Our lesson here begins in 2 Peter
1, verse 10, where Peter says, Wherefore, the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you
do these things, you shall never fall. Now, rather than, like
he said last week, be unfruitful and blind, can't see and far
off, rather than that, he gives us a matter to be diligent about.
And I thought as I looked at this this week, really, we should
be diligent. about all the gospel. We should never be lukewarm about
any part of the gospel, any part of God's word. And Peter says,
particularly in this matter of your calling and election, be
diligent to make that sure. Well, how can we do that? How can we make our calling and
election sure? I know we can't look in the Lamb's
book of life. to see if our name's there. If
you could do that, you'd make your election sure. Couldn't
you see your name written there? You'd know your election's sure.
But we can't do that. No man can look in that book.
The only way we can make our election sure is by making our
calling sure. If we're called, if God's called
us by His grace, He's called us because He elected us to eternal
life. Look back at Romans chapter 8.
If God's called us, He's called us because He elected us. So
if you make your calling sure, you make your election sure.
Romans 8, verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, then he also called. And whom he called,
he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. Whom God predestinated, he called. If we make our calling sure,
we'll make our election sure. Well, how can I know, then, that
I've been called of God? Well, there are probably many
ways. I thought of eight. Eight evidences
that I've been called of God. One, do I believe that Jesus
Christ is God's Son. If I believe Jesus Christ is
God's Son, I've been called of God, because flesh and blood
didn't reveal that to you, but our Father, which is in heaven.
Second, I've been called of God if I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. This is He that
should come. That's the question John the
Baptist asked. Are you He that should come or
do we look for another? He's the one who's come, who was promised
in the Old Testament. He's the Messiah. Third, I've
been called of God if I have truly ceased from all my works
and look to the Lord Jesus Christ, rest in Him and Him alone for
all of my salvation. I know that's true because if
God calls a person, He reveals to them who they are. He strips
them naked and reveals to them who they are and who He is. And
if I've ever seen who I am and who He is, I've ceased from all
my works and trust in Him alone. if I've been called of God. Fourth,
I know I've been called of God if I receive Christ as my all
and in all, and I know I'm complete in Him. Fifth, I know I've been
called of God if my rejoicing is in the covenant of grace,
that Christ has stood as my surety from eternity past, before the
worlds were ever created, God the Father and God the Son. struck
this covenant of grace, and Christ has stood as my surety from all
of eternity. That's my rejoicing. Sixth, I
know I've been called of God if I believe God's Word. Now,
there's not a lot of it I can explain, but I believe it. When I hear it, when I hear it
read, when I read it, when I hear it preached, I believe it. I
believe God's Word. Well, the only people who believe
God's Word are people that God's given eyes, that He's given faith
to believe. I believe God created the world
in six days. He spoke it into existence. I
believe it because I read it in God's Word. I don't care what
all the scientists say and the ways they can try to explain
it away. I believe God. I believe that there came a day
this started to rain and God flooded this world and he killed
every living being in this world except for Noah and his family
and those animals he put on the ark. I believe that. People try
to explain it away, they try to say how it's a fable, it's
a localized flood. I believe God flooded the world
because he said it in his word. I believe that the children of
Israel left Egypt And God parted the waters of the Red Sea and
they crossed that sea on dry ground. I believe that. Scientists
could never explain it, but I believe it because it's in God's Word.
I believe after thousands of years of promise, the Lord Jesus
Christ was born a man in Bethlehem's manger, born of a virgin, a woman
who never knew a man. Now that's physically impossible,
but I believe it. I believe that with all my being.
I read God's Word and I believe I am a sinner, completely fallen
dead in Adam, born in sin, shapen in iniquity. I believe that's
offensive to my flesh, but I believe it because I read it in God's
Word. I believe that God the Father
made His precious, holy Son to be sin for His people. He made
the holy Son of God to be sin, and He died as my substitute. He died under the wrath of God
for my sin that was laid on Him, and now my sin's gone because
His precious blood put it away. How Christ can be the holy sacrifice
and made and at the same time be made sin, I cannot explain
it, but I believe it because it's in God's Word. I don't have
to understand how it happened. I believe it because it's in
God's Word. I believe that one day this same
Jesus who died, was buried, resurrected, and was sent back to the Father,
that same Jesus one day is coming back in power to judge the world
and take His people to be with Him eternally. I believe that
because I read it in God's Word. And if you believe that, it's
because God called you. The only person who believes
that is the person God's called. Only one. Seventh, I know that
I've been called of God if I see some evidence of the fruit of
the Spirit in me. I wasn't born with love. If there's
love in me, it's because God called me and put it there. There's
love. There's joy. There's peace. There's
longsuffering. There's gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. That's the fruit of the Spirit.
And if I see some evidence of that in me, it's because God's
called me. And it's far from perfect. Far from what I want
it to be. Far from what I wish it was.
But it's there. And it's growing. If God called
you. And that's not presumption. If
the Lord's given life, there's evidence of life. When a baby's
born, if that baby's alive, it cries. It's the evidence of life. And from the Lord's given life,
there'll be evidence of it, the fruit of the Spirit. Eighth,
I know I've been called of God if I seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness. Those are things that the Father
gives when He calls His people. And if those things are true
in you, it's because the Father's called you out of darkness in
His marvelous light. He's called you, a factual call. out of yourself, out of sin,
out of the bondage of sin, called you to himself, to his son. That's
the calling of God. And everyone that God's elected,
he's called. And if you see evidence of God's
calling, it's because he elected you. You made your calling and
election sure. And Peter tells us, now be diligent
about this. This is not a matter of just,
you know, kind of take or leave, because it's too important to
be wrong. A number of years ago, it had
to be, I don't know, 17 or 18 years ago. I was with Bob Coffey. Bob was preaching. And he made
that very statement. This is too important to be wrong. And if I'm wrong, I want to know
it right now. It's too important to know the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's too important to be wrong.
And if I'm wrong, I want to know it today. Well, I'm telling you,
it's like a bomb went off in that place. And after he got
done, Bob got attacked. I mean, attacked. Because here's
the problem. If the preacher can't know he's
saved, how can I know I'm saved? And I'm telling you, there was
commotion like I've never seen in my life. But he's right. This is too important to be wrong.
Well, how can I know that the Lord saved me? How can I know
he called me? By examining ourselves. Peter says, examine yourself.
That's what Paul told the church at Corinth about the Lord's table.
Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, and be diligent
about this." Look at 2 Corinthians 13. This is something we need to
know. And honestly, it's not that mysterious.
It's not that difficult to know. I remember Brother Henry saying
this one time. He said, God's turned the light
on. You know it. You know it. 2 Corinthians 13,
verse 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye
be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
you be reprobates? Well, of course you do. He said
in verse 6, but I trust. that ye shall know that we are
not reprobates." Well, how do you know that? If you examine
yourself, whether you be in the faith, and find that Jesus Christ
is in you, and He is there, you know it. Now, examining yourselves
for these things, that does not mean that we take any confidence
in our faith, that we take any confidence in our own selves
because of anything that we find in ourselves, our love, our joy,
our peace, our faith. Our salvation is in Christ. All of our confidence, all of
our hope is in Christ and Christ alone. We look to Him. But now,
if Christ has saved you, if He's in you, there will be fruit of
that salvation. And it'll be evident to anyone
who examines themselves. And if you do these things, you
diligently examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith.
If you do these things, you shall never fall. Now, you'll fall. You'll stumble. You'll fall.
But you'll never completely fall away. You'll never fall into
sin. You'll never fall away from grace.
You'll never fall away from the mercy of God. You won't fall
because you're looking to Christ. That's the key. Now, verse 11,
he says, For so an entrant shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. A person who diligently seeks Christ, they'll have an
abundant supply of grace. Grace to meet every trial. Grace
to carry you across every road of this life. Grace that at the
end of this life will supply unto you an entrance into the
everlasting kingdom of Christ. And that grace is ministered
unto us abundantly. Abundant grace. The word minister
there means supply. It's grace that's supplied that
will enable us, by God's grace, to enter into His kingdom. That's
where everyone who's elected will be, because they're glorified,
as we just read over in Romans chapter 8. Now, verse 12, he
says, wherefore, because this is true, because we should examine
ourselves, whether we'd be found in the faith, he says, I will
not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things,
though you know them and be established in the present truth. Yea, I
think it means. It's right, as long as I'm in
this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.
Now, Peter tells us to be diligent about these spiritual matters.
And then he tells us, I'll be diligent in preaching to you.
I thought this week, if I'm not diligent in study, if I'm not
diligent in studying God's word, if I'm not diligent in prayer
to seek the message, to seek some knowledge and understanding
and some ability to communicate that to you. If I'm not diligent
in that, how can I expect you to be diligent in listening?
If I'm not diligent in seeking the message, how can I expect
you not to fall asleep? That's what Peter's saying. You
be diligent in examining yourselves, and I'll be diligent in preaching
and teaching God's Word to you. You know, the preacher's job
is to preach the truth of the Scripture and then to preach
it again And again and again and again. That's the preacher's
job to teach the truth and then to remind us of the truth. Now,
to about everyone here, I can tell you, you know Christ, you
know the truth. But we need to be reminded, don't
we? Because it's human nature to forget. That's our nature. You know, I was sitting studying
this week and I thought of Sandy. She's one of my teachers when
I was a little guy. Well, what am I going to teach
her? She doesn't already know. Not a thing. But it's reminding,
to be reminded again of the truth that we already know, the truth
that's already been established in our hearts. And we need to
be reminded so that we'll become more established. And so we won't
be blown by every wind of doctrine. Every false preacher that comes
down the pipe blowing won't blow us away. We're established in
the truth. That's what Paul told the church
at Philippi to write the same things to you. To me, indeed,
it's not grievous. It's not grievous for me to repeat
myself again, because for you, it's safe. Look in Titus chapter
three, what Paul told Titus. Titus three, verse three. He
says, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice
and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the
kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior. that being justified by his grace
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Now that's the gospel. And look what he says in verse
8. This is a faithful saying. And these things I will that
thou affirm constantly. You repeat them over and over
and over again. You affirm them constantly. That
they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works. These things are good and profitable on demand. You just repeat these things
over and over and over again. And Peter says, as long as I'm
in this flesh, I'm going to stir you up, stir up your faith by
reminding you again of all the gospel truths. If the Lord's been pleased. to
bless us with a man with that heart, the same heart as Peter,
to constantly affirm these things, to constantly be determined to
stir up our faith by reminding us of the gospel. I'm telling
you, we ought to listen, because it won't last forever. Look at
verse 14. Knowing that shortly I must put
off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath
showed me. The Lord showed Peter how he
would die upside down and be crucified upside down. And Peter
knew the time is near. And when the time is short. We'll
speak of only the most important things, just things get distilled
down to what's the most important. Well, what's most important to
Peter? The message that he'd been preaching for years. The
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the most important. He's
reminding people of what the same thing that he's preached
all these years. And it's interesting is the time of Peter's death,
departure from this world draws near. He talks about death in
terms of folding up an old tent, folding up an old garment, this
old moth eaten, folding it up and putting it away and putting
on the new. And for the believer, That's exactly what the death
of this body is. That's another thing to be reminded
of. This body is extraordinarily
temporary. Soon it's going to be folded
up. It's old. It's decaying. It's moth-eaten. It's out of style. It's corrupt. And soon we're going to fold
it up and put on the new. That's not a reason for sorrow.
That's a reason for rejoicing and happiness that we're going
to fold this thing up soon and put on the new. The new flesh,
the new body that'll never decay, that'll never be moth-eaten,
that'll never go out of style. A body just like the Lord Jesus
Christ. And for Peter, this time was
drawing near. And that's good for Peter. That's
good news. I'm sure he's quite happy about
that. But for the rest of us when he's gone, what are we going
to do? That's good for Peter, but that's
not good for us. The minister who preached to
us and taught us is gone. Now what are we going to do?
We'll look in verse 15. He says, Moreover, I will endeavor
that ye may be able, after my decease, to have these things
always in remembrance. It's the heart of God's pastor
to teach Christ. to teach the people, the Lord
Jesus Christ, to point people to Christ so that people will
follow Christ and not him. And he'll repeat himself and
teach Christ over and over and over and over and over and over
again so that after he's gone, people will have learned the
Lord Jesus Christ and will follow Christ. And if we're not following
Christ, if it's just religion to us, And we're following a
man. And we've been accused of that
over many, many years. Then what are you going to do
when he's gone? Now, this is a problem. If you're following
a man, what are you going to do when he's gone? Well, if you're
just following a man, if it's just religion, he might be impressive. He might have an impressive way
of in the pulpit. He may have an impressive way
of oratory. He may have an impressive personality,
an outgoing personality, an engaging personality that draws people
to him. But when he's gone, what are
you going to do? Because if you're following him,
he's gone. I'll tell you what you'll do. You'll either quit religion altogether
or you'll find a new man to follow and you'll go a different way.
But if we're following Christ, we'll continue to follow Christ
when the servant changes. When the messenger changes, if
you're following Christ, you keep following Christ. And that's
Peter's desire. And he tells him now this following
Christ, this message of believing Christ and believing the word
and teaching the word is important. Because he says in verse 16,
he says, we've not followed cunningly devised fables. That's not some
story someone made up. When we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were high
witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the
Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount."
Now this gospel is no mere fairy tale like Roman and Greek mythology. Roman and Greek mythology made
up by men who understood There's a higher power running this thing.
And so they made up with man's wisdom some story to try to explain
it. Now, by man's wisdom, they couldn't
understand God. So they made up some farfetched
stories and people believed it. Peter says, this is not some
mere story made up by men. This is God's word. This is God's
word. The eternal God has manifested
himself in his word. This is God's word. And it's
no fable. And Peter and the rest of the
apostles were eyewitnesses to the ministry of Christ. Peter
and James and John were eyewitnesses to the transfiguration of Christ. We won't take the time to go
over and read it, but you know the story, how Christ was transfigured
on that mountain. He took Peter and James and John
with him. And as he prayed, he peeled back
that flesh. And the glory of God's Son appeared. And Moses and Elijah appeared
with him, spoke of his deceit that he would accomplish at Jerusalem. It wasn't a defeat. It's what
he would accomplish in his death. Moses represented the law. Elijah
represented the prophets. All the law and the prophets
pointed to this Christ, what he would accomplish in his death.
And those apostles, they saw that. Peter was so impressed
by it, he's ready to erect monuments right then and there. He's going
to erect one to the Lord, and one to Moses, and one to Elijah.
He was so impressed. And that cloud appeared, the
Shekinah glory of God. That same cloud that appeared
over the mercy seat appeared, and they were afraid. And they
went into that cloud, and they heard the voice of God speak,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And
after they heard that, Moses and Elijah, they didn't see them
anymore. They saw Christ alone. Now, that event was something
to behold. I mean, I'm confident that was
something else to behold. And we'd say, boy, I'd like to
see that. I mean, if I could see that, my faith would be so
strong, I'd never doubt if I could have seen that event. You know, those three apostles
saw that, and in a very short time, The first sign of distress
came up, they all ran away. John and James ran away, and
Peter did not even know the Lord. And he saw it. Well, apparently
that's not going to keep your faith from being shaken. Well,
then what will? If seeing a sight like that will
not keep your faith from being shaken, then what will give you
this faith? It's God's Word. Look at what
Peter says in verse 19. We have also a more sure word
of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and
the day star arise in your hearts. This word, the Bible, is a more
sure word of prophecy than what Peter, James, and John saw when
Christ was transfigured and Moses and Elijah appeared in glory
and glorified flesh. This is the full manifestation
of God. We have more sure evidence of
the glory of Christ by reading God's Word than Peter did seeing
Christ transfigured on that mountain. We have more sure prophecy, more
sure evidence of the saving power of Christ than what Peter saw
that night. See, what we see with these eyes
could deceive us. Maybe we miss something. Maybe
we miss some details. Maybe we didn't see everything
just right because we're needing glasses. And you know, you get
to the place where you need bifocals. Maybe you didn't see it just
right. Maybe when that cloud appeared, you got scared. They
got scared. Maybe they shut their eyes and
missed something. Maybe as you get older, maybe your memory's
playing tricks on you. You don't remember it just exactly
as it happened. But when you read God's Word,
it never changes. Never. You'll never find a detail,
the most minute detail of error in this word. It's perfect. We have a more sure word of prophecy. It's complete and there's nothing
left out. And we'd be wise to believe it. And we believe the testimony
of men as their message matches God's word, because this is God's
word. This word reveals Christ, who
is the day star. who shines in a dark place, who
rises in the hearts of his people and gives us light and life.
And we learn of Christ in God's word. And that's why it's so
important that we be diligent in learning and studying and
hearing it, because this is God's word. He says in verse 20, he
says, knowing this, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. No scripture can be taken, well,
no scripture at all, can be interpreted or explained by man's wisdom.
Man's wisdom cannot understand this book. It's spiritual and
it's spiritually discerned. And you certainly can't take
a verse out of it and make it stand alone and explain it with
man's wisdom and explain what it means. They might make a very
logical argument, but they missed it. And I'll show you just one
verse. Look over a page in 2 Peter 3, verse 9. Here's a verse that
men will take out of context, take this one verse out and explain
it by man's wisdom. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. Now men take that verse out by
itself and they say, see it's God's will to save everybody.
It's not God's will that anybody should perish. It's God's will
that everybody, every human being would come to repentance. That's
God's will. And if you'll just let it happen
and if someone perishes in hell, well, that's not God's will.
Well, they might make that sound pretty convincing with man's
wisdom until you start comparing Scripture with Scripture. And
you see, well, that doesn't mean that. That means that God is
not willing that anyone who believes on his son should perish. That
not anyone who God elected will perish. That not anyone who has
this light, precious faith will perish. If we're going to understand
Scripture, we must compare Scripture with Scripture. Understand spiritual
things by comparing them with spiritual things. In verse 21,
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
All the Scripture, the Old Testament and the New Testament, is God-breathed. It's God's Word. Those prophets
and apostles, they didn't just sit down and write out their
own thoughts and ideas. They wrote as they were inspired
by the Holy Spirit. Look over at 2 Timothy 3, and
I'll quit. 2 Timothy 3, verse 14. You know,
we begin with our children, little children. Teaching them what? God's Word. They have memory
verses. They're short. They can't remember
very much. They can't spit out very much. But it's God's Word. That's where we start. It doesn't
change much when we come out here. It's still God's Word.
St. Timothy 3 verse 14. But continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a
child Thou hast known the holy scriptures." This is the key,
to know the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All
scripture, from beginning to end, all scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of
God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. This is the Word of Life. This
is what God says. And you know, we won't go wrong
following God's Word. It's a lamp under our feet. It'll
keep us from falling off the way, from falling out of the
way, which is Christ Jesus. And we don't go to God's Word
trying to find a verse or trying to find a phrase that supports
what we think, that supports our position. We go to God's
Word. Find out what God says and believe
it. Because it's God's Word. And
that goes back right to the very beginning of the lesson. To make
your calling and election sure. If you find it in God's Word
and believe it, it's because God called you. Alright, well,
I hope the Lord bless you.