This can be a very pressing question that weighs on the hearts of those who have been introduced to the Reformed doctrines of grace, often known as Calvinism or “TULIP”. The reality of divine election (that God has chosen some unto salvation before the foundation of the world) can make us anxious. “Am I one of the elect? How can I know for certain?”
The Answer Is Simpler Than You Think
The answer to this question is beautifully simple: The only way to find out is to believe. This isn’t a theological riddle or a complex formula requiring years of study. It’s a straightforward invitation that flows from the very heart of the gospel.
Scripture makes this clear in Titus 1:1, where Paul identifies himself as “a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect.” The connection between faith and election is inseparable. Whoever believes is elect. This is not a matter of chronological sequence or certain feels or experiences, but of spiritual reality.
Faith: The First and Best Mark of Election
The Canons of Dort remind us that true faith in Christ is an unmistakable fruit of election (First Head, Article 12). This teaching provides tremendous comfort to the anxious soul. You don’t need to peer into the secret counsels of God or search for mystical signs and wonders. The evidence of your election is found in something quite accessible: your faith in Jesus Christ.
Do you trust in Christ alone for your salvation? Do you rest in His finished work on the cross? Do you believe that He died for your sins and rose again for your justification? Then you have the clearest possible evidence of your election. Faith itself is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), and it is given only to those whom God has chosen.
A Dangerous Delay
Here’s where many stumble: they reverse the proper order. Instead of believing and thereby discovering their election, they wait to believe until they can be certain of their election. This is a dangerous path that leads to spiritual paralysis.
Be careful, for if you keep waiting for that certainty before believing, there is a great chance that you are among the reprobate. This isn’t meant to terrify but to warn. The gospel comes to us as a present invitation, not a future possibility. To continually delay faith while seeking some other assurance is to reject the very means by which God reveals His electing love.
The Gospel’s Universal Call
Some worry that the doctrine of election makes the gospel offer insincere or that it’s merely intended to condemn the reprobate. This misunderstands the nature of the gospel call. The gospel is genuinely offered to all who hear it, and all who come to Christ will be received (John 6:37). The fact that some reject this offer doesn’t diminish its sincerity or universal scope.
The gospel invitation is not, “Come to Christ if you are elect,” but rather, “Come to Christ, and in coming you will discover that you are elect.” Election is not a barrier to faith but the foundation that makes faith possible.
Rest in Christ, Not in Your Introspection
The Christian life is not meant to be spent in constant self-examination, wondering if you’re saved or not. Such introspection can become a form of spiritual navel-gazing that turns your eyes away from Christ and toward yourself.
Instead, rest in the finished work of Christ. Look to His cross, not to your own heart, for assurance. Trust in His promises, not in your own feelings. The ground of your confidence is not the strength of your faith but the faithfulness of the One in whom you believe.
A Word of Encouragement
If you’re reading this and wondering about your own election, let me offer this encouragement: the very fact that you’re concerned about this question is itself a good sign. The reprobate don’t lose sleep over their eternal destiny. They don’t hunger and thirst for righteousness. They don’t feel the weight of their sin or the need for a Savior.
Your concern, your desire to know Christ, and your longing for assurance are the fruits of God’s Spirit working in your heart. They are evidences of His electing love, not reasons to doubt it.
The Invitation Stands
The gospel invitation remains gloriously simple: “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This is not a conditional offer but a gracious invitation. Christ doesn’t say, “Come if you are elect,” but simply, “Come.”
So come. Come with your doubts, your fears, your questions about election. Come with your sins, your failures, your inadequacies. Come not because you are worthy, but because Christ is worthy. Come not because you are elect, but come and discover in your coming that you are elect.
The door is open. The invitation is extended. The question is not whether you are elect; the question is whether you will believe. In believing, you will find the answer you seek, and far more importantly, you will find the Savior your soul needs!
Do you want to know if you’re elect? Then believe in Jesus Christ, and rest in this glorious truth: everyone who believes is elect, and everyone who is elect will believe.
This blog post was inspired by insights from the Dutch book “Dordt zoals je Dordt niet kende” (Dort as You Didn’t Know Dort), which offers fresh perspectives on the timeless truths of the Canons of Dort. The book challenges common misconceptions about Reformed theology while providing pastoral wisdom for those wrestling with questions of election and assurance. For those interested in a deeper exploration of these themes, the book is available at Geloof & Toerusting.
