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Serious Call of the Gospelshould be faithful to uphold the gospel in her preaching, discipline,and encouragement. In this way the gospel will go to the ends ofthe world for the gathering ofthe chosen ones ofGod out ofeverynation, tongue, and tribe.B. Wherein lies the call of the gospel?1. The nature of a call.A call is a communication ofthoughts which demands a direct response.Not all communications ofthoughts constitute a call. Oftenwe communicatejust for the sake ofpassing information. At othertimes thoughts are communicatedjust for sheer delight. But whena communication demands a direct response, then such communicationis a call.A call consists of the following three essential elements: theidentity ofthe caller (directly orimplied) made known to the called,the identity of the called directly or implied in the call, a set ofinstructions (however simple) given and expected to be followed.The tlifferent types ofcalls and their respective implications.,There are many different types ofcalls, depending on the whoand what ofthe above three essential elements that constitute thecall. For example, you can have a call ofduty in cases where thecaller and called stand in a permanent relationship ofsupervision.You can also have the call of filial piety, a business call, a socialcall, et cetera.Our interest here in this paper is only on the call ofthe gospelas it is controverted with regards to the call as a well-meant offer.It must be noted here that we are not talking about the internaleffectual call, which is the work ofthe Holy Spirit, whereby onlythe elect are called to regeneration and spiritual life. Here we areinterested in the external, general call, whereby all men are called"promiscuously" (to use the term used in the Canons) to God andHis fellowship. Heppe made this sharp distinction thus:This call ing is imparted only to the elect; God not only has His wordproclaimed to them through man (vocatio externa), but also introducesit by the H. Spirit into their hearts and there sets up livingcommunion with Christ (vocatio interna). - HEIDEGGER (XXI,November, 2001 41
8): "Calling is ofthose elect and redeemed through Christ. Thesealone are so called that they are also attracted and created new andbegotten. They alone are those for whom God not only strikes theirears by His word preached through men. but also attacks theirhearts. opening them. writing His law in them. changing them andinflaming them to love him."'o2. What is the call in relation to the gospel?It is the present, authoritative call ofthe coming Judge, in saving theworld, before tilefintll c/{IY (}fjUligment.Jesus is the coming Judge as appointed by God. There will bea day of final judgment in which this present world shall come toan end and all men, both great and small, shall stand before him tobe judged according to their works and the grace of God (Rev.20:11-15).But beforethat great and glorious day, Jesus is also the Saviorofthe world. He, therefore, at present issues the call ofthe gospelfor the purpose ofsaving this world. At Mars' hill, to the men ofAthens, the apostle Paul reveals as much in his preaching:And the times ofthis ignorance God winked at; but now commandethall men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day.in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that manwhom he hath ordained; whereQ(he hath given assurance unto allmen. in that he hath raised him from the dead,' JTlte essential elements in tlris ('{Ill.The essential elements in the call of the gospel are set forthin Paul's description of his own ministry:Andhow I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but haveshewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house tohouse, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentancetoward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. '210. Heinrich Heppe. Reformed Dogmatics. p. 512.11. Acts 17:30-31.12. Acts 20:20. 21.42 PRTJ
Page 1 and 2: ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
Page 3 and 4: EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
Page 5 and 6: For there are many, even l unruly,
Page 7 and 8: happen to hold unwittingly to some
Page 9 and 10: tion oftheir false teachings. II Pe
Page 11 and 12: est, they are very weak, at worst,
Page 13 and 14: truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
Page 15 and 16: Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
Page 17 and 18: ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
Page 19 and 20: Bradwardine faces the question ofth
Page 21 and 22: the age, namely, that having set fo
Page 23 and 24: did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
Page 25 and 26: The first is that Bradwardine was a
Page 27 and 28: to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47 and 48: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 49 and 50: have moved away from the notion oft
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60: covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61 and 62: Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 63 and 64: the gospel is preached" (p. 212).In
Page 65 and 66: "They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68: II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70: is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72: Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74: is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76: Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78: 76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79 and 80: er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 81 and 82: there is room for both positionsin
Page 83 and 84: Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86: that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88: the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90: ever, throughout the book thereis n

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