This is known most commonly as the "direct work of the Holy Spirit." This doctrine, like unconditional election and the limited atonement, is a result of the necessity of a system of doctrine and NOT the teaching of scripture. If one starts where the Calvinists start, and then proceeds in a logical fashion, he would end up with this idea. However, as has been observed, the Calvinist has started off wrong, hence if he logically proceeds he will still be wrong!

This doctrine states that since man is totatally depraved, God, in order to insure that all those for whom Christ died will be saved, must send the Holy Spirit to "convert" the depraved sinner so that he can then believe and be saved. Below are some of their statements.

1."All those whom God has predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly, to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, by His almighty power determining them to that which is God; and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ, yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

"This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it" (The Westminister Confession of Faith, Chapter 10).

2."As Calvinists we hold that the condition of men since the fall is such that if left to themselves they would continue in their state of rebellion and refuse all offers of salvation. Christ would then have died in vain. But since it was promised that He should see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied, the effects of that sacrifice have not been left suspended upon the whim of man's changeable and sinful will. Rather, the work of God in redemption has been rendered effective through the mission of the Holy Spirit who so operates on the chosen people that they are brought to repentance and faith, and thus made heirs of eternal life" (Loraine Boettner, The Reformed doctrine of Predestination, p.

163).

3."Although the general outward call of the gospel can be, and often is, rejected, the special inward call of the spirit never fails to result in the conversion of those to whom it is made. This special call is not made to all sinners but is issued to the elect only! The Spirit is in no way dependent upon their help or cooperation for success in His word of bringing them to Christ. It is for this reason that Calvinists speak of the Spirit's call and of God's grace in saving sinners as being 'efficacious,' invincible,' or irresistible.' For the grace which the Holy Spirit extends to the elect cannot be thwarted or refused, it never fails to bring them to true faith in Christ!

Calvin's concept above shows TWO calls - an outward or general call which is addressed to ALL men and a hidden or special call arbitrarily granted to some men and withheld from others. It is ONLY this special inward call that can save - the other apparently is just for show or just for fun - God doesn't really mean it! Calvin considers the general call to usually NOT be authentic - that is, the REAL call of God to salvation. The people TH IN K they are called, they OBEY this call, they THINK they are saved, but it is only God allowing them to be deceived! When God invites ALL men He doesn't really mean it. Notice Calvin's statements concerning this:

"...there are two species of calling - for there is a universal call by which God, through the external preaching of the word, invites all men alike, even those for whom he designs the call to be a savour of death and the ground of a severer condemnation."

(3:24:7)

"(God) invites all to (life) by His word. Now this is not contradictory of His secret counsel, by which He determined to convert none but His elect. He cannot rightly on this account be thought variable, because as lawgiver He illuminates all with the external doctrine of life, in this first sense calling all men to life. But in the other sense, He brings to life whom He will, as a Father regenerating by the Spirit only His sons." (E.P. 8:2)

"...however universal the promises of salvation may be, there is no discrepancy between them and the predestination of the reprobate, provided we attend to their effect. We know that the promises are effectual only when we receive them in faith, but, on the contrary, when faith is made void, the promise is of no effect. If this is the nature of the promises, let us now see whether there be any inconsistency between the two things - vis. that God, by an eternal decree, fixed the number of those whom he is pleased to embrace in love and those on whom he is pleased to display his wrath, and that he offers salvation indiscriminately to all. I hold that they are perfectly consistent, for all that is meant by the promise is just that his mercy is offered to all who desire and implore it, and this none do save those whom he has enlightened. Moreover, he enlightens those whom he has predestinated to salvation. Thus the truth of the promises remains firm and unshaken, so that it cannot be said there is any disagreement between the eternal election of God and the testimony of his grace which he offers to believers. But why does he mention all men? Namely, that the consciences of the righteous may rest the more secure when they understand that there is no difference between sinners, provided they have faith, and that the ungodly may not be able to allege that they have not an asylum to which they may betake themselves from the bondage of sin, while they ungratefully reject the offer which is made to them. (3:24:17).

It is interesting to see then that according to Calvin:

1.God "calls" all men - but not really.

2.God offers all men an "asylum from sin", they have the "choice" of taking refuge there, but they refuse: - BUT THEY HAD NO REAL CHOICE BECAUSE THEY WERE

PREDESTINATED TO BE TOTALLY DEPRAVED AND UNABLE TO CHOOSE GOOD!

3.Depraved sinners can THINK they are called to faith and repentance, outwardly and inwardly trying to live a godly life, but are suppossed to be "utterly indisposed to good, wholly inclined to evil - and that continually"!

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