A Blessed Assurance

Let us look once again, and more in detail, at the words of Peter in II Peter 1:10 , namely, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

What Peter has in mind here is not that we must make our calling and election sure in God's mind. He does not here teach us that once elected we can become rejected by God. No, what he has in mind is that we should give diligence for us to know our calling and election. He tells us that we must not forget our calling, and doubt that we are elect children of God whom He has called. He means that we must grow in the confidence that we are God's elect children whom He called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

If we want to be sure that God chose us eternally and unchangeably, we must give diligence, that is, haste or speed, to make sure that we are by God called His elect children. For we do have doubt, and have reason to doubt, that we are chosen by Him, when we fall into sin and live like those not chosen.

Note that Peter calls them brethren. He has no doubt about their election. But in order that we individually may be sure, we must have evidence in our walk of life that we are different from the unbelievers. We can tell that a particular tree is an apple tree, because there are apples upon it. So we can tell that we are elect children of God if and when we find the works of elect children of God in our own walk of life.

Make your calling sure and your election definite. Then you will not fall into doubt and fear that God's promises are not yours. Strive to have the confidence of being God's child by walking in the way He set before you, and He will, by His Word, assure you that you were eternally chosen as one of His elect.

Read: I John 3

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Isaiah 8; Isaiah 9:1-21 
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 
Psalm 55:1-23 
Proverbs 23:4-5 
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Quote for Reflection:
 

"The incarnation is the revelation of the living God! The Creator united Himself most intimately with the creature; the Lord also became servant; the Eternal One came into time, the Infinite One into space. Great is the mystery of godliness: God is manifest in the flesh." ~ Herman Hoeksema