Making Your Calling and Election Sure

Let us stop for a moment to consider this word, "calling." To what does Peter refer when he speaks about our calling? The apostle Paul has referred to our calling in the epistle to the Romans. Our calling is the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Ro 8:29-30 KJV). So we have five great acts of God: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Calling then is the work of the Holy Spirit and is always efficacious when it is written about in the epistles. That is, it is always a calling to which its recipients respond. Calling is the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to faith in the Lord Jesus and to justification of life.

There are two types of callings found in the Bible. There is the general calling of the preaching of the gospel to the whole of the world. Then there is the special calling by which the Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of the elect. Here in 2 Peter 1:10, this is of course is a reference to the special calling. Make your calling and election sure. Peter talks about calling first and election second and I will address this in a moment, but let us look first at the word election.

Election is a word that causes such a great deal of controversy. I don't know why. It is one of the greatest doctrines in the Bible and has been a great deal of comfort to me all through my Christian experience. I never have thought that anyone ought to be angry over the doctrine of election. Surprisingly, there are people who get very incensed over the doctrine of election.

I was so pleased about two weeks ago when I got a letter from a businessman which was eleven pages long. He was apparently a very wealthy businessman who was president of a large corporation. He was interested in the Five Points of Calvinism. He had heard on tape a message or two that I had given on efficacious grace. He was so thrilled over it that he wrote me these eleven pages and asked me to criticize his doctrine. He was rejoicing in the doctrine of election, having become a real student of the Bible. He had only been converted a few years ago, but is evidently a man of some age. Why people don't love the doctrine of election, I simply don't know. John Calvin wrote, "They who shut the gates that no one may dare seek a taste of this doctrine, wrong men no less than God." So I would not want to wrong you, by not saying something about the doctrine of election. I want you to enjoy it. It is one of the great truths of the Word of God. It is the fountain from which all of our blessings come. They all go back to that choice that God made in the councils of eternity. So why should we not love the doctrine of election? I believe all the true saints, when this doctrine is presented as it is in the Word of God, do in fact love it.

Unfortunately, election is often presented in such a way that it is no wonder that people do not like it. I traveled home after the message Sunday morning at about 1:20 PM. I got in my car just outside the church building, turned on my radio and listened to a program that came on in which the teacher spoke on election. He referred to election, but his doctrine of election was disturbing. He said, "Election is very simple. In election, God is voting for you, and the Devil is voting against you. And which ever way you vote - that's the election." That is what the man said. Now it is no wonder that a person doesn't get any joy out of that particular doctrine of election because if you know anything about the nature of Man, you know that we will never vote the right way. That is not the doctrine of election. What this man was teaching comes straight out of the mouth of Pelagius (who was a heretic during the time of Augustine). Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have that idea of election. They think of it just as Pelagian as that, i.e., that the source of our salvation rests with Man rather than with God. That is horrible doctrine. That is strongly anti-biblical doctrine. If you have some ideas like the kind that this man put forth, they do not come from God, I assure you.

Election is election to the church of the first born who will be in heaven. Incidentally, if you think that I am stretching this a little bit by telling you that you should rejoice in the doctrine of election, then I refer you to someone who told me to rejoice in election. I will just read his comments:

²⁰Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (The words of Jesus, Lk 10:20 KJV)

Who said this? The Lord Jesus said this, and He told them to rejoice because their names are written in heaven. Hallelujah! I am rejoicing because my name is written in heaven. Election is a tremendous doctrine. Our text in 2 Peter says, "make your calling and election sure." After all that I have said, it seems that we are stooping to a very human plane. After stressing that election comes from God, and then to read in this text, "make your calling and election sure," it demands some explanation.

In the first place, this is no question that this is something that we are to do. In the Greek text, the expression in the tenth verse, "give diligence to make…" That verb in Greek is in what we call the middle voice. It can be translated most accurately as, "give diligence to make for/by yourselves…" So the stress rests upon what we do. Make for yourselves your calling and election sure. How can we possibly make our calling and election sure?

Did you notice the order of the words in verse 1:10? He did not write, "make your election and calling sure," rather "your calling and election sure." Now calling occurs in time. Election occurs in eternity past. So you can see here at the beginning, that there is a kind of order that suggests that what we are dealing with here is the human side of election (God's choosing). The way we experience or come to the knowledge of election is by coming first of all to the knowledge of our calling. In other words, we come to know that we are elect after we come to know that we have been saved. We do not know that we are elect before we know that we are saved. We come to know our election after we come to know our salvation. That is the Christian experience. We come to know that we are saved, then we come to know from the Scripture that we have been elected in eternity past. Not the time of our election, but our knowledge of it follows our knowledge of our salvation.

This is a substantial clue. You can see then that Peter is not talking about this from the divine perspective, rather he writes from the human standpoint. He is concerned about how the person comes to the knowledge of his or her election. To make my divinely decreed election certain for myself is simply a matter of assurance. How do I make my calling or election sure? I do this through the demonstration in my life of the products of salvation. That is what Peter goes on to say. "Make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble" (2 Pe 1:10).

One of the evidences that we are truly elect of God is the product of our life. That is what Peter is speaking about when he tells us to make our calling and election sure. He is simply telling us to give all diligence to make sure that the virtues about which he had just previously mentioned issue from our lives. When these virtues issue from our lives as a result of our salvation then it is through this that we have assurance in our calling and election. The apostle John says the same thing except with a slightly different emphasis when he writes, "¹⁴We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren…." (1 Jn 3:14 KJV) Or as James says similarly, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:20) Or when Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:8-10 KJV)

So when we make our calling and election sure it means nothing more than that there should be a demonstration in our lives of the product of divine grace. It is through the product of divine grace that we recognize the reality of the source, i.e., our election and our calling. This is a very needed and necessary thing. In fact, the one who does not have any evidence in his Christian life has no reason to think that he does really belong to God. Let me read you something from Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield, who says:

Accordingly, Peter exhorts us to make our calling and election sure, precisely by diligence of good works. He doesn't mean that by good works we may secure from God a decree of election on our behalf. He means that by expanding the germ of spiritual life which we have received from God into full efflorescence (full flowering), by working out our salvation. Of course, not without Christ but in Christ we can make ourselves sure that we have really received the election to which we make claim. The salvation of God being a salvation and sanctification of the spirit ought, when worked out, to manifest itself in such forms as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly love and love. By working out the salvation which we have received into such a symphony of good works, we make sure that it is the very salvation to which God has chosen His people. Good works become thus, the mark and test of election. And when taken in the comprehensive sense in which Peter is here thinking of them, they are the only marks and tests of election. We can never know that we are elected of God to eternal life except by manifesting in our lives the fruits of election: faith and virtue, knowledge and temperance, patience and godliness, love of the brethren and that essential love that does not put limits to its object. He that gives diligence to cultivating such things in his life will not stumble in the way, for it is with such things in their hands that men enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is idle to seek assurance of election outside of holiness of life.

Now there is one correction I would like to make to this, one slight correction. It is possible for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus - for that settles the question of salvation and is evidence for election, for only the elect believe - and for us to see no evidence in the life. We must never forget this. We must not, as a matter of fact, look around and test the fruit in the lives of others. God has not called us to check the fruitfulness of other trees planted by the Lord. However, in the final analysis the man who has truly believed must manifest in his life, whether it is seen by us or not, evidence of the reality of the decision that has brought life.

Now then, Peter says in verse 1:11, "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pe 1:8-11 KJV) Those who do these things shall not fall. That is, they will not lose fellowship, but shall have an abundant entrance into the Messianic Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. What great words to excite a weary pilgrim!

I do not want in any way to suggest, that these words that I have conveyed to you would create any doubt about your election. If you have truly believed in the Lord Jesus, that is the proof that you are elect, that you have been called. But we cannot ultimately have any real assurance if this does not manifest itself in a transformed life. Both of these emphases are in the Word of God, and we must not forget them. This then has to do with assurance.

There is no contradiction between the election of God and our making it sure. One is the Godward side, the other is the manward side. There is a contradiction between mere intellectual appreciation and no moral application of the truth. The cure is if you do these things. There may be some of you who cannot make your calling and election sure. You have not been called; and not having been called, you have no assurance. You cannot make your calling and election sure until you have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your responsibility is to come. In receiving the Lord Jesus, who died for sinners; in that act of faith produced by God the Spirit, is the consummation of your calling and the evidence of your election. Then our Lord's word for you is, "Rejoice! Rejoice!"

Jesus taught predestination and election...Paul was a "calvinist" Mack..

You may not like it..but it is true..The doctrine you favor Arminism was begun to STOP the reformation cold..Arminism was a Jesuit invention..It is catholism in drag

Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Eph 1:2 Grace [be] to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
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Arminian, Arminian, thou that distortest the prophets and misinterpretest them that are sent unto thee; how often have I told you your children the plain truth... and ye would not let them understand.@ - Gordon Clark.

Once it has been established that all of the events of history have been planned and ordained by God, it is a simple step to understand that this plan includes the destiny of those who shall be saved and those who shall be lost.

At this point, many Christians will object that such a thing just could not be true. After all, doesn=t the Bible teach that anyone can believe in Jesus Christ and be saved? How could anyone claim that God has chosen certain people to be cast into an eternal death in hell? However valid these questions may seem to be, we cannot hide behind them to ignore the multitude of passages found in the Bible which teach the doctrine of predestination and election. Our first question must not be whether or not I like this teaching, but what does the Bible say?

JESUS TEACHES ELECTION

The sixth chapter of John relates a discourse which Jesus gave at Capernaum by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He speaks to those who have seen His miracles. There are many who are now listening who had been present when He fed the five thousand (compare John 6:5-11 with John 6:26). They had seen an obvious miracle. They had tasted the bread and eaten the fish which He miraculously produced. And yet, they had not recognized that this One is the Son of God. They have been following Him merely for the sake of benefiting from His miracles. They have seen, but they still have not believed. There has been no commitment on their part. It is in this context that Jesus now introduces His teaching on election.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe." (John 6:35-36).

Jesus begins with the simple declaration that He is the "Bread of life." This is seen in contrast to the bread that He had recently produced to feed the multitude. They sought only to satisfy their physical hunger and thirst. Jesus offers much more. In verse 36, Jesus points out the root of their problem. They have seen the miracles, heard the teachings, but they still have not believed. Why had they not believed? The answer is given in the following verses.

"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." (John 6:37-39).

Jesus says that certain people have been given to Him by the Father. All of those who have been given to Him will come to Him. He does not say that all men have been given to Him. This would be universalism and Jesus never taught that. He does say that those which the Father had given to Him would eventually come to Him. This means that there are not any who have been given to Him by the Father who will not come.

Now this is not speaking of some higher level of spirituality. The issue is not the super-spiritual. The issue concerns the converted versus the non-converted. This is speaking of salvation. Jesus is speaking to the unbelieving multitude. Many of them shall not come to Him. Why? From their point of view, it is because they refuse to commit themselves to Him. But there is a deeper, more underlying reason. The deeper reason that they will not come to Him will be because they are not among those whom the Father has given to the Son. On the other hand, those who do come will never be cast out. No man ever need worry that he might come to Jesus and then find that he has not been chosen. All who come to Him in faith will be saved.

At first this seems to be contradictory. On the one hand, those who have been chosen to be given to the Son are the ones who come to Him. On the other hand, anyone who comes to Him will not be cast out. Does this mean that there will be others who come to Him who were not chosen to be given to the Son? Not at all. The truth is that no man will come to the Son unless the Father draws him. This will be pointed out by Jesus in verse 44.

You might be reading this and beginning to seethe. How dare that I suggest that such a thing is so! You are in some interesting company. As Jesus said these things, the Jews who are listening to Him also began to seethe and to grumble. They were ready to believe that Jesus is a miracle-worker. But they could not believe that He is the Son of God who came down from heaven. They will come to Him to eat the food as He feeds the five thousand, but they will not come to Him to receive the bread of life.

Why won=t they come? Jesus answers in verses 43-44. It is because there is a sense in which they are unable to come.

Jesus answered and said to them, ADo not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws Him; and I will raise him up on the last day.@ (John 6:43-44).

Jesus said that the only people who are able to come to Him are those whom the Father draws to Him. Unless a man has been drawn by God, he simply will not come. Why? Why is it that men cannot come to God on their own initiative? Why will they not come unless they are first drawn by God? It is because man is inherently sinful and rebellious against God. Man=s will has been corrupted by sin.

As it is written, AThere is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God.@ (Romans 3:10-11).

It has been said that the man who chokes on the doctrine of election has not yet swallowed the truth of his own depravity. As a sinner, man is totally helpless to turn to God for help. It is God who first turns him toward Himself so that he will even begin to seek a cure. Therefore it is only when a man is drawn by God that he will come to Jesus and be saved.

This is not a new teaching that Jesus was giving to the multitude on that day. It was a teaching that went all the way back to the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus Himself quotes from the prophet Isaiah to show that it is God who initiates His work in the hearts of men so that they come to Him.

AIt is written in the prophets, >And they shall all be taught of God.= Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.@ (John 6:45).

Jesus is not talking about the entrance of Christians into some higher level of Christian service. He says these things to unbelieving Jews. The implications are obvious. The reason that they have not come to Him in faith is because they have not been drawn by God.

If you are having problems with these sayings of Jesus, then I want you to know that you are not alone. There were many of the disciples of Jesus who also found these teachings to be difficult. The reason that they were difficult was not because of their lack of truth. Rather it was because they had not really believed.

At this point, you might be saying, AAh, I knew that in the end it would be a matter of whether you believe or not!@ Before you get too excited, look at what Jesus said to His disciples.

ABut there are some of you who do not believe.@ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, AFor this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted Him from the Father.@ (John 6:64-65).

The words of Jesus could not be clearer. The reason that these pseudo-disciples did not believe was because it had not been granted to them from the Father to believe.

In conclusion we see that salvation is a free gift which is offered to all men. Any man who comes to Jesus Christ in faith shall be saved. No man who places his faith in Christ shall ever find that he has been cast out because he was not one of the elect. However it is also true that none but those who have been chosen and drawn by the Father is able to come to Jesus. It is only when God intervenes in a man=s will and accomplishes His work in a man=s heart that such a man will come and believe in Christ.

I have often heard it argued that Jesus claimed that He would draw all men to Himself - that He draws all men and only those who believe in Him out of their own free will actually come. The passage which is used to prove this teaching is John 12:32 where Jesus says:

AAnd I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.@ (John 12:32).

How are we to understand this verse? Does it teach a universal drawing of all men to Christ? If it does, then it teaches too much, since Jesus has already used this very same term to describe the drawing of certain men in John 6:44 and, within that context, He has explained that all who are drawn to Him will be raised up on the last day (John 6:44), will be taught of God (John 6:45), and will certainly not be cast out (John 6:37). Unless you are willing to adopt the doctrine of universalism - that all men everywhere will be saved and that none will ever be condemned - then you cannot take this reference in John 12:32 to describe a universal drawing of the same sense described in chapter 6.

How are we to understand this drawing of Aall men@? Once again, it is the context that explains the passage. When Jesus speaks of Adrawing all men@ to Himself, He does so in a situation in which some Greeks had just been brought to Him. He responds by speaking of His impending crucifixion, the result of which will be to draw all men. Up to this point, the ministry of Jesus had been almost exclusively directed toward the Jews. But this will now change. Once Christ has gone to the cross, He will gather into one body both Jews and Gentiles. There will be no distinction between races or sexes or social strata. He will draw ALL types and races and people.

THE HIDDEN GOSPEL

One of the most remarkable prayers of Jesus is the one that He delivered after pronouncing His condemnation upon the Galilean cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.

At that time Jesus answered and said,

AI praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.@ (Matthew 11:25-26).

We dare not divorce what Jesus says in these verses from the previous paragraph. Jesus has just denounced Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for their unbelief. He has compared their unrepentant state to Sodom, Tyre and Sidon, three of the most infamous cities in Israel=s history. Now He turns to the Father and thanks Him that things are still going according to plan. He thanks the Father for hiding the truth of the gospel from these cities.

Sometimes we get the idea that, when people hear the gospel and do not accept it, God=s plan has somehow failed. This is not the case. It was the Lord=s will to hide His message of salvation from these certain cities.

Now I want to ask you a question. What is the deciding factor in whether the gospel is hidden from someone or revealed to that person? Is it his faith? Or is it his willingness to believe? No, it is ultimately the willingness of the Son to reveal the gospel to him.

AAll things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.@ (Matthew 11:27).

The only people who come to know the Father are those whom the Son determines will have the Father revealed to them. It is in this context that the familiar invitation is made for all who are weary and heavy-laden to come and to find rest.

Hasn't grace been there from the beginning?
Abraham ?

others?
For all ?

The problem with Calvinism is its attempt to reconcile and systematize that which the Bible does not reconcile. Though there is value in systematic theology, there is also a danger. We must be careful simply to believe the Bible as it stands. I believe Acts 13:48, which says "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," and I also believe Acts 13:46, which says the unbelieving Jews had rejected God's salvation and had judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. I don't try to develop a theological system that will somehow make perfect sense of it all.

The teaching of Five-Point Calvinism is that God has determined and decreed that some are to be saved without any conditions to be met on their part. This is called Unconditional Election and is the choosing of some to salvation in Christ, while at the same time leaving the rest in their lost condition by not choosing them. This election is not based on God’s foreknowing that certain would believe, but is based on His sovereign will to elect certain ones. Those who are not chosen to be part of the Elect of God can in no way enter into that company. In line with this teaching the statement is made that God does not love all men, but only those whom he has chosen to be saved. The Scriptures are very plain that God has His Elect ones who by faith in Jesus Christ are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). They are adopted by God and Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4,5). This election is plainly declared to be based on the foreknowledge of God (1 Peter 1:2 and Rom. 8:29). Since God knows the end from the beginning He foreknows those who will believe in Christ. He has purposed that they will be to the praise of His glory throughout the ages and through them He will show the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph. 2:7).

The Scriptures are also very plain in stating that "whosoever will" may come to Christ. Please read the following Scriptures--John 3:15,16, 4:14, 12:46, Acts 2:21, 10:43, Rom. 10:13, Rev. 22:17. The word "whosoever" means all, any, every, the whole. Since we believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Word of God we are forced to believe that when God moves the Scripture writers to say "whosoever," then that is exactly what He means. That there is a condition to be met in order for one to be saved is proved by our Lord’s words in John 8:24--"for if ye believe not that I am he, ye. shall die in your sins." Other Scriptures have already been quoted under Total Inability to bear out the conditional requirement of believing in order to have salvation.

That God loves all men in this world and sent His Son to die for them is abundantly clear from John 3:16. The Five-Point Calvinist changes the meaning of the word "world" here and adds to the Word of God by placing immediately behind it two words, "the elect." The verse then appears this way, "For God so loved the world (the elect) that He gave His only begotten Son, etc.’’ I have seen this verse written in this way in gospel tracts. The word "world" is used 77 times in the Gospel of John, I would encourage you to take Strong’s Concordance and look up each utterance, then insert the wards "the elect" behind each usage of it. You do not have to go far before you see how ridiculous it is.

You see, if God does not love all men then we should not love them either. Since our Christian character comes from the indwelling of our Lord, we cannot show forth an attribute that is superior to His. Yet strangely enough, the Word of God says we are to love our enemies, our wives, our husbands, our children. If we must love lost sinners, and our Lord is holier than we are, we must believe that He loves them too. I’ll believe John 3:16 as it stands unaltered by the followers of John Calvin.

BigMack

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