Question 36: What benefits do those who are effectually called receive in this life?

Those who are effectually called receive in this life justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life accompany or flow from them.

DAY 1: Romans 8:30-32

“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

We looked at verses 29-30 in a previous lesson, so we won’t take time to deal with them in total. However, because the answer to our catechism question this week refers to the benefits of those who are effectually called, we must include the fact that Paul tells us that those who are called are justified and eventually glorified. To justify someone is to render them righteous. This is graciously accomplished for us by Jesus Christ. We are declared righteous before God on the basis of the finished work of Christ, not our own works. Although the context for this term is dealing in the justification that is salvation, there is also the allusion to conduct between justification and glorification. James uses the same word for justification, dikaioo, to speak of a man’s conduct justifying him before men. In other words, a man’s conduct will bear him out as to whether he has truly been justified before God. So in seeing this relationship, we can see how God sanctifies the sinner. As we will see in 1 Corinthians 6:11, God removes the guilt and condemnation from the sinners sins and cleanses sinners from their former way of life.

Paul goes on to say that, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The word if, ei, here is a primary particle of conditionality. This does not refer to a possibility, but rather to a fulfilled condition. The fulfilled condition is that God is for us. If God was for us as His enemies (Rom. 5:6-10), how much more will He be for us as His children? Because He is for us, who can be against us? Paul goes on in the chapter to explain to us that he is referencing those who we might think could tear us away from Christ. His conclusion is there is not any created thing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We have confidence as a result of the effectual call of God in our lives. Why? It is God who has called us. We have not called ourselves. We have not justified ourselves. We are not dependent upon ourselves.

He continues by showing us how much God is for us. He is so much for us that He did not spare His own Son. The Father loved us so much that He gave us His only Son and delivered Him up for us to be executed in our place that our sins might be atoned for. If He has already gone to that extent to purchase us, how will He withhold anything from us? No, He will freely give us all things. What are the “all things”? The term for freely gives is charizomai. The term can be used to speak to graciously granting forgiveness. If indeed this is what is meant, then we can say that God has granted us forgiveness of “all things”. This would be consistent with the rest of Scripture that uses the same word (2 Cor. 2:7, 10; 12:13; Col. 2:13; 3:13). Not only that but the believer has a constant source of cleansing from sin in the blood of Christ (1 Jn. 1:9).

DAY 2: 1 Corinthians 1:30

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God----and righteousness and sanctification and redemption----“

Verse 29 of chapter one gives us the sum of the context in that Paul is describing the wisdom of God. He says that man has nothing to boast of. The Christian has nothing to boast of, except for Christ (vs. 31). Paul tells us “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus”. The New American Standard renders the text more accurately as “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus”. We are in Christ as a result of God purposing to bring us into union with Christ, whom Paul tells us became for us wisdom from God. Earlier Paul said that God had chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. Throughout church history God has used the despised and contemptible people and things to demonstrate His glory through. It was simple shepherds such as David and Moses that He used to lead the nation of Israel. It was a man out in the desert with long hair, one garment and a leather belt with locusts and honey for his meals, that was used to announce the coming of the Messiah and point to him. It was simple fishermen, a doctor, and a tax collector that He Himself discipled. It was a Pharisee that left it all behind to give his life to Christ that he might glorify God in his sufferings as he took the gospel to the Gentiles. Yes, God uses the foolishness of the world to confound the wise.

Not only did Christ become wisdom from God for us, but He also became righteousness and sanctification and redemption. First, God gives believers wisdom. They are not only saved by God’s wisdom, but are given His wisdom as a replacement for their own. This wisdom, sophia, is not only knowledge, but the ability to apply knowledge. We have a plaque in our bathroom that says, “Experience may make you knowledgeable, but only God can make you wise. This is true. God’s wisdom is not only defined in salvation, but expands to all areas of life. Jesus Christ gave us wisdom from the Father (Jn. 14:6; 8:31-32). The Holy Spirit has shown the light of the wisdom of God within our hearts (2 Cor. 4:6). Christ’s wisdom went from the salvation of the soul to the dealings with our fellow man. He spoke of the wisdom of finances and the wisdom of justice and mercy. His wisdom is superior to the wisdom of man because since He is our Creator, He knows us better than we know ourselves and He is Holy. Therefore His ways are Holy.

Paul uses the word righteousness (dikaiosune). This word comes from a root word which means “to show or expose to the eyes; to give evidence or proof of a thing; state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God.” God takes man from a state of being wrong and makes him right. This becomes the standing of the believer before God in Christ. It is by faith that man come to this standing of righteousness (Rom. 4:5; Phil. 3:9). It is because of what Christ did that we are able to become righteous (2Cor. 5:21).

Third, Paul tells us that believers receive sanctification. He uses the word hagiasmos, which comes from the root word hagios, which means “holy thing; a saint”. Hagiasmos speaks more to the process that we undergo rather than who we are as hagios would speak about. Sanctification has to do with consecration and purification. As a result of receiving the incorruptible seed of Christ within us, we begin to walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:4-11) and we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). We have been saved unto good works (Eph. 2:10) and are being transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

Lastly we receive redemption from God. The word for redemption is apolutrosis. It means, “a releasing effected by payment of ransom.” Since we were prisoners of sin, our ransom was more than mere silver or gold. Peter says that we “you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Christ Himself was given as a pledge of our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). Therefore the benefits to the believer are incalculable.

DAY 3: 1 Corinthians 6:11

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

The context of the passage is in following the fact that Christians should try to reconcile to one another within the confines of the Body of Christ. They should have an attitude of humility and should be ready to be wronged and defrauded rather than drag the name of Christ through the mud before the pagans. However, it seems that the Corinthians were defrauding even their brethren. As we have stated before the Corinthian church was one of the most immature churches we see in the New Testament, though Paul spent the most time with them.

Paul goes on to list several sins that characterize unbelievers (vs. 9-10). However, it seems that he is implying that many of the Corinthian believers are slipping into their former way of conduct. He goes on to remind them that some of them were involved in the lifestyles of sin that are mentioned in verses 9 and 10. He also reminds them that they were washed (apolouo). This simply is a reference to the washing of regeneration by the word of God (Titus 3:5). When a person is washed by Christ he is cleansed from his sin and becomes a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).

Also a believer is sanctified (hagiazo). Again, this word comes from the same root word as holy. It means, “To separate from profane things and dedicate to God; to cleanse externally”. God does not wash sinners only on the inside. Our salvation must work itself outward if it is true salvation (Phil 2:12). Our salvation will be justified before men as well as before God (James 2:24). There becomes the fruit of salvation in the life of the believer. If one does not have this fruit, it is evidence AGAINST him that he does not have true saving faith.

Lastly a believer is also justified (dikaioo). I gave a brief definition in Day 1’s lesson. This justification ties in with the passage that we just mentioned before in James 2:24. Because we have been washed and sanctification is taking place in our lives it is evidence that we have indeed been justified before God. We see the connection between the justification that Paul described of Abraham in Romans 4 and the justification of Abraham in James 2. When we look closely at the cross references of both of these passages, we find that Abraham was indeed justified because of believing God. However, there was evidence that could be seen in his life, his willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son. So the same is true in the life of the believer. Therefore, the believer receives another benefit of the effectual calling, assurance of their calling.

Scripture: Romans 8:30-32; Galatians 3:26; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; Ephesians 1:5.

Comment: We must distinguish effectual calling from the general call of the gospel. Not all who hear the gospel believe. But all who are effectually called by God do believe. The call creates what it commands.