'Unto thy seed have I given this land' (Gen. 15:18).

'Thou hast become a father of a multitude of nations' (Gen. 17:4).

'Lo, I have sent unto thee Naaman, my servant, and thou hast recovered

him of his leprosy' (2 Kings 5:6).

In the last example given the king was mistaken, but his meaning is

The four words used in Romans 8:30 may be likened to links in a chain,

the first and the last belonging to the remote past and the eternal future,

while the second and third, calling and justification are apparent in time.

While calling takes place in time, it is according to purpose; it is a

holy calling ... 'which was given us in Christ Jesus before age times' (2

Tim. 1:9).

Haldane commenting on Romans 8:30 says,

'Here the apostle connects our calling which is known, with God's

decree which is concealed, to teach us that we may judge of our

election by our calling (2 Pet. 1:10) ... Effectual calling, then, is

the proper and necessary consequence and effect of election, and the

means to glorification ... The Author of this calling is holy, and it

is a call unto holiness (1 Pet. 1:15).  It is a calling unto the grace

of Christ (Gal. 1:6).  In this effectual calling the final perseverance

of the saints is also secured, since it stands connected on the one

hand with election and predestination, and on the other hand with

sanctification and glorification.  "The gifts and calling of God are

without repentance".  Calling as the effect of predestination must be

irresistible, or rather invincible, and also irreversible'.

The reader will recognize in this extract the heartfelt faith of one who

would be called a Calvinist, and while it is

not possible to subscribe to all that John Calvin taught concerning the

Divine decrees, no one that believes what Paul has written in Romans 8:30 can

refuse to follow him here.

See Judgment Seat2.

This subject has been touched upon in the article entitled Accepted1,6,

but must be given a fuller consideration here.  Whereas Justification is

associated with the law, with a court of law, with accusers, with

condemnation or acquittal, being summed up in the word Righteous, cleansing

has rather to do with sanctification, its atmosphere being that of the

Temple, with worship, with service, being summed up in the word Holy.  In

the synoptic Gospels, cleansing is associated with the cleansing of lepers

(Matt. 8:2, etc.); the purifying of Mary (Luke 2:22); the ceremonial

cleansing of cup and platter of the Pharisees (Matt. 23:25); the purifying of

meats (Mark 7:19).