Some questions about salvation

[theseed]

I once knew a man, a coach and FCA sponser at my highschool, who testified that he had lived most of his life only "pretending" to be saved, but never had actually made a public confession of faith or asked Christ to save Him.

He would often wake up in sweats at night because he believed that he was living a lie, and that if he died, he would be in Hell.

He found himself in that position because fellow church members had assumed he was saved--or something like that.

So here are my questions. Was he really saved all along, but simply needed to commit his life to Christ, privately and publically? Or was he lost, realized it. But did not act on it?

Before I was Calvinist, I believed that he was really not "saved". But know, I am forced to re-examine the situation.

Now, I lean towards the thinking that he was saved, but not in God's will--rather God was convicting him out of a regeneration heart to pray the sinner's prayer, ask Christ for Salvation, and commit himself to Christ, and be honest before others. In short, he was resisting grace, and it made him miserable--he was wrestling with God. But God won.

What do you think?

 

[Elderone]

Since God is omnipotent it is impossible to resist His urging or power, besides, He is in charge of everything. The coach may have been going through a long period of effectual calling, of being drawn to God.

Question 31 of the Shorter Catechism is:

What is Effectual Calling?

Answer:

Effectual Calling is the Work of God’s Spirit, a) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, B) enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, C) and renewing our wills, D) he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.


In His Service

 

[FOMWatts<><]

Some believe God is also eternally present so technically when He made us we were either objects of wrath or objects of mercy. I believe so anyway,

FOM<><

 

[Gabriel]

Also, regeneration comes before conversion. For some, regeneration comes long before conversion, for others they happen almost at the same time. It may be that this guy was regenerate, thus sensitive to the Spirit and aware of his condition yet, for whatever reason, conversion came much later.

Something similar happened to a very good friend of mine. I must say, we were all very happy and a bit shocked. This woman grew up in a strong Christian home, she was always surrounded with strong role models and her father is very active in her life and edification. Now, she has been a youth leader, our VBS director every year as long as I can remeber and has led many children to the Lord. She bears the fruit of repentance and salvation. Then she tells my wife that she finally "got it" a few days ago. She finally realized that she had never "let go" and surrendered fully and acknowledged Christ as her Savior. What she experienced was her conversion. But, having been so close to her for so long, I KNOW she was regenerate, I could see it. She also had struggles like your friend did. She talked with me more than once about not remembering when she was "saved" and wondering if she was. This was the Spirit spurring her into action (surrender). My mistake was not listening to her and relying too much on what I saw and not enough on what she was feeling and saying.

 

[Ryft]

So here are my questions. Was he really saved all along, but simply needed to commit his life to Christ, privately and publically?

Like the other contributors already noted, I too would point out a distinction between regeneration and effectual calling. There are times when they are practically simultaneous, but far more often than not they are separated by large tracts of time. And you can be certain that God has a purpose in that. I know I experienced just such a distance between regeneration and effectual calling, and I now know that it was a necessary latency.

Was he really saved all along? When it comes to specific people in specific places and times, I would caution (perhaps unnecessarily) that such is God's call to make. But personally, when it comes to the elect, yes they are saved from the foundation of the world — the elect are saved millennia before they are even born (e.g. Romans 9:10-12), because God will not fail to effectually call the elect in due time according to his purpose and will; that is to say, by God's own word not a single member of the elect will be condemned; "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day" (John 6:37-39).

In short, he was resisting grace, and it made him miserable--he was wrestling with God. But God won. What do you think?

I think that's impossible, personally. God is sovereign — his will is subject to no one and no thing. The idea that God wills to gift someone a measure of grace, but is thwarted because that man resists it, is to state that the will of God is subject to the will of man — which precludes his sovereignty. I do not think this man you knew was resisting God's grace (although I would have no contention with the idea that he was wrestling with God), but rather was working with precisely the measure of grace gifted unto him by God, for there was a divine and unsearchable purpose in that man experiencing what he did.

 

[theseed]

This question is off topic. But am I to understand that the Bible speaks of an effectual or efficacious calling and a non efficacious/effectual calling which is a general calling?

This wold makes sense. In the parable about the banquet where Jesus says, "Many are called (invited) but few are chosen"

 

[Ryft]

This question is off topic. But am I to understand that the Bible speaks of an effectual or efficacious calling and a non efficacious/effectual calling which is a general calling?

This wold makes sense. In the parable about the banquet where Jesus says, "Many are called (invited) but few are chosen"

Yes, there are two callings -- the outward call (the gospel, the word of Christ being preached) which is presented to the elect and non-elect alike, and the inward call (effectual calling) which is manifest in the elect only. A good example of this distinction in operation can be found in Acts 16:14 — "And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening [to Paul; this is the outward call]; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul [this is the inward call].