Do you think it's possible to know whether you are chosen?

[childofGod31]

Some people are Christians at one time and later fall away. They probably thought they were chosen at the time they were involved in the church.

Some people thought they were chosen and they did miracles in Jesus' name and they were surprised when Jesus told them (in the future): I never knew you.

Some Christians doubt their salvation. Does that mean "the Spirit doesn't testify to them that they are God's children" even though it should according to the verse?

I know I doubted my salvation at some point in my life. But now I don't anymore. So it turns out that I was chosen before as well, I just wasn't sure. And if I stand firm in my faith until the end, then I was chosen. But what if I fall away (like some Christians)? (which I don't believe will happen, but anything is possible...)

So, as a conclusion, it's not really possible to tell whether you are a chosen one.

That's probably why Paul says: Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

Any thoughts?

 

[bradfordl]

This may help. From the Westminster Confession of faith:

Chapter 18:
Of Assurance of Grace
and Salvation​

18:1 Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes, and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God, and estate of salvation (Deu_29:9; Job_8:13, Job_8:14; Mic_3:11; Joh_8:41); which hope of theirs shall perish (Mat_7:22, Mat_7:23): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace (1Jo_2:3; 1Jo_3:14, 1Jo_3:18, 1Jo_3:19, 1Jo_3:21, 1Jo_3:24; 1Jo_5:13), and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed (Rom_5:2, Rom_5:5).
18:2 This certainly is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope (Heb_6:11, Heb_6:19); but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation (Heb_6:17, Heb_6:18), the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made (2Co_1:12; 2Pe_1:4, 2Pe_1:5, 2Pe_1:10, 2Pe_1:11; 1Jo_2:3; 1Jo_3:14), the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom_8:15, Rom_8:16): which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption (2Co_1:21, 2Co_1:22; Eph_1:13, Eph_1:14; Eph_4:30).
18:3 This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be a partaker of it (Psa_77:1-12; 88:1-18; Isa_1:10; Mar_9:24; 1Jo_5:13): yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto (1Co_2:12; Eph_3:17-19; Heb_6:11, Heb_6:12; 1Jo_4:13). And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure (2Pe_1:10); that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance (Psa_4:6, Psa_4:7; Psa_119:32; Eph_1:3, Eph_1:4; Rom_5:1, Rom_5:2, Rom_5:5; Rom_14:17; Rom_15:13): so far is it from inclining men to looseness (Psa_130:4; Joh_3:2, Joh_3:3; Rom_6:1, Rom_6:2; Rom_8:1, Rom_8:12;1Co_7:1; Tit_2:11, Tit_2:12, Tit_2:14; 1Jo_1:6, 1Jo_1:7; 1Jo_2:1, 1Jo_2:2).
18:4 True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God’s withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light (Psa_31:22; Psa_77:1-10; 88:1-18; Son_5:2, Son_5:3, Son_5:6; Isa_1:10; Mat_26:69-72; Eph_4:30, Eph_4:31): yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived (Job_13:15; Psa_51:8, Psa_51:12; Psa_73:15; Isa_1:10; Luk_22:32; 1Jo_3:9); and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair (Psa_22:1; 88:1-18; Isa_54:7-10; Mic_7:7-9).

 

[heymikey80]

John said,

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
​

John also knew people could be deceived, as could anyone else.

Essentially John is saying that for believers, they can learn and know that they have eternal life. For the elect before belief there is complete silence in Scripture.

There's another aspect of this, too. If your question is about absolute knowledge, then you're not really saying something meaningful, are you? What can you say that's absolutely known?

We know because we depend and rely, and on the basis of some other ... thing or person .... we know.

Because of that our awareness of our salvation comes from a subject theology terms "Assurance".

 

[Elderone]

And if I stand firm in my faith until the end, then I was chosen. But what if I fall away (like some Christians)? (which I don't believe will happen, but anything is possible...)

A "Christian" will not fall away, but we can back-slide. A person who falls away was not a Christian.

Taken from the book "TULIP, Sermons on the Five Points of Calvinism, by Ben Lacy Rose"

"This doctrine declares that once God has begun the work of salvation in any person, He will persevere therein to the end and will never let any of His own be lost. Since the Bible teaches that faith is a gift of God, this doctrine simply declares that God never takes back what He gives. Once He gives faith, He never takes it back but continues to nourish and sustain it. As the apostle Paul says, "The gifts and call of God are irrevocable." (Rom 11:29)
This doctrine is sometimes defined as "Once saved, always saved," but I have never liked that definition because it leaves God out of the process, and makes the security of the believer automatic. And there is nothing automatic about it; we are "kept by the power of God." Even the term "perseverance of the saints" is misleading. Saints do not do the persevering, but God does. It should be called "The Preservation of the Saints," (my underlining) for it is God who preserves us to the end.

An illustration of contrast may help. One can hold either to the cat or monkey doctrine of how salvation is accomplished for or by believers. A mother cat, wishing to move her kittens, grasps the kitten firmly by the nape of the neck in her mouth and carries the little one where she will. In stark contrast, the poor baby monkey must grab hold of the mother's fur and hold on for dear life. As the mother monkey swings through the trees, the little monkey must hold on tightly or fall. Those persons who hold the monkey doctrine believe that they have hold of God and it's all up to them to hold on. Those who hold the cat doctrine believe, as the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints teaches, that God has hold of them and He will never let go."

Here are just a few of the passages concerning the preservation of the saints..

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand.

Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

1 Cor 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

[mlqurgw]

While we are told to make our calling and election sure, by living our faith, assurance doesn't come from us. I am not assured of eternal life because of whether I persevere or not but because Christ is faithful. There are many times that I don't feel as though I am saved because of the things I think or do. Sin still plagues me every day though I am not ruled by it. When I look at myself that is what I see and I once again am filled with guilt. Guilt is a heavy weight that bows you down so that you can only see yourself and that brings more guilt. You loose your assurance when you look at yourself.
All the promises of God in Christ are yeah and amen. He is faithful to restore His chosen ones when they fall and continually lifts them up from the dunghill and sets them on the Rock Christ Jesus.
Paul writes about our hope in Christ in Rom. 5:1-5 and again in 8:24-27. Our hope is not one of maybe but one of true reliance. God made promises and though I may not feel like it and even sometimes act like it I have hope because He is faithful.

 

[Murdock]

Some people are Christians at one time and later fall away. They probably thought they were chosen at the time they were involved in the church.

Some people thought they were chosen and they did miracles in Jesus' name and they were surprised when Jesus told them (in the future): I never knew you.

Some Christians doubt their salvation. Does that mean "the Spirit doesn't testify to them that they are God's children" even though it should according to the verse?

I know I doubted my salvation at some point in my life. But now I don't anymore. So it turns out that I was chosen before as well, I just wasn't sure. And if I stand firm in my faith until the end, then I was chosen. But what if I fall away (like some Christians)? (which I don't believe will happen, but anything is possible...)

So, as a conclusion, it's not really possible to tell whether you are a chosen one.

That's probably why Paul says: Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

Any thoughts?

Unfortunately, the reason that most people think they're Christians is because they're told by many churches that they're saved when they're baptizied as infants. Sorry, but one cannot know Christ as an infant. And considering that almost all atheists are baptized as infants, that should demonstrate the untruth of infant salvation. So no, once we are born again of the Holy Spirit, we can't be unborn again. Once we meet someone, we can never deny he exists. Therefore, one cannot fall away from belief.

 

[Phileoeklogos]

Some people are Christians at one time and later fall away. They probably thought they were chosen at the time they were involved in the church.

Some people thought they were chosen and they did miracles in Jesus' name and they were surprised when Jesus told them (in the future): I never knew you.

Some Christians doubt their salvation. Does that mean "the Spirit doesn't testify to them that they are God's children" even though it should according to the verse?

I know I doubted my salvation at some point in my life. But now I don't anymore. So it turns out that I was chosen before as well, I just wasn't sure. And if I stand firm in my faith until the end, then I was chosen. But what if I fall away (like some Christians)? (which I don't believe will happen, but anything is possible...)

So, as a conclusion, it's not really possible to tell whether you are a chosen one.

That's probably why Paul says: Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

Any thoughts?

Yeah, I have this thought, Is a question that states it's own conclusion really a question, or is it really a statement dressed up to look like a question?

 

[5SolasMan]

Some people are Christians at one time and later fall away. They probably thought they were chosen at the time they were involved in the church.

Some people thought they were chosen and they did miracles in Jesus' name and they were surprised when Jesus told them (in the future): I never knew you.

Some Christians doubt their salvation. Does that mean "the Spirit doesn't testify to them that they are God's children" even though it should according to the verse?

I know I doubted my salvation at some point in my life. But now I don't anymore. So it turns out that I was chosen before as well, I just wasn't sure. And if I stand firm in my faith until the end, then I was chosen. But what if I fall away (like some Christians)? (which I don't believe will happen, but anything is possible...)

So, as a conclusion, it's not really possible to tell whether you are a chosen one.

That's probably why Paul says: Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

Any thoughts?

The Westminster Confession of Faith addresses this very issue in Ch. XVIII.