I am look for more insight. I have seen many interpretation of scripture but not one that completely explains what my question is.

I am not, here, inquiring about who the elect are or about how they are elected. There have been other questions about that and it seems to me there is no agreement on those matters. But I am interested in *the characteristics of the elect* as someone has just asked me how anyone would know if they are one of what the bible calls 'God's elect'. Jesus gives us some information about that : >And shall not God avenge his own elect, **which cry day and night unto him**, though he bear long with them? [Luke 18:7 KJV] It seems that the elect cannot forbear from crying unto God in prayer. Not only can they not forbear for a twenty four hour period, they seem unable to last for even twelve hours without praying to Him. Paul adds some more information about them : >Put on therefore, as the elect of God, **holy and beloved**, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; [Colossians 3:12 KJV] Paul addresses the elect as 'holy and beloved'. He said of himself 'The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me' so he, himself, knew he was loved by the Lord. So did John, calling himself 'the disciple whom Jesus loved'. And they are 'holy'. Not only so, they are willing to have the apostle tell them to be even more so, with bowels of mercies, kindness, humility of mind, meekness and longsuffering : all characteristics displayed in regard to their fellow men. Not a matter of doing religious works to earn a reward from Deity, I notice. And Paul gives more information : >Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, **according to the faith of God's elect**, [Titus 1:1 KJV] ---------------------------------------------------- So is it the case that if someone is of these characteristics (prayerful, holy, beloved and believing) then they may be called 'one of God's elect'. And is this how Paul was able, himself, to discern that some were, indeed, of God's elect, such as those who received his preaching. And John, too, who calls someone 'the elect lady'. Are these the characteristics which gave good reason for some to be singled out and addressed in that especial way as 'God's elect' ? What other characteristics could be added to my brief research ? ------------------------------------------------------------------ This question is not scoped on the basis of a divide in doctrine. It is not aimed at one party or another. I am simply asking about characteristics and application. But I am addressing Protestant Trinitarians, for the sake of simplicity and brevity.

If Jesus said that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit then could it be reasonable to assume we are the Holy place? Also we are told that if we take the mark of the beast or worship his image we will not be in the lambs book of life. I ask this because the term "Holy Place" is used and if you presume that it is from the perspective Gods view then what indeed does HE consider "Holy". We are told to be "holy" as He is Holy. I don't see how a place can be Holy. I understand that when Gods presence was in the temple it became a holy place. But now Gods Spirit resides in us. What do you think?

At Matt 3: 11 we see John the Baptist speaking of Jesus: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. " I wish to know if Baptism by the Holy Spirit and Baptism by Fire are two different things, given that the Holy Spirit himself would later appear in the form of fire at Pentacost (Acts 2:3) . How does the Catholic Church interpret the statement of the Baptist ?

Concerning the Nicene Creed, is Jesus equal to God the Father? If so I am a little confused because in Mark 10:18 >And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Also, if I recall the Holy Spirit comes down from the Father in Heaven during the baptism of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit descending on him as a dove in Matthew 3:13–17, Mark 1:9–11, and Luke 3:21–23. The temptation of Jesus, in Matthew 4:1 the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert to be tempted. The Spirit casts out demons in Exorcising the blind and mute man miracle but The Nicene Creed also says 'I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. In many instances, Jesus prayed to God the Father for the ability to perform miracles, asking his Father God in Heaven for a miracle. However, Jesus “breathed on them [the fearful disciples locked in the room] and said to them: 'Receive the Holy Spirit'” (Jn 20:22). Jesus gives the Spirit to the disciples after he “hands over the Spirit” to the women and the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:30)

We see Jesus telling His disciples at John 14:15-16 (NRSVCE): > If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever In the first appearance, Jesus is promising the Holy Spirit to the disciples as a replacement for His physical presence with them. But, we also see Him telling the disciples at Matt 28:19-20 (NRSVCE): > 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. My question therefore is: How does the catholic Church differentiate between the presence of the Holy Spirit on the earth as promised by Jesus at John 14:16 _vis-a-vis_ His own presence as mentioned at Mtt 28:20?

At John 20:22 we read: > When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive > the Holy Spirit. One wonders how Jesus breathed on the disciples: did He do it by way of exhaling through nostrils, or by way of blowing through the mouth? How does the Catholic Church visualize Jesus breathing over His disciples post-resurrection ?

Genesis 1:2 (NRSVCE) reads : >the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. The same verse in New King James Version (NKJV)reads: >The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. I wish to know if the term ' a wind from God' as used in NRSVCE implies the Holy Spirit, or does it only mean a creative energy which set the stage for the creation of primordial life in water? What do the teachings of Catholic Church tell about the latter prospect?

I was in the middle of a discussion in a Christian Forum, where the Calvinist member say that : *"holy man / saint" can only exist only after Jesus died. Before Jesus died, all the OT people are neither holy nor saints, they are sinners - even soon after they died they are not holy/saints because they haven't been freed from their sins and their original sin by Christ's blood.* > 2 Chronicles 23:6
But let none come into the house of the LORD, > save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go > in, for **they are holy**: but all the people shall keep the watch of the > LORD. > > Psalm 34:9
O fear the LORD, ye **his saints**: for there is no want to > them that fear him. > > Deuteronomy 33:3
Yea, he loved the people; all **his saints** are in > thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of > thy words. > > Ezra 8:28
And I said unto them, **Ye are holy** unto the LORD; the > vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill > offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. It's the same question which I ask to the Calvinist member in that forum, but I don't get a satisfying answer from them as their reply starts to going around and around, jumping here and there. So... my question is:
From the verse above - how come they are being said as "holy" or "saints" if according to the Calvinist, OT people are not holy/saint yet because the blood of Christ hasn't cleanse them yet ?