Hey brother, how are you? I have to ask the following: There are many people who seek God and believe they have done so correctly by embracing falsehoods. Is God calling them?
Hey brother. Always blessed to chat with you.
The outworkings of salvation is not an easy endeavor. For though man has been corrupted by the sin of Adam, he is still capable of thought and action. This being the case and because the actions of God are not always evident to us, a complete understanding is impossible. So when I make a statement I make it in general and cannot be sure of any individual case.
That may seem like a dodge so I'll try to answer more specifically having shown the limitations. If I come across a person who is seeking God, and I know that there are none who seek after God, I assume God is at work. I share the gospel and trust that God will bring forth life. If God is working, life will be given. If not, I would say the interest finds its roots in the individual and at some point the interest will turn to other pursuits. Whatever profession was made, it ultimately would have been false and not the working of God in the individual.
This is why we are to examine ourselves to make our calling sure. And why there are some who will hear depart from me as is the case in Matthew 7:23.
Ultimately, we aren't qualified to know because while we can judge outward behavior, we cannot see into the heart. Thus, all our judgments are incomplete and can only be functional and not final. It is only God who is able to judge without error.
I imagine we shall all be surprised in that great and terrible day of the Lord to see some in the ranks of glory we least suspected, and some in perdition that seemed most likely to make heaven their home.
I understand why some believe that individuals stand before God based on their own choice. But I don't trust myself enough to make choices being saved, let alone the choices I made before that. I would much rather entrust myself to the choice of a merciful God. But that's me. And I only am charged to give an account of myself.
I know it's a long reply. Thanks for your forbearance.