Dr. S. Lewis Johnson gave numerous sermons on this topic.
Many years ago I was particularly impressed by his clear teaching on how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit worked in Unity to complete our Salvation:
This might be a good place to start.
The Relevance, History and Biblical Foundation of Justification by Grace
Or simply look up the words Efficacious Grace and/or Effectual Call(ing) on his search site. See my search list below Mike Ratliff’s post. This is Mike’s fourth post in this series and he does a good job in discussing this Doctrine.
I would add here that there is great comfort in what the the Bible teaches about this. You can get glimpse from these verses that John writes about Jesus teaching:
Jhn 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.
Jhn 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Jhn 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Jhn 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
This is truly the “Amazing Grace” that John Newton wrote about.
Here is a link to the full Chapter 10 text that Mike mentions;
CHAPTER 10
Of Effectual Calling
1. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by his almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ: yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
2. This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, 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.
3. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth: so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
4. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And, to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.
Here is a list of my search of Dr. Johnson’s sermons:
I searched the SLJ Institute site for sermons with either “Efficacious Grace” or “Effectual Call / Effectual Calling” in the title, subtitle, or introductory summary. Here are the direct matches I found:
1. The Doctrine of Efficacious and Irresistible Grace
Title match: “Efficacious Grace” appears directly in the title.
2. The Holy Spirit in the World (or Common and Efficacious Grace)
Title match: “Efficacious Grace” appears directly in the title. The summary states that Johnson explains the difference between common and efficacious grace.
3. Efficacious Grace of the Drawing of the Given
Title match: “Efficacious Grace” appears directly in the title. The sermon discusses external calling, internal calling, and the effectual work of the Spirit.
4. Riches of Divine Grace, Part I (Regeneration)
Summary match: The introductory summary describes the sermon as the beginning of a series on “the products of God’s efficacious grace in the life of the believer.”
Sermons discussing the Effectual Call (though not necessarily in the title)
These sermons contain substantial discussion of the distinction between the general call and the effectual/internal call:
- The Doctrine of Efficacious and Irresistible Grace — extensive treatment of external vs. internal calling and effectual calling.
- Efficacious Grace of the Drawing of the Given — explicitly discusses “general call” and “special call,” equating internal calling with the effectual work of the Spirit.
- The Convincing Work of the Holy Spirit, or The Work of the Holy Spirit with Respect to the World — Johnson specifically says that in Paul’s epistles “called” refers to an effectual calling.
One particularly useful quote from Johnson’s systematic theology lectures is:
“Nobody in Paul’s writings is ever called who does not come to Christ.”
That statement is one of his clearest summaries of the Reformed doctrine of the effectual call.
Rainbow Trout 