The elect who are already believers know it because the Holy Spirit has touched and changed their hearts to give them faith (or, if you like, to infallibly lead them to choose to have faith). Through this faith men are saved. By this same God-given faith men know that they may count on and rely on God's promises made to us in scripture. And I'm not talking about the synthesized and retrofitted promises that come from the Magisterium. I'm just talking about the plain text promises, such as John 3:16 (denied its clear AND simple meaning by the Magisterium -- [see earlier discussion of perspicuity]). By these Biblical promises, men may know that they are saved, and are therefore, by definition, of the elect.
[continuing:] If you knew that you weren’t [of the elect] how would your behaviour change?
It wouldn't change at all. If I KNEW that I wasn't of the elect then I would have supernatural powers, or a special revelation, unknown to virtually all men in history. And, in today's world and since I am basically human, that would most likely make me the anti-Christ himself. :) Anti-Christ is the only one who can KNOW he is not elect. Now, please notice the MAMMOTH difference between this and knowing if one is saved with assurance.
One is elect or not from all eternity. It is black and white, true or false, whether (or when) we know it or not. "Saved" is a different animal. When we talk about "saved" it totally matters whether we know it or not, in normal conversation. "Saved" is what happens when we accept Christ, nevermind that we have been elect all along and never knew it.
But then some of us read the Reformers, read the Institutes, read the Westminster and Heidelberg Confessions. But most importantly, we went back to the Bible and read it with new eyes and ears. And we heard, often for the first time, that God really is who He says He is in Scripture. If God is sovereign and the creator of all things, and if Scripture is true, then nothing is outside His perfect plan for all creation.
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" -- Isaiah 46:9-10"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
The logic of who God says He is is overwhelming. If God created everything, and God knows everything, and nothing is unknown to God, and if God is complete and whole and in need of nothing, then it follows that what occurs in life is exactly what God intends to occur, one way or the other. As Joseph learned...
"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." -- Genesis 50:20
And if God knows "the end from the beginning," then of course God knows the names of those who are His children and He has known this from before the foundation of the world because He decreed it. If those names weren't as God desired, then those names would be different.
This is the assurance that the world conspires to keep from Christians -- that God really and truly wrote the names of His children in the Book of Life from before they were even born, before they could do anything to merit their salvation...
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth" -- Romans 9:11
The amazing clarity that falls into place when we realize that God is in control is a gift given to His children so that they will trust Him completely. To God alone be the glory.
I pity those who've put their trust in men and magick and magisteriums when the Bible is the voice of the Holy Spirit and all we need to do is listen and learn.
"Be not afraid; only believe." -- Mark 5:36
The RCC would have us believe (since we've seen RC posters even ridicule these words by Christ on this very thread) that Christ's instructions are not enough and that faith must be adorned with works and perpetual blood sacrifices and prayers to wooden idols. As a consistent Christian, I have to believe that God did just as He said He was going to do -- some He quickened and "delivered from evil," and some He did not...
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." -- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-15"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who really knows the heart of another man? Who knows how much idolatry is hidden within our minds which Calvin called "an idol factory?" Without the certain knowledge that God guides His children along every step any of us can become idol-worshippers, trusting in the traditions of men and our own leadings instead of the tradition of Christ's words and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The mass is a mass of abominations, a mass of hell's own concocting, a crying insult against the Lord of glory. It is not to be spoken of in any terms but those of horror and detestation. Whenever I think of another sacrifice for sin being offered, by whomever it may be presented, I can only regard it as an infamous insult to the perfection of the Savior's work." -- Charles Spurgeon"But some truths ought to be kept back from the people," you will say, "lest they should make an ill use thereof." That is Popish doctrine. It was upon that very theory that the priests kept back the Bible from the people. They did not give it to them lest they should misuse it. Besides all this, remember that men do read the Scriptures and think about these doctrines and often make mistakes about them. Who then shall set them right if we who preach the Word hold our tongues about the matter?
As Charles Spurgeon came to realize, what specifically has God not helped us with in our coming to salvation? God causes us to repent. He causes us to pray. He causes us to ask forgiveness. It is through His empowerment and His Holy Spirit that we are able to do any of this.