A Certain Calling
2nd Peter 1: 1-11
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The New
Testament Witness of the Apostle
Peter |
Max A
Forsythe | |
There is in Europe a specific breed of horses used by the Spanish Riding School once established by the Hapsburg Dynasty. The royal breed of horses are known as Lipizzaners. They are carefully trained for riding expositions and are capable of dancing and leaping that more ordinary breeds would need a thousand years of breeding to attain. Another interesting fact about these white horses is that the young foals are born very dark, almost black. And only at maturity do they attain the royal white coat that they have inherited from the genes of their ancestors. Some few do not show the proper color of their breeding and are given more mundane tasks as carriage and work animals.
Now I start with this example from the animal world to demonstrate that not every person who appears to be born to the royal election and calling of a life in Christ will finally show His true colors. If I may continue in my comparison of the Lipizzaners with Christians - I would observe that the early calling of these animals while they are yet dark coated does not guarantee that at maturity they will demonstrate an election of standing firm in that calling. There we will leave the point and not horse around with godly doctrines any further until we apply the scriptural truths to the point that the Apostle Peter has in mind in these opening verses of his second general letter to the churches.
We may divide our passage into two unequal sections this morning. The first two verses open Peter's letter. The remainder of our passage concerns the confirmation of the Christian Election in our lives. This part of the passage covers the privileges, the faith and the evidence for our calling and election. The closing verses encourage us to measure ourselves against the expectations of our Creator God and make certain where we stand in relationship to Him.
Let us begin with the two introductory verses. Simon Peter is identified as the author and like Paul he well understands his relationship to our own Lord and Savior. See the first description? You don't hear even the word servant much in our day and time. Social Security and class envy have practically destroyed a once common vocational calling. Even the very idea of submission to someone is looked down upon by professionals of every kind.
Yet, the word here goes further than a mere hireling, it indicates a servant bought and paid for by a price. Once we appreciate the broken body and spilt blood that earned the purchase, we can like Peter begin to learn what the word humility really means. If we cannot accept the accurate description of our election than we are not ready to work out any calling worthy of being named. Certainly, we are not called to be Apostles, but preacher, teacher, deacon and saint may easily be substituted here for your own situation.
The second phrase of verse one does indicate that we should think of this relationship even as Peter has. Do you not have a like precious faith obtained by the same means as Peter has entered into his bonded calling? Once again within the space of one verse we are encouraged to look to the fountain of our election and calling to the righteousness of our Father God and His only Son - our savior Jesus Christ. How many letters have words and phrases so pregnant with meaning? It is well that we understand the meaning of these words so that we can understand if we are in a like relationship as Peter and all the other true saints of Christ's Church. Always remember, you and I have been bought for a price and our purpose in life is to prove the calling of that purchase.
Verse two gives Peter's hopeful blessing upon us, who share his adoptive relationship of our Lord as we grow in our understanding and knowledge.
As we enter into the second section where we will be encouraged to confirm His election in our calling, we see the benefits and privileges associated with the salvation process. In verse three we hear that it is indeed divine power that has given us all things that pertain to a spiritual life and the godliness that reflects the fact of the Spirit's presence. Oh, isn't it exciting to see the perfect balance of calling and election in these phrases one by one. In Him we have both life and godliness, because we know Him. By Him, here we understand the One who called us has also given us precious promises so that we may partake of the divine nature once having escaped the worldly corruption. Does this sound like the churches in America? Where have we seen any power demonstrated from the faith once given to the saints? Where is the reflection of the Divine authority and grace demonstrated to the watching world that no longer expects any miraculous spiritual presence of any type or sort that is godly? In my interactions with people in other churches and denominations - no one really expects any minimal demonstration of holiness within the church! How sad that we expect so little when Peter tells us that God might expect so much more!
In our next section of three verses (five through seven) we may see a catalog or menu of godliness that should grow out of the elective process that that election may be demonstrated in our calling! The grace of God demands even as it enables us to grow to maturity. The black coat of sin and Satan must be replaced by a better coat of white. Remember our royal breed of horses that once served a human Emperor?
The first quality that Peter mentions as growing from faith is virtue. The Greek word means a type of excellence whether it be the ability of a knife to cut or a horse to run. So faith leads on to excellence in our faithfulness as we mean to reflect the greater glory of our Savior. Practical wisdom is the sense of the Greek word for knowledge here in our second quality. My commentator Michael Green quotes from an older scholar here to explain the wisdom "which distinguishes the good from the bad, and shows" the way of escape from sin. Self-control is the third quality listed in this short sequence. This is more than mere temperance in avoiding, but goes on to control the emotions and passions common to all men.
Now this is a difficult calling to rise above the common curse encouraged in our time. Give rein to the passions is the cultural message in our day and time. So much training and education has been invested in the fulfillment of these worldly urges that those who can control themselves are ridiculed as deviant in their behavior. Never mind the world, let us accept the calling commended to us in Christ and learn that the mind can indeed control the actions of the body. Once we have been given mastery of self-control we are expected to persevere in that calling so that we may demonstrate a proper reverence to our saving Lord even as we respect men of all faiths. This mature godliness encourages us to brotherly kindness which overflows into love - a perfected love that attracts serious pagans to the light of God even as nightly insects come to the windows and screens of our homes because of the light that escapes from our windows.
Certainly there is much of value in this sequence of growing in godliness, but we must hurry on to the final chords of this wonderful theme celebrated in these revelations from the heart of our Lord and Savior. In verse eight and nine we see compared the richness of the saints and the poverty of those who only pretend to be companions on the way. Peter would encourage us to consider the means of fruitfulness described in verses five through seven. Do you have these things - then the proof is positive that you have the knowledge of a saving faith.
But pity the poor soul who is untimely born from a different spiritual father even the father of all the wicked - Satan himself. The worldly pervert cannot grow the fruits of reflective righteousness because the spiritual genes are not in him. Those who pretend to have the Spirit are blind indeed and in time even forget what they are supposed to be saved from. There is great danger here for those who drift away from the basics of the faith. Yes, many there are who can make a minimal effort in self-improvement and that change can appear much like the spiritual model of grace infection. But, in the final analysis - the human endeavor falls far short of attaining and worthy goal except self-delusion.
"Therefore", Peter exhorts us, be all the more "diligent to make your call and election sure." Calvin's observation here is so valuable to protect us from the heretical false evangelicalism parroted by seemingly sincere theologians, who contrary to everything we have read, seem to think that we have some part in earning our salvation by these Spirit driven endeavors to put on the imputed holiness and righteousness.
"The question now arises whether the stability of our calling and election depends on good works. If so, it follows that it depends on us. On the other hand the unanimous teaching of Scripture is that our election is founded first and foremost on the eternal decree of God, and that our calling is thereafter begun and perfected by His gratuitous goodness. The sophists are in the habit of perverting this evidence by transferring to us what belongs properly to the grace of God, but their nonsense can be easily refuted. If anyone understands his calling to be made firm by men, there is nothing absurd in that. One can even go further and say that everyone confirms his calling by living a good and holy life. ... This is no reason why election is not free, nor does it follow from this that the validation of our election is in our power or in our hands.
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Water
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The truth of the matter is this. God effectually calls those whom He has fore-ordained to life from before the foundation of the world by His secret purpose, and in the same way He follows through His continuous course of calling by His sheer grace. ... I take it simply of the fact itself, that calling is shown to be confirmed by a holy life. .. The gist of it is that the sons of God are distinguished from the reprobate by this mark, that they live holy and godly lives." How sad that so many supposedly elect saints get the cart before the horse in this matter. Just as good works spring from a holy faith so does the success of our calling flow from the fact of election. Just because our calling demonstrates our election is never any warrant to believe that our calling leads us to election! Our entrance into the everlasting kingdom is well supplied by Him who grants us grace and mercy. |
May that fact be burned into our mind so that our soul is secure while we go on to work out the callling of our faith in our witness and work day by day. Amen.
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Resources Used | |
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Green, Michael. |
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: 2nd Peter. |
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Johnston, W.B. |
Calvin's New Testament
Commentaries: |
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The New
Geneva Study Bible (NKJV) | |
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2Pt01c |
05 September 99 |