Death from a Calvinist view

[SolaSaint]

Hi all,

After reading the post from amishrockstar about his students death and how he is struggling with not sharing the gospel, I felt compelled to ask a question concerning Calvinism. I didn't want to hijack his thread. I'm still trying to wrap my head around Calvinism, so bare with me.

Q:

If we experience the death of an acquaintance or even friend that we didn't share our faith with and then they die, as Calvinists shouldn't we assume they wouldn't have come to faith? If they are predestined by God to their eternal destination, then when they die, should we really struggle, for if they were elected for wrath, then would our witness have produced any effect? I know we should share our faith, but in this kind of circumstance should we feel remorse or relief? I hope this doesn't sound creepy and I hope this doesn't offend amishrockstar.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

I am not a hyper-Calvinist. I do believe that God does know the end as much as he did the beginning. Will we be held accountable? Yes. Only in so much as He required of us to be lights shining in darkness. Now if you are able to measure your light in comparison to His light and what he requires, you are a much better man than I am. Just saying. I want to live like St. Paul, having a conscience void of offense between man and God and I am falling short at age 47. But I am still going on. I plead the blood.

P.S. I am sharing the story of Christ with a young man whom my son (Daniel Martin Snyder) has loved and I have loved for many years as a friend this Friday. He just poured a bag of illegal substance out in front of my son trying to repair his life a week ago. He has been over here every night for some time. He is white for harvest. Please pray for my talk with him about 11:00 PM on Friday night. It is scheduled.

Thanks.

(Isa 55:11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

I believe this to be true of the reprobate and elect.

And we are elect in Christ who have faith in him. God just determines some things before that we have no control over. We can not see them. We are not omniscient. We are just called to be faithful. I can not tell everyone around me a full orbed story of the covenants. It just isn't feasible without being effectual by God's means. Can everyone participate in the preaching of the gospel? No. Can eveyone particpate in baptism? No. Can everyone participate in the LORD's Supper? No. Why? They would refuse because they are dead in sins. We are called to preach the gospel. I do that by shining a light on God's moral truth, the decalogue. It is brighter than most things in this life. Can I shine it completely? No. But, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded, that He is able, to keep that which I have committed, unto Him against that day.

(Act 2:23) Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

If we experience the death of an acquaintance or even friend that we didn't share our faith with and then they die, as Calvinists shouldn't we assume they wouldn't have come to faith? If they are predestined by God to their eternal destination, then when they die, should we really struggle, for if they were elected for wrath, then would our witness have produced any effect? I know we should share our faith, but in this kind of circumstance should we feel remorse or relief? I hope this doesn't sound creepy and I hope this doesn't offend amishrockstar.

I think there is a degree of hubris here, that I am sure is not your intention, in the assumption that because we did not share the Good News, that a person's eternal destiny is sealed for a particular individual. Barring our own omniscience, how can we really know such a thing? As for elected to wrath, I am quite sure God is not sending anyone to Hell who does not want to go there.

AMR

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

BTW, I do not believe that anyone wants to share in the displeasure of God knowing its full consequences. It is blindness to believe such. The devil blinds them to the truth.

(2Co 4:3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

(2Co 4:4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.