What Mike Ratliff says in this post can’t be said enough.
The Effectual Call is a term I first encountered some 25 years ago, about halfway through my Christian life. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson had some sermons explaining it in his Gospel of John studies. You can research the term on the SLJ Institute website.
One point I note is that he explained when how God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit worked together in this calling.
More recently my study of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Ephesians sermons equally presents the same doctrinal truth. You see the beginning of that in these verses:
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
I also recommend the teaching of Pastor Jogi Ganger on the Canons of Dort for a good presentation of God’s Sovereign role in our call. I’ve mentioned those before on my blog.
Jesus’ own teaching in John 6 sums this up…with great assurance.
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Rainbow Trout 