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c. It is in its most limited sense a change that occurs in the sub-conscious life. It is a secret and
inscrutable work of God that is never directly perceived by man. The change may take place
without man’s being conscious of it momentarily, though this is not the case when regeneration
and conversion coincide; and even later on he can perceive it only in its effects. This explains
the fact that a Christian may, on the one hand, struggle for a long time with doubts and
uncertainties, and can yet, on the other hand, gradually overcome these and rise to the heights
of assurance.
3. DEFINITION OF REGENERATION.
From what was said in the preceding respecting the present
use of the word “regeneration,” it follows that regeneration may be defined in two ways. In the
strictest sense of the word we may say: Regeneration is that act of God by which the principle
of the new life is implanted in man, and the governing disposition of the soul is made holy. But
in order to include the idea of the new birth as well as that of the “begetting again,” it will be
necessary to complement the definition with the following words: . . . “and the first holy
exercise of this new disposition is secured.”
D. EFFECTUAL CALLING IN RELATION TO EXTERNAL CALLING AND REGENERATION.
1. ITS INSEPARABLE CONNECTION WITH EXTERNAL CALLING.
The calling of God may be said to
be one, and the distinction between an external and an internal or effectual calling merely calls
attention to the fact that this one calling has two aspects. This does not mean that these two
aspects are always united and always go together. We do not aver with the Lutherans that “the
inner call is always concurrent with the hearing of the word.”[Valentine, Chr. Theol. II, pp. 197
f.] It does mean, however, that where the inner call comes to adults, it is mediated by the
preaching of the Word. It is the same Word that is heard in the external call, and that is made
effective in the heart in the internal calling. Through the powerful application of the Holy Spirit
the external call passes right into the internal.[Bavinck, Roeping en Wedergeboorte, p. 215.] But
while this calling is closely connected with the external call and forms a unit with it, there are
certain points of difference: (a) It is a calling by the Word, savingly applied by the operation of
the Holy Spirit, I Cor. 1:23,24; I Pet. 2:9; (b) it is a powerful calling, that is, a calling that is
effectual unto salvation, Acts 13:48; I Cor. 1:23,24; and (c) it is without repentance, that is, it is
a call that is not subject to change and that is never withdrawn, Rom. 11:29.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERNAL CALL.
The following characteristics should be noted:
a. It works by moral suasion plus the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit.
The question
arises, whether in this calling (as distinguished from regeneration) the Word of God works in a
creative way, or by moral suasion. Now there is no doubt about it that the Word of God is
sometimes said to work in a creative manner, Gen. 1:3; Ps. 33:6,9; 147:15; Rom. 4:17 (though