Salvation Is of Grace, Not of Works (Chapter 10, Paragraph 2)

This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone…”

The key word here is alone. This excludes all human merit or contribution. It is not 99% grace and 1% free will—it is all of grace (Eph. 2:8–9).

“…not from anything at all foreseen in man…”

God did not look down the corridor of time to see who would believe and then choose them. Rather, His call is based on His sovereign will and love (Rom. 9:11–16).

“…nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein…”

In the moment of effectual calling, the sinner does nothing to initiate it. He is “passive”—like Lazarus in the grave, until Christ calls him out (John 11:43–44; Eph. 2:1).

“…being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit…”

Before God calls, we are dead. It is the Spirit who gives life (Titus 3:5). This paragraph powerfully affirms the monergistic nature of salvation—God acts alone to awaken the dead and bring them to life.

The phrase “quickened and renewed” reflects the new birth, or regeneration. This must happen before faith and repentance can occur (John 3:3–8). Regeneration is not the result of our decision—it is the cause of it.

This paragraph removes all grounds for pride or boasting in salvation. If we contributed nothing to our new birth, then all the glory belongs to God. As Jonah 2:9 says, “Salvation is of the LORD.”

Application for the Believer:

Be humbled and amazed by God’s grace. You were not saved because of anything in you—not your good works, your religious background, or even your faith. Faith itself was the fruit of God’s effectual call. This means your salvation is secure—not because you hold fast to God, but because He has taken hold of you. Let this truth deepen your gratitude and enlarge your worship. And as you witness to others, do so with confidence: it is not your eloquence or persuasion that brings the dead to life, but the sovereign grace of God working through His Word and Spirit.