Contend Earnestly: Question Answered: How do you know you are predestined?

Friday, February 06, 2009

Question Answered: How do you know you are predestined?

Conner asked a question that I thought I would open up for anyone else to answer as well. I don't want it to get lost in the comments section, since the post that he comments on is from a post that I did a couple of years ago. Here is Conner's comment:

My name is Conner and i will be attending west coast baptist college this fall where i will be learning homiletics from Dr. Goetsch. so i guess i am what you call an "IFB." and there are many questions that i would like to ask you. first of all, seeing as you are a calvinist, what makes you think that you are one of the predestined ones that will be going to heaven?

This is a great question. I really like the honestly put forth and the challenge that sometimes catches Calvinists off guard.

Here is my answer in a nutshell. I would ask that anybody else that wants to comment, please do so.

Here is my answer:

Conner.

Good question. And you can ask any question that you would like.

As far as how I know that I am predestined?

I know that I am one of the elect because of the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

Calvin said it very eloquently:

Jesus is the mirror of your election

Although, I believe in duty faith, it is all about Christ, not about me or my works. Although out of my faith, works will come because I love him. But my assurance of election is all based on Christ and what he has done, not based on what I have done.

Because let's be honest. The more and more we look to ourselves the more we see our sin.

This is what happened to Isaiah in Isaiah 6. He saw the Christ and fell to the ground saying, "I am undone."

So, the way I am assured of salvation is because of the work of Christ.

3 comments:

Boaly said...

Great Answer!

Anonymous said...

It seems like you answered the question, "How do you know you are SAVED?" But how do you are one of the ELECTED? Assuming the person asking the question is a Christian who already understands what being saved is but is asking specifically about being "elected" - maybe this is person is not a Calvinist.

Seth McBee said...

Anon.

If a person is truly saved, then they were elected.

If the person was elected before the foundation of the world...they will be saved.

There is no such thing as a person who is saved that was not elected.

So, when someone asks, "How does a person know that they are predestined, or elected?" It is the same question of asking, "How do I know if I am saved?"

To us humans, these differences are trivial in real life. To God and theology, they are a huge differences but are very closely tied together.

The reason I say this is because a person can be elected, but still living under the wrath of God and not be saved. But, at some point, because they were elected, they will be saved.

If this needs more clarification let me know.

This does differ from an Arminian.

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