And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 strike me as a good proof text for the doctrine of reprobation. Reprobation is the necessary reverse of election: if God has chosen some for everlasting life in Christ, he has not chosen others. These have been blinded and cannot understand the Gospel, no matter how clearly it is proclaimed to them.
At the same time, those who question their own salvation ought to take some comfort from these verses. Many have spiritually shipwrecked themselves on the rocky fact that only God knows his secret counsels, and thus only God knows who he has elected. Nonetheless, anyone can know whether he has understood the Gospel of the glory of Christ. If he has, he is not one of the perishing unbelievers; his sight is not veiled because he is not reprobate but elect.
At the same time, those who question their own salvation ought to take some comfort from these verses. Many have spiritually shipwrecked themselves on the rocky fact that only God knows his secret counsels, and thus only God knows who he has elected. Nonetheless, anyone can know whether he has understood the Gospel of the glory of Christ. If he has, he is not one of the perishing unbelievers; his sight is not veiled because he is not reprobate but elect.
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