Everyone who claims to be a "Calvinist," or who claims to believe the "doctrines of sovereign grace," or who claims to be of "the reformed faith," will agree with the following truths: (1) God has sovereignly elected a people out of Adam's fallen race; (2) Christ came to die for and secure the salvation of all whom God elected; and (3) all whom God elected and for whom Christ died shall be saved. The issue on which many such people do not agree, or at least on which many are confused, is this -- How can we know if we are one of God's elect? Some say we cannot know for sure until we persevere for many years. Others say we cannot know until the Final Judgment. But what does God's Word say? Read the following --

• Romans 10:1 -- Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. {2} For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. {3} For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

This verse tells us that that all who are not submitted to the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel (Rom. 1:16-17) give no evidence of being God's elect. All who are submitted to this righteousness give evidence of being God's elect. The question then concerning whether or not we can know for sure if we are one of God's elect is -- ARE WE SUBMITTED TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD REVEALED IN GOD'S GOSPEL?

First, we must understand that every true believer, young and old, weak and strong, immature and mature, from the least to the greatest, knows that God has justified him based solely upon the merits of the righteousness of Christ alone. Every true believer knows that Christ's righteousness alone makes the difference between heaven and hell, and has repented of things which they, prior to this saving knowledge, highly esteemed. This is where all who are truly and savingly submitted to the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel begin. They may be confused and unlearned in other areas, but this issue is settled in their minds and hearts. As it is God the Holy Spirit's goal to establish the hearts of true believers with the absolute certainties of grace, consider the following implications of this great truth.

If you are submitted to the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel, then --

1. You will see that Christ's righteousness alone entitles you to all of salvation, including all the gracious work of God the Holy Spirit in you.

2. You will see that you are justified, sanctified, already "meet" (qualified) for heaven, adopted into God's family not based on anything you do or don't do, nor based on anything you hope to do or ever will do. You know that these blessings are the fruit and effect of Christ's righteousness alone.

3. You will see that you are dead to the law and married to Christ, dead to the law and alive unto God --

Romans 7:4 -- Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become DEAD TO THE LAW by the body of Christ; that ye should be MARRIED TO ANOTHER, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

• Galatians 2:19 -- For I through the law am DEAD TO THE LAW, that I might LIVE UNTO GOD.

4. You will see that you are dead to sin and alive unto God --

• Romans 6:11 -- Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be DEAD INDEED UNTO SIN, but ALIVE UNTO GOD through Jesus Christ our Lord.

5. You will see that you have repented of former idolatry and dead works.

6. You will see that no sinner can take the first step in serving the Lord or running the Christian race until we are convinced that Christ's righteousness alone entitles us to all of salvation, from regeneration to final glorification.

7. You will see that God the Holy Spirit cannot promote or condone legalism, and all efforts at religion and morality are legal before we are submitted to Christ's righteousness alone --

• Galatians 5:2 -- Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. {3} For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Consider point #1 in light of the Gospel. God's Gospel itself removes all legal notions and puts the work of the Holy Spirit in us in its proper place. God's Gospel is specific -- It is His promise to give us all of salvation freely based solely upon the righteousness of His Son. This righteousness revealed in God's promise is specific. This righteousness, established by God the Son incarnate, actually entitles the believing sinner to all of salvation according to God's promise and is perfectly consistent and honoring to every attribute of God's character. This specific righteousness identifies the God whom we worship, the Christ whom we love and trust, and the Holy Spirit who indwells us.

Consider points # 3 and #4 in light of the Gospel. It is vital that we know God's definitions of the terms DEAD TO THE LAW and DEAD TO SIN --

DEAD TO THE LAW -- According to the Scriptures, DEAD TO THE LAW has a two-fold meaning: (1) It means God's law can never again pronounce us cursed, condemned, or defiled based on our sins; and (2) God's holy law can never demand any obedience of any kind at any time from us in order to attain or maintain any part of that salvation we have already attained based on the righteousness of Christ. The person who is submitted to the righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel is as sure for heaven as if he were already there. We are already there in the Person of Christ our Representative. This assures us that we shall be there in our own persons in time.

DEAD TO SIN -- Romans 6:11 -- "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Sin brings guilt and defilement. Guilt and defilement brings the dominion of sin. We are all under the dominion of sin as long as we owe a debt to God's law and justice. All whom Christ represented died to sin in the same way Christ died to sin. Our sins, sins He did not commit, were imputed to Him, and they became His by imputation only. These imputed sins brought with them their guilt, defilement, and dominion. Likewise, those whom Christ represented actually died, not in their own persons, but in the Person of their Representative. They all died to the guilt, defilement, and dominion of sin.

We do not want to diminish the importance of the effect this truth has on the character and conduct of a believer, but strictly speaking, in order to find the proper definition of dead to sin, we have to exclude our personal character and conduct. For example, when the guilt and defilement of the sins of His sheep were imputed to Christ's Person, this in no way applied to His character and conduct. It did affect Him as He was burdened down with grief and agony, but He did not become guilty and defiled in His character and conduct. He remained sinlessly perfect in character and conduct, while at the same time He became guilty and defiled in His Person. When He died unto sin, He died unto the guilt and defilement of sin as legally applied to His Person. When we become dead to sin, we die unto sin's guilt and defilement in the same way that Christ, our Surety, died unto sin's guilt and defilement.

SO, EXCLUDE PERSONAL CHARACTER AND CONDUCT AS IT APPLIED TO CHRIST AND AS IT APPLIES TO THOSE WHOM HE REPRESENTED, THEN WE CAN FIND GOD'S DEFINITION OF DEAD TO SIN. God sees our persons, and He sees our sins, but the guilt and defilement of those sins are not imputed to us because they were imputed to Christ who represented us in our name and in our nature. All whom He represented then are sure for heaven as if they were already there. Christ's righteousness demands it.

In light of this specific righteousness which demands the salvation and final glory of all whom Christ represented, we can see that the Gospel exposes sin that we do not recognize by nature. This sin we do not recognize by nature is revealed and exposed to be evil --

• John 3:19 -- And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. {20} For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.



• Romans 7:5 -- For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.



• Philippians 3:3 -- For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. {4} Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

The Apostle Paul defines what he means by the word "flesh" in the following verses --

• Philippians 3:5 -- Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; {6} Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. {7} But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. {8} Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, {9} And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

We now repent and consider all the things we once highly esteemed as evil. We now repent of the former doctrine we believed and supported. We now see that our former doctrine identifies our former god as an idol, a god that cannot save. It also identifies our former savior as a counterfeit who does not exists except in the minds of lost sinners. We now see that while we were under such false doctrine that we ourselves and all who are even now not submitted to this specific righteousness are workers of iniquity. This is the repentance that follows justifying faith. This repentance will keep us from speaking peace where there is no peace.

Someone may object, "But what about the other side of the coin? What about holy living, godliness, and obedience?" God never separates faith and obedience --

• James 2:20 -- But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

God's Gospel itself puts both faith and obedience in their proper place. Faith excludes itself and obedience from making the difference between heaven and hell. The obedience of servants of sin, those under the law, those who still owe a debt to God's law and justice, no matter what their outward appearance or reputation, their obedience is called wicked works and fruit unto death (Rom. 6:17,18,21). God-given faith excludes itself because those who have saving faith believe that Christ's righteousness alone entitles them to ALL of salvation. All acceptable obedience flows from the absolute certainty of salvation based on this righteousness alone. In addition to this, our obedience is always qualified by a genuine sense of our own sinfulness as we cry, "O wretched man that I am" (Rom. 7:24), and "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). The cross is where righteousness was finished and established.

God the Holy Spirit cannot promote or condone legalism, because legalism is opposed to His nature. God the Holy Spirit glorifies God the Son incarnate --

• John 16:13 -- Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. {14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

This is speaking of something specific. We all know that the Spirit testifies of Himself in various ways. He testifies of Himself as being truly God, as being our Comforter, our Teacher, and as indwelling believers. He testifies of His gifts, but in this specific area, God the Holy Spirit will not testify of Himself. HE WILL TESTIFY THAT CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE ENTITLES GOD'S ELECT TO ALL OF SALVATION, INCLUDING HIS OWN WORK IN THEM.

What about perseverance in the faith and running the Christian race? We know that only those who finish the race will enter into glory. This is true, but this is in no way legal. We can see this in the Holy Spirit's exhortations for believers to persevere in the faith. We see in Hebrews an example of those who did not enter into God's rest because of unbelief --

• Hebrews 3:11 -- So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.



• Hebrews 3:18 -- And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?



• Hebrews 4:3a -- For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:

Then we see the exhortations given to believers to persevere in that rest --

• Hebrews 3:6 -- But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.



• Hebrews 3:14 -- For we are made partakers of Christ, IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

God's Gospel itself puts all the "if's" in the Bible in their proper place. Notice what we are to hold fast or hold, about which we are to be dogmatic -- the absolute certainty that God is faithful and just to fulfil His promise of all of salvation, including perseverance and final glory, based solely upon the imputed righteousness of His Son. This dogmatism give evidence that we are in the family of Christ. God the Holy Spirit never promotes legal doubts to those who are submitted to the righteousness of God. False humility is nothing more than unbelief, and this kind of faith will never enable you to enter into God's rest (Heb. 3:18,19; 4:1,3a).

Many who call themselves "Christian," even "Calvinists," speak of these "if's" or the Christian "race" which is to be run in the way of perseverance as if these are conditions for salvation or as if they are legal in some way towards the believer. They encourage people to "run the race" as if they may not make it, as if their final glory were conditioned on their persevering. All who do this reveal that they are not submitted to the righteousness revealed in God's Gospel.

One of the main objections raised against these truths is the following -- "This is judging, and we are not to judge anyone's salvation." We must understand that judging is not the issue. We judge all things. Right now, you are judging whether these things are true or false. The issue is this -- What is our standard of judgment? Man's standard of judgment is self-righteous and perverted. Men and women by nature insist on judging by anything and everything except God's doctrine. Men and women by nature insist on judging by outward appearance, reputation, etc. God forbids us to judge ourselves or others based on outward appearance and reputation, and God commands us to judge based on HIS DOCTRINE. God forbids us to speak peace to ourselves and to others who are not submitted to the righteousness of Christ, because no person abides in the doctrine of Christ, is dead to the law or dead to sin, until they are submitted to that righteousness which is the ground of all these blessings and many more. Please read God's testimony -- Matt. 7:1,2; 23:27,28; Gal. 1:8,9; John 7:16-17,24; 1 John 3:1; 2 John 9-11. Until we are dead to sin, we are servants of sin and dead in sin. Until we are dead to the law, we are under the law's curse and, as a result, bringing forth fruit unto death, evil deeds.

Remember, the Pharisees believed in and looked for the messiah, the christ to come. They did not receive and love God's Messiah because of His doctrine. Christ told them plainly that their persons were in a state of cursedness, and all their religious deeds were evil. Why? Because they were not submitted to His righteousness, and because they would not submit to this specific righteousness, they refused to repent of former idolatry and evil deeds. Today all Arminians and far too many Calvinists have received a christ whose atonement or righteousness merely makes sinners savable if they meet certain conditions, whether by free will or by God enabling them to meet the condition. It makes no difference. They both have a counterfeit christ on the throne, and the true Christ still on the cross. Christ's atonement was the culmination of the actual establishment of His righteousness which entitles the ungodly sinner to all of salvation including the work of the Holy Spirit in him. This alone is a definite atonement.

God's elect are going to be saved because Christ's righteousness demands it. Before conversion God's elect are all children of wrath even as others, all ungodly, all enemies of God. So before conversion God's promise is not addressed to the elect or to those who have been quickened, but to the ungodly, to cursed sinners, to those who are alienated from God. The promise is preached to such sinners, to all the world, to whosoever will, and all such sinners are commanded and responsible to believe and repent. Believing this specific promise and repenting of former idolatry and dead works, which brings Godly love, is the evidence of election. There is no evidence that any person is one of God's elect before this.

God is absolutely sovereign in all things, including salvation, and that sovereign God has revealed His purpose to save His elect based on the righteousness of His Son. This righteousness alone entitles them to all of salvation. That sovereign God has also revealed that it is His purpose to reveal this specific righteousness in His Gospel and nowhere else. That same sovereign God has also revealed His purpose to freely give whosoever will all of salvation based on Christ's righteousness alone, and whosoever, Calvinist or Arminian, refuses to submit to this specific righteousness is a debtor to do the whole law.

Do you see that no matter how much a person might love someone or how much they may appear righteous unto men, or how long they have preached, or how many converts they might have, if they are not submitted to this righteousness, if they do not preach and support this promise, they are all evil doers and workers of iniquity and this applies to all without exception before true conversion? If a person is submitted to Christ's righteousness, he will know these things are true. If he refuses to admit this, he has never repented, and all his repentance was of the world, which is no more than legal repentance.

As there are so many "Calvinists" who seem to be ignorant of or confused on these issues, I would ask -- Are you submitted to this specific righteousness? If you are, you will rejoice in this message. If not, God does not exclude you. You exclude yourself by refusing to repent of former idolatry and evil deeds. It is your responsibility to believe and repent. God commands you to believe His truth and reject Satan's lie. Please do not look upon this as foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18). To those who are preachers we would ask them to please do not fail to consider that you, with all your preaching and converts, all your religion for all these years, you could possibly still owe a debt to both God's law and justice. You do owe that debt if you are not submitted to this righteousness revealed only in God's Gospel. I hope and pray you will.

Our intention in presenting these issues is the glory of God in Christ, the salvation of sinners, and the establishment of true believers in the absolute certainties of God's grace. We would, therefore, ask anyone who agrees with these truths and rejoices in them to please respond as we seek the fellowship of brethren in the faith of Christ. We need to present a united front in this day of ignorance and compromise. We need to communicate with and pray for one another. We would like anyone who disagrees and who feels they can refute these issues scripturally to respond also.