Kat It is a privilege to be of the elect, there is no doubt about it, but it is not our decision to be one or not, they are 'elected' by God to be in that position. So you can and should rejoice in the hope of being an elect, but we can take no credit or boost for what we have been given.
I just want to ask. Does the fact that we've been called mean that we're automatically part of the elect. And here I am specifically referring to the few that have been chosen
a group of just a few being prepared to serve/help/rule in the kingdom to bring in the rest to salvation.
I didn't get the impression from Ray's teaching or from the Word that it was a foregone conclusion.
I know, Marques, I already hear you saying "Go back and read Ray's writings" lol
Sorry I didn't answer sooner, I've been away from home for a few days. What I was referring to is the "elect" in general, not someone in particular. Of course no one can know for certain if they are an elect or not (at least maybe not until the very end, like Paul seemed to know (2Tim 4:7)). But God does know who are His from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). So I believe the elect are being groomed all their lives, though they are unaware of it for most of their life and only have the hope when God is working through them. But whoever they are, they are guaranteed to be in the kingdom, even if they don't know for sure, because none of the elect will be lost.
John 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
v. 29 "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of My Father's hand.
http://bible-truths.com/email12.htm#saved -----------
[Ray Replies]
Dear Margaret:
"How do we KNOW that we are saved?" Excellent question! Would you believe that the Scriptures do not answer this specific question? If they do, I am not aware of such an answer. The problem in answering this question is that you put it in the PAST TENSE--"How do we know that we ARE saved" which, I guess, could be in the past or present tense. Either way, I know of no Scripture that gives such an answer.
Here is what we do read regarding salvation:
"might save" "to save" "shalt save" "save us" "shall be saved" "such as should be saved" "whereby we must be saved" "we shall be saved" "what must I do to be saved" etc., etc., etc.
And even those few verses that speak of "but unto us which ARE saved...." a closer look at the Greek shows that it is in the aiorist tense and should be translated "...which ARE BEING saved..." as it is not as yet a completed fact or act.
Even Ephesian 2:8 which states: "For by grace ARE you saved through faith...." which is properly translated with the word "are" than "are you being saved" or some other aiorist tense verb, still does not show that anyone is ALREADY saved. The phrase "ARE saved" is telling us HOW we are saved, not WHEN we are saved. We "are" saved by grace just as people a century into the future also "ARE saved by grace." That's HOW they are saved, not WHEN.
If there were a verse that stated that we or anyone ARE or HAVE BEEN already saved, it would contradict many other Scriptures that show that salvation is an ongoing process.
This verse says it all:
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same SHALL BE saved" (Matt. 24:13).
If this verse be absolutely true, can a statement that contradicts this statement of our Lord ALSO be true? Well, for example, "...he that shall NOT endure unto the end... ALSO be saved?" See the contradiction?
Jesus says to him that OVERCOMES... seven time in Rev. 2 and 3. If the "overcoming" part is really not necessary, then why is it emphatically stated such SEVEN TIMES?
Is there a reason for not having a verse stating how one can know that they are absolutely SAVED [past tense] at some point in their lives? I think so. We can NEVER STOP overcoming, striving, pressing on, following after, etc. We can have CONFIDENCE AND HOPE that we will be saved if we continue in our present total devotion to God, but never in this life can we say that we "ARE saved" already, in the past tense.
God has not, however, left us with assurances that we can absolutely bank on, if we follow His admonitions. Here is just one:
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brother kindness charity [LOVE]. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful... give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye DO THESE THINGS, YE SHALL NEVER FALL" (II Pet. 1:5-8 & 10).
God be with you,
Ray