1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 10.2 The Calling of God Outside of Us

The Text
The Chapter
The Confession

The Text

John 11:11 (CSB) He said this, and then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on my way to wake him up.”

This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.

The Confession

This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature,

2 Timothy 1:9 (CSB) He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Ephesians 2:8 (CSB) For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

In other words, God has not seen down the corridors of time and seen that we would choose him, and then called us. Likewise, God has not seen those with soft tender hearts and then he decided, "I'll call them."

Romans 8:29 (CSB) For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

In fact, the Bible never says he foresaw but rather, he foreknew. What did he foreknew in us? That we were good?

Romans 3:10-12 (CSB)
There is no one righteous, not even one.
There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

What does God know about all who were born of Adam?

Romans 3:23 (CSB) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

What God knows about each of us born of Adam--that is the entire human race--that we were running from him, we denied him, we hated him and wanted nothing from him.

being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit;

1 Corinthians 2:14 (CSB) But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

Ephesians 2:5 (CSB) made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

John 5:25 (CSB) “Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

What God knows about that us is that we are dead because of sin. What he knew about us is that we were good as a valley filled with dry bones.

It is no coincidence that the book of Ezekiel is bookend with the gospel of Christ in chapters 11 and 36:

Ezekiel 36:24-30 (CSB) “ ‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine on you. I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.

After God declares the his great and mighty gospel, what is the first example he gives to Ezekiel? The Valley of Dry Bones.

God takes the prophet Ezekiel out to the middle of some forsaken valley filled with the dry bones. No sinews. No tendons. No guts. No skin. Devoid of life completely.

God turns to his prophet and asks:

"Son of man, can these bones live?"

Look at what God commands Ezekiel to do:

Ezekiel 37:4-6 (CSB) He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 1:19–20 (CSB) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

Isaiah 55:11 (CSB) so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

From the moment sin entered into the world, death started its vile, cruel work by turning everything light into darkness. Seemingly so, God steps into the fray like he will so many times, and he calls to Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:15 (CSB) I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.