Objection 6

From Sovereign Grace and the Scope of Election: A Comparative Examination of Attainment Theology and Grace Theology, with Particular Attention to the Question of Whether God's Elect Are Found Among All Nations and Religions

Without tongues as evidence, how do you know anyone is born again? And your unevangelized 'elect' show no evidence at all.

Answer. Scripture's stated evidences of life are moral and affectional, not phonetic: love of the brethren (1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren"), conviction of sin, hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). These fruits can and do appear in persons who lack doctrinal vocabulary, the publican who could only say "God be merciful to me a sinner" went home justified ahead of the theologically fluent Pharisee (Luke 18:13-14). As for the unevangelized elect, Romans 2:14-15 describes at least the kind of evidence in view: the work of the law written on hearts, conscience bearing witness. Whether any particular Gentile in that passage is regenerate is not stated, and this document does not claim to know; the passage is offered as consistent with the doctrine, not as its proof. We do not claim to identify the elect abroad; we claim God knows them (2 Timothy 2:19) and loses none (John 6:39). Judgment of the secret things belongs to Him (Romans 2:16).