Sotermiology - Q 10 - What is effectual calling?

Question

I have a paper due, over what I believe about Soteriology, or the study of salvation. The questions are drawn from a catechism. There are 24 total questions within this paper that I will answer. On executive decision, I chose to post each of these on Answers! but.... I am going to do them about once each day. They will be titled "Soteriology - Q # ______ . " I am going to poast them, one each day, because I am hoping to get as many different people to answer these questions as possible. If you would like to answer all 24, search them through my name, and answer as many as you would like to. PLEASE BACK YOUR ANSWERS UP WITH REFERENCES TO SCRIPTURE, THOELOGICAL QUOTES, ETC. I want you to be as creative as possible, and I want as many people to participate as possible. Thank you for your participation! I do not want you to do my research. I want more opinions than just people I can find on my own. In a sense, think of it more as an interview.

Answer 1

Effectual calling is that act of God whereby, through the Holy Spirit, He awakens and draws the sinner, who previously is spiritually dead, into saving union with Christ. When we speak of God's effectual call, therefore, we mean His supernatural activity in the heart of a sinner which enlivens that sinner's dead heart and enables him and causes him to respond to the gospel. And, when we speak of God's effectual call, we are describing the first thing which the sinner experiences personally.