The doctrine of salvation is one of the most vital matters facing the church today. The present joy, future hope, and eternal destiny of every believer depend upon its truth. Yet we see many people who are self-deceived, and many more who have been misled by others. Simply being a member of a church, bearing a Christian title, walking an aisle, or praying a sinner’s prayer cannot give anyone true assurance of salvation.
The Apostle Peter gives us this urgent command:
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” (2 Peter 1:10 ESV)
To be diligent means to make every effort, to labor earnestly. Peter is telling us to give ourselves wholeheartedly to the task of making our calling and election sure. In other words, we must earnestly confirm that we are among those whom God has called and chosen.
This assurance does not come from looking to ourselves. Our calling and election are not decisions we made, but acts of God Himself, done for His own glory and purposes. True and lasting assurance is not rooted in what we have done for God, but in what God has done for us in Christ from beginning to end.
The Calling
The “calling” in this verse is God’s effectual call. Not a mere invitation, but a powerful summons that brings the dead sinner to life. As Paul teaches in his epistles, this is God’s sovereign initiation of our salvation. Left to ourselves, we are dead in sin, blind, and hostile to God. We have no desire to repent or come to Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14). As the old hymn rightly says, “Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me.”
Our Lord Jesus Himself declared, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). When God calls, He calls effectually. His gifts and His call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). He calls us to repentance and faith, to follow Christ, and to walk in good works. While the fruit of regeneration like repentance, faith, and obedience… gives supporting evidence, the foundation of our assurance is this: God has called us!
The Election
Election is not as complicated or controversial as many make it. The word simply means “choice.” When it comes to salvation, the choice that matters is not ours, but God’s. If God had not chosen to save sinners, not one of us would be saved. He did not choose us because of any good in us, for “there is none good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). As Paul says, God’s choice was “not because of works but because of Him who calls” (Romans 9:11).
Peter shows us the depth of this truth when he writes to believers as those who are:
“elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:1-2)
We have been chosen for salvation, but also for obedience and holiness. Obedience is a mark of genuine faith, yet it is never the ground of our assurance. If we look to our own works or feelings for assurance, we will always be uncertain. But when we look to Christ and rest upon God’s sure promises, we can be confident, because Jesus never changes, the Spirit never abandons His people, and God cannot lie.
We have been called and chosen for salvation, justification, sanctification, and glorification (Romans 8:30), so that we might live for His glory. The Puritan Thomas Watson wisely said:
“The elect are called to be conformed to Christ, not only in glory, but in grace. They are predestinated to be holy, as well as happy.”
Dear brothers and sisters, if we would make our calling and election sure, we must look away from ourselves and fix our eyes upon the promises of God in His Word. His Word is steadfast, trustworthy, and pure.
