2 Pet 1:10: "Make every effort to confirm your calling and election". How?

[Deuteronomy]

You cannot serve two masters. Being a slave to the flesh or the world does not make you a child of God. So I must disagree with A. Pink

Hello CorrectiveLens, that's an interesting thought. However, can we truly consider someone who is always grieved over their sins and penitent, someone who uses the remedy that God has provided believers with (in order to be forgiven, cleansed and restored to full fellowship by Him) .. e.g. 1 John 1:9, a slave of sin and a child of Satan (rather than a child of God)

Thanks

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

1 John 1​

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.​

​

 

[oyster67]

However, can we truly consider someone who is always grieved over their sins and penitent, someone who uses the remedy that God has provided believers with (in order to be forgiven, cleansed and restored to full fellowship by Him)

Yes we can. We may truly consider Paul...

Romans 7
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

[CorrectiveLens]

Hello CorrectiveLens, that's an interesting thought. However, can we truly consider someone who is always grieved over their sins and penitent, someone who uses the remedy that God has provided believers with (in order to be forgiven, cleansed and restored to full fellowship by Him) .. e.g. 1 John 1:9, a slave of sin and a child of Satan (rather than a child of God)

Thanks

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

1 John 1​

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.​

​

The only way we can avoid sinning is if we obey the Spirit of the Law which is to have every thought and action motivated by divine love. This only occurs when the person is born again and receives the Holy Spirit who fills his heart with the same love that the Father and Son shared. When this happens the person does not have to grieve for sinning because he won't be sinning. If we concentrate otherwise, we will be sinning. That is what is meant by walking in the Spirit.

 

[Deuteronomy]

The only way we can avoid sinning is if we obey the Spirit of the Law which is to have every thought and action motivated by divine love. This only occurs when the person is born again and receives the Holy Spirit who fills his heart with the same love that the Father and Son shared. When this happens the person does not have to grieve for sinning because he won't be sinning. If we concentrate otherwise, we will be sinning. That is what is meant by walking in the Spirit.

Hello again CorrectiveLens, thanks for getting back to me

While I agree with what you just said, I've never met or heard of a Christian who is perfected in holiness and righteousness (such that they never sin/never fail to do God's will) on this side of the grave, much less from the moment that they are born again, come to saving faith and are saved. As far as I know, such perfection (on this side of Glory) has been true of the One who became one of us, the One who is our Creator, Savior and Lord, alone.

I believe that this is also why the elder Apostle John gave us (believers of all levels of maturity in the faith, that is) the ongoing remedy (in 1 John 1-2) that we need for the sins that we, sadly, continue to commit (whenever we fail to put on the "new man or new self" and allow the "old man/old self" to gain a temporary foothold in our lives again .. e.g. Ephesians 4:22-24).

This is when our reaction to sin becomes a demonstration of who we are, IOW, that we really and truly are who we claim to be, ~true believers~ (because unbelievers are rarely, if ever "grieved over"/horrified by the sins that they commit/over the sinful lifestyles that they lead). And if they ever are penitent to a degree, it has everything to do with them (guilt/fear/fear of retribution or Hell), not because they love God and are worried that their relationship with Him might suffer .. Christians alone do that!).

This is what I believe Dr. Pink was getting at in the quote of his that I posited earlier in this thread.

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - if I'm still missing part of the point that you were trying to make to me somehow (about Dr. Pink's quote), please help me understand what that is. Thanks

Ephesians 4​

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ​

23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ​

24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.​

​

1 John 1​

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.​

​

 

[CorrectiveLens]

Hello again CorrectiveLens, thanks for getting back to me

While I agree with what you just said, I've never met or heard of a Christian who is perfected in holiness and righteousness (such that they never sin/never fail to do God's will) on this side of the grave, much less from the moment that they are born again, come to saving faith and are saved. As far as I know, such perfection (on this side of Glory) has been true of the One who became one of us, the One who is our Creator, Savior and Lord, alone.

I believe that this is also why the elder Apostle John gave us (believers of all levels of maturity in the faith, that is) the ongoing remedy (in 1 John 1-2) that we need for the sins that we, sadly, continue to commit (whenever we fail to put on the "new man or new self" and allow the "old man/old self" to gain a temporary foothold in our lives again .. e.g. Ephesians 4:22-24).

This is when our reaction to sin becomes a demonstration of who we are, IOW, that we really and truly are who we claim to be, ~true believers~ (because unbelievers are rarely, if ever "grieved over"/horrified by the sins that they commit/over the sinful lifestyles that they lead). And if they ever are penitent to a degree, it has everything to do with them (guilt/fear/fear of retribution or Hell), not because they love God and are worried that their relationship with Him might suffer .. Christians alone do that!).

This is what I believe Dr. Pink was getting at in the quote of his that I posited earlier in this thread.

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - if I'm still missing part of the point that you were trying to make to me somehow (about Dr. Pink's quote), please help me understand what that is. Thanks

Ephesians 4​

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ​

23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ​

24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.​

​

1 John 1​

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.​

​

Jesus said that unless we repent, we will all likewise perish. It is the Father that grants this deep repentance and it is through Jesus that our sins are washed away, but God does not allow sinners to enter heaven. 1 Cor 13 clearly states that it doesn't matter what you think and do if you don't have love in your heart. Jesus clearly states that the greatest commandment is to love God completely and the second is to love everyone else as we love ourselves. All the commandments are based on these two. Eph 1: 4 According as He ( the Father and God of our Lord Jesus the Christ) hath chosen us ( by granting repentance which is a state of being) in Him ( we become part of Christ's spiritual body and are in Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him ( the Father in Heaven), in Love.
Eph 5: 1-2 Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, ...
1 Thess 4: 9 ....for ye yourselves are taught of (by) God to love one another.
2 Cor 13: 11 ....Be perfect, ...and the God of Love and peace shall be with you. It is not if A is true, then B will be true. It is that A being true is evidence that B is true. Those that are perfect have the love of God and peace in them.
Col 3: 14 And above all these things put on Love, which is the bond of perfectness.
John 15: 9, 12 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love....This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 17: 22-23, 26 And the glory (Holy Spirit) which thou hast given me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. ...And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Prov 10: 12 Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins.
1 Peter 1: 22 Seeing that ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently
Matt 5: 43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor , and hate thine enemy; But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the sons of your Father, who is in heaven; .... Be ye, therefore, perfect, even (that is) as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect.
1 John 2: 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

I have many more scriptures if you are still not convinced.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hello again @CorrectiveLens, unfortunately, you can post Scriptures until the cows come home, but if I don't understand what YOU mean by them in this case, they will probably be of little additional value.

Let me ask you a couple of questions. Maybe that will help clear things up a bit for me.

First off, do you believe that the word "perfect" (in the Scriptures above that you posited for us) means 1. mature or 2. w/ fault?

Second, and perhaps principally, do you believe that it is still possible for a true believer (one who God has caused to be born again and has been made His workmanship, as a new creature in Christ) to sin?

Thanks!

~Deuteronomy

 

[Inquisitor]

Jesus said that unless we repent, we will all likewise perish. It is the Father that grants this deep repentance and it is through Jesus that our sins are washed away, but God does not allow sinners to enter heaven. 1 Cor 13 clearly states that it doesn't matter what you think and do if you don't have love in your heart. Jesus clearly states that the greatest commandment is to love God completely and the second is to love everyone else as we love ourselves. All the commandments are based on these two. Eph 1: 4 According as He ( the Father and God of our Lord Jesus the Christ) hath chosen us ( by granting repentance which is a state of being) in Him ( we become part of Christ's spiritual body and are in Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him ( the Father in Heaven), in Love.
Eph 5: 1-2 Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, ...
1 Thess 4: 9 ....for ye yourselves are taught of (by) God to love one another.
2 Cor 13: 11 ....Be perfect, ...and the God of Love and peace shall be with you. It is not if A is true, then B will be true. It is that A being true is evidence that B is true. Those that are perfect have the love of God and peace in them.
Col 3: 14 And above all these things put on Love, which is the bond of perfectness.
John 15: 9, 12 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love....This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 17: 22-23, 26 And the glory (Holy Spirit) which thou hast given me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. ...And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Prov 10: 12 Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins.
1 Peter 1: 22 Seeing that ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently
Matt 5: 43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor , and hate thine enemy; But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the sons of your Father, who is in heaven; .... Be ye, therefore, perfect, even (that is) as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect.
1 John 2: 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

I have many more scriptures if you are still not convinced.

A beautiful verse.

1 John 2: 10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

 

[Evmur]

Dear Friends, so let's discuss this passage.

2 Pet 1:10, 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,"

And here it is in the full context:

Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3His 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. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

From: https://biblehub.com/niv/2_peter/1.htm Thoughts? God Bless.

Lovely scripture starts of with our being SURE we are called and elected ... some folks are not sure on those points

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hello again @CorrectiveLens, I thought that I should point out the typo from my last post to you, post #26. It should have said,

"First off, do you believe that the word "perfect" (in the Scriptures above that you posited for us) means 1. mature or 2. without fault?"

Sorry about that!

 

[Blik]

Christ makes everything clear for us with the simplest words. When we give ourselves to Christ to follow him, Christ gives us one word for that, it is to repent and be forgiven.

When Christ was asked what the greatest commandment in the law was, then again Christ made it simple giving the law of love. If we follow Him to love, then we obey all the other commandments that only give ways to love and care.

 

[CorrectiveLens]

Hello again @CorrectiveLens, unfortunately, you can post Scriptures until the cows come home, but if I don't understand what YOU mean by them in this case, they will probably be of little additional value.

Let me ask you a couple of questions. Maybe that will help clear things up a bit for me.

First off, do you believe that the word "perfect" (in the Scriptures above that you posited for us) means 1. mature or 2. w/ fault?

Second, and perhaps principally, do you believe that it is still possible for a true believer (one who God has caused to be born again and has been made His workmanship, as a new creature in Christ) to sin?

Thanks!

~Deuteronomy

Gen 6: 5 The heart has thoughts and imagination
Dan 6: 14 The heart has motivation or direction
Gen 6: 6 The heart grieves
Gen 8: 21, 24: 45 The heart speaks to itself
Gen 18: 5 The heart can be comforted
Gen 45: 26 The heart can faint
Exod 4: 14 The heart can be glad
Exod 4: 21 The heart can be hardened ( made firm or unchanging)
Exod 25: 2 The heart has a will
Exod 31: 6 The heart can be wise
Num 32: 7 The heart can be discouraged
Deut 29:4 The heart can perceive
1 Sam 4: 13 The heart can be fearful
Conclusion: The heart is the consciousness that is in every being.
What is wrong with humanity is their heart ( motivation for their existence) which is Self first above God and everyone else. When a person is born again, he is granted repentance by the Father ( which is a state of being which cannot be refused because the person already has it), he puts his trust in Christ's death for the forgiveness of sins, and then is perfected by the Holy Spirit of God through the Son by changing our motivation from love of self to love for God first and love for everyone else second. If someone concentrates on obeying the letter of the Law, he will be judged by the Law. If someone concentrates on obeying the Spirit of the Law, he will not covet, or steal, or hurt his neighbor in any way because of the divine love that he has for God and everyone else. It is hard for a lot of people to swallow because most are still slaves of the world and the flesh.The road to salvation is narrow and the road to damnation is wide. God judges the heart. Salvation is not just a mental thing, it is a state of being. If you don't see or feel a change in your purpose for existence, you are not born again.
Also, I appreciate your hello and good will.

 

[Magenta]

2 Peter 1:5-8

 

[Magenta]

• Rom 12:1-2 . . I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2

 

[Magenta]

A beautiful verse.

1 John 2: 10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

Romans 13:10

 

[Gojira]

Hello @XavierJesusLovesIndia, interesting/important topic for a thread. Thanks for getting it started

Question, do you want us to use 2 Peter 1:3-11 alone to answer the "how" question in your OP title, or is it ok with you if we base part of our answer (to the "how do we confirm our calling and election" question) on other verses and passages too?

Thanks

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

View attachment 246651​

This graphic here touched me man. Thank you.

 

[CorrectiveLens]

Hello again @CorrectiveLens, I thought that I should point out the typo from my last post to you, post #26. It should have said,

"First off, do you believe that the word "perfect" (in the Scriptures above that you posited for us) means 1. mature or 2. without fault?"

Sorry about that!

Salvation occurs instantly when the person receives the Holy Spirit and is born again. Perfection is a state of being where the person is so full of divine love for God and everyone else that all thoughts and actions are motivated by the desire to give glory and gratitude to the Father and Son for filling us with their Spirit of love which allows us to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. Simply put, you don't get charged for sin when your motive is love for God first, and love for everyone else second.

 

[Webers.Home]

.

being SURE we are called and elected ... some folks are not sure on those
points

As a rule, Catholics aren't permitted to be sure.

If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible
certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he
shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.
(Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon 16)
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
Rumor has it that Christ recovered from death and went up to Heaven to
become a mediator between God and Man.

Rumor also has it that as a mediator, he's sympathetic towards those those
who are ignorant and out of the way.

So; I recommend that folks uncertain of their calling and election find a
private place to pray-- anywhere will do: a restroom, a car, a walk in the
woods, whatever --and in plain candid language simply speak up and tell
Christ you're experiencing a bit of anxiety about the afterlife.

Another rumor has it that Christ turns no one away, so go for it: seek his
assistance on at least this one very important matter. The thing is, he and
his Father have gone to extremes proving themselves concerned for your
safety so don't be afraid to take advantage of their willingness to help.
_