Do calvinists know for sure they are saved?

[John the Baptist]

But how does a calvinist no for sure he is one of the elect? How does he know that he will never fall away?


A Calvinist does not put his faith in the logistics of election.  He does believe that God has chosen some to salvation and called many.  A Calvinist knows he is saved by the faith he has in Jesus Christ.  A heartfelt knowledge a convicting certainty that his sins are forgiven and he is no longer a child of satan but of God.  He does not look at his sinful life, nor does he base his salvation's security in his sanctification or good works.  His assurance comes from faith in the good shephard in whom he now loves.  The sheep hear His voice and they know Him for He gives unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.  Good works can make the conscience rest confidently that it is doing good in the strength of Jesus Christ.  But no good work nor the process of election are the grounds of a calvinist's security.  The Holy Spirit witnesses with the spirit of the child of God that he is saved.  The reason is the child's hero, the Lord Jesus Christ, embraced by living faith through grace.

Anselm,
Thanks for your post. I can appreciate what you are saying. The Lord Jesus is our only Savior and Sanctifier.  

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? What came first, election or faith in Jesus? My answer is- Jesus is God's elect, so election came first, because Jesus was before the foundation of the world. We are elect in Him. Only faith can affirm this. In Adam all die. Because of Adam's sin we in him are sinners; we took on Adams lostness. But in Christ we are made righteous, we take on His election and all that it entails: righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

What great judgment He has brought to us! We are judged elect in Him, righteous in Him, sanctified in Him, and redeemed in Him! This is the wisdom of God. Even election does not precede Him, but is in Him; all this according to the foreknowledge of God. But none of this happens in us apart from our faith in Him.

asaph

******
And.. 'Our Faith in Him' does what?---John

[asaph]

And.. 'Our Faith in Him' does what?---John

Our faith substantiates all that is in Christ (the way, the truth and the life). We appropriate righteousness, holiness and redemption by faith in Jesus. If we do not trust Him, having seen what is in Him (His sinless life and His divine nature) and what He has accomplished through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension we receive nothing; we are yet in our sins. This faith substantiates real holiness, etc, in daily living. We live out the reality of Christ by faith. That's why Jesus said that faith as small a grain of mustered seed can remove mountains.

Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
 
asaph

[Anselm]

Faith is a gift from God

Faith is what He asks of us.  I place my faith in Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit.
Photogrunt,

yes “Faith is a gift from God” Not something which man conjured.

Our faith substantiates all that is in Christ (the way, the truth and the life). We appropriate righteousness, holiness and redemption by faith in Jesus.  Asaph

The Holy Spirit sent by Jesus, stirs us to faith, instills it where it never once dwelled, in order to lead us to God.

But none of this happens in us apart from our faith in Him. Asaph.

Yes, and the Bible teaches, “Faith is a gift from God.”

Our security is in Christ alone, not in unconditional election or in any other of the tenets of the tulip.   Asaph

True, Calvinists do not put their trust in total depravity to be saved but Christ from whom regeneration flows, the ugly truth about ourselves is told, and the gift of faith comes.

"No man comes to me except the father draw him" (Jhn 6:44),
“ Truth that is sweet for God delivered me when I was his enemy.  An Enemy has no love for his opponent, whatsoever.

This is why 1Cor 2:14 states; "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  

Yes, we were dead, corpses, open graves, dead men’s bones, vipers, the wicked, where is love,where is goodness, where is faith in these biblical pictures of what we once were.  

Please note; All of those who believe they somehow received Grace by a faith they conjured up from within themselves, and are unable to recognize that it was God working in them to will and to do of HIS good pleasure, believe they can also lose it by sinning, go figure....
Petro

So true.

You have never told god that, while you are grateful for the means and opportunities of grace that He gave you, you realize that you have to thank, not Him, But yourself for the fact that you responded to His call. Your heart revolts at the very thought of talking to God in such terms. In fact, you thank Him no less sincerely for the gift of faith and repentance than for the gift of a Christ to trust and turn to.
Drake

The power of a word spoken in admiration for God’s mercy.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Certainly Paul is not calling us to become unified with the heretic teachings he himself attacks. Did not Paul divide himself from the heretical teachers who sought to undermine grace and admonish the churches to mark those who bring teachings contrary to grace?  Is he not crying out for unity in the truth about God’s grace?

This is why I've become a 'free agent. I believe once you aligned yourself with some man’s teaching of the word you close yourself off to God’s teaching.
Tawhano

Is this your new teaching?

It is true that neither school is correct, and both are fundamentally flawed. It's time to say throw both out and let Scripture be the sole authority.
Sower

Do not many cults push this notion?

God does not elect some to heaven and others to hell.  Christ's atonement cannot be limited since He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  Otherwise Scripture would not declare "God now commandeth ALL MEN EVERYWHERE to repent" (Acts 17:30). Neither does a true child of God lose his or her salvation.
Sower

Is this not a theological position?

My observation:
What did Jesus mean by this:
John 6
45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Asaph

Are you a Universalist?

What does it mean to make our calling and election sure?
Asaph

It means to believe in Salvation by grace, to gather your assurance from the master, to lay down your self righteousness.

(1)   God commands all men
(2) God commands all men everywhere
(3) God is not willing that any should perish
(4) but that all should come to repentance
(5) God would have all men be saved
(6) And come to a knowledge of the truth
(7) God says "Ho, every one that thirsteth, Come"
( God says "Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be saved"
(9) God says "Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely"

This division has done great harm by maintaining a rift over two schools of theology rather than unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
On what grounds can any man controvert this invitation with the false doctrine of limited atonement?
Sower

Interesting, how you condemn the controversey, both sides, call for unity, then argue vehemently for the "Free will" side?  Also, why did you leave out the verses that show God’s saving power here?  Is it that much of a struggle to believe that “Many are called (your list above) but few are chosen (the list you omitted)?

I've heard calvinists believe in man's responcability and God's sovereignty at the same time.  Oh, ok that makes sense and still keeps in line with Calvinism.
When one is a biblicist then he sees that there are both things in there yet they don't seem to totally fit together.
Saved-4-Ever

So now that you are eternally secure will you abandon living righteously because they don’t fit together?


1 Timothy 1
18 This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare,
19 Holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith;”  

Faith in the grace of God, Salvation of the Lord, not by works, nor him that wills, but God, perhaps, maybe?

What came first, the chicken or the egg? What came first, election or faith in Jesus? My answer is- Jesus is God's elect, so election came first, because Jesus was before the foundation of the world. We are elect in Him. Only faith can affirm this. In Adam all die. Because of Adam's sin we in him are sinners; we took on Adams lostness. But in Christ we are made righteous, we take on His election and all that it entails: righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!
Asaph

Was Jesus the elect Son prior to the creation of the world, yes. Psalm 2 “Ask of me and I will give you the heathen for an inheritance”

It is amazing to me that those who promote God’s grace to the hilt, are attacked by their own brethren.  But that is no new thing.  Paul was assaulted by those with different views of human nature and God’s saving power. The chief problem Paul’s epistles address are those who claimed power in their salvation shifting it from Grace to human effort.  From the Gnostic and Hebraic legalists in Collosians to the bewitched Judaizing ceremonialists in Galations, Romans, Hebrews and many others.  All were seeking to claim some credit, some goodness in themselves, some proud theory to elevate themselves over the rest of us.  Whether it was the proud earthly wisdom of the greeks or the self righteouness of the legalizers. Paul fought valiantly to extinguish the maddening flames of man’s self deifying.  Some things never change.  Sadly.  But still this truth remains, many here with whom I disagree, are my brothers in Christ, beloved in Jesus.  And you can teach me much.  And my eyes are attentive to many truths you are writing about.

[asaph]

My observation:
What did Jesus mean by this:
John 6
45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Asaph
Are you a Universalist?

I am not a Universalist. All will be taught but only those who hear and learn will come to Jesus.

asaph

[Petro]

posted by asaph as reply #48
My observation:
What did Jesus mean by this:
John 6
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Asaph
Are you a Universalist?

I am not a Universalist. All will be taught but only those who hear and learn will come to Jesus.

asaph

Asaph,

Being taught, doesn't end when one comes to Christ, for it is the Holy Spirit that continues to lead and teach, all believers. True, it is that there are; teachers in the the church, but, like the bereans which were more honorable than those from Thessalonica, all believers are to;

"receive the word with all readiness of mind, and search the scriptures daily, whether those things be so."  This is the way, we can prove all things, whether they be of God.

Of course the title to this thread is why I make these points.

Consider this passages;

Gal 6  
6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5  For every man shall bear his own burden.
6  Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.


  Is this only speaking of pastors or preachers??   The answer is NO, this is speaking of all believers..

At John 6:45, Jesus specifically states, that only those who have been taught by the Father "cometh to me"

But, is this the end of the teaching of the doctrines of God??, nay,.......

Isa 28
9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Consider what Jesus said at;

Jhn 7
16  ......, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Was not the Apostles DOCTRINE, the same as taught to them by our Savior??  Absolutely..consider (Acts2:42,Rom 6:17, 2Jhn 1:9-10)

They certainly believed and taught the eternal security of the believer

Jesus also, said;
Jhn 14
24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


And then John wrote these words for our exhortation;

1 Jhn 2
26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Taught of God, are all those who have his Spirit within them, and are lead by Him.

One could claim to possess the Spirit, but in denying what the Spirit teaches, could very well, call into question whether the perosn possess the Spirit, for to deny the very words of the Savior himself to to show a lack of a proper understanding of the Word of God, or a lack of the inward witness of the Spirit.

Christians begin their walk with the Lord by faith and live by faith, so that it is by faith unto faith, not faith unto works.

Blessings,

Petro

[asaph]

posted by asaph as reply #48
My observation:
What did Jesus mean by this:
John 6
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Asaph
Are you a Universalist?

I am not a Universalist. All will be taught but only those who hear and learn will come to Jesus.

asaph

Asaph,

Being taught, doesn't end when one comes to Christ, for it is the Holy Spirit that continues to lead and teach, all believers. True, it is that there are; teachers in the the church, but, like the bereans which were more honorable than those from Thessalonica, all believers are to;

"receive the word with all readiness of mind, and search the scriptures daily, whether those things be so."  This is the way, we can prove all things, whether they be of God.

Of course the title to this thread is why I make these points.

Consider this passages;

Gal 6  
6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5  For every man shall bear his own burden.
6  Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.


  Is this only speaking of pastors or preachers??   The answer is NO, this is speaking of all believers..

At John 6:45, Jesus specifically states, that only those who have been taught by the Father "cometh to me"

But, is this the end of the teaching of the doctrines of God??, nay,.......

Isa 28
9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Consider what Jesus said at;

Jhn 7
16  ......, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Was not the Apostles DOCTRINE, the same as taught to them by our Savior??  Absolutely..consider (Acts2:42,Rom 6:17, 2Jhn 1:9-10)

They certainly believed and taught the eternal security of the believer

Jesus also, said;
Jhn 14
24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


And then John wrote these words for our exhortation;

1 Jhn 2
26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Taught of God, are all those who have his Spirit within them, and are lead by Him.

One could claim to possess the Spirit, but in denying what the Spirit teaches, could very well, call into question whether the perosn possess the Spirit, for to deny the very words of the Savior himself to to show a lack of a proper understanding of the Word of God, or a lack of the inward witness of the Spirit.

Christians begin their walk with the Lord by faith and live by faith, so that it is by faith unto faith, not faith unto works.

Blessings,

Petro

Petro,
I guess I am not following you. I agree with most of what you are saying. But what does that have to do with the fact that God works in peoples hearts before they are believers? Not all people whom God teaches will necessarily come to Jesus. Some will resist the Holy Spirit even as those Stephen preached to. They were taught of God but did not hear or learn from Him. Therefore they did not come to Jesus.
Act 7:51  You stubborn and hardheaded people! You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors did.
Act 7:52  Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God. And now you have turned against him and killed him.
Act 7:53  Angels gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it.
Act 7:54  When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious.
Act 7:55  But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.
Act 7:56  Then Stephen said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!"
Act 7:57  The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen
Act 7:58  and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Act 7:59  As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, "Lord Jesus, please welcome me!"
Act 7:60  He knelt down and shouted, "Lord, don't blame them for what they have done." Then he died.

So you see, they had the best Sunday School lesson available; they were all taught of God but they covered their ears and murdered an innocent man. This is what religious people do. They neither hear nor learn.

Look at the context of Jesus' words in John 6.

Joh 6:44  No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them to life on the last day.
Joh 6:45  One of the prophets wrote, "God will teach all of them." And so everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him will come to me.

The issue is whether they come to Jesus or not. His audience was very religious yet most rejected Jesus even after being taught line upon line as it says in another place: 1Co 14:21  In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I will use strangers who speak unknown languages to talk to my people. They will speak to them in foreign languages, but still my people won't listen to me."

Anyway this is how I see it, plain and simple.

asaph

 

[DareDevil]

Calvinist believe God creates some people to be lost...predetermines to be lost....forces them to sin....does not permit them to repent....THEN TORTURES THEM FOR ALL ETERNITY...AS PUNISHMENT FOR SINS ...WHICH GOD FORCES THEM TO COMMIT !

[Ralph]

  Asaph: There are Scriptural, bonafide ways to assure oneself of being in a right relationship with God. Those ways which Scripture states are evidences for it apply equally to ALL whether Arminian or Reformed. 1 John is a good place to begins looking at what the Bible itself has to say about it. I believe John wrote it primarily for that reason. Read it and see if you don't agree with me. There are other evidences which are given--the Holy Spirit within us is to us an earnest of our inheritance; Jesus said that He would manifest Himself to us; that is, our fellowship that we have with Him is a comforting and sweet confirmation. I would not dare say this
short listing covers all the ways that He confirms His love to us. All of the VALID ways are much better than the Arminians: God said it, I believe it, and that settles it way.

[Left Coast]

Calvinist believe God creates some people to be lost
_________________________________
No they do not believe that.

Romans 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

All mankind is lost. Totally and completely lost.
God does not predestinate any to go to hell. Every one lives under the wrath of God unless God chooses to rescue them. Salvation is a rescue, we are hopelessly lost.
Spiritually we are dead. The dead don’t hear, The dead don’t think, and the dead don’t believe. But just as Jesus called out Lazarus from the tomb He calls us to salvation. When He calls we move.
Just as He gave Lazarus a new life he gives us a new life.
Do you recognize how the heart is involved with our salvation? We can’t believe with all our heart because our heart is totally depraved.

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Notice the heart is deceitful. Many a person thought they knew their own heart and believed themselves to be saved but they were not.
God gives us a new heart. Our salvation happens when God has changed our heart, We become born again.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezekiel 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Hebrews 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Hebrews 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Because we have a new heart we can test our salvation.
Everyone will sin, but a believer finds no pleasure in sin. A believers desire is to remove sin from their life. It is this desire we can use to test our salvation. We need to look at ourselves honestly and often.

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.                            
Many people who have claimed Jesus as Lord, and have believed themselves saved will find, in the end, that they never were saved, they preferred sin over the law of God.

Matthew 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

From these verses in Matthew we can see that many people believing themselves faithful to God were not.
So what is the test?

1 John 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1 John 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

When we become saved it is our greatest desire and pleasure to obey and serve The Lord.

[Petro]

The fact is God never created people to be lost, the opposite is true, all woulkd be saved.

However, because of Adams transgression all die.

Jesus, died for the sins of the world, the scriptures declare, but there are many who love darkness rather than light, because their deed are evil; they reject the grace offered to whomsoever will come.

All are born dead in sin and tresspass, there are  none who
seek after God, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We judge that if one died for all, then all are dead.

Only those who believe Gods words, will ever be made alive.

Blessings,

Petro

[Left Coast]

The fact is God never created people to be lost, the opposite is true, all woulkd be saved.
However, because of Adams transgression all die.
__________________________________________

That is a very good point Petro. The man God created had no sin in him. But because of Adams transgression man is polluted, the seed of sin is in every man.
Before we are saved we are counted among the wicked. And the wicked go astray as soon as they are born.

Psalms 58:3  The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
Psalms 58:4  Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
 
This is one of the main problems with the grace plus works gospels. There can be no salvation for babies unless they add to the bible what it does not say, an age of accountability.
The word “all” is a very changing word in the bible. It does not always mean every single person.
In the bible the word “all” can refer to all people or it can refer to all of a certain group of people.
For instance, to every one:

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

And references to a limited group of people:

Mark 1:5  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

This cannot be ALL of the people of Judaea, there would have been close to two million people there at that time.  Certainly not all of the Pharisees and Sadducees would have been there.
Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon on this:

..." the whole world has gone after him" Did all the world go after Christ?  "then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan." Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem, baptized in Jordan? "Ye are of God, little children", and the whole world lieth in the wicked one". Does the whole world there mean everybody? The words "world" and "all" are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture, and it is very rarely the "all" means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts —some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile ... (C.H. Spurgeon from a sermon on Particular Redemption)

I’ve had four children. They are pretty much grown now but I still remember, there is no way a baby could believe on Jesus Christ.
If salvation is based on our believing how would a baby become saved?

[DareDevil]

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Notice the heart is deceitful. Many a person thought they knew their own heart and believed themselves to be saved but they were not.
God gives us a new heart. Our salvation happens when God has changed our heart, We become born again.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezekiel 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Hebrews 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;


From these verses in Matthew we can see that many people believing themselves faithful to God were not.
So what is the test?

1 John 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1 John 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

When we become saved it is our greatest desire and pleasure to obey and serve The Lord.

OK, now you having said all that...let me ask you....Do you observe the 7th day Sabbath as found in Exodus 20:8-11 ?

As this is the 'sign' between God and his true followers, (Ezekiel 20:12,20).

The 'saints' of God....found in Revelation 14:12 are Sabbath keepers as well as keeping all "the commandments of God, and...have the faith of Jesus".

[Left Coast]

No I could never do that. The seventh day sabbath was fulfilled by Christ.
Notice there is no work we can do to become saved just as there was no work to be done on the seventh day sabbath.
God changed the sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday.
Unfortunately most bible translations get this wrong. But you can check it yourself with a concordance or an interlinear bible.
The sabbath was changed when Mary Magdalene went to the sepulcher after Jesus was crucified.

Matthew 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

The word “sabbath” and the phrase “day of the week” come from the exact same Greek word, sabbaton sab’-bat-on.
My computer version of Strong’s  concordance gives a shortened definition, however in the book version it is identified as a plural word.
Young’s Literal Translation of the bible is the only translation of the bible I know of that gets it right:

Matthew 28:1 ¶ And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,

Read this as: at the end of the Saturday sabbaths as we begin the first of the Sunday sabbaths…
Remember the sabbath breaker? He was gathering sticks. Gods commandment: Stone him to death.

Numbers 15:36  And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Most teachers today teach that you must do something to get yourself saved. You must be a member of a certain church, or you  must give all your money or time. Maybe water baptism is required. Most today claim you must make a freewill decision. Perhaps you have to come forward and confess with your lips. These are works gospels. God is the only one that does any work. We can do nothing to get ourselves saved. We can plead with God for mercy. We can read the bible and we can repent of our sins, but nothing we do guarantees salvation.

Colossians 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Unclean food, new moon holydays, and the sabbath days all pointed to Jesus. He fulfilled them so we do none of them anymore.
While the Saturday sabbath was a day of no work, The Sunday sabbath is to be a day of spiritual work. Get the gospel out, visit the sick, meet with fellow believers, etc.  

[ollie]

Most teachers today teach that you must do something to get yourself saved. You must be a member of a certain church, or you  must give all your money or time. Maybe water baptism is required. Most today claim you must make a freewill decision. Perhaps you have to come forward and confess with your lips. These are works gospels. God is the only one that does any work. We can do nothing to get ourselves saved. We can plead with God for mercy. We can read the bible and we can repent of our sins, but nothing we do guarantees salvation.

Revelation 22:14.  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

 1 John 2:3.  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments
4.  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 5. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him
 6.  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

[John the Baptist]

No I could never do that. The seventh day sabbath was fulfilled by Christ.
Notice there is no work we can do to become saved

******
But The ISSUE IS, are [you] Born Again? If there is No Law, Then there is NO BORN AGAIN PERSON! Acts 5:32's 'OBEDIENCE' REQUIRES THE ROYAL  [LAW] OF GOD!  

And Christ requires:  "[IF] YE LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS"! The Sabbath is right in the 'midst' of the TEN! See James 2:8-12 for the standard of [IF] you are saved or not! ONE THAT DOES NOT [LOVE THE MASTER] WILL NEVER BE SAVED IN THAT LOVELESS CONDITION!! See 2 John 2:4

And you just MUST NOT HAVE READ Rev. 12:17 very good? For it states WHOSE THESE COMMANDMENTS THAT WE ARE TO KEEP [ARE FROM!] (COMMANDMENTS OF GOD!!) And that [IS] THE TESTIMONY (EPISTLE) OF CHRIST! 2 Cor. 3:3---SEE WHY HE CAME in Isa. 42:21?

To obliterate His Sabbath you say? That would be 2 Peter 2:21-22's Vomit. Not LOVE!  And these ones had not even came up to the level of the 'SICKENING LUKEWARM SPEWED OUT ONES LOVE' of Rev. 3:16-17 CHRIST SAYS.

---END: of John's verses
*******************



just as there was no work to be done on the seventh day sabbath.
God changed the sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday.
Unfortunately most bible translations get this wrong. But you can check it yourself with a concordance or an interlinear bible.
The sabbath was changed when Mary Magdalene went to the sepulcher after Jesus was crucified.

Matthew 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

The word “sabbath” and the phrase “day of the week” come from the exact same Greek word, sabbaton sab’-bat-on.
My computer version of Strong’s  concordance gives a shortened definition, however in the book version it is identified as a plural word.
Young’s Literal Translation of the bible is the only translation of the bible I know of that gets it right:

Matthew 28:1 ¶ And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,

Read this as: at the end of the Saturday sabbaths as we begin the first of the Sunday sabbaths…
Remember the sabbath breaker? He was gathering sticks. Gods commandment: Stone him to death.

Numbers 15:36  And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Most teachers today teach that you must do something to get yourself saved. You must be a member of a certain church, or you  must give all your money or time. Maybe water baptism is required. Most today claim you must make a freewill decision. Perhaps you have to come forward and confess with your lips. These are works gospels. God is the only one that does any work. We can do nothing to get ourselves saved. We can plead with God for mercy. We can read the bible and we can repent of our sins, but nothing we do guarantees salvation.

Colossians 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Unclean food, new moon holydays, and the sabbath days all pointed to Jesus. He fulfilled them so we do none of them anymore.
While the Saturday sabbath was a day of no work, The Sunday sabbath is to be a day of spiritual work. Get the gospel out, visit the sick, meet with fellow believers, etc.