Justin Taylor: We Cannot Know With Certainty Who is Saved Until the Final Judgment
Justin Taylor answered some questions about Calvinism on a blog recently. Here is how he was introduced:
Justin Taylor is a popular blogger and leader in the modern Reformed movement. The vice president of book publishing and an associate publisher at Crossway, he has edited and contributed to several books and served as the managing editor for The ESV Study Bible. He blogs at Between Two Worlds.
As I have said before, Calvinism is a gospel where you are elected to run a race of faith alone. If you aren’t elected, you don’t even get on the racetrack. If you are elected to run the race, the race must be run by faith alone and we must persevere against a supposed constant temptation to implement our own efforts in the running by faith alone race. The race must be run the same way we were saved, by faith and repentance alone via “obedience of faith,” “deep repentance,” and “new obedience” being the result. Sure, we are elected and our salvation is past (already), but the “not yet” will determine if we finished the race by faith alone. This is often referred to as the already/not yet in Reformed circles.
It also necessitates a single, final judgment of all people that includes those not in the race (non-elect), those who were in the race but were disqualified for adding works to their faith (apostates), and those who finished the race by faith alone and receive the crown of life.
Hence, when the following question was asked,
What would you tell someone who has not been chosen by God to be saved?
Taylor answered this way:
Who is ultimately among the elect will only be known with certainty at the Day of Judgment. Now—in the already/not-yet, “between the times”—we must obey God’s revealed will, which is to preach the gospel indiscriminately. (For the distinction between God’s secret and revealed wills, see Deut. 29:29.)
So I would tell anyone to “believe in the risen Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9). I would encourage them to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). I would tell them that Jesus is calling them: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)—even though in the previous verse Jesus had said that no one knows the Father expect those to whom the Son reveals him (v. 27).
This Reformed gospel construct runs afoul of much literal interpretation, but primary in regard to the clear statements in Scripture that posit more than one resurrection and judgment, and the clear teaching by the apostle John that we can know for certain that we are saved (1John 5:13).
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Paul, thank you for that answer to Sammy. Anyone that can hear the likes of John Piper saying he’s waiting to go to judgment (judgment that the believer is not supposed to appear at), to see if his works were “sufficient”, should readily recognize such a thing as a works salvation that cannot save. Piper is false, all of calvinism is false.
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Abe,
No doubt. The Achilles heel of Calvinism is the belief that Christians will stand in a final judgement that reveals who is justified.
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I”m sorry, I still don’t understand. How do you live by antinominism to maintain your justification. If you live by antinomianism doesn’t that mean you don’t have any standard to live by? and don’t you think the final judgment will reveal our true standing as the sons of God?
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Sammy. We are done here–you are in troll mode. This is the last question I am going to answer for. Obviously, works in sanctification is seen as works for justification because the Reformers fused them together. So, you are making it a point to not do something in sanctification in order to keep your salvation. I don’t think you are stupid, but I do think you are deliberately harassing me with stupidity. See ya–you are done.
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“Bottom line: sanctification by faith alone to maintain our justification by faith alone is VERY tricky business–no way to know if you did things just right til the final judgement.”
Well as one of my cousins who got involved with Calvinism a few years back told me (and she was previously “saved”) that now she has to go “deep with her sin” and be saved every day. So she has spent the last few years being “saved” over and over every day going deep with her sin. It has not made her more loving nor has it given her hope. But she is busy contemplating the cross, her sin and being saved over and over.
Where is her hope? Her “new life in Christ”? (Which she used to live, btw)
It is insidious
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Lydia,
Your comment is it in a nutshell. That’s Calvinism described in its least common denominator.
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“…and don’t you think the final judgment will reveal our true standing as the sons of God?”
Sammy, what is “true standing”?
If one is Born Again, one knows it NOW. One may not walk in the light perfectly but they are striving for holiness with the help of the Holy Spirit.
One does not have to wait for Judgement to know if they are a ‘son of God’.
Calvinists complicate everything. That is what keeps folks going back seeking truths that are lies in the end. If Jesus had been a Calvinist His first sermon would never have been so simple: Repent and believe.
Because for Calvinists YOU are not able to do any such thing. God has to force you to do it.
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Lydia,
Right. Are there two resurrections and two judgments? If so, why? Calvinism holds to the idea of one judgement for this very reason: it’s not a settled issue. For the former, it’s the idea that there are two different judgement for two different purposes. The “resurrection of the just.” Why did Christ call it that? Because it’s separate from the resurrection associated with the “second death.”
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Paul, the worst part is that it made my cousin very unloving on many fronts to other believers. She has shunned some who have dared to question some of her guru’s. In fact, she claims they are violating scripture. And the worst part is that she used to have a real heart for the lost. Now she is busy dealing with her very deep sin and getting saved over and over.
I am not saying all Calvinists get into this but she is only carrying their teaching to it’s logical result in her life.
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Lydia,
“I am not saying all Calvinists get into this but she is only carrying their teaching to it’s logical result in her life.” What she is living out is the authentic Reformed prescription. It seems logical at first, living by faith alone. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? No, not in sanctification. The co-op is seamless–our work and the Spirit’s work is not distinguishable in an experiential way. It isn’t that hard to understand. When we don’t feel like we have any strength left we know by Scripture that we do in the Holy Spirit. We get our second wind from Him, but it is still us working as well. Paul told Timothy to study hard and think hard, and the Spirit would give understanding. We still have to think and study.
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“If one is Born Again, one knows it NOW.”
Precisely. If a person doesn’t know that they are justified (as in, won’t go to judgment, but indeed will be in heaven), then they have not believed the Gospel and are not saved. Calvinism seeks to avoid believing the Gospel, and attempts to make an end-run right around the Gospel, and go to “sufficient works to prove that I’m part of the elect”. That end-run around the Gospel, leads to the lake of fire.
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Abe,
I would only add that a true believer living in disobedience will doubt their salvation.
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That is true Paul…..not that they are not saved, but they will not have assurance for Satan will steal their joy and peace. This is what many in Christiandom do not understand….. the Bible was written FOR CHRISTIANS to be our guide, along with the Holy Spirit to give us truth, understanding, peace and assurance. No where is it stated in Scripture (though often scripture is misused and falsely taught) that we will LOSE our salvation!
It is time for Christians to move past that so that we will grow in sanctification. No one and I mean no one can grow without freedom- slavery stunts growth and keeps one stagnant. Paul’s constant plea to Christians was to know their freedom in Christ! Now a legalist will claim this is antinomianism….but a good example of what a slave will do when he is free is the book of Philemon. Freedom is paramount in understanding our true standing with Christ.
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