Peter Warns All Believers Against False Teachers Within and Exhorts Us to be Steadfast Volume 9

Making our Calling and Election Sure (to ourselves & to the world 🗺) Part 6 2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: KJV Note: NKJV=New King 👑James Version Now the Apostle Peter directly declares to those early converts to Christ who were suffering tremendous persecution in those early days of the Church ⛪how the knowing that they have been individually called by God the Father into His Heavenly Family and Kingdom will be for them comfort of mind and consolation to their souls and conformity to the will of God in all places and circumstances. Because in their/our diligence in adding those seven moral excellencies to the gift 📦of grace/faith that we have so undeservedly received from above we will have calm in our inner man 👨and inner woman 👩as assured sons and daughters of the Most High God. This is why the Apostle Peter writes these words for us here in 2 Peter 1:10, "give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" In 2 Peter 1:5 Peter used the Greek word spoudē for the English word diligence which meant to be speedy and eager and earnest in adding these seven (7) moral excellencies to our grace/faith gift 📦, however, here in 2 Peter 1:10 the Apostle uses the Greek word spoudazō for the English word diligence which in this case means also to be speedy but as well it means to be make an effort, giving diligence/endeavor in labor and in study. In other words, or the idea Peter is spelling out for us is that it is our responsibility to work out of us the salvation that has been poured into us by the grace of God when we were regenerated, redeemed, and resurrected from spiritual death, that is, when we were born again. This is exactly what Paul the Apostle meant when he wrote these words to the brothers and sisters of the Philippian Church ⛪, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13) (NKJV). This is exactly the same thing the Apostle Peter here means in 2 Peter 1:10, but because these are two different men inspired by the same Holy Spirit there words are different, yet the meaning identical. God the Holy Spirit does not make each one of us identical robots but works through each son and daughter of God using our own unique personalities, proclivities, and perspectives as each child of God is made-up, for we are all the same in human form but created by God as His unique and different soul from any other. In God's mind each one of us are His sons and daughters before He ever created anything, but for our sakes we are to make our election = Divine selection sure or firm to ourselves so as to not be wondering around as pilgrims hoping we are saved, but knowing we are saved by grace through faith as the Apostle John recorded the Words of our Lord Jesus when He prayed these Words in John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Also these words written by the Apostle John in his little epistle 1 John when he wrote this speaking in conclusion of the entire epistle of 1 John, "These things I have written to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the Name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13) (NKJV). We can and we must examine ourselves by the entire letter ✉ of 1 John and then we can and will have the assurance (freedom from doubt) of our place in God's/Abba's Family and Heavenly Kingdom and the deposit of the Holy Spirit within us is our guarantee/insurance of our Heavenly Hope and Home with Christ Jesus our Lord forever, as Paul the Apostle wrote with these words to the Ephesian Church ⛪, "In Him (Jesus) you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14) (NKJV). Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of 2 Peter 1:10, "To exercise the afore mentioned graces, and to perform the above duties, since this is the way to make your calling and election sure; by calling is not meant a call to any office in the Church, nor an external call, either by the voice of nature, or by the ministry of the word; but an internal and effectual call by special grace, to grace here, and glory hereafter; instead of 'calling', the Alexandrian copy reads, 'comfort': and by 'election' is meant, not a national, nor Church election, but a particular and personal one, since scattered saints, and particular believers, are here written to, and each called upon to be diligent to make their own, and not another's, calling and election sure; nor is a choice of persons to an office designed, seeing the Apostle writes not to officers of Churches in particular, but to believers in common; nor a separation of persons from the world by the effectual calling, since these two are both mentioned here, and as distinct from each other, and to be made sure; but an election of particular persons to eternal life and salvation is here intended, which is an eternal act of God, arises from His free grace and favour, and is according to His Sovereign will and pleasure; and is absolute, and independent of any condition, foreseen, or required in men, as faith, holiness, and good works; all which are fruits and effects, and not causes and conditions of electing grace. These may be made 'sure', not in themselves, or with respect to God, for in this sense they cannot be made surer than they are: effectual calling is according to the purpose of God, which cannot be frustrated, and is, without repentance, irreversible, and irrevocable, and is inseparably connected with eternal glory; and election stands not upon the foot of works, but upon the free grace of God, which cannot be made void, and upon the will of God, which cannot be resisted; and is also closely connected with glorification; see Romans 8:30 nor are those to be made sure by saints, with respect to themselves; for though they may sometimes be at a loss about them, and may have some scruples and doubts in their minds concerning their interest in them, and an assurance of their being both called and chosen, may be after all attained unto by them; yet this is not their work, but it is the work of the Spirit of God, to certify and make sure unto them, or assure them of their calling and election of God: but the sense is, that diligence is to be used by the saints, to make their calling and election sure to others; not their election by their calling only, which is to themselves; for both are to be made sure, and that to others, and by some third thing; either to their fellow Christians, which they may do by giving them an account of the work of God upon their souls, joined with a testimony of their good lives and conversations; or rather to the world 'by good works', as the Vulgate Latin version and two copies of Beza's read; or 'by your good works', as the Alexandrian copy and the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; or by the exercise of the graces, and the discharge of the duties before mentioned, whereby the men of the world may be certified and assured, by the best evidence the saints are capable of giving to them, or they of receiving, that they are the called and chosen of God, they profess themselves to be; and which is a reason why those things should be done: and another follows, for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall; or 'sin', as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions render it; not that they should never fall at all, or in any sense, for in many things we all offend or fall; or should ever commit any act of sin, or fall into sin, for there is no man that lives, and sins not; or that they should not fall from a degree of the lively exercise of grace, or from a degree of steadfastness in the doctrine of faith, but that they should never sin the sin against the Holy Ghost, or fall totally and finally; for though they fall, they should rise again by faith and repentance, through the grace and power of Christ, who is able to keep them from falling: and besides, while they were exercising those graces, and doing those duties, they should not fall; for these are the means of final perseverance, and therefore the rather to be regarded. Another argument, strengthening the exhortation, follows." If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Peter Warns All Believers Against False Teachers Within Volume 8

Making our Calling and Election Sure (to ourselves & to the world 🗺) Part 5 2 Peter 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. KJV Note: NKJV=New King 👑James Version Peter wants all of us to see where persistent deficiency on any of our parts of feeding on Christ and His Holy Word will lead us into; First, Peter says in 2 Peter 1:8 that "he that lacketh these things is blind." We all know and understand what physical blindness means, but there is a far worse blindness of the spirit for the son or daughter of Christ Jesus our Lord. Spiritual blindness can cause any of us to not feel near or close to God the Father. It is just like in the natural family where Parents and children can drift away from one another in closeness and fellowship caused by many different things on both parts, however, with our Heavenly Father when the closeness or intimacy begins to fade it is always we His children that have moved away from Him, for He never moves away His redeeming, restoring, and resurrecting love away from us. Here is how Charles Wesley declares it, "The eyes of his understanding are again closed. He cannot see God, or his pardoning love. He has lost the evidence of things not seen. Not able to see afar off - Literally, purblind. He has lost sight of the precious promises: perfect love and Heaven are equally out of his sight. Nay, he cannot now see what himself 🖐and pulled us out of that sinking sand and lifted us up and placed on firm ground where we could now see clearly with new eyes 👀and we looked back at that quicksand of sin that we thought was normal and with new eyes 👀we found it disgusting, dirty, and diseased. Therefore, to lack virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brother kindness, and love would not just be a small thing, but it would be terrible, for it would show our ungratefulness for being rescued from such a horrible state or condition. Peter says it is if we have shut our spiritual eyes 👀which has caused any of us to forget that our old filthy/rotten sins were 'purged' and this English word is translated by the Greek word katharismos which means a washing off, that is, (morally) expiation (the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing, that is, a satisfactory clearing of all sin): - cleansing, purge, purification. Remember what Paul declared to the Corinthian Church ⛪with these words, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such WERE some of you. But you were WASHED, but you were SANCTIFIED, but you were JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) (NKJV). This is what our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ did on that Cross ➕at Calvary by shedding His Holy Blood to WASH every sinner who repents of their sin, that is, turns from their sin (180 degrees) to Him. If you ever think that sin is a little or light thing with God the Father, then just look at Calvary and see what He allowed to happen to His Holy Son for you and for me. We cannot and we must not ever forget what our sin cost God. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of 2 Peter 1:9, "But he that lacketh these things,.... Or in, and with whom, they are not; that is, these virtues, as the Arabic version reads, as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity; where the principles of those things are not, and they are not exercised and performed, such an one is blind: let him boast ever so much of his light and knowledge, and value himself upon it, and expect to be saved by it, let him live as he will; for he has no true knowledge of God, as in Christ, as the God of all grace, as his covenant God and Father; nor does he know what it is to have communion with Him in Christ; he only professes to know Him in words, while in works he denies Him; nor has he any right knowledge of Christ, only notional and general, not spiritual, experimental, particular, and practical; he does not see the Son, so as truly to believe in Him; he has no true sight of His beauty, suitableness, and fulness, and of Him for himself; nor any experience of the work of the Spirit of God upon his heart, whom he neither receives, sees, nor knows spiritually, any more than the world itself does; nor does he see the plague of his own heart, the corruptions of his nature, and the exceeding sinfulness of sin; nor has he any true spiritual light into the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, only a form origour. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, 'trying with the hand', as blind men do, feeling and groping to find the way; see Acts 17:27, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins; not by baptism, from the sins committed before it, for that does not purge from any sins, old or new, but that which it leads the faith of believers to, for pardon and cleansing, even the blood of Christ; but this also, and purification by it, is not meant here, though generally interpreters give this as the sense, and understanding it of the sin of ingratitude in such a person, who had received so great a benefit by Christ, and was unmindful of it; since it cannot be thought that one so described as above should ever have had his conscience purged by the Blood of Christ from his old sins, or those before conversion, unless it be by profession; and then the sense is, that he has forgotten that he once professed to have been purged from all his sins by Christ; which, if he had, would have made him zealous of good works, and put him upon glorifying Christ both in body and spirit. The Ethiopic version renders it, 'and he hath forgot to purge himself from shapen in sin, and went astray, and was called a transgressor from the womb; he does not think that he stands in any need of being purged from former sins; and is entirely unmindful of, and neglects, the purification of them by the Blood of Christ." If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Peter Warns All Believers Against False Teachers Within Volume 7

Making our Calling and Election Sure (to ourselves & to the world 🗺) Part 4 2 Peter 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. KJV Note: NKJV=New King 👑James Version The Apostle Peter wants us to know that the gift of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) that we have received must be exercised in order that we not become as it is written, 'be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ' as he declares here in 2 Peter 1:8. Let us examine the little English phrase 'be barren', for it is translated by the Greek word argos which is a negative particle meaning to be inactive (by implication) to be lazy or useless or idle. In other words, not adding those qualities listed above to our faith will make our faith 'in Christ' to become weak somewhat like our muscles in our human body undergo atrophy, that is, weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use). So it is with our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, we must exercise our faith 'in Christ' through communion with Him in unceasing prayer and consuming His flesh and His blood (through continual intake of His Holy Word) as our Lord Jesus told us with these words, "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me." (John 6:55-57) (NKJV). Peter understood this emphatically for when our Lord Jesus asked all the Apostles if this teaching of eating His flesh and drinking His blood was to h🌎, but to do as Paul the Apostle wrote with these words to the Corinthian Church ⛪, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58) (NKJV), for this mentality will cause us to want more and more from the gift 📦of grace through faith so undeservedly received by us from the gracious and loving Hand of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!!! Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of 2 Peter 1:8, "For if these things be in you,.... Are wrought in you by the Spirit of God, and exercised and performed by His assistance, who works in His people both to will and do: and abound; increase in their acts and exercises by the frequent performance of them: they make you; both by way of influence and evidence, that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a knowledge of Christ which is barren and fruitless; and those that have it are so in their conversations, and it will be of no avail to them another day: and this is a mere notional and speculative knowledge, such as is not attended with any inward experience and application of Christ to themselves, or any fruits of righteousness in their lives, and is a bare theory of things relating to His person, offices, and works; but there is a knowledge of Him that is spiritual and experimental, by which a soul not only approves of Christ, but places its trust and confidence in Him, and appropriates Him to himself, and practically observes His commands and ordinances in the faith of Him; and in love to Him he performs the above duties, and exercises the above graces; from whence it appears, that he is neither barren nor unfruitful himself in the profession of his knowledge of Christ; 'or in the acknowledgment of Him', as it ma If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...