Give Diligence to Make your Calling and Election Sure.

I greet you in the name of Jesus this morning.! It is good to be here.

Yes, it was good to be in Pennsylvania last weekend.! I talked a little bit about the broken down heads.

I think it's something that is good for us to consider where we are at. Dan didn't read it, but a couple verses later in the same chapter it said, examine yourselves whether you are in the faith, and I believe that it is good for us to take inventory of our lives and see where we are at.

This morning, again, we will turn to 2 Peter chapter 1. And I know we've begun here several times, but today I want to continue on through verse 5 through 11 or so, where we've not really spent a lot of time on before.

2 Peter chapter 1. Simon Peter is servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter chapter 1.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that liketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Is this not each one of our hearts desire? Is that there will be an abundant entrance for us into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And he gives us some very practical instruction here today. You know, I've noticed going through the epistles especially, there is so much practical instruction for our day-to-day walk of life.

Are we taking heed to the word of God? Are we taking heed to what the word of God says?

Have we escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust? You know, the first four verses of this chapter, he's talking about being born again and entering into this new life.

And entering into the promises of God. And we enter into them through faith.

And now in verse 5, he says, He says, giving all diligence, add to your faith. So, having faith in our Lord Jesus and believing in him, faith lays a foundation in our life.

It lays a foundation. And we must build on that foundation. We must build upon it. You know, we all know how, you know, when you want to build a building, you're going to put the foundation in first, right?

Well, that foundation, it can look really nice and it can look really beefy and all of that. But without building upon it, that foundation is really not worth a lot.

And so it is in our Christian life. We must build upon the foundation of faith. And we must build upon our lives.

Well, he says here, Talking about, in verse 4, the great and precious promises and how we enter into them.

And he's given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And we're partakers of that new nature.

You know, if we're born again, you know, old things that passed away and all things that become new. And we, have we escaped the corruption that is in the world?

Have we escaped from that? Or do we love the world? Are we still dabbling with those things? Do we yield when those things come up in a temptation?

You know, in the book of James, it says that friendship with the world is to be an enemy of God. In John, the epistle of John says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

And he goes on and he talks about the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

You know, we know what those things are. Are we overcoming? Are we free? Have we escaped the corruption that is in the world through these things?

You know, in 2 Timothy, he talks about the last times and perilous times will come.

And he says, you know, I've marveled at this. You know, we look at the end times and we look at persecution and we look at communism and Islam and all of those things.

But those are not the things that he names here. When he says, he says, in the last days, perilous times shall come. What does he say that brings those perilous times?

He says, for men shall be lovers of their own selves. Men will be lovers of their own selves.

And so they will go after those things that please self. And they will go after the things that their heart desires and not the heart of God.

And, you know, that opens the door to the whole list that comes afterward. Covetous, boasters, proud, disobedient to parents, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy.

And on down the line he goes. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

I believe this is one that many, many professing Christians are caught in this one in our country. Pleasures, going after pleasures.

Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. You know, when these things are allowed in our life. When self is dictating our life.

Instead of God. Instead of the things that we will be looking at in a minute. What does it bring? It robs us of the power of God.

And so all we have is a form of godliness. And not the power of God working in us. Now let's look at 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 5.

He says, giving all diligence. So we're going to walk this walk. If we're going to live the Christian life.

We're not going to coast into heaven. On easy street. No, but it will take diligence.

It will take. It will take. Being serious about this life. It will take being serious about serving God.

And following him. And walking in victory. Diligence. Persevering and carefulness. The original meaning of this word is haste.

To haste. You know, when you. Do we hasten. To be obedient. When we hear the word of God.

When God speaks to us. Adding our diligence. To the divine promises. Yes. Diligence.

A demand. For business vigilance. In the realm of the spirit. In the realm of the spirit. I like that one.

You know. If we're going to be successful in business. We're going to be diligent. We're going to be diligent. We're going to be diligent. We're going to be out there.

We're going to be out there. And we're going to be working. We're going to be diligent. To get the job done. And to do it right. To do it. Get it done on time.

And all of those things. But are we. Are we. Are we. Applying the same diligence. This same. Vigilance.

To our spiritual walk. Is our. Is our. Is our. Spiritual life. Priority.

Or. Are other things. Priority. Is business. Our priority. Pleasure. Our priority.

We must. We must. Have that. Diligence. And apply it. To our Christian life. I come across.

This quote. I just want to quote it. Diligence. Is the remedy. Or the cure all. For all diseases. Of the Christian life. You know.

The answer is in. This book. Jesus has made all the provisions. Like we've. Read here. Numerous times.

In the beginning of this chapter. He has. He has. He has. Provided all things. That pertain. And a life. And godliness. And it is. Our.

As we. Apply. Our diligence. Is how we enter in. And so. Diligence. Is the remedy. For all diseases.

Of the Christian life. We talked a little. About. About. About. About. About. About. About. We talked a little bit. About.

Is your relationship. With god. First priority. In your life. It is. The foundation. Faith. Is the foundation. Of this building. Are we building.

Upon it. Okay. Now he says. Add. To your faith. Virtue. Add. To your faith. Virtue. What is.

Virtue. Well. A noble. A noble. Character. A noble. Character. How is. Our life. Are we living.

A virtuous. Life. Your. Proverbs says. A virtuous woman. Is. Her price. Is far above. Rubies. But.

As men. Living. Life. Virtue. Virtue. Virtue. Virtue. And I read a verse.

First Corinthians. Sixteen. Three. He says here. No. Thirteen. Watch ye. Stand fast. In the faith.

Quit you. Like men. Are we. Are we. Standing. Are we. You know. Are we. You know. You know.

You know. What. We mean. By saying. Be a man. You know. Get out. On the job. And. Strength. Show your. Stuff.

The work. Why are we. Doing that. In the spiritual life. Are we. Doing that. He says. To quit. Like men. To. Take a hold.

And to. Diligently. Pursue. The kingdom. Of God. Add. To your faith. Virtue. Into virtue.

Knowledge. Knowledge. What. Is. Knowledge. It is. Intelligence. Knowing. The word. Studying. The bible.

Knowing. The will. Of God. Have we. Given. Ourselves. To the study. Of the word. To seeking. The lord. And to.

To be full. Of the spirit. Of God. And to. Allow him. To use us. Do we. A regular. A regular. A regular.

Time. Of. Of reading. The bible. And prayer. Famine. Of the word. You know. There's. There's.

The bible. Talks about. There's. A famine. In the land. A famine. Of the word. Of God. Is there. A famine. In your life.

You know. We're. In a drought. Well. It's always. Dry. In the summer. Right. But. Is it. Dry.

In your heart. Are you. Are you. Are you. Feeding. That inner man. And. To. Knowledge. Temperance. Temperance.

Temperance. Self. Control. A proper. Limited. Use. All. Enjoyments. Moderation. Priorities.

Do we have. Our priorities. Do we have. Our priorities. In the right. Place. We are.

Useless. In the kingdom. Of. In the kingdom. Unless. Our priorities. Right. You know. If. Our priorities. Right.

Can. God. Even. Use us. Are. Our priorities. At the right. Place. Temperance. To.

Temperance. To. Temperance. Patience. Temperance. Temperance. Temperance. Temperance. Patience. And. A.

Godliness. Patience. Patience. That's a tough one. Isn't it?

Patience. The will. And ability. To wait. Or endure. Endure. Without. Complaint. You know.

I. My mind. Goes. That verse. In the book. Of James. In chapter. Five. There's a verse here.

He says. In verse. Ten. One. Take. My. Brethren. The prophets. Who. Have. In the name.

Of the Lord. For an example. Of suffering. Affliction. And. Of. Patience. He tells us. To take the prophets.

Those. Those men. We read about. Here. In the old. Testament. To take them. As an example. An example. An example.

Of suffering. Affliction. Patience. You know. I was reading. In the book. Of Jeremiah. And. How they. How they. Cast him.

Into. Into the dungeon. And so on. And. You know. If they. Somebody. Came. And rescued him. Or other. Otherwise.

He would have. Perished. In that dungeon. And then. The leaders. And they. Asked him. For a word. From God. And. So he.

Well. You know. Give me a little. Time. And I'll. See what God. If the God. If God. If God. And so. He got a word. From the Lord.

And he gave it. To them. And after he was. They said. We won't. To you. We're going to go. Do what we. Want to do. Not exactly.

In those words. But pretty much. You know. How. You know. And so. There was. Jeremiah. And they forced him. To go with them. Can we.

You know. Can we. Take men. As an example. In our own life. Taking them. For an example. In patience.

Godliness. Godliness. What does it mean. To live. A godly life. Well. You know.

Verse four. By these. We are partakers. Of the divine nature. If we're born again.

We have the spirit. Of God. Dwelling. Within us. And now. He says. To add.

Godliness. Godliness. You know.

If we. If we. Will. Add. These things. Our life. And allow. The spirit. Of God. To direct.

Our way. To direct. Our thoughts. Our path. I believe. God. A godly. Life. Will follow. Godliness. Loyalty.

And devotion. To God. Being. Godly. Partakers. Of the divine. Nature. Obedience. To. To. To.

To. Obedience. Let's. Let's. Let's. Let's. First. Peter. And chapter. Chapter.

One. Start in verse 14. We'll read a couple verses here. As obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.

But as he which has called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

Because it is written be ye holy for I am holy. And if ye call on the father who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work.

Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear or in reverence. If we call God our father. If we call God our father. And he.

You know if. So if he's our father. Then what less can we expect of us. What less can he expect of us.

But that we will live a godly life. That we will live a life of obedience to his word and to his spirit.

Obedience is a distinguishing characteristic of the child of God. You know Isaiah talks about a people that they've all gone their own way.

It's called iniquity. It's what we read in Timothy. Lovers of their own selves. Men going after their own desires and the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life.

And those things. Going their own way. But he admonishes us. To be as obedient children.

Children. In a family. Children under the authority of their parents. Obedient children.

Children. Are we walking in obedience to God. Are we walking in obedience. To the authority that's over us.

You know there's a headship. Order. There's a headship order. That we're under. And ultimately under God.

But are we. Walking in obedience. Obedience. To the headship that is over us. Above us. That we are to be under.

Obedience. Obedient to the authority over you. Be holy in all of life.

To keep ourselves that we're not defiled. That we're not defiled. Like Corinthians talks about. Not touching the unclean thing.

But to. But to live a pure and a holy life. Here he says. Be holy for I am holy. Let's not just say.

Well that's impossible. No. We are made holy. Because we have received the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And let us walk in that righteousness.

Let us walk by the spirit of God. Let us not. Allow the things of this world to defile us. The lust of the flesh. And the lust of the eye.

And the pride of life. The three pillars of the world. Are you free from them? Have you been delivered from them? Have you been delivered?

Delivered. Like our. Like our. Like our chapter says. Have you been delivered from the corruption that is in the world. Through lust.

Obedience is a distinguishing characteristic of a child of God. If we're a child of God today. We call him our father.

Are we walking in obedience? As he which has called you is holy.

So be ye holy. In all manner of conversation. Not just on a Sunday morning. Not just when you go to church.

No. But seven days a week. Out on the job. Out on a Friday night. Out wherever you go. Whatever you do, are you living in this way?

Are you living a holy life? Verse 17, if ye call God Father, the one who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, then pass the time of your sojourning here in fear, in reverence.

You know, there's a day coming. There's a day coming when we will be judged. We will be judged by our works. And there's no respect of persons.

Here in this life, in this world, men, we see all the time, we see men having respect of persons. Oh, but he's, you know, elite, and so he's exempt.

God is not that way. He's not a man. He is God. He is holy. He is the ultimate. And he will judge without respect of persons.

Titus. In Titus.

Get a couple verses out of Titus. Titus 2, 11 and 12.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Is that us? Is that us? He has redeemed us. Are we free from iniquity? Have we allowed him to purify us and to set us apart, a peculiar people?

You know, and that peculiar people, it's not because we might dress differently. No. But what makes us peculiar in this dark and sinful world is when the power of God works in us and through us.

We have the Almighty God living within us. And when he directs our path, when he leads us, when he works in us and through us and he uses us, that makes us a peculiar people because the majority of the world is out there and they're in darkness.

They're lost and in darkness and going after their own will, going after their own desires. But here we have a peculiar people living for the desire of God.

Is that us? Is that you today? Is your desire to please God? Is your desire to be all you can be in the kingdom of God?

Or is your desire to live in the pleasures of this life, in the pleasures of this world, and then hopefully go to heaven someday somehow?

I believe many people are deceiving themselves. He says here, the grace of God that brings salvation.

It teaches us. It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. You know, when those lusts come, when those temptations come, are you denying this old man the pleasures of sin?

Are you denying that old man the pleasures of this world? Are you trying to mix the pleasures of this world with a life for Jesus?

You know, the cross will cut it off. The cross, when we allow the cross to do its work, it will cut off those things from the world.

We must be crucified to those worldly lusts. He says we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.

We're talking about godliness. Are we godly? Are we living a godly life? How is it with us?

In Romans chapter 13, verse 14. It says here, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof.

Make not provision for the flesh. You know, there's many people will make excuses for living in sin, but the grace of God will give you power over those temptations.

But you must be diligent and not make provision for the flesh. You know, are you living a godly life or are you living a form of godliness?

How is it? How is it with us today? The next one.

And a godliness, brotherly kindness, and a brotherly kindness, charity.

Brotherly kindness. Galatians 6, 10 says, To do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith.

Brotherly kindness, to do good, to do good to one another, to do, you know, he says, to all men, but especially to those of the household of faith.

Yes. Brotherly kindness. I believe it meshes with the next one and a brotherly kindness, charity.

Jesus said, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one for another. 1 John 3, 13 and 14.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. You know, let me ask you, does the world hate you, or are you a friend of this world? How is it?

That tells you a lot right there. We know, verse 14, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.

He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. The ultimate test here, and it's so easy, he says, if we know that we've passed from death unto life, if we love the brethren, if we don't love our brother, we abide in death.

Now, I'm going to read just a couple verses out of 1 Corinthians 13.

We could read the whole chapter here, but we will not, do not believe we would have time for that.

But 1 Corinthians 13, we'll read verse 4 and 5 at least. Charity suffereth long and is kind. Charity envieth not.

Charity vaundeth not itself is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, suffereth long, is kind, it vaundeth not itself, it does not lift up itself, does not promote itself, does not promote itself, doesn't always have to have her own way, seeks not her own, it's not easily provoked.

I'm reminded that Jesus said the first two commandments, love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself.

you know, if we love the Lord, with all our heart, and then we love our neighbor, we love the brethren, we love our neighbors as we love ourselves, yes, God's love in us, does not insist on its own rights, or its own way.

How is it with us? How are we promoting self? are we promoting Christ? We need to take heed that we are not become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

In 1 John, in chapter 5, here we have, yeah, let's just read verse 1 to 5 here.

1 John 5, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? So here we have it again.

Do we love God? If we love God, we will keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. The commandments of God are grievous to the old man.

So if you find the commandments of God grievous, you're living in the old life, not in the new. This is the love of God that we keep his commandments.

Yes, verse 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. Are we overcoming? Are we overcoming the world?

Are we overcoming temptation? Are we living a pure life? Are we allowing that old self to dabble in sin?

How is it with us? How is it? Notice, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

A faith that governs your life. Does your faith govern your life?

A victorious faith. Why? Because it governs your life. It will stop you from yielding to sin and temptation.

It will stop you from going the wrong way. It will stop you. If you have, if your heart is pure and right and your heart is to walk in obedience, yes, we can overcome the world.

Amen. Amen. If we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, amen, it will change everything in our life and we can overcome the world.

second Peter again. Again. Verse eight, for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is this not our heart's desire to abound, to be fruitful? He says, if these things are in us and abound, hallelujah, but we must add our diligence.

Now, he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Blind. You know, I looked up what that word means here and it's like smoke. That word smoke came up a couple times.

You know how it is when the smoke settles down in the valley and it's hard to see. You can't see the mountains. You can't see far. You breathe and you breathe in smoke and everything's just kind of a haze.

peace. That's what he says here. He likens it. You know, if we if we lack these things then spiritually that's how we are.

We're blind. Not totally blind. We think we still see but we can't see clearly.

Why? Because we're not following the Lord Jesus with all our heart. That's why. Says cannot see afar off.

You know, can we can we see? Do we have eternity in our eyes? You know, if eternity is in our heart then it will be in our eyes and we will see beyond this life and we will see beyond the suffering of this life and the trials of this life and we will see that there's a glorious day coming and we are willing to sacrifice today for the future for eternity.

Blind not willing to sacrifice forgotten forgotten that he was purged from his old sins not thankful just taking taking salvation for granted and oh yes I'm saved I'm a Christian anyway how many times have we heard that?

I'm a Christian anyway I live my life however I please but I'm going to heaven examine ourselves whether we are in the faith verse 10 wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall give diligence there's that word diligence again diligence are we diligent let us be diligent let us be diligent you know we have an adversary and and and he comes to trip you and to deceive you and to to to lay snares to trap you and it is it takes our diligence it takes our diligence to live above this world yes he will give us power his power is within us but if we are not diligent we will allow we will allow those little foxes to come in and to spoil the vine yes yes those little foxes those little things oh it's nothing big oh it's it's it's not a salvation issue we hear that all the time but it's those little foxes that spoil the vine yes it is if we do these things if we give our diligence if we add our diligence give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hallelujah is this not our hearts desire today an abundant entrance into the kingdom of God I have a quote here that I found it was written probably hundreds of years ago by a man I believe a man of God he said though God has called us and elected us in Christ yet it depends on our own care to make them effectual to salvation though God has called us and elected us in Christ you've been chosen in him you've been chosen in

Christ yet it depends on our own diligence to make this call and election effectual unto salvation add a few of my own words there yes add your diligence add your diligence to the promises of God add your diligence to the promises of God and you will never fall make your calling and election sure Hebrews 6 verse 10 to 12 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you minister to the saints and do minister and we desire that every one of you to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises the writer writer here says it is his desire that we would have this diligence diligence we would show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope that we be not slothful diligence is the opposite of slothfulness you're your one or the other are you slothful and sloppy in your

Christian life are we diligent are we diligent in our walk with the Lord you be not slothful but be followers followers of who those who through faith and patience inherit the promises hallelujah who are we following who are we following are we following are we who do we look up to do we look up to people that are living a pure and a clean life a holy life before God and are effective in the kingdom of God or do we look up to people that all they have is a form of godliness and no power how is it he admonishes us to follow those who through faith and patience inherit the promises he goes on talking about

Abraham but let us let us add our diligence add our diligence to the promises of God not be slothful not be slothful but to add our diligence and there he says there will be an abundant entrance into the kingdom of God for us yes for you and me we can live a life pleasing to God but are we is it in our heart to live an obedient life is it in our heart to be under authority is it in our heart to give ourselves unto God and unto under his authority and those that he has set over us is it in our heart is it in our heart to be diligent with the things of the kingdom of God is it in our heart to be diligent with this word reading studying praying is that our heart amen let's pray heavenly father we thank you that you have made all provisions for us and if we will if we will be diligent there will be an abundant entrance be it before us into the kingdom of God

Lord might that be each one of our hearts Lord to give ourselves to give ourselves Lord diligently to you to your work to pursue the promises of God to allow you to cleanse us and to purify us and to set us free from anything that might hinder to empower us by the spirit of God Lord help us to be diligent to make our calling and election sure we pray in Jesus name amen may!