20241206

confirming our election

2 Peter 1:3-11

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through knowing him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world because of evil desire.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge,
2 Peter 1:6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness,
2 Peter 1:7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with care.
2 Peter 1:8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in knowing our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins.
2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things, you will never stumble.
2 Peter 1:11 For in this way, entry into the permanent kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

confirming our election

Lots of Christians take comfort in the fact that God has chosen (elected) them. Lots of other Christians are cautious about claiming to be elect because they know their own hearts. They want to avoid presumption, because they want to trust Christ, not themselves.

Peter speaks to every one of us here, whereever we are on the Calvinist/Arminian spectrum. He encourages his readers to confirm their election. How? By growing more Christ-like. The more we know about Jesus, the better chance we have of imitating him. The two specific attributes Peter mentions here are glory and goodness. Instead of challenging his readers to know they are safe because they are saved, he encourages them to possess Christ’s glory and goodness in increasing measure.

Every believer should be confident that he or she has been cleansed from past sins. Every believer should also strive to confirm his or her election by becoming more and more Christ-like.