“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Those who respond to the gospel and its call become part of His elect. Those who reject the gospel and its message will be condemned.

However, it seems to me that the offer is only efficacious for the elect. It is only the elect who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to respond correctly to the offer, and obtain eternal life. The non-elect remain dead in their sins, unable to respond.

I’m a life-long Methodist, but I have studied the reformed faith somewhat, and that is my understanding of the subject. But I don’t think it is worth anybody fighting about it. It’s not for us to be able to identify the elect; it’s for us to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all and let the Holy Spirit effect the transformation in people’s lives.