MAKING MY CALLING AND ELECTION SURE 

2 Peter 1: 3-11

VERSE 3:  His divine power speaks of that which overcomes resistance.  Over and over in the letters to the churches of Revelation, Jesus calls to the "one who overcomes."  This term connotes military victory.  Paul also speaks of God's power in Romans 1:16 as salvation being the dynamite of God.  Here Peter says that this power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, i.e., for all our sanctification.  The power of God can transform us into greater godliness and restore the image of God lost in Eden.  This restoration is done through our knowledge of him who called us.  The first avenue of knowing God is through the mind.  When we heard the gospel, i.e., His calling us, the gospel first registered in our minds, and faith sprung up in response.  Faith comes by hearing the word. (Romans 10:17) The Lord called us by his own glory and goodness.  God calls us for the sake of His glory, for in sanctification, we reflect his glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

VERSE 4: Through these [His glory and goodness] he has given us his very great and precious promises.  Someone's count of God's promises in the Scripture totaled 7487!  These promises are a part of the contract.
So that through them you may participate in the divine nature.  God takes unregenerate sinners and transforms them through regeneration into vessels (2 Corinthians 3) fit for glory.  Into these vessels He places Himself (Colossians 2:9) so that we may be restored to fellowship with Him.
And escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  Our calling is to come from darkness into light (Colossians 1:13), and His power gives us manageability over evil desires and the corruption of sin.  This corruption is different from condemnation which is removed at conversion.  Corruption is removed by the cleansing over time of what Hoekema calls progressive sanctification.

VERSE 5: Make every effort to add to your faith.  "Make haste, be eager" to add.  From this starting point of the bedrock of faith, the believer moves in cleansing and maturity to grow by degrees of glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) into what God has chosen for him to be.  Goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; Goodness is defined as moral excellence, courage, and valor.  Practical gnosis is the beginning of putting on the new self (Colossians 3:9-10).

VERSE 6:  and to knowledge, self-control. The ability to take grip of oneself.
And to self-control, perseverance.  Patient, voluntary suffering.  Suffering is a means of grace, according to McQuilkin.
And to perseverance, godliness.  Peter here may be referring to an attitude of thinking and doing and being like God similar to Paul's admonition to take on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).

VERSE 7: and to godliness, brotherly kindness; Philadelphia is the word here.  This kind of love highlights another means of grace in the life of the believer: the church, the body of Christ.  Paul adds to this concept of brotherly love: "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).
And to brotherly kindness, love; Here the word is agape.  This living in grace.  All the qualities above flow up to the highest of forms of godliness: agape, self-sacrificial love.  John says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God" (1 John 4:7-8).  Paul adds: "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:14).

VERSE 8: For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Here Peter echoes Paul: "We . . . are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).  This increase will affect our effectiveness and productivity in the Kingdom and the gnosis of the Lord Jesus.  So we are back at the beginning and end: Jesus Christ.
 
VERSE 9: But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind Connoting "he is not looking up" toward God, i.e., his orientation is not spiritual but carnal.  And blind His eyes are turned from the Light, Jesus.  Myopazon means "lack of foresight or discernment."  This man does not see in the Spirit properly.  He cannot apprehend the things of God.  He is carnal, fleshly, not living according to the provision of the Lord for him.  And has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.  What an insult to forget the great sacrifice the Lord has made!  This statement affirms that the carnal Christian has not totally broken fellowship with the Lord in that he needs to be saved again or has fallen from grace, but he certainly is in a dangerous state, having no sight and no memory (no gnosis).

VERSE 10: Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.  For if you do these things, you will never fall.  Here Peter speaks of some responsibility to the believer to respond in faith to the sanctifying work of God, to be obedient, to be yielded, to actively abide in the Vine.  If this is done, the safety of the believer increases greatly--not that the believer is no longer subject at all to any kind of sin whatsoever, but that the believer is kept safe from sin as long as he responds in obedience, making sure his call and election is safe, sure, and solid from his side.  He can be quite confident in the solidarity of the Lord's election and calling of him.

VERSE 11: and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Peter here points to the end of all sanctification--ultimate holiness, total regeneration, entire sanctification in entirety!  Total glorification in which we will see Him as He is and we will be like Him!  (1 John 3:2).  Hallelujah!  Glory!