How Do We Know We Are Elect?

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Hi C____,
Thank you for your questions. You ask:

I think it is safe to say that those who are God’s elect “have passed from death unto life”. Now here is how “we know we have passed from death unto life”:

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

The same apostle adds these words in his epistle:

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

But there is one more verse of scripture to help us to know we truly are God’s elect and can help us to see that we have indeed “passed from death unto life”. Here is the the way to know you love your brothers, and at the same time to know you have “passed from death unto life”:

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Anyone can say they love God and that they are God’s elect. Many churches claim they are the only true church and that their followers are God’s elect, but when you ask them if they “keep His commandments”, it generally becomes very clear very quickly that few indeed even know what the love of God is.
Here is one of Christ’s commandments which very few men who claim they have come in Christ’s name will even claim to teach or to keep:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

There is not one orthodox Christian minister who ‘loves Christ and keeps his commandments’. If they did they would not be orthodox Christians. Every orthodox Christian minister urges those in his charge to fight for God and country, and if need be, kill those who are invading their homeland or their homes.
I am not a fool. I am well aware of how difficult it is to stay aloof of the events of this life while living in this world. But God is no fool either, so we need not think we are His children just because we call him “Lord, Lord”.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

It is quite impossible for the natural man to “do the things [ Christ] says”.
Here is one more example of those who say they are God’s elect, who claim to love God and keep His commandments, but who will not keep this commandment.

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Christ is speaking of those things which contrast with “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” He is not speaking of resisting the devil and the pulls of our flesh, in which case we are told:

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

I hope this helps you to see that being one of God’s elect is not an easy thing to achieve, and really is only accomplished by Jesus Christ Himself living His life of resisting the devil within each of His elect.
The only way we can know for certain whether Jesus Christ is living His life within either ourselves or our brothers is when we love our brothers in accord with the scriptural definition of love:

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Christ also gives us these very comforting words:

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Your second question is:

I am assuming you are referring to this verse of scripture:

Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

It was just recently brought to my attention the fact that the word translated ‘report’ is the Hebrew word ‘dibbah’, which is better translated as ‘slander’.
Here is Strong’s definition for this Hebrew word:
H1681
dibba h
dib- baw’
From H1680 (in the sense of furtive motion); slander: – defaming, evil report, infamy, slander..
Here are the Old Testament entries for this word:
H1681
dibba h
Total KJV Occurrences: 10
report, 3
Gen_37:2, Num_13:32, Num_14:37
slander, 3
Num_14:36, Psa_31:13, Pro_10:18
infamy, 2
Pro_25:10, Eze_36:3
defaming, 1
Jer_20:10
evil, 1
Num_13:32.
So Joseph was telling his father of the evil slandering of his brothers. In spiritual application for us today, this simply means that we are made aware of all the false doctrines of our own “seed of Abraham” brothers and sisters, who continuously slander the good name of our loving, gentle, patient, and kind, heavenly Father.
All the doctrines of Babylon slander the good name of our heavenly Father. It has never entered His mind to burn anyone alive in literal fire. That doctrine slanders His good name. On the other hand He will judge His people, and the false doctrine of a substitutionary death, which denies that Christ in us dies daily and is crucified with Christ, is also a blasphemous doctrine. We do indeed “reap what we sow”, and it is also true that “whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son He receives”.
Whoever says otherwise is slandering the good name of our heavenly Father who “chastens and scourges every son He receives”.
I hope that helps you to better understand what Joseph reporting to his Father of the evil slandering of his brothers signifies.
Your last question is:

The answer to this question is really contained in the answer to your last question. Joseph refused to slander the good name of his Father even as all ten of his brothers did so routinely. His rejected brothers are the Old Testament symbol of all the churches of Babylon. Joseph stood with his Father and for his Father in the face of all the slandering of his brothers. We too, must stand firm on God’s Word even as we are being accused of twisting it. Our Father knows who it is who is really twisting the word ‘aion’ which means ‘a period of time with a definite beginning and a definite end’ into eternity. Our heavenly Father knows who it is who is twisting “Love your enemies” into ‘Unless he is really your enemy and means you bodily harm’. Our heavenly Father knows who it is who is twisting “I fill up in my body that which is behind of the afflictions of the Christ for His body’s sake which is the church” and “I die daily” and “I am crucified with Christ”, into ‘Christ died for me so I don’t have to die’.
All such twisting of God’s Word is slanderous blasphemy of His loving, kind, gentle, but firm and disciplined good name.
So the answers to your questions here is to be careful not to cast your pearls before swine or give that [ Truth] which is holy to the dogs [ in Babylon]. But when confronted with their lies, you stand pat on the Rock that is Christ and His Word, and let the chips fall where the holy spirit is having them to fall.
In closing I would encourage you to join our nightly Bible studies and fellowship calls and “speak often” to the other parts of the body of Christ. It is impossible to stay spiritually healthy while ignoring the other parts of your own body. Fellowship with others in the Christ is never meant to be a litmus test, but it is scripturally clear that all who partake thereof are spiritually benefited by doing so.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
(YLT) For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ,
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

I hope all of this serves to draw you closer to our Lord and His Christ,
Mike

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