Reprobate mind

We stand by faith. So what is reprobation.

I believe that God talks to the individual. So the question of reprobation is not between a brother and another brother. We are not to compare ourselves among ourselves.

Rather salvation is between the individual and God.

So reprobation must also be between the individual and God and not something that necessarily is decided among the brethren.

Reprobation described as

(II Corinthians 13:5 [KJV]) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

as someone that doesn't know himself or herself that Christ is in him or her.

So we see here that reprobation is something between the person and God not between the brethren.

Signs of reprobation is also described in 2tim3

(II Timothy 3:8 [KJV]) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

So a reprobate is someone that has a corrupt mind and resists the truth.

Now we know that Jesus is the truth so its someone that resists Jesus Christ.

(Titus 1:16 [KJV]) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

In Titus they talk about unto every good work reprobate. I think this is also something between the believer and God. Because we human beings can consider someone to be unto every good work reprobate but we don't have the mind of God and we ultimately do not know the purpose that God has for a specific human being. So also here reprobation should be something between God and the person rather than decided among the brethren.

(Romans 1:28-32 [KJV])
 [28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
 [29] Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
 [30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
 [31] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
 [32] Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans 1:28-32 talks about the reprobate mind. Some in the NIFB promote the idea that homosexuality is proof of having a reprobate mind and that they cannot get saved.

But we see in Romans 1:28-32 that there are multiple sins mentioned wickedness, debate, deceit etc not just fornication. So is then everyone that debates or who has ever debated a reprobate? As you can see we cannot decide reprobation by which sins the person has committed.

Also Romans 2:1-3 states:

(Romans 2:1-3 [KJV])
 [1] Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
 [2] But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
 [3] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

So we see that the verses just after Romans 1:28-32 (and remember there was no chapter division in the greek original bible i believe) talk about "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest".

So we are not to judge. And I think the reason for this is that we don't have the mind of God. So we are unable to know who will get saved.

So people can most certainly be forever rejected by God the Father and in this sense be reprobates

(Jeremiah 6:30 [KJV]) Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

But who these people are that are reprobates is not really something that we can find out through the bible.

But there are kind of indications of reprobation as talked about in 2tim3.

So what we do as believers is we separate from people that we believe are false brethren or 2tim3 reprobates.

We cannot know for sure if God is going to give them repentance. But we can separate from them and leave it to God.

(I Corinthians 5:11-13 [KJV])
 [11] But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
 [12] For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
 [13] But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

We are not to judge other people salvation:

(Romans 14:4 [KJV]) Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

But we can separate from people.

So I would say that a reprobate is most easily discerned by using 2tim3.

2 Timothy 3:1-9 KJV
[1] This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
[2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
[3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
[4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
[5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 
[6] For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 
[7] Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
[8] Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 
[9] But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

A reprobate is someone that is forever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ (2tim3:7). They have corrupt minds and they resist Jesus Christ (2tim3:8).

Footnotes