will have works. Christ’s life in the soul always manifests itself in true love because God is love and will work love in His people by the Spirit who sheds love in the hearts He is in (Rom 5:5-8). A converted soul no longer lives in malice and envy, hateful and hating (Titus 3:3), but now it loves with a true love. The truly converted soul is known by what its faith is united to and what it receives from Christ by the Spirit. A soul with faith is a soul that if full of Christ Himself. Only a truly converted soul has a faith that is worked in it by the Spirit and so that soul has Christ Himself.
The Catechisms and the Scriptures are quite clear that converted souls are souls that have faith and are united to Christ in effectual calling. Just these things alone should be enough to show us that the modern methodologies are leading souls astray as to what faith really is. It is also true that we can say that we believe in effectual calling according to our creeds and then go on with our evangelism as if that made no difference at all. Let me be clear, if we simply tell people to pray a prayer after they admit that they are sinners we are denying the truth of effectual calling and the truth of how faith and Christ are worked in the soul by the Holy Spirit.
What is effective calling? It is the work of God’s Spirit. We must get clear on this. Effective calling is not in the hands of men, but in the hands of the Holy Spirit. When we urge people to pray certain prayers for salvation as if that applies salvation, we act as if effective calling is in our hands or those being evangelized. According to what the historical confessions and catechisms teach about the Bible, this is not how the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit converts people and brings life into their souls. Preaching and evangelizing are not made effective by human zeal and activities, but by the work of the Holy Spirit in the soul. It is important in preaching and evangelizing to show the work of the Holy Spirit and how He does this rather than lead people in ways different than that.
In the times of the Reformation and then for a few hundred years evangelism was practiced a lot differently. Today many look at the older evangelists and think of them as “Preparationists.” There were some that thought that souls could be prepared for salvation by taking steps, but that is not the true older way. It was built on Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling. It is the work of the Spirit to prepare the soul to be the temple of God. While this is far different than today, it was the way that the Gospel was preached and taught by Reformed people until Finney and his Pelagian methodology. It seems that today many say that they adhere to Reformed theology and yet practice evangelism more like Finney who was a Pelagian. The Gospel of Christ is that of Christ carrying out His offices “in subduing us to himself, in ruling, and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies” (Baptist Catechism). It is Christ who subdues the sinful hearts by the effectual call which is the work of the Holy Spirit in conviction, enlightening, and renewing souls in a real and actual conversion.
Justification by faith alone can be a far different doctrine depending on the view of the work of the Holy Spirit in the effectual call. The view that the will is free enough to have an act of faith by itself or with some assistance of grace is far different than the view where faith is worked in the soul by the Holy Spirit. The faith that the Holy Spirit works in a soul is preceded by His work in conviction of sin which is far more than just agreeing that one is a sinner. The faith that the Holy Spirit works in a soul is preceded by an enlightening of the mind to sin, the character of God, and of the work of Christ in His offices. The faith that the Holy Spirit works in a soul flows from a new heart and unity with Christ. A soul that has been effectually called knows his or her sin as David did (Psalm 51:1-4). This soul now sees the true glory of God in Christ and the glory of grace. This is a person that has been persuaded and enabled to receive Christ and whose faith has been worked in him or her by the persuasion and enabling of the Holy Spirit in His work of applying the redemption of Christ. The words “by faith” in justification have a totally different meaning to those who believe in the teachings of the Confessions and Catechisms on the effectual call than those who do not believe it whether they profess to be Reformed or not.
What we must see is that conversion by the Holy Spirit is vital to understanding salvation in accordance with the work of Christ in His offices and of the Holy Spirit in applying the redeeming work of Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be proclaimed to all people, but we must make them aware of the true work of the Spirit in bringing redemption to them. Apart from Christ working this in His offices by the Spirit applying redemption we have a Gospel of grace that is not received and applied by grace. When we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is by grace alone the application of it must be by grace alone as well. The doctrine of conversion teaches us that the soul must be truly converted and truly transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son (Col 1:13). This is something that only Jesus can do in His offices as a whole and in His office as King in particular. Salvation does not hinge on a decision of man, it hinges on the work of Christ in all of its parts.
The following is a quote from a man about lifting weights and illustrates to the professing Church the importance of truth in evangelism and church growth. When the professing Church is more concerned with numbers than truth (whether in membership or money), the truth of the Gospel slides away. We must listen to the earlier Confessions on conversion as they teach us from Scripture. If not, we will end up with snake oil salesmen as preachers rather than those who truly preach the Word of God. If not, we will end up with those who are more concerned with appearance in themselves and in the church rather than true substance. We are already there. We must repent.
When commercial interests and business gain the upper hand, truth is usually the first casualty. I guess it’s human nature after all – to believe the snake oil salesmen, to believe in miracle solutions that work without time and effort, and probably the worst of them all – to give all the importance to appearance, and almost none to substance. (From the website of Brooks Kubik)
God Loves... Himself 
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