Wednesday, April 18, 2012

WSC. 31. What is effective calling?

A. Effective calling is the work of God's Spirit by which he convinces us of our sin and misery, enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, and so persuades and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.

By the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5)

(Jacob and Rachel Joseph von Fuhrich)

It is the will that must be renewed.  What is so foreign to those who don't believe is how anyone could want to and enjoy following and serving Christ.  For so many Christ is the Pale Galilean kill joy.  Instead Christ must be set free from these metaphors to be the One who shows us what it is like to live a meaningful, purposeful existence. It is not that Jesus is sad all the time or laughing all the time- but He is purposeful all of the time.  He is the giver of peace.  But it is the Holy Spirit who makes this peace real to us.  He washes our will with a special wake-up fluid.  It is like the fluid that put on a sheet full of invisible ink writing shows the ink up.  The Spirit energizes our "want to" our "will to" so that serving the Lord is not a task but our real joy.  When someone is in love, serving the one they love is not a task but what they want to do.  I think of Jacob "who served seven years for Rachel, but they were like only a few days because of his love for her."  (Gen. 29:20).  The Spirit renews our wills for God- and the sign of that is a love and thirst for more of God, and a delight in Him.  Someone in love cannot get enough of being with the other person.  So, someone in love with God comes to worship, whereas someone whose love is growing cold is staying away more and more.  

Prayer: May my soul seek your presence, O Lord.

No comments:

Post a Comment