The Westminster Larger Catechism
Questions 66—69: On God's Effectual Call to
Salvation
Q. 66. What is that union which the elect have
with Christ?
A. The union which the elect have with Christ is
the work of God's gracea, whereby they are
spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to
Christ as their head and husbandb; which is done
in their effectual callingc.
a Eph. 1:22; Eph. 2:6-8 b
1 Cor. 6:17; John 10:28; Eph. 5:23,30 c 1 Pet.
5:10; 1 Cor. 1:9
Q. 67. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty
power and gracea, whereby (out of his free and
special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereuntob
he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by
his word and Spiritc, savingly enlightening
their mindsd, renewing and powerfully
determining their willse, so as they (although
in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to
answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and
conveyed thereinf.
a John 5:25; Eph. 1:18-20;
2 Tim. 1:8,9 b Tit. 3:4,5; Eph. 2:4,5,7-9; Rom.
9:11 c 2 Cor. 5:20 compared with 2 Cor. 6:1,2;
Joh 6:44; 2 Thess. 2:13,14 d Acts 26:18; 1 Cor.
2:10,12 e Ezek. 11:19; Ezek. 36:26,27; John
6:45 f Eph. 2:5; Phil. 2:13; Deut. 30:6
Q. 68. Are the elect only effectually called?
A. All the elect, and they only, are effectually
calleda; although others may be, and often are,
outwardly called by the ministry of the wordb,
and have some common operations of the Spiritc;
who, for their wilful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to
them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus
Christd.
a Acts 13:48 b
Matt. 22:14 c Matt. 7:22; Matt. 13:20,21; Heb.
6:4-6 d John 12:38-40; Acts 28:25-27; John
6:64,65; Ps. 81:11,12
Q. 69. What is the communion in grace which the
members of the invisible church have with Christ?
A. The communion in grace which the members of the
invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of
his mediation, in their justificationa, adoptionb,
sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union
with himc.
a Rom. 8:30 b
Eph. 1:5 c 1 Cor. 1:30
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