Election and Assurance

There is often discussion about the topic of election. One thing that cannot be denied is that election is biblical. You may disagree about how it takes place or what it means, but that there is "the elect" is not a valid question. There is "the chosen". There has been since the beginning of time. Noah was chosen. Abraham was chosen. Israel was God's chosen people. And so it goes on through the New Testament.

Jesus said, "Many are called but few are chosen." He told His disciples, "You didn't choose Me, but I chose you." Now, think about that for a moment. Did they choose Him? It wouldn't be completely accurate to say that they didn't. He said, "Follow Me" and they chose to do so. So while Jesus clearly made the first choice, election doesn't eliminate choice.

One thing I've heard over and over is, "Well, if you believe in election, you can never really be sure if you're saved, can you? You will always wonder if you are one of the elect." It might surprise these people to know that Scripture addresses this very question.

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; ³ seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. ⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you (2 Peter 1:2-11).

I had to include the whole context because it is so clear. The premise: "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness."

In verse 5 Peter starts with "Now for this very reason." What reason? Because His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. What, then, does Peter say we should do? "In your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." "Pharisee!" some might cry. Peter is talking about being diligent to do these things. Some call it "works" and deny it completely. Peter doesn't. Instead he says, "If these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful." The image, then, starts at "faith" and spirals upward in a series of character qualities that "are increasing". In other words, it doesn't stop.

Why would someone label Peter a Pharisee? Because there are those who argue that looking at a person's life is the wrong place to look. They say, "You should only ask if they believe. What they do is not an indicator." Peter says, "He who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted." And then Peter answers the question at hand. Is it possible, if election is a fact, to know that you're saved? Peter assures his readers ("those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours") that in diligently adding to their godly character they can "make certain about His calling and choosing you."

Do you want to know if you are one of the elect? Peter says it's simple. If you are diligent, if you are making use of the power of Christ which has "granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness", if you are adding to faith in the form of godly character, then you can be certain of His calling and choosing of you. It doesn't have to be a constant question. The Bible offers certainty ... despite the certainty of the skeptic that you cannot know. God, it seems, disagrees.