Confirm Your Calling
by Edwin Crozier
Augustine reportedly summarized Christian salvation and growth this way: “Without God, I cannot. Without me, God will not.”
Peter demonstrates this dynamic cooperation as he outlines Christian maturity in II Peter 1. Apart from God’s divine power, divine promises, divine call, and divine election, we could not possibly grow to maturity by our own efforts, no matter how diligent. Some, through the centuries, have taken this notion too far. They have claimed this means our efforts do not matter. They have claimed that we don’t make any effort ourselves, but only make an effort to the degree God has chosen and predestined us to exert it. This notion, however, flies in the face of Peter’s letter and his instruction to be diligent in our own effort.
Peter considers the foundation of God’s power, promises, call, and election settled. His concern is that Christians exert their efforts. Twice, he exhorts his audience to exercise personal effort. He begins his discussion of mature growth by claiming that we must bring all diligent effort to add mature Christian qualities to our faith. Then he concludes this list by claiming we must give all diligent effort to make our calling and election firm, sure, and certain.
Peter does not mean our calling and election depend on us. He does not mean we are to earn our way into the kingdom. If so, then it would be based on our power. But it is not. It is based on God’s power. Yet, he tells us to exert our power.
No doubt, this seems like double-talk and is confusing. Allow me to share an illustration to clear up the point. Consider the Israelites standing at the edge of the Promised Land after they had been delivered from Egyptian bondage. By their own effort, they could not conquer the Promised Land. They didn’t have the skill, the acumen, the strength, the power. Yet, God told them to go take the land. They could take it, not because they had the ability, but because God had the power and God was with them. The question for them was not if they believed they were strong enough to take the land, but whether they believed God was strong enough to take the land using them. Sadly, the first generation didn’t try and fail. Rather, they failed to take the land because they failed to act on God’s promises and power. The second generation did not succeed because they exerted perfect effort. They failed in multiple ways. They succeeded because they made the effort God directed them to make.
Israel’s initial failure and later success help us see the question we must ask ourselves as we hear Peter’s double exhortation to make every effort. Not: do we believe we are strong enough to mature? Not: do we believe we have the capacity to make our calling and election certain? But do we believe God has the power to grow, establish, and confirm us? If we believe God is strong enough, we will make the effort, knowing our effort is not alone but is anchored in God, multiplied by God, and made effective through God.
God richly provided an entrance for ancient Israel into the Promised Land, not because they were strong enough, but because He was. But He did so only when they believed His promises enough to make the effort to take the land. In like manner, we will only grow to maturity and partake of the divine nature when we believe God is so powerful that He can mature us as we make the effort to conquer sin and corrupt desire in our own lives. That belief, that faith, that trust, that allegiance is not demonstrated in words and statements. It is demonstrated in action and effort. Often flawed and faltering action. Often failed and fumbling efforts. But we keep making our effort, weak though they may be, not because we think we’ll finally accomplish something, but because we know God will accomplish something through us when we make the effort.
Will you make the effort? What quality will you diligently work on today? How will you work on it? Let us know in the comments section below.
