2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
The point here is that just as false prophets were among the People (Israel), even so false teachers would be among the believers. They are "bringing in" damnable heresy, the Church is not going out to find it. Well, that used to be true.
They went out from us, but they were notofus; for if they had been ofus, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all ofus.
We also look at the Parable of the wheat and tares, though here we can distinguish that the world is in view, though the point remains of a difficulty of discerning the true from the false.
As I said, it is a Biblical concept. And I would think that most would agree that false converts are a problem. This is one of the reasons God separated a People unto Himself in Israel, that they might not be contaminated by the world.
I don't understand those passages (if I am considering the correct ones) to be preaching election as evangelism (it was granted that the Jews were considered God's chosen). What I mean is that there is no instance where election is used in terms of telling people that they may not be elect in evangelism (that I know of, anyway).
Elections refers to those whom God himself chose and marked out as His own, andHe then gave them the Gospel and the Spirit enabling them to respond to jesus and confirm election by getting saved!
You MUST agree with the truth that you are a sinner, unabnle to save yourself, Jesus was God in flesh who died in your place, took on your sins and paid your sin penalty, and believe God raised Him from the dead, so yes, election is from/of God, but so are certain truths to hold with!
Which is why I raised the question in the first place. If something is definitely going to happen with absolute 100% certainty, then the risk of it not happening is 0%.
I agree with you. I like what JamesL said about election being an eschatological hope, as this is how Scripture often presents election. I disagree that this is not speaking of all believers, but I think that the terms is looking forward from the standpoint of being saved. We never see Paul skipping the proud, arrogant pagan because he is not among the elect. Paul doesn't know (or, probable more precisely, Paul knows that this was once himself....yet God drew him to salvation).
Your view is wretchedly fatalistic, full of human reasoning and against the word of God.
He says,
'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore........' (Matthew 28:18-19).
If all authority has been given to Christ, why do we need to do anything?
His will is going to be done in any case so let's sit back and let Him get on with it!
When William Carey first suggested a mission to India, an elderly minister is supposed to have said to him, "Young man; sit down!
When it pleases God to save the heathen he will do so without your help or mine!"
But this view is desperately earthly.
It is precisely because God is utterly sovereign that we are to go!
"Go therefore and make disciples."
The God who declares, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy" (Romans 9:15) and decreed salvation for a vast crowd of sinners has also decreed the means of their salvation- the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully preached.
They will not be saved without hearing the Gospel (Romans 10:14-15).
And that is why David Brainard, dying from Consumption, forced himself through the American wilderness to reach the Red Indian tribes and bring the Gospel to them.
He was a five-point Calvinist, but he wanted to see God's name glorified among the heathen.
Today, people are perishing because of a false gospel.
We don't know who is elect or who isn't and that should not be our concern.
Our concern should be the glory of God!
'For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you' (Romans 2:24).
'Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10:31).