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 
Andy wrote: “Um, that doesn’t exactly engender much assurance. Typical Calvinist double-speak.”
Well said, Andy. And I’m not going to the judgment, so Jimmy’s belief isn’t the Gospel, at all.
LikeLike
No, Marcos, according to your definition and context, I can’t even be sure of my own salvation because I won’t find out if I’m one of the elect until the final judgment. Guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.
LikeLike
Well, i can BOLDLY say I know where I am going. My Bible says in Hebrews 10
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”[c] 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”[d] 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brethren, HAVING BOLDNESS to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a TRUE HEART IN FULL ASSURANCE IN FAITH, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Jimmy THIS IS A TOTAL CONTRADICTION!!- ” It is not that we can’t have assurance of salvation, but that we don’t know who the elect are until the judgment.”
Marco- I think many here have been in Calvinist churches and have also done extensive study on their own in Calvinist teachings to see its confusing lingo. Oh yeh, when someone speaks against Calvinism they will come out with truth and then turn around and speak lies. See and hear it all the time in cults and religions- not a surprise… Confuse the listener. Been there too- heard a pastor say one thing and then turn around and say the opposite.
LikeLike
Paul says I only have one comment left so I guess this is it. Where do any of you find the issue of Assurance of Salvation in the comment under discussion? It is a good idea always to consider the question that has been asked and refuse to read into the answer anything the question has not required. If the question had been, “Is it possible for a person to know he is saved and therefore one of the elect?” the answer may have suggested what you are reading into it, but that was not the question. Calvinists have pretty generally agreed that assurance, though not automatic for the person who believes, is possible and desirable.
Since Paul is cutting me off, I will not be able to respond to any of your comments. Please don’t interpret this a a lack of interest on my part.
LikeLike
Marcos,
There is one way you can know for sure that you will “stand in the judgement” if you are Reformed: if you have the favor of the elders. Since they have the authority to “bind and loose,” ie, Calvin’s keys to the kingdom, and the authority to “declare someone an unbeliever,” your are saved if they say you are–heaven will honor it.
LikeLike
Soooo…Justin Taylor is assured of his own salvation. But “we” cannot be assured of his. Got it.
“I think you folks are missing the point. It is not that we can’t have assurance of salvation, but that we don’t know who the elect are until the judgment. Jesus says many professed, but I will say to them IN THAT DAY, depart from me. I would that would be the day of judgment.”
From my reading and listening to Reformed pastors I think Justin may have a point according to his own doctrine. I would say we might even have Professing Christian pastors who coddle perverts, lie, deceive, make bank off Jesus, etc. while claiming to be Born Again…. as part of their “elect” brigade on J-day! It looks like we can even burn people…… as professing “New Creatures in Christ”…… at the stake and be one of the glorious elect!
What a doctrine!
LikeLike
btw: What Taylor is promoting is a form of Islamic thought. It comes right out of the determinist god paradigm. See, they won’t know either. And they surely cannot detect here and now which Muslims Allah saved.
LikeLike
Marcos, I have assurance of salvation, I will be in heaven no matter what, because Jesus died for me and I believe in Jesus (John 3:16). I am “elect” only because by foreknowledge, the Lord knew that I would choose to believe in Him by the free will that He gave me to make the choice with. That doesn’t mean that something “good” is in me. It only means that He offered me life, and I believe in Jesus for it. I didn’t do anything. I believed what He said to believe. So I have perfect assurance of salvation. Everybody waiting for the judgment to “see how things turned out”, will be in the lake of fire for eternal torment, since they were only working for salvation the whole time. That is what calvinism is, it is works for salvation, and that doesn’t save anyone. Why believe dead John Calvin, when you can believe the alive Jesus Christ?
LikeLike
Abe,
I just have a couple of questions. Where does the Bible say God based his choice on what he foresaw sinners would choose? How does anyone find him if no one seeks him? What is there about the Calvinist’s belief that would cause you to refer to it as “works for salvation?
LikeLike
Sammy,
I will answer that for you. Calvinism is progressive justification. Hence, you have to maintain your justification by faith alone in sanctification. It’s salvation by faith alone in sanctification. Basically, salvation by antinomianism. I would prefer that you not argue this rock solid fact here. I make the case in “False Reformation” TANC PUB 2012. The book can be purchased on Amazon. I invested my time to make the case in the book, so buy the book, and don’t waste anybody’s time here if it’s that important to you.
LikeLike
“Calvinists have pretty generally agreed that assurance, though not automatic for the person who believes, is possible and desirable.”
Marcos- explain this in simple terms please, because it sure does sound like double speak– AGAIN…..
You have basically put two different and opposing views together hoping that it will stick and make sense- not….
What is “pretty generally agreed”- is this the prevalent view or some do, some don’t.
What is “though not automatic for the person who believes” – does this mean when the person believes we are not automatically sealed by the Holy Spirit or are we just using titillating speech here?
What is “possible and desirable” – that maybe? we are of the elect and it maybe? desirable for us to be, but of course we don’t know for sure because it is only “possible and desired”?
Words mean something and must be carefully measured before one says something- Calvinists get caught in the trap of saying one thing and then having to backtrack what they have said originally to cover their tracks.
LikeLike
t4h,
“Marcos” is no longer with us. 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.
LikeLike
Paul,
I must be missing something here. If it is all, including sanctification, by faith alone, how can it be by works? I’m not trying to be hard to get along with. That just doesn’t make any sense to me.
LikeLike
Because Sammy, you are living by antinomianism in order to maintain your just standing. They see sanctification as finishing justification. At any point where you implement “your own efforts” in sanctification–you lose your justification. Said another way: you lose your salvation if you don’t live by the same gospel that saved you; “the same gospel that saved you sanctifies you,” preach the gospel to yourselves everyday.” Hence, Piper: “Never, never, never, never, think you can begin with the gospel and move on to something else.” Hence M. Horton: “If you start with the gospel and move onto something else–you lose both.” It’s just that simple Sammy. When just. and sanct. are fused together, some kind of works can be the only result because our Christian life finishes justification. It isn’t rocket science.
LikeLike