Can Calvinists Know For Sure That They're Saved?

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, briefly answers a listener-submitted questions about the nature of assurance and whether or not Calvinists can truly have it on their system.

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[thissimplelife]

You see a lot of people in Calvinist churches wondering if God chose them to salvation. I was one of them for years! I’m so thankful I now see the other side and that God is not like that!🙌

[TheOtherCaleb]

The question of “am I really elect?” always haunts the mind of Calvinists, by necessity.

[JewandGreek]

Leighton's word of the day - "incontrafutable"

[Ianbond]

Thanks for all you do Dr Flowers. Learning a lot while binging your podcasts. Can't always make it to YouTube so the podcast are great!

[R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

In my view, THIS is the problem with teaching at its core. Those who accept its false premises as truth have fallen prey to the same lie Satan posed to Eve in the Garden. The effect of which is to foster a fundamental doubt about the goodness of God as it correlates to the very conscience which God gave to all men. Their description of the nature and motives of an all-powerful creator quite literally begs the question; "Can this God can ever truly be trusted".... and it inadvertently bringing into doubt His character. (I do not believe this is unintentional at its core. I believe it is by but not by the design of Calvinists per se.)
Think about it.... What better accomplishment could the enemy of our soul hope to achieve than causing those who want to believe "God is", and that He's "Loving and Good"... to struggle with believing in their heart that He could actually be trusted to be good to them or anyone they care about....personally.
According to the doctrine, God only loves the mysterious few who are 'elect', (as they define them), and nobody really knows who they are.... ever.... not even the man in the mirror.

[b.rocket]

What is ironic to me is I’ve heard James White debate Muslims and talk about how deceitful Allah is. But in fact Calvinism is no different.

[mireliom]

Flowers you are changing hearts and minds re-teaching the true heart and mind of God. Keep doing it sir!

[nachoooooo]

One of the dozens and dozens of questions Calvinism raises

[adordumanayos]

If no one is sure about their salvation, then no one is qualified to preach salvation. We have faith in the Lord, therefore we should also have faith in His salvation for us.

[ThetaMinistries]

I’m a reformed Christian struggling with this. I will be so blunt here. It’s what’s been scaring me for the past week and I’ve been losing sleep over it. I technically know that I have been chosen to be regenerated. I’m so scared to even approach God because ofnit

[otiscorn]

I think there is no doubt that under calvinism you can't have assurance.

[robinduncan]

Truth speaking, Dr. Flowers!
Thank you 🙏

[dustinpaulson]

Calvinists have two huge problems when it comes to assurance of salvation.

One the one hand, evanescent grace could be at play, and they merely THINK they're among the elect, but God hasn't actually chosen them.

On the other hand, their acceptance of the "doctrines of grace" may lead them to believe that ONLY they (Calvinists) are among the elect, as those doctrines are believed to be the truths of God that can't be discerned outside of the election and revelation of God. Or that, as Sproul said, the rest of us are "barely" saved.

[cassandragarcia]

Calvinists have no proof (according to their own theology) that Jesus actually died for them...and not for Billions of other people. Hence, they have no proof that they are even Saved!

[ramenbender]

I can't add to the theological discussion, but I hope I can give some practical advice to people who wonder if they are saved or not. If a friend doesn't know if they're truly saved, pray with them, have conversations about it with them, and pray for God to convict them and guide them in the right direction. If God finds you to be his child, he will make it known and clear! He's eager to do so! If they confess Jesus to be the Son of God and believe this, great! If they're convicted to leave their life of sin and ask for forgiveness, even if they struggle with it, great! If they love God and love others, great! If they bear fruits of the spirit, great! More than worrying about evanescent grace, I'd focus on encouraging and discipling. We are brothers and sisters, we are the church, and we need one another to lift each other up, regardless of denomination.

[timothyhodges]

It is quite apparent that Calvinists are in a constant state of dark thinking concerning his salvation, how does he keep his sanity?

[sovereigngracedoctrine]

Any one can know they are Saved, Calvinists or not, and as Baptists we all should know that we are saved by the grace of God, through faith in our Lord Jesus.

The Eternal Security of the believer

I hope that every one that reads this will understand that our God is able to keep what we have committed unto Him against that day and that He is able to keep us from falling away. This is just a few things that show once saved always saved or eternal life in Jesus for all that believe on Him as Lord and savior.

#1 If you are are a Son of God

Joh 1/12; Heb 12/6-8; Eph 2/1-3; Joh8/44; Joh 5/26; 1Joh 5/11-12; Joh 3/16

#2 If you are are Sealed

Eph 4/30; Jude 1/1; Rom 8/9

#3 If you are are Succoured

2Cor 6/2; Rom 8/29-30; Eph 1/5; Rom 8/23; 1Joh 3/2; Php 3/20

#4 If you are are Sited in heavenly places.

Eph 2/6; 2Cor 5/17

#5 If you are are Sheltered in His hand.

Joh 10/27-30; 1Pet 1/5

#6 If you are are sanctified

1Pet 1/1-2; 1The 4/1-4; 2The 2/13; Heb 10/10-14

#7 If you are are Saved by Grace

Acts 15/1-11; Eph 2/4-5; Eph 2/8-9; 2Tim 1/9

#8 If you are are kept by the power of God

Rom 1/16; 1Cor 1/18; 1Cor 1/24; 1Cor 2/5; 2Cor 6/7; 2Cor 13/4; 2Tim 1/8; 1Pet 1/5

#9 If they shall fall away? For it is impossible! by two immutable things, God made promise and confirmed it by an oath and it is impossible for God to lie! So then we have an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
 
Heb 6/1-20

This is just a little of what that Bible has to show us on the Eternal Security of the believer.

Pro 23:23  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

If you seek and love the truth of God's word then look for:

"Sovereign Grace Doctrine"

On YouTube and Facebook, where I am Preaching the Gospel form the King James Bible to this lost and dying world.

[swiftbear]

If they are consistent no, they cannot know - unless that's not their form of Calvinism. It's like do Calvinist not even read John Calvin? How do they even come up with their views that are so different?

[robertmcvicar]

I'm a Calvinist and have the assurance of God's Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I'm a child of God. Romans 8v16. The more I grow in grace the more assurance l have. Ptl.

[rauldelarosa]

Many calvinistic people won't admit that evanescent grace is consistent with their Calvinism..
Many will say it's not a problem by not addressing it.

That'd the answer I've gotten from a Calvinist before.