2 Peter 1:10 …give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail:
What a perfect concept to focus on this week—How can we make our calling and election sure? Peter spends 8 chapters giving us his best advice. It is important to understand that these chapter are written during severe persecution, he knows that his own martyrdom is inevitable. Yet, he is filled with HOPE, LOVE, HUMILITY AND JOY. Let’s dive into these chapters and pull out the nuggets of truth that will help us find that same hope, love, humility and joy, during our storms of life, giving us the sure foundation.
Throughout these chapters, Peter emphasizes and then reemphasizes who our Savior is. As we seek to make our election sure, we need to know the source for which it is all possible. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3) This is our source of HOPE, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” It is by “the precious blood of Christ” that we will all return safely home to our loving Heavenly Father. (1 Peter 1:13,19) Without this sacrifice, our life here on earth would have no purpose, for we would not have the possibility of salvation and exaltation. Without Christ we would be subjects of Satan forever, doomed to his glory, which he has no glory. As we understand the glorious sacrifice of Christ, and seek to bring that hope to our own hearts, to our families, and to the whole world, we will be building a foundation of surety. This is the only sure way to survive the storms here on earth, and to stop the ruthless attacks of Satan. Through Christ we can be perfected, stablished, strengthened and settled. (1 Peter 5:10)
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Peter comes on strong trying to tell us who we are. He is attempting to jar our memory, and help us to understand our divine potential. Don’t worry about who the world says you are, we are a “Chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” We are great in the eyes of the Lord, we are worth the sacrifice, He has “called (us) out of darkness into his marvelous light:” (1 Peter 2:9) We need not look back to the darkness, we can move forward bringing light to others. Light and dark can’t coexist. Light always cancels the dark when allowed to illuminate. A flashlight that isn’t turned on, can’t help the weary travelers. The best flashlights for this journey called life is love. It’s the first two commandments for a reason, if we will follow those two simple rules, we will be on a sure path. First we need to love the Lord above all else, so that we are ready to act and not be acted upon. Then we will be ready to fully love and honor our neighbors. (1 Peter 2:17) I love that he tells us to have “fervent charity among (ourselves)” (1 Peter 4:8) Charity is already the purest form of love, for it is the love of Christ. He takes it a bit further, we must strive for charity toward our neighbors with intensity. Anything we approach with intensity takes focus and intention. Peter is telling us that if we want to be resistant to Satan’s grudge-filled tactics, we are going to have to approach LOVE with purpose and determination. It is going to require effort and forethought. As we love with a heart full of charity, we will be prepared to receive the ultimate, complete love of Christ.
To attain this sought after HOPE and LOVE, we are going to need to find humility as our core characteristic. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may. exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) Humility is a divine trait, which Satan desires to strip us of. He knows fully, that humility allows us to feel, hear, and see what the Lord is teaching us. It is the gateway to eternity, because it is necessary to receive His fullness. To be humble, is to turn our will over to the Lord, which is perfectly stated by Peter, “Casting all your cares upon him, for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We can literally hand over all our worries, concerns, doubts, problems, fears, pains, and confusions, and he will gently, calmly, and fully take care of them and us. He loves us, and cares for us perfectly, unconditionally, and eternally. Through this humility is “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4)
The greatest product of living a humble life full of hope and love is a fullness of joy. I can feel Peter’s joy in these chapters. His hope is overflowing, he is desperate to share it with us in hope that we may also be partakers. Here he has spent years under heavy, painful, exhausting persecution and yet, he has found his peace and comfort in Christ. “The Lord knowers how to deliver the godly out of temptations.” (2 Peter 2:9) He finishes talking to us with a huge smile on his face, he had to be grinning from ear to ear, because it made me grin from ear to ear. “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both NOW AND FOREVER. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
-Sherri Jorgensen
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