Only the absolute [God Almighty] can know with absolute certainty.
“How many backsliders can dance on the head of a pin?”
If you persevere to the end, then you were saved.
No one knows for sure on the eternal fate of his neighbor. As far as the example above the so called ‘sinful’ person could have done many good works before passing...if you believe that good works alone will deliver you.
We know the best good works are those low profile acts known only to God.
I’m interested to hear what JM has to say about this too. btw his last few shows that politely dismantled the charismatics were a good listen.
I certainly appreciate John MacArthur and enjoy listening to him almost nightly but what "deep sin" did he commit?
I once has a Calvinist as a teacher who insisted that once you’re saved you’re always saved. A student asked him “well, what about those that were Christians, and then turned against their faith?”
“Well, they were never saved in the first place”
“But they believed they were, while they weren’t. How can we know that we are truly saved then?
“We can’t. We won’t know for sure until we’re in heaven.”
So basically, there is security in your faith as a Calvinist. One of the many reasons I reject Calvinism.
Born in an Armenian Body, John Knew Early That He Was a Calvinist
The answer is much easier than you think.
Actually, this is more of a problem for the Calvinist. While the Armenian can affirm such one was born again based "things which accompany salvation," (Heb. 6:9,10) though they later backslid, under Perseverance of the saints, no matter how much one has evidenced "things which accompany salvation," if they die in impenitent adultery, etc., are relegated to having never been born again.
But the biggest problem are modern day antinomians who suppose men living in willful impenitent sin are saved as long as they profess to trust Jesus to save them.
The Bible says that the heart is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?”
If that meant no one absolutely could, than no one could, but Peter did, (Acts 8:21-23) for "he that is spiritual judgeth all things.." (1 Corinthians 2:15)
Thus Paul knew the Thessalonians were elect in the light of their testimony, (1Ths. 1:1-10) and the writer of Hebrews also was persuaded by evidence of regeneration. (Heb. 5:9)
Moreover, the Holy Spirit provides descriptions of saving faith by which one may know they have eternal life, (1Jn. 5:13), while Peter provides for how one can never fall, (2Pt. 1:1-11) but which the Bible does warn against. (Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 3:6,12,14; 10:25-39)
Saving faith is characterized the "obedience of faith," which includes repentance when convicted of not doing so, David effectively denied the Lord by His sins, but immediately repented when he realized his guilt (which he somehow must have sublimated) when fingered by Nathan.
Thus the Lord chastens us unto repentance, "that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:32)
Thanks be to God. We need faith in the Lord to save us as well as to perfect that which concerneth us, looking unto Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith," rather than having an evil heart of unbelief, in "departing from the living God," drawing back unto perdition.
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “
We Calvinsts know we are weak vessels of the unfathomably wise and mighty God. We are incompetetant to judge the saved but fully confident in God's infinite yet efficient ability to save. We have great hope for ourselves because God delights in hard cases.