Posted on 01/21/2014 12:12:51 PM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
Maybe Todd Friel can tell us?
There is no way to know.
Calvinists never claimed to be able to make that determination.
Yes, we can.
The bible says that for Christians, “His Spirit testifies with our spirits that we are children of God.”
“Romans 8: 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “”Abba,” Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. “
Judge Me Not Ye Saints
For My History May Be Tainted
But I’m Sober Enough To Know Blood When I See It
I’ve Borne My Share Of Stones
Most Of Them Easily Thrown
But Who’s To Deny
Your Water-Shed Side
Leading Me Home?
CHORUS:
What Am I Supposed To Do About It Now?
Past Regrets And Long Laments, They Find Me Somehow
O, What Am I Supposed To Do About It Now?
What Have I To Do But Fall Down?
To Spy From Far Away
May Seem That I’m One To Betray
But O, How I Try
The Spirit To Guide
The Promise You Made
CHORUS
Hold Me Up
Never Let Me Go
Love Me When I Am Broken
And Speak To Me
CHORUS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5zjOl3DpZA
So, if Calvinists cannot know may we assume that you know?
Look at the parable of the wheat and the tares. Until the harvest, it is nearly impossible to tell the two apart.
If we don’t individually know of our own salvation, then we’re to be pitied.
I’m not talking about our own salvation, I’m talking about the ability to know if others are saved. I think that was the questioned being asked.
Why spend a nano second worrying about somebody’s satus. I don’t get it. A person is saved or not saved and God is not asking my opinion.
Only God knows who is going to be saved. So what does your thread have to do with Calvinism? Nobody can ever know the fate of another Man's soul. Neither Calvinists nor.... whatever the heck you are.
Well, are you saved?
I keep getting a robocall from some tele(phone)evangelist minister who tells me I will be saved if I push #1.
That doesn’t work for me. There are pastors to choose, deacons to choose, and all the other functions of the body to care for.
If you tell me you’re saved, if you give evidence of by word and by deed, then I can know that you are saved.
As you’ve said, YOU can know if you’re saved. It doesn’t hurt to tell someone.
You can know to a high probability, but not 100%. Again, look at the parable of the wheat and the tares, and the sower and the seed.
That’s not the proper interpretation.
They don’t take the tares out because they can’t tell weeds from the wheat.
They don’t take the tares out because if they pull them out of the ground they’re going to pull the wheat out too. And it’s not done growing yet.
That’s why they wait until the end. They can clearly see the wheat and the weeds and know which is which.
so......did you push 1?
I agree with Gamecock. I don’t subscribe to the form of Calvinism that makes those distinctions you mention. There’s either brothers and sisters we’re in fellowship with, or there’s heathen. Until and unless they repent, that’s how we’re to treat them.
Matthew 7 also plays into this:
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These are people who deluded at least themselves. They prophesy in Christ’s name, cast out demons in Christ’s name, and do wonderful works in Christ’s name. But, as Christ says in verse 21, they left out the one essential fruit: Obedience. Or as the verse says, doing the will of Christ’s Father in heaven. And where may His will be found? Sola Scriptura.
That Matthew 7 passage should be terrifying to any “Christian” who is in the habit of calling God a liar. About anything.
I’ve seen wheat fields myself. They are mostly wheat.
If the field is 99% wheat what is my chance of pulling a weed if I randomly, blind pull up 5 plants?
Only 1 out of 20 times will I pull up a weed.
Using just one plant, only one out of a hundred.
I believe we’re way too focused on the negative and on distrust of our brothers and sisters in our church.
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