THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT PLEASES THE LORD

Psalm 92:1 (NIV) — It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,

Scripture for the week

Psalm 89:1 (NIV) — I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

2 Peter 1:10–11 (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, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:10–11 (NLT) — So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The clear command is to “make your calling and election sure,” or, as the NIV puts it, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election.

A believer’s “calling” is God’s drawing him to salvation.

Work hard to make sure that God’s salvation in you is safe, secure and cannot be lost

If we own something really precious and important we would always work hard to make sure that it is kept safe

Peter talks about this calling earlier in the same chapter when he speaks of God “who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

2 Peter 1:3 (NIV) — His 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.

God has saved us, and He is not going to change his mind about that

but we also need to make sure that we do not change our minds or turn away from God’s salvation

Second Peter 1:5–7 lists some godly qualities that believers should add to their faith

2 Peter 1:5 (NIV) — For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

2 Peter 1:6 (NIV) — and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

2 Peter 1:7 (NIV) — and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

goodness -

Someone who knows right from wrong and does it all the time, moral excellence

knowledge.

concentrates on practical knowledge or knowledge that is lived out. This kind of knowledge makes a distinction between what is true and what is not true. It is able to discern what is right versus what is wrong and what is encouraging versus what is hurtful.

self-control.

describes the inner strength to control one’s desires and cravings. The believer, through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, is not to be a prisoner to any sinful desire or craving.

perseverance.

in its most literal rendering means “to walk under the load.” This refers to the courage to deal with the difficult times in life, perhaps a veiled reference to the dominant theme of suffering in 1 Peter.

godliness.

To be like God in character and behaviour, reverence and obedience

mutual affection. (Or brotherly love) Being nice to people generally

love. (agape)

is a deliberate desire for the highest good of the person loved. It demonstrates itself in sacrificial action for that person’s good.

These are the qualities that we need to have to progress and develop as Christians

In doing “these things,” one will never stumble and is promised “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom”

Peoples lives are affected by things that happen to us and sometimes they affect our walk with God

In light of all that comes before, we should see the exhortation to “make your calling and election sure” as a call to “shore up” our righteous character as a holy people.

As Christians, we must always ask ourselves if we are still walking with God

We have to protect our relationship with God because it is the most important thing we have on this earth

Christians who have the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection (Brotherly love) and love can be confident and sure that they are still walking with God

So every time we need to examine ourselves and ask ourselves if our relationship with God is strong

In summary, to make one’s calling and election sure is to live out the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who profess salvation but never grow in their walk with God will suffer a lack of assurance, always wondering if they are really saved or not.

Those who grow ever more like Christ will be “sure” of their calling and election.

They will know they have eternal life (see 1 John 5:13); they will be living testimonies of the power of God to change lives.

1 John 5:13 (NIV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Romans 6:1–2 (NIV) — What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

2 Peter 3:17 (NIV) — Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.