The Effectual Call

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

I have quoted the immediate context of 2 Cor. 4:6 because I want to establish its meaning based upon its immediate context. There are some irrefutable facts from this context.

1. THE WORK OF SATAN IN THE HEART - The context is introduced by the fact that the "lost" are in a condition due to the work of Satan that they cannot see light, specifically the "light of the gospel" - vv. 3-4 - Here the issue is natural INABILITY TO SEE the light of the gospel due to the work of Satan.

2. THE WORK OF GOD IN THE HEART - In contrast, to the work of Satan that blinds men so they cannot see the gospel is the creative work of God in the heart that dispels darkness so they do see the gospel revelation of Jesus Christ as darkness is replaced by light and thus a darkened blinded heart is replaced by a SEEING heart. - vv. 5-7.

3. Verse 6 is preceded and followed by instrumental means used by God to preach the gospel while denying that the power to create IN OUR HEARTS light/sight of the gospel is found in the preacher but is found only in God as illustration in the Genesis 1:2-3 reference in verse 6a. "For, God commanded the light to shine out of darkness" - vv. 5,7 - This was an instantaneous creative act by God that REMOVED the darkness.

4. Verse 6 is directly referring to the effectual call by God whereby God called light out of darkness as a CREATIVE COMMAND in Genesis 1:2-3 - "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness." This is indisputably an effectual call.


a. This light came into existence by divine fiat - created by command


b. This light dispelled the darkened state or condition of earth, which in context has the darkened "heart" of the lost person just mentioned as the direct application - "hath shined IN OUR HEARTS". Hence the darkened state of the earth is parallel to the darkened state of the heart in verses 3-4, just as the effectual call that removed darkness from the earth is parallel to the internal work of God "in our hearts" that removed blindness in regard to the light of the gospel with sight in regard to the light of the gospel.


c. Whereas Genesis 1;2-3 is literal light, the light of the gospel is metaphorical light or "the light of knowledge"


d. This metaphorical light is specific REVELATION by divine "command" - "the glory of God." Sin is coming "short of the glory of God" - Rom. 3:23. This is the created "righteousness and true holiness of God" (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) that is the "light" created "in our hearts" - thus transforming the DARKENED state of the heart to a SEEING state of heart - thus a believing heart or one that continues in a state of light.

e. This DIVINE REVELATION "in our hearts" of the "righteousness and true holiness" is "IN THE FACE" of Jesus Christ. That is, the heart is MADE TO SEE by this effectual call revelation in the heart TO SEE JESUS CHRIST as though looking into "THE FACE of Jesus Christ" - thus reversing "blinded" to the gospel. That divine enablement to SEE JESUS CHRIST within the heart by divine fiat is saving faith. It is a SEEING HEART rather than the blinded heart to the gospel. It sees that the righteousness and true holiness of God is found only in Jesus Christ as declared in the gospel (vv. 5,7).

f. This act within the heart is the effectual call whereby the DARKNESS of unbelief in the gospel, the inability to see the light of the Gospel is dispelled by divine fiat, by divine command, whereby God calls light into the darkness of the heart, dispelling, removing the darkness by that revelation whereby the heart is made to SEE JESUS CHRIST as the righteousness and true holiness of God as declared in the gospel.


4. Therefore, the gospel as preached by men becomes the DIVINE COMMAND or EFFECTUAL CALL that removes the INABILITY of the darkened heart to see the light of the gospel by divine command which dispels/removes/replaces the darkness with divine revelation of Jesus Christ as the righteousness and holiness of God (doctrine of justification).

In other words, the conditions that describe the unregenerate state of the heart in Ephesians 4:18-19 is reversed by this effectual call of light that removes the darknesss/blindness of the unregenerate heart:

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

1. The heart state/condition of "all uncleaness" is removed by the "glory of God (righteousness and true holiness"

2. The "darkened" understanding and "blindness of their heart" is removed by divine revelation "light of knowledge"

3. The separation from "the life of God THROUGH IGNORANCE" is removed by "KNOWLEDGE....IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST" which is eternal life - "This is eternal life that they might KNOW.......Jesus Christ" - Jn. 17:3 and this light of knowledge is produced by DIVINE COMMAND or the effectual call of God just as light was effectually called into existence in Genesis 1:2-3.

 

And what "one line" did I omit from this passage?

The direct contrast between the work of Satan in verses 3-4 and the work of God in verses 5-7 is self-evident. The act of God removing darkness from the heart of the lost is a creative act which is also self-evident by Paul's direct application with Genesis 1:2-3. The end product is not a heart that "can" see but a heart that IS SEEING directly into "the face of Jesus Christ." The end product is not a choice of darkness versus light but the complete eradication of darkness in the heart by a creative act of God.

So what "one line" did I omit?