2 Pet 1:10: "Make every effort to confirm your calling and election". How?

Dear Friends, so let's discuss this passage.

2 Pet 1:10, NIV:

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,"

And here it is in the full context:

Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For 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. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

From: https://biblehub.com/niv/2_peter/1.htm Thoughts? God Bless.

Hello @XavierJesusLovesIndia, interesting/important topic for a thread. Thanks for getting it started

Question, do you want us to use 2 Peter 1:3-11 alone to answer the "how" question in your OP title, or is it ok with you if we base part of our answer (to the "how do we confirm our calling and election" question) on other verses and passages too?

Thanks

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

Hi Deuteronomy. Please feel free to quote any other relevant passage of Scripture which throws light on the meaning of 2 Peter 1. God Bless you.

.
• 2Pet 1:10a . . My brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and
election sure.

The Greek word translated "sure" is bebaían which is sometimes interpreted
to mean proof and/or confirmation; but primarily refers to stability, i.e. firm,
steadfast, adherent, dedicated, unwavering, committed, in it to win it, etc.

For example:

• Rom 12:1-2 . . I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

• 1Pet 4:1-4 . .Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves
also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done
with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil
human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough
time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust,
drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

• 2Pet 1:5-8 . . Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to
goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

• 2Pet 1:10b . . For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will
receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.

* Peter's instructions apply to a specific group: those who are called and
elected. Curious onlookers outside that grouping need not concern
themselves with this business.
_

Romans 2:5-11 NIV
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 2 Peter 1:10 (KJV)
"Wherefore the rather" ties it to what just preceded. So "how?" is by doing what it says in verses 5-9.

Yes, I think what Apostle Peter is telling us is, to confirm our calling and election:

(1) "make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge" (vs 5)

(2) as well as knowledge, self-control, perseverance and godliness (vs 6)

(3) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (verse 7)

(4) "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" (verse 8)

Basically, make efforts to add these things to our faith. That will confirm our calling and election and keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in our walk with Christ.

God Bless.

Amen! Good post.

Peter is encouraging us to grow in Christ.
Salvation is only the beginning of our journey.

Your explanation is what I first believed. But a careful reading suggests it is not to confirm salvation, but to anchor and grow the faith we have received. Making it sure means making it secure or held fast as a sail.

The great Oyster gives Deut permission to proceed.

My sincerest apologies and a 1000 pardons. I grovel at your post. I answered without permission.
I have much to learn from Deuteronomy.

Let's flip this 180 and ponder this:

So, what's it mean when 90% of your efforts are stymied, stonewalled, and rendered irrelevant?

Or to use another analogy,

How do you deposit your talents in the bank, when the Banker refuses the deposit?

I am not sure what you mean, JTB? Are you a believer? If so, you know Our Lord said: "Store your Treasures in Heaven."

In medieval and earlier times, people were always chasing after treasures of silver and gold. Like we see in the movie, Pirates of the Carribean etc.

In modern parlance, the Lord's statement would be something like: "Focus on increasing your bank balance in Heaven". And how do you do that? By Good Works done with Faith in Christ. Three of them are mentioned in Mat 6: (1) Prayer (2) Fasting and (3) Alms-Giving.

1 Cor 3:8-15 mentions a fourth: (4) Evangelism, and promises Rewards for it as well. Rev 2:10 mentions (5) Martyrdom.

1 Cor 3:8-15: Rewards for faithful Service in the Lord's Vineyward.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

So, there are two ways one can be saved, (1) the first is with rich rewards, living a saintly life. That is 1 Cor 3:10 and 2 Pet 1:10-11, and the other (2) is not working much for the Lord, such persons will barely be saved, but with far less rewards.

And so, coming back to what St. Peter is saying in 2 Pet 1 imo is that if you want to gain rich rewards in the Kingdom of Heaven, then make every effort to add goodness, knowledge, perseverance, love etc to faith, and strive to grow in these.

2 Pet 1:10-11 again: "10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

By coming to Christ and asking. (You have not because you ask not...)

Ephesians 1:16-23
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

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:

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,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

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,

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:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

2000 more pardons, and I will consider...

extending mine royal sceptre unto thee!!

I've never given more than a 1000 pardons. And I already groveled. I've already used my full aray of humility. Hopefully Deuteronomy will have some advice for me.

You cannot serve two masters. Being a slave to the flesh or the world does not make you a child of God. So I must disagree with A. Pink

Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Hmmmm. I think you misunderstand my plight. I'm out of pardons and have sent out a plea for help. Surely one as beneficent as yourself and one so discerning is disposed to respond mercifully.

I’d say it’s akin to this from Paul

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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 which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬