God knows who are His. It’s us humans that don’t always know who belongs to Jesus. Even the disciples were fooled. Each was ready to consider himself the betrayer rather than Judas:
“When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.’
They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’
Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you.’" Matthew 26:20-25 Mark 14:17-20 Luke 22:20-23 John 13:21-30
Even when Judas left the Passover meal, the disciples didn’t suspect it was him:
“As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” John 13:27-30
The true character of Judas is shown in Scripture:
“For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse–may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing– may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.” Psalm 109:16-18
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put in it.” John 12:4-6
“Jesus answered, ‘A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that is why he said not every one is clean.” John 13:10-11 In saying this, Jesus makes it clear that Judas was never saved.
The following parable Jesus told helps explain the dilemma of our not knowing who is saved:
“…"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear…
Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Matthew 13:3-25 Mark 4:14-20 Luke 8:5-15 Only the person who hears and understands the word of God is truly saved. His life will show that He believes in Jesus.
Some people appear to accept the gospel, but fall away: Two of the people in the parable who hear the “seed” or “the message about the kingdom” appear to believe:
(1 “the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.” For example, a person comes forward for an invitation at church to accept the Lord, but in a few weeks or months, he has returned to his old lifestyle. (However, some people who do this actually have accepted Jesus and will eventually change their ways.)
(2 “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” This would be more difficult to discern because this person might appear to be a Christian (true follower of Christ) for several years.
Jesus explains that those who believe in Him are fruitful:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15: 5-6 Some do not “remain in” Him and show this because they do not ”bear much fruit”. They are “thrown into the fire and burned”
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“I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it is even more fruitful, You are already clean because the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains and me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8 "It is the essence of the Christian life to bear fruit…There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian…Yet Jesus referred to the fruitless branches as those who were in Him…Externally they may be attached, but no life flows through them…He is merely teaching that every true branch is bearing some fruit; if a branch is not bearing some fruit, it is evident that there is no life union between it and the vine.” Lectures in Systematic Theology by Thiessen p. 299
Even those who are saved have a choice of whether to obey God or not, but they will eventually choose to obey:
“…live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:14
Scripture defines “the fruit of the Spirit”:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23
Other words of Jesus also say that those that belong to Him are fruitful:
“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:18-20
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45
“Genuine salvation is evidenced by a life of fruitfulness (see v 10 “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”…” NIV Study Bible
Jesus says basically the same thing to the Jews who had believed Him:
"…If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ..” John 8:31
The Thessalonians are an example of those who are truly saved. The Apostle Paul writes:
“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction…” 1 Thessalonians 1:3-5
James gives a clear example of fruitfulness:
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:14-26 Faith and obedience are synonymous; pisi–faith, pispe—obedience.
Henry Clarence Thiessen has this to say about the doctrine of eternal security:
“If properly understood, this is a very comforting doctrine, but it must not be abused or misinterpreted. The Scriptures teach that all who are by faith united to Christ, who have been justified by God’s grace and regenerated by his Spirit, will never totally or finally fall away from that state of grace, but certainly persevere therein to the end. This does not mean that everyone who professes to be saved is eternally saved. Nor does it mean that everyone who manifests certain gifts in Christian service is necessarily eternally saved. The doctrine of eternal security is applicable only to those who have had a vital experience of salvation. Concerning such, it affirms that they will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace. This is not equivalent to saying that they will never backslide, never fall into sin, and never fail to show forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light. It merely means that they will never totally fall away from the state of grace into which they have been brought, nor fail to return from their backsliding in the end.” Lectures in Systematic Theology
The comfort we have is that if we have become His, He makes us stand firm:
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 He gives us “his Spirit”, we are “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit”:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you
were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption
of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 The Holy Spirit is “a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession”. If we have been given the Holy Spirit, we are guaranteed
inheritance until the time we are totally redeemed. This will bring glory to God: “to the praise of his glory”.
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God knows our heart and if we are truly His:
“The Lord delights in the way of the man whose step he has made firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord uphold him with his hand.”…For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.” Psalm 37:23-28
“He will not let your foot slip–he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you–the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm–he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:3-7
"The perseverance of the saints is the human response to the predestinating work of God. You reveal you are kept by God if you don’t abandon your faith in the midst of a trial.
The paradox of the sovereign God and the responsibility of believers is common in Scripture. Believers are saved because God chose them before creation (“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–”
Ephesians 1:4-5), yet they are not saved without exercising faith (“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10). They are secure because of the covenant faithfulness of God, but they are still responsible to persevere.
Eternal security is wrought through the power of the Spirit in energizing the true believer to endure all trials. Theologian Louis Berkhof described perseverance as ‘that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued and brought to completion’” Systematic Theology
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:29-35 Jesus “is also interceding for us”. He is not interceding for those who haven’t accepted Him:
“…I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” John 17:9, although He is interceding for those who will come to know Him:
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” John 17:20
If Jesus is interceding for us, how can we fail to stand firm?
Peter truly loved Jesus and Jesus for him:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32
Jesus did all He could for His disciples (even Judas, who never truly believed: (“…you are clean, though not every one of you…” John 13:10). He knew who would be His because the Father had given them to Him, and He knew that they would be His forever:
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37
The Apostle Paul was confident that all who believed in Jesus would eventually be like Him:
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
We are “God’s chosen people” and we are “holy and dearly loved”:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
Paul was confident in praying for those whom God had chosen because he knew that the “one who calls you is faithful and he will do it”:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Paul was convinced that he was secure because he was “convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him”:
“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 He was so convinced that he was willing to suffer.
Even though Paul was convinced that “the elect” would be saved he endured everything for their sake:
"Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:10
“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22, 24:13 Mark 13:13 Luke 21:19 "We are energized to endure by the indwelling Spirit. The mark of true justification is perseverance in righteousness to the very end."NIV Study Bible
Those who have genuinely come to know and love Jesus are secure. But it is not to taken lightly. We need to make our “calling and election sure” so we "will never fall” and “receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus
Christ”:
“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11
Does Jesus want us to know who belongs to Him? Jesus said to the Jews who opposed Him:
“Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." John 7:24
If Jesus said this to unbelievers, He would expect believers to judge correctly. It can be vital to our spiritual, emotional and even physical survival. There might be the rare case that the truth would be hidden from us in order to give us experience, but the devil is the father of lies and wants to hide the truth:
“…He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:11
Can we know who belongs to Jesus? Paul said to the Corinthians:
“…But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16
We can ask for wisdom and discernment. James said:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
We can know we are saved. Usually we can know when others are saved, but sometimes we might not know for sure if someone is saved until we reach heaven.