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...