Calvinists never know because one must endure to the end.😉
It reminds me of that old Roman Catholic Heaven joke. Just substitute Calvinist where applicable.
A man passes away in a tragic car accident and finds himself standing before the gate of Heaven and Saint Peter.
I'm dead? The man asks, incredulous. "Yes", Peter replies. "Let me give you the tour." Peter stretches out his hand and the man takes it and they proceed through the gates.
The man is astonished at the sights he'd only till then imagined of Heaven. Peter is explaining the layout. Peter points across a meadow and says, over there are all of your friends from your childhood till the moment you died. Here are the accommodations you'll enjoy. Peter points and the man see's mansions dotting the landscape.
Peter explained the peoples from all denominations on earth are there together. There are even animals and the man's pets who passed in his lifetime.
Finally they follow a curve in the road and there before the man is a wall. It's huge! Reaching all the way up and out of sight.
The man is curious so he asks Peter. What's with the wall?
Peter smiles gently and replies, that's the wall that surrounds the Calvinist community. They believe they're the only one's here.
The harmonizing of scripture argument grows pale in this thread when the one that repeatedly invokes that is all over the place with his theology.
As pertains to Calvinists and how do they know they're actually those elect they believe have exclusive privilege to Salvation and Heaven, there's the canon's that make them certain I suppose.
You can find
this discussion here.
"...The
Westminster Confession of Faith says in chapter 18:
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.
Similarly, the
Belgic Confession says in article 24:
So we would always be in doubt, tossed back and forth without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be tormented constantly if they did not rest on the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior.
And the
Canons of Dort say in articles 12 and 13 of section 1:
Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.
In their awareness and assurance of this election, God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God, to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them. This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it, make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured. By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen.
So we see several sources of assurance:
- Westminster points to "the divine truth of the promises of salvation," and the Belgic Confession specifies "the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior" upon which those promises rest. Westminster cites these Scriptures for support:
Hebrews 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end. 17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain
- Westminster continues, "the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made," specified by Dort as "a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on," and Westminster cites:
2 Peter 1:4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin. 11 For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.
1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death.
2 Corinthians 1:12 For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God—not by human wisdom but by the grace of God—we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
- Westminster wraps it up with, "The testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God," referring to Romans 8:15-16, "which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption," citing these verses:
Ephesians 1:13 And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
Unstable Grounds of Assurance
Unfortunately, people often seek means of assurance that will fail them. One way is by searching deeply into the hidden things of God. Another is by looking primarily to yourself, rather than to Christ.
As you'll recall, the Canons of Dort said, "Assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God." Many people agonize, "Is my name in the book of life? Did God's decree include me? Am I elect?" In so agonizing, they may never reach any kind of assurance, because they are looking in the wrong place. The Bible and the reformed confessions teach that the "hidden things belong to God" (Deuteronomy 29:29). Theologians of every era caution that believers shouldn't inquire too deeply into God's hidden will, but into his revealed will. God has given promises and he has revealed means of "making your calling sure." He has
not given us a copy of the book of life, for us to inquire directly into whether our name or our un-evangelized neighbor's name is there. He's made it more complicated for us by requiring a life of discipleship. "
More reading here:
Do Calvinists believe they know whether they are saved?
1
