What is the effectual Call?

The word call in the Greek is Kaléō. The Hebrew word is qārā. Both words mean a general call. In relation to salvation, its meaning is referring to those God has chosen to be recipients of His saving grace.

The calling of God is an invitation to repent of sins; that means forsaking of your sins and turning to Him for salvation through Jesus Christ. There is what is called and outward call. This is where the gospel is preached to all people. The outward call of God is resisted and rejected by men when they hear the gospel message and are commanded to repent of their sins that they may have life. An illustration of this is in the parable of Matthew 22 which is the parable of the wedding banquet. In this parable the king prepares a banquet for his son. The king sends out his servants to bid those invited to come, but all of them make excuses for not coming. In addition, those who refuse kills the king’s servants [(i.e. the believers (vs 6)]. When the kings receives this news, he is furious, and sends his armies to destroy those who killed his servants (vs 7).

Those that refuse to come to the wedding feast are non-believers.

The king then commands more servants to go to everyplace and bring whomever they can to the wedding feast. They do so, and at last the marriage feast is filled with guests (vs 8-10).

                

These represent the called, true believers.

But, there is one guest who came to the supper with improper clothing. The king questions the stranger because he was not wearing the proper attire (vs 12). The guest was dumbfounded, because he knew he was not properly dressed. As a result, the intruder is thrown out of the marriage celebration and is cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (vs 13).

What is Jesus trying to explain to us in this parable?

The king is the Father God. The Son is Jesus Christ. The servants are the prophets. Those bidden to come that make excuses and refuse are unbelieving, apostate Israel initially, and eventually all unbelievers. As mentioned the guests are the redeemed. The one not wearing proper attire is an unbeliever masquerading as a true one. Several places in the Bible white robes are symbolic of righteous deeds and holiness.

Revelation 3:5a says, “He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment…”

When the fifth seal is opened, the apostle John saw under the altar the souls of those who were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony they held. And they cried with a loud voice saying, “How long O Lord, holy and true do you judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

And white robes were given unto every one of them (Rev 6:9-11a).

We read in Revelation 7:14 that there is an innumerable multitude in heaven wearing white robes because they washed them in the blood of the Lamb.

In Revelation 19:7-8 we read, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white – for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

Just like the parable in Matthew 22 with the supper for the king’s son where everyone had to be properly attired. The Lamb’s bride (the church and Israel) had to wear the right clothing.

Romans 13:14 commands us to put on (italics mine) the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof.

     All the redeemed wear the proper clothing.

Scholars believe that when the one that entered the wedding banquet without proper clothing in Matthew 22, he was showing contempt for the king. Spiritually speaking by wearing wrong clothing which represented deeds, he was trying to establish his own righteousness and gain acceptance by God which is what the world does everyday.

In the natural sense to wear improper clothing when the king supplied you the right attire is dishonoring, and puts one in harms way before the king. Its even more horrific to dishonor the Father God by showing up to the Son’s marriage feast with filthy rags, and expect the Father to accept such.              

                  

These are the ones that despise the outward call of God to repent.

The effectual call is that inward calling where God draws the elect to His Son (John 6:37,44,65). Scholars and contemporary theologians say this call of God is different from the general outward call which can be resisted. The inward call of God ultimately CANNOT be resisted by the stubborn will of man. In order for the inward call to be effective, God has to overcome the evil, stubborn resistance of man; love on him in such a supernatural way so that all he wants is what God wants for him which is rebirth, repentance, faith, and salvation. When one is effectually called by God, this process is guaranteed to occur.

Why? Because God determined that it would happen before the world was ever created (Eph 1:4).

Listen to God’s word, “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called (italics mine), and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Rom 8:30).

When God predestines someone, the rest of the blessings automatically follow: called, justified, glorified. All past tense verbs.

God’s plans never fail so all of those whom He effectually calls will or even more emphatically 

HAVE to repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved.                

This is a blessed promise and command of the Lord. We cannot alter it by complicity or noncompliance.

Concluding, we see here the sovereignty of God and the sovereignty of man. The former leads to everlasting life and peace. The latter leads to everlasting damnation and torment.