BASIS FOR ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION FOR THE DEVOTEE ALL true Christians may and should know that they are among those who have been predestinated to eternal life. Since faith in Christ, which is a gift from God, is the means of salvation, and since this is not given to any but the elect only, the person who knows that he has this faith can be assured that he is among the elect. The mere presence of faith, no matter how weak it may be, provided it is real faith, is a proof of salvation. As many as were ordained to eternal life (and they only) believed, Acts 13:48. Faith is a miracle of grace within those who have already been saved — a spiritual token that their salvation was finished on the cross, and certified on the resurrection morning. The truly saved know that the love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts and that their sins have been forgiven. Every converted man should know that he is among the elect, for the Holy Spirit renews only those who are chosen by the Father (Krsna) and redeemed by the Son. It is folly to fancy that a sincere lover of Jesus Christ who trusts in Him as his Saviour and lovingly obeys Him as his Lord, can possibly lack the election of God. It is only because he is one of Gods elect that he can believe in Christ for the salvation of his soul, and follow after Christ in the conduct of his life.... It is impossible, that a believer in Christ should not be elected of God, because it is only by the election of God that one becomes a believer in Christ.... We need not, we must not, seek elsewhere for the proof of our election. If we believe Christ and obey Him, we are His elect children. Prabhupada: Amongst the devotees of the Lord there are several divisions, mainly nitya-siddhas and sādhana-siddhas. The nitya-siddha devotees never fall down to the region of the material atmosphere, even though they sometimes come onto the material plane to execute the mission of the Lord. THE SADHANA-SIDDHA DEVOTEES ARE CHOSEN FROM THE CONDITIONED SOULS. Out of the sādhana devotees, there are mixed and pure devotees. The mixed devotees are sometimes enthusiastic about fruitive activities and are habituated to philosophical speculation. The pure devotees are free from all these mixtures and are completely absorbed in the service of the Lord, regardless of how and where they are situated. SB 3.3.26pp For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:29:15 +0000