Understanding Heaven and Hell Part 6
Overview
How Can I Know I Am Going to Heaven? The Doctrine of Election
The deeply personal question—"How do I know I am going to heaven?"—is answered in Scripture through the doctrine of election. The elect are those whom God has predestined to hear the gospel, come to faith, and be saved. This is not a reward for our works but a gift rooted entirely in God's grace. As Paul writes, God "saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace" 2 Timothy 1:9. Peter likewise addresses believers as those "chosen and destined by God the Father" 1 Peter 1:1-2.
Election has many facets. God chose us "in Christ before the foundation of the world" and destined us for adoption as His children Ephesians 1:4-5. He calls, justifies, and glorifies us Romans 8:30. He creates us in Christ Jesus for good works that flow from faith, not as the cause of our standing with Him but as its expression Ephesians 2:10. He sanctifies us through the Spirit 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and preserves us so that no one can snatch us out of His hand John 10:27-28. From beginning to end, salvation is God's work.
How Do I Know I Am Among the Elect?
We infer cause from effect. Just as wet pavement tells us it has rained, the presence of faith tells us we are among the elect. Knowledge of election is not election itself—it is contingent on faith. As long as a person trusts that Jesus died and rose for them, they may rightly regard themselves as one of God's chosen. This is why Peter urges, "Be all the more eager to confirm your call and election" 2 Peter 1:10. Election is never license to sin presumptuously; the comfort of election belongs only to those who remain in faith.
This is why God gives us the means by which He keeps us in faith: His Word, the sacraments, and the gathered worship of His people. Just as the body dies without food, faith starves when we pull away from these gifts. Faith can quietly die without our even noticing—often through the slow drift of letting Sunday activities, sports, or company crowd out worship. The danger is real, and Scripture warns against falling away (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Hebrews 3:12-13).
Holding Warning and Comfort Together
Scripture speaks two truths that must not be collapsed into one. On one hand, believers are warned to guard against falling away. On the other, Jesus declares of His sheep, "no one will snatch them out of my hand" John 10:28. The warnings are spoken to the old Adam and old Eve in us, calling us to repentance and faithfulness. The promises are spoken to the believer—the new creation—offering pure comfort. Pastoral wisdom means knowing which word to speak when. To the careless, the warning. To the troubled conscience like Luther's, who agonized, "How do I know I am saved?"—the comfort: God claimed you in baptism, washed you in His promises, and will not let go.
If salvation is yours, it is wholly God's gift. If it is lost, the fault is wholly our own. Do not try to reconcile these; receive them. The question to ask today is simply this: Do I, by God's grace, believe in Jesus as my Savior? If so, turn outward—away from your own feelings and toward His objective Word—and rest in the One whose hand will never let you go.
Transcript
Today I want to examine with you the question of how do we know that we're going to heaven? 0s
And to individualize it more, how do you know that you're going to heaven? How does a person 7s
know that they are going to heaven? The Bible teaches about the doctrine of what is called 14s
election. And that's where I want to focus with you today. The elect are those that are predestined 22s
unto conversion. They are predestined to hear the gospel. They are predestined to 31s
come to faith. Let's start in 2 Timothy chapter 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Axe, and Romans, 38s
1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, then 1 Timothy, 48s
1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and then 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy, chapter 1, 60s
we'll pick up in verse 9. 67s
And there it says of God that he saved us and called us with a holy calling, 75s
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us 85s
in Christ Jesus before the ages began. But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our 94s
Savior, Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the 104s
gospel. The elect men are those that are called unto the obedience of faith. Let's go to 1st Peter, 113s
chapter 1. Keep turning toward revelation. You're quickly going to come upon 1st Peter, 1st Peter, 123s
chapter 1, verse 2. Let's start in verse 1, give us a little bit more context. Peter an apostle 134s
of Jesus Christ to the exiles of the dispersion in Pontius Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithnia, 152s
who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to 160s
Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood. Notice the key words there, who have been chosen. 170s
So the elect then are chosen by God unto faith. Let's go to Ephesians 1st chapter. 178s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. 193s
Ephesians chapter 1, the elect are adopted by God into the family. 201s
Ephesians chapter 1, verse 5, he destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ 216s
according to the good pleasure of his will. Jumping back up in verse 4, just as he chose us 226s
in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in law. 234s
So before God ever said, let there be God chose his elect. So there's the election unto faith, 242s
the election unto adoption as his children, the election unto justification. 252s
Remember the breaking down the word to be made just as if you never sin. Let's go to Romans chapter 8, 260s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans chapter 8, verse 30. 269s
So we're addressing the question, how can you know that you're going to heaven? 286s
We're taking a look at the subject of election. We're seeing aspects of election. 292s
Romans chapter 8, verse 30, Paul writes, in those whom he predestined, he also called. 299s
Those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. 306s
Notice the sequence here. There's a predestination then unto being called unto faith and 314s
becoming a believer by God's gracious touch. Those whom he called, he also justified. He made 320s
us just as if we never sin. Remember, there's that key distinction between objective, 327s
justification, and subjective justification. Objective justification is the world has been 333s
declared innocent through the cross of Jesus Christ. Subjective justification is the reception 338s
of that through faith. So we are destined then predestined unto this justification by grace 344s
through faith. We've already looked at it in Ephesians 1, so we'll save a little bit of time. 353s
But the elect are chosen unto sanctification. That is, as Jesus makes us more and more like 364s
Christ. We are called unto good works. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. 372s
1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians and then Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. 386s
For we are what he has made us created in Christ Jesus, for good works which God prepared 399s
beforehand to be our way of life. Notice there, once again, the sequence, we are created in Christ 408s
Jesus. In other words, we are brought to faith by His gracious hand and that faith then expresses 416s
itself. It's not the good works that give rise to the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 422s
The good works are simply the expression that we are in relationship with Jesus. 429s
Another aspect of being elect is the perseverance in the faith. Let's go to John chapter 10, 436s
Matthew Mark, Luke and then John. John chapter 10, verse 28. 445s
Part of our gospel text for this morning. John chapter 10, verse 28. 459s
It's going to 27. It's more of a context. My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. 472s
I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 480s
And through election then, unto eternal life. Let's go to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. 494s
1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, then you hit the T-books. 508s
2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13. 516s
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters. We love it by the Lord 530s
because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit 537s
and through belief in the truth. So the elect then are those that are brought to faith. They are 546s
adopted as a member of the family. They are justified before God through faith. They are sanctified. 555s
They are made holy by His work. They give rise to good works as faith expresses itself. 562s
They persevere in the faith because of God's graciousness and they come to eternal life. 569s
God chooses God elects. Because there's a very term election in scripture then, 580s
that simply means then that that does not election extend over all. Does it? 589s
Because if it extended over all, then there'd be no need for the term the elect. 597s
It would just be all. It would just be all. So the question then is, how do you know if you are among 606s
the elect? How do you know if you are among the elect? So the question then originally is, 616s
how do you know you're going to heaven? Okay, let's get it more detailed then. How do you know 624s
that you are among the elect? We oftentimes infer cause from effect, don't we? 630s
Okay. When you woke up the last couple of days and you looked outside and maybe you saw that 639s
the pavement was wet, the street was wet or you've got water dripping out of your gutters or 647s
whatever it is. You can infer from that that it rained, right? Right. These you see, well, 654s
everything is wet out here and this is much more extensive than any kind of sprinklers here. 662s
What it's going to do or an air and fire hydrant or something like that, no rain. You infer from 669s
what you see, you infer from the cause the effects. From our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 676s
we infer then that we are among the elect. Knowledge of election is not election itself. 687s
Knowledge of election is not election itself. Knowledge of election is contingent upon 702s
is there is there faith. Is there faith? So as you reflect on your life, you ask yourself, 708s
well there is faith. I confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead. Therefore, 719s
you can infer from the existence of faith that you are among the elect as long as a person is 728s
in faith, he should regard themselves or she regard themselves as being one of the elect. 738s
As long as a person is without faith, they cannot know that they are among the elect. 748s
A current unbeliever may very well be among the elect. They just haven't been brought to faith yet. 761s
So when looks in at one's own life and when in first from the existence of faith that one is 770s
among the elect, let's go to 2 Peter chapter 1. Please, 2 Peter chapter 1. 780s
Go away to find that. It is to go to Revelation. Start moving back toward the Gospels. You're going to 788s
cross over the Johns and then you come to 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 10. 795s
So I can Peter chapter 1, verse 10. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your 811s
call and election. For if you do this, you'll never stumble. Be all the more eager to confirm your call 821s
and election. So no one should think then that because they are currently in faith in the Lord Jesus 832s
Christ that one can simply say fantastic news. I am among the elect. Therefore, I will go out and 842s
send up the storm. It doesn't matter because after all, I am among the elect. Remember the question 851s
of the Apostle Paul. Shall we sin so that grace may abound? And his answer, of course, was absolutely 858s
no. We find comfort in the gospel of election only while we are in faith. Only while we are in faith. 866s
To that end then, we should use the means whereby God keeps us in the faith. I remember a seminary 878s
professor of mine hammering home the point that God is the one that chooses us. God is the one 890s
that elects us. And of course, there were those of us in the class that were kind of struggling 899s
with that concept myself included. And you know, at one point, I kind of pressed and I said, well, 909s
do we just do nothing then? Do we just do nothing? And of course, I've given you in classes past 917s
where the professor turned and said, well, now that you don't have to do anything, what do you want 924s
to do? You see, it was a great response on that. Now you don't have to do anything. What is it 930s
that you want to do? But I also remember his response one day and he said, well, if you're just 936s
really adamant of wanting to do something, then do this. Go to church every Sunday, 942s
receive the sacraments, study the Bible. So do that. Do that. You see, what was he doing? He was 951s
just simply referring us back to the very means whereby God keeps us in the faith that he is given. 957s
What happens if we don't eat physical food? Well, we're going to die. We're going to die. If we pull 968s
ourselves away from the table of the Lord and receiving a sacrament, if we pull ourselves away 976s
from the reception of the Word, if we believe that somehow we can worship God in nature on Sunday 983s
mornings, that doesn't happen. As people are just going about their activities and pull 991s
themselves out from hearing the Word of God, we then move into a real danger zone where a person's 997s
faith can die and they don't even know it. They don't even know it. Okay, let me ask you this 1007s
question. Two or false, is everyone who comes to church a believer? No. No. You can come to a place 1014s
in one's faith walk where it becomes ritual. It becomes that which one simply does, but there's no 1027s
existence of faith. You can come to the point where, and I've seen it in people's lives, 1039s
and you know, you walk with them, you kind of encourage them not to go down this path, 1050s
but they can be faithful in worship and then some kind of life thing happens and then all of a 1055s
sudden they get pulled away from weekly worship or the kids start getting into sports on Sunday morning, 1061s
right? We're all the other activities now that Satan is throwing up on Sunday morning to pull people 1067s
away from worship. All of a sudden their faith then starts to die and then all of a sudden they 1074s
become less frequent in worship. Before long, they're there at Christmas and Easter. Before long 1080s
after that they don't even come. And then they say, well, I don't want to come because I feel like 1088s
I'm a hypocrite in coming. See what's happening? Faith is died. Why? Because they've pulled 1095s
themselves away from the very means whereby God keeps us in the faith. So that's why my professor 1102s
said, as we kept nagging on him about, well, isn't there something to do? That's why I said, well, 1110s
don't do this. Do this. And we said, right, right, we'll do that. We'll do that. We'll realize he's 1116s
still had his checkmated. He still had his checkmated. That it's totally God's action. It's totally 1122s
God who brought us to faith. It's totally God who keeps us in the faith. It's not us all of a sudden 1128s
standing and saying, you know, you're probably pretty lucky God because I'm choosing to come to worship 1135s
on the sacrament. So really look in the end. It's up to me, right? It's up to me. You see that, 1142s
that's just the old Adam and the old Eve that comes out. But here's the consequences of pulling 1149s
oneself away from the disciplined, weakly worship. Your faith can die and you don't even know it. 1155s
That's what's so sad. You don't even know it. And all of a sudden you're the walking dead. 1163s
You're the walking dead because the faith has died. Greatest gift. If I had a dollar for every time 1172s
I've said this over almost 20 years now here with you, the greatest, the greatest gift that that 1182s
my parents ever gave me was never giving me the choice of what we were doing Sunday morning. They 1188s
were Sunday morning. And sports weren't on Sunday morning. And you know when our kids played in sports, 1202s
you know, we just said they're not going to be there until afternoon. It just won't. And you know 1212s
what? They still played. And you know what? They were still on the team. And you know what? The coaches 1220s
said, I agree with you 100%. I just hate this. I just hate sports on Sunday morning to which then 1226s
the follow-up question is, then why are you an accomplice to it? You see, there would be no Sunday morning 1235s
activities if the church said no. But the church says, well there's a game. It's Sunday. 1243s
There's a dance recital. It's Sunday. There's a whatever. You see? It would never happen if the 1254s
church says, my kid will be there at one. You know what would happen? All the games would move in the 1263s
afternoon. They'd all go there. If the church just simply says, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going 1269s
to do it. So what is the kid doing here? I'm kind of preaching here a little bit. I'll get back to 1274s
heaven and hell here. But what is the child here? Child here's, I got it. I got the message. I got, 1282s
I get what's most important. I get it. I get it. And that's the game. I get it. Because I get it, 1295s
my parents are too worried about offending the coach than God. I get it. I get it. 1305s
And so Sunday morning then becomes whatever other activity is occurring. Well, if as long as it's 1317s
occurring, then what we can't go to church. See? And Satan goes, that's it. Because that's 1328s
two of the Satan. Just pull them away from the food. Pull them away from the food. And the faith 1337s
will die and Satan goes, and here's the great thing about it. They won't even know it. They won't 1342s
even know that they have just starved to death. Then the child goes up. The child has children 1347s
and what pattern then is repeated. It's the same thing. Why? Because that's what they were taught. 1357s
That's what they were taught. Okay. Now, let's get back to heaven and hell. 1364s
That's a good, where's the question? 1370s
Perfect. So we're excited to snatch them out. 1372s
Yeah. I'm not making a connection between sports involvement and being snatched here. But your 1375s
question is, can people then fall out of faith if they are elect and are about ready to get to that? 1389s
So good. Good. Yeah. Let's go on. Does the Bible speak about the possibility of a Christian 1397s
falling away? Right. Yeah. And to Jennifer's excellent question here, on the one hand, you have 1406s
the scriptures saying, the elect are the elect and God will persevere them in the faith. 1414s
And they will never fall out of the grasp of the hand of God. 1420s
Byable, however, does speak of the possibility of a Christian falling away. Let me just give you 1427s
some verses because I don't have time to get to it. Second Timothy 4, 3 to 4. Second Timothy 4, 3 to 4. 1435s
Hebrews 3, 12 to 13. Second Peter 1, verse 10. Second Peter 1, verse 10. So second Timothy 4, 1444s
3 to 4. Hebrews 3, 12 to 13. Second Peter 1, verse 10. So Paul can in one breath, he can in one 1455s
breath warn us against falling away and in the very same breath or in another breath to be 1466s
marked technically correct. In another breath, say, we will never fall away. You get two 1473s
truths in Holy Scripture. There's the warning against falling away and then you also, if you are 1480s
elect, you will not fall away. So how do you reconcile that? The warnings in scripture that 1487s
warn against falling away is speaking to the old Adam and the old even us. It's speaking to us, 1498s
to where we say, be careful if you're pulled in the undertow of sports on Sunday morning. Be careful 1508s
about that because your faith can die. Who is that speaking to? That's the old Adam and the old 1516s
Eve in us. When you get the passages out of John 10, that say, nobody can snatch me out of the hand, 1524s
that word is speaking to the new man and the new woman in us. It's speaking to the believer in us. 1537s
It's the word of comfort. So it's a matter of to whom are the voices speaking? The old Adam and 1543s
the old Eve or the new Adam and the new Eve, the believer in us. Two truths that you don't resolve 1551s
and you hold together. So for one who comes and says, say, Pastor, we're not going to be here for 1564s
the next couple of weeks because we've got a lot of games. We've got a lot of games. And then after 1575s
that, we've got company coming into town. Which verse am I going to go to? Am I going to go to the 1583s
comfort verse that speaks to the new Adam and the new Eve and says, you're one of the elect. Don't 1593s
worry about it. Don't worry about it. You know, hope they win the games. Right? Or oh yeah, you got 1599s
company, you know, yeah, you got to stay with the company. Or do I speak the word to the old Adam 1606s
and the old Eve? To the old Adam and the old Eve, right? Where I warn them, this is what can happen. 1615s
And then a situation is like that. I'll turn that into an evangelistic moment and say, 1622s
it is an incredible evangelistic moment when you have company, when you say to them, say churches 1626s
at 845 and 11, we'll be leaving at this time. Would you would you join us? Absolutely love to have 1632s
you join us. Because when Sunday morning comes and they see you preparing the dinner instead of 1640s
in worship, what does the family member get? They say, I got it. I got it. Message received. 1649s
What's more important on the Lord's day? The pot roast. The pot roast. That's what's more important 1658s
than worship. So you've got two truths then in Scripture and it depends on the application of that 1667s
depending on the situation. Remember, the summary section of election. And if you believe it is 1678s
totally the work of God and if you don't believe it's totally your own fault. 1687s
And you don't reconcile those two things. So to the person who is 1691s
burdened down, wondering or not, whether or not they're saved, were they say, like Luther did? 1697s
How can I know? I'm saved. I have faith. I think I have faith. Maybe I don't have faith. Maybe it's just 1706s
kind of a feeling. I mean, Luther was going through all kinds of mind stuff on all that. What did 1712s
Luther? What did Luther need to hear on that? Did he need to hear the word to the old Adam and 1716s
old Eve? Or did he need to hear the word to the believer? He need to hear the word comfort of 1723s
Mark. God called you as his own in the waters of baptism and washed you in the promises 1731s
and made his decision about you. And God is not letting go. And you then you go right to John 10. 1736s
Who is going to snatch you from the Father's hand? See? That then is the word of comfort. So you've got 1743s
warning and you've got comfort in Holy Scripture. And it comes down then as a Christian, 1750s
which word do we apply in a situation as we care for people? If a person permanently falls away 1759s
from the faith, if they permanently fall away from it, then they were never among what? 1775s
The elect. They never were among the elect. Am I among the elect? The question then that we ask, 1784s
do I right now by God's grace believe in Jesus as my Savior? And God immediately 1795s
immediately turns us into His Word. And He immediately turns us away from ourselves. 1805s
So Scripture calls for self-reflection. And then there is the movement away from ourselves 1814s
into the comfort of His Word. Because you see, if we're not turned to His Word, then we're stuck 1822s
like Lutherans. Where Luther says, how do I know? I don't know, maybe I don't. And there's a turn outside 1833s
of oneself to the objective word of God. And there comes the comfort. 1843s
Well, next week we're going to have our last class in this Heaven and Hell series. And I want 1853s
to take a look at just some questions with you. Here's some questions we're going to explore. 1861s
What do you say if a person was a non-believer? So what do you say if your neighbor dies 1868s
and you're talking with your neighbor? What do you say if the person is a non-believer? 1876s
What about cremation? What about cremation? So Christians do that or not? What about 1884s
cremation? What about this? Do the spirits of the departed remain here with us or haunt houses? 1891s
This is going to be kind of a wide variety of questions next week. What about this? What about people 1901s
who have never heard the gospel? Well, people have never heard the gospel. What about that? 1907s
Well, we'll continue with our examination next week. Blessings. 1914s