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John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
As we have made our way through Acts 16:1–15, we have seen Paul select Timothy and bring him along to help the Apostle and Silas in ministry, and we have also read about how Lydia was converted when those men preached the gospel in Philippi. Those two episodes are instances of the call to ministry and the call to salvation, respectively, each of which has both an inner and an outer aspect. We will now take a short break from our study of Acts to look in more detail at the inner and outer aspects of the call to ministry and the inner and outer calls of salvation.
We will begin with the call to salvation, looking first at what is known as the inner call of the Holy Spirit, often referred to as effectual calling. Today’s passage provides a concise summary of the effectual inner call of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that no one can come to Him for salvation unless the Father draws him and that all those whom the Father draws will be raised up to eternal life on the last day (John 6:44). Elsewhere in John’s gospel, Jesus makes plain that this drawing by the Father occurs in and through the Holy Spirit. He says in John 3:1–8 that unless we are born again by the Spirit, we cannot see or enter the kingdom of heaven. The Father’s drawing and the Spirit’s granting of the new birth are part of the same movement of our triune God in regeneration. God opens our eyes to the truth of the gospel and enables us freely to come to Jesus through the granting of a new heart that trusts in Christ and loves Him.
Theologically, we also talk about God’s irresistible grace when we are referring to the effectual inner call of salvation. The Lord does not issue the effectual call to all people but effectually calls only those whom He has chosen in Christ for salvation (see Eph. 1:3–6). He has a specific number of men and women whom He has appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48), and these individuals must be saved—not because of anything in them but because our sovereign, omnipotent Creator cannot fail to accomplish His purposes. The elect cannot finally resist the converting power of the Holy Spirit. They might for a time refuse to submit, but it will be for only a time. God will never lose anyone whom He fully desires to save, for He will ultimately overcome any resistance that His elect might offer to Him. All whom the Father gives to Jesus will come to Him, and whoever comes to Him He will never cast out (John 6:37). Thanks be to God for His converting and preserving mercy.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Another way to summarize the doctrine of the internal, effectual call of God unto salvation is to say that “God always gets His man or woman.” The Lord cannot fail to redeem anyone on whom He has chosen to set His saving love. Consequently, the salvation of His people is secure, and those who trust in Jesus need not fear that they will ever fall out of His hand.
For further study
- Hosea 2:14–23
- Acts 16:14
The bible in a year
- Psalms 10–12
- Acts 17:16–34
- Psalms 13–18
- Acts 18