2 Peter 1:1–11 (NKJV)
1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God elected believers from eternity for everlasting life. In time God calls people through the gospel. He justifies those who, by the working of the Holy Spirit, believe the gospel, and makes them partake of the divine nature by adopting them as sons of God. We are saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone. God will not revoke the promise of the gospel, nor the covenant He enters into with us in Holy Baptism. But it is possible to disqualify ourselves from God’s grace by willfully sinning, which drives the Holy Spirit and His gift of faith from our hearts.
It is with this in mind that St. Peter writes, “Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.” How do we do this? By adhering to God’s Word, being diligent in our prayers, abiding in God’s goodness, and faithfully using the gifts He gives in Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. His means for calling and justifying us—His Word and Sacraments—are the same means by which He strengthens and increases the good work of faith He began in us. The elect will faithfully use these means and endure in the faith to the end of their lives.
The elect will also fight the sinful impulses of their flesh and grow in godliness, lest they become ensnared by faith-killing sin. Peter writes that God’s divine power “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” We have all we need for life and godliness! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can add to our faith knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. We make our calling and election sure by believing the gospel and growing in virtue as the Holy Spirit bears His fruit in us. Then we will be “neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let us pray: Lord God, increase our faith in Your promises that we, living as your children, may make our calling and election sure. Amen.
