◄ 2 Peter 1:10 ►
Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
Study Bible
Therefore
The word "therefore" serves as a bridge, connecting the preceding verses with the exhortation that follows. In Greek, it is "διό" (dio), which implies a conclusion drawn from previous statements. In the context of 2 Peter, the apostle has been discussing the divine power and promises given to believers, urging them to grow in virtues. This word signals that what follows is a logical outcome of the truths previously stated.

brothers
The term "brothers" (Greek: "ἀδελφοί," adelphoi) is a term of endearment and solidarity, indicating a familial relationship among believers. It reflects the early Christian understanding of the church as a family united by faith in Christ. This address emphasizes the communal aspect of the Christian journey, where believers are encouraged to support and exhort one another.

strive
The Greek word here is "σπουδάσατε" (spoudasate), which conveys a sense of earnestness, diligence, and effort. It suggests that making one's calling and election sure requires active participation and intentionality. This is not a passive endeavor but a call to vigorous pursuit, reflecting the seriousness with which believers are to approach their spiritual lives.

to make your calling and election sure
"Calling" (Greek: "κλῆσιν," klēsin) and "election" (Greek: "ἐκλογήν," eklogēn) are theological terms that refer to God's initiative in salvation. "Calling" denotes the divine invitation to embrace salvation, while "election" refers to God's sovereign choice. The phrase "make...sure" (Greek: "βεβαίαν," bebaian) implies establishing or confirming something as firm and unshakeable. This exhortation encourages believers to live in a manner that reflects and confirms their divine calling and election, not to earn salvation, but to demonstrate its reality in their lives.

For if you practice these things
The phrase "practice these things" (Greek: "ταῦτα ποιεῖτε," tauta poieite) refers back to the virtues listed in verses 5-7, such as faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. The continuous practice of these virtues is evidence of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. It underscores the importance of habitual, consistent action in the Christian walk.

you will never stumble
The promise "you will never stumble" (Greek: "οὐ μὴ πταίσητέ," ou mē ptaisēte) offers assurance of stability and perseverance. The word "stumble" (Greek: "πταίω," ptaiō) can mean to fall into sin or to fail in one's faith journey. This assurance is not a guarantee of sinless perfection but a promise of divine support and guidance, enabling believers to navigate the challenges of life without falling away from their faith. It highlights God's sustaining grace and the believer's responsibility to remain steadfast.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Peter
The apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, is the author of this epistle. He writes to encourage believers in their faith and to warn against false teachings.

2. Recipients of the Epistle
The letter is addressed to those who have received faith through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ, likely a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians facing persecution and false teachings.

3. Calling and Election
These terms refer to God's sovereign choice and invitation to individuals to become part of His family. The concept is rooted in God's grace and purpose.

4. The Early Church
The context of the letter is the early Christian community, which was dealing with internal and external challenges, including false teachings and moral decay.

5. False Teachers
A significant concern in 2 Peter is the presence of false teachers who were leading believers astray with destructive heresies.
Teaching Points
Assurance of Salvation
Believers are encouraged to actively confirm their calling and election through their actions and growth in godliness. This assurance is not passive but requires diligence.

Spiritual Growth
The practice of virtues such as faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (as listed earlier in 2 Peter 1) is essential for spiritual maturity and stability.

Avoiding Stumbling
By practicing these virtues, believers can avoid spiritual stumbling, which implies falling into sin or being led astray by false teachings.

Active Faith
Faith is not merely intellectual assent but involves active participation in God's work, reflecting His character in our lives.

Community Accountability
The call to make one's calling and election sure is not just an individual task but involves the support and accountability of the Christian community.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to "make your calling and election sure," and how can you apply this in your daily life?

2. How do the virtues listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7 help in preventing spiritual stumbling, and which of these virtues do you need to focus on developing?

3. In what ways can the Christian community support each other in confirming their calling and election?

4. How does understanding God's sovereignty in calling and election impact your view of salvation and your responsibility in it?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced spiritual stumbling. How can the teachings of 2 Peter 1:10 guide you in overcoming similar challenges in the future?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Philippians 2:12-13
This passage emphasizes working out one's salvation with fear and trembling, acknowledging that it is God who works in believers to will and act according to His purpose.

Ephesians 4:1
Paul urges believers to live a life worthy of the calling they have received, highlighting the importance of aligning one's life with God's calling.

James 2:14-26
James discusses the relationship between faith and works, emphasizing that faith without works is dead, which complements Peter's exhortation to practice certain virtues.

Romans 8:28-30
Paul speaks of those who are called according to God's purpose, providing a broader theological context for understanding calling and election.
Sermons
The Christian Virtues in Their CompletenessU.R. Thomas 2 Peter 1:3-11
Personal Diligence Needed for SanctificationC. New 2 Peter 1:5-11
The Goal of Christian CharacterU.R. Thomas 2 Peter 1:8-11
An Abundant Entrance into HeavenLife of Robert Annan.2 Peter 1:10-11
An Assurance of SalvationJohn Thomson.2 Peter 1:10-11
An Exhortation to Earnestness in ReligionJosiah Viney.2 Peter 1:10-11
AssuranceF. Ferguson.2 Peter 1:10-11
Diligence in Making Our Calling SureThos. Adams.2 Peter 1:10-11
Diligence in the Christian LifeW. L. Watkinson.2 Peter 1:10-11
ElectionR. V. Pryce, M. A.2 Peter 1:10-11
Entrance into Christ's KingdomHomilist2 Peter 1:10-11
Entrance into the KingdomThos. Adams.2 Peter 1:10-11
From Grace to GloryJoseph P. Thompson.2 Peter 1:10-11
Getting into HarbourW. H. Burton.2 Peter 1:10-11
Happiness in DeathW. Jay.2 Peter 1:10-11
Of Effectual CallingAnthony Burgess.2 Peter 1:10-11
On Giving Diligence in Our ElectionR. Warren, D. D.2 Peter 1:10-11
Particular ElectionC. H. Spurgeon.2 Peter 1:10-11
The Abundant EntranceW. Dawson.2 Peter 1:10-11
The Elect Making Sure of Their ElectionS. Martin.2 Peter 1:10-11
The Gains of Christian DiligenceA. Maclaren, D. D.2 Peter 1:10-11
The Nature of the Assurance of One's Effectual CallingAnthony Burgess.2 Peter 1:10-11
People
Peter, Simeon, Simon
Places
Asia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Pontus
Topics
Approval, Brethren, Brothers, Calling, Care, Choice, Choosing, Chosen, Confirm, Diligence, Diligent, Eager, Earnest, Election, Fall, Practice, Practise, Rather, Reason, Selection, Stedfast, Stumble, Sure, Wherefore, Zealous
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Peter 1:10

     5833   diligence
     5840   eagerness
     6620   calling
     6638   election
     8106   assurance, nature of

2 Peter 1:3-11

     6639   election, to salvation

2 Peter 1:5-11

     5769   behaviour
     8239   earnestness

2 Peter 1:10-11

     1055   God, grace and mercy
     2378   kingdom of God, characteristics
     4938   fate, final destiny
     6603   acceptance, divine
     6647   eternal life, experience
     7125   elect, the

Library
Like Precious Faith
'... Them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'--2 Peter i. 1. Peter seems to have had a liking for that word 'precious.' It is not a very descriptive one; it does not give much light as to the quality of the things to which it is applied; but it is a suggestion of one-idea value. It is interesting to notice the objects to which, in his two letters--for I take this to be his letter--he applies it. He speaks of the trial of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Man Summoned by God's Glory and Energy
'... 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.'--2 Peter i. 3. 'I knew thee,' said the idle servant in our Lord's parable, 'that thou wert an austere man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou hadst not strewed. I was afraid, and went and hid my talent in the earth.' Our Lord would teach us all with that pregnant word the great truth that if once a man gets it into …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Partakers of the Divine Nature
'He hath 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.'--2 Peter i. 4. 'Partakers of the Divine nature.' These are bold words, and may be so understood as to excite the wildest and most presumptuous dreams. But bold as they are, and startling as they may sound to some of us, they are only putting into other language the teaching of which the whole New Testament is full, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

The Power of Diligence
'Giving all diligence, add to your faith ...'--2 Peter i. 5. It seems to me very like Peter that there should be so much in this letter about the very commonplace and familiar excellence of diligence. He over and over again exhorts to it as the one means to the attainment of all Christian graces, and of all the blessedness of the Christian life. We do not expect fine-spun counsels from a teacher whose natural bent is, like his, but plain, sturdy, common sense, directed to the highest matter, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Going Out and Going In
'An entrance ... my decease.'--2 Peter i. 11, 15. I do not like, and do not often indulge in, the practice of taking fragments of Scripture for a text, but I venture to isolate these two words, because they correspond to one another, and when thus isolated and connected, bring out very prominently two aspects of one thing. In the original the correspondence is even closer, for the words, literally rendered, are 'a going in' and 'a going out.' The same event is looked at from two sides. On the one …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Faith and Life
Now, it will be clear to all, that in the four verses before us, our apostle has most excellently set forth the necessity of these two things--twice over he insists upon the faith, and twice over upon holiness of life. We will take the first occasion first. I. Observe, in the first place, what he says concerning the character and the origin of faith, and then concerning the character and origin of spiritual life. "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 10: 1864

Particular Election
When Mr. Whitfield was once applied to to use his influence at a general election, he returned answer to his lordship who requested him, that he knew very little about general elections, but that if his lordship took his advice he would make his own particular "calling and election sure;" which was a very proper remark. I would not, however, say to any persons here present, despise the privilege which you have as citizens. Far be it from me to do it. When we become Christians we do not leave off …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope
In 2 Timothy, 3:16, Paul declares: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;" but there are some people who tell us when we take up prophecy that it is all very well to be believed, but that there is no use in one trying to understand it; these future events are things that the church does not agree about, and it is better to let them alone, and deal only with those prophecies which have already been …
Dwight L. Moody—That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope

The Faithful Promiser
THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. By the Author of "THE WORDS OF JESUS," "THE MORNING AND NIGHT WATCHES," ETC. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises."--2 Pet. i. 4. NEW YORK: STANFORD & DELISSER, No. 508, BROADWAY. 1858. …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Be Ye Therefore Perfect, Even as Your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect. Matthew 5:48.
In the 43rd verse, the Savior says, "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 which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward …
Charles G. Finney—Lectures to Professing Christians

The Author to the Reader.
CHRISTIAN READER,--After the foregoing address, I need not put thee to much more trouble: only I shall say, that he must needs be a great stranger in our Israel, or sadly smitten with that epidemic plague of indifferency, which hath infected many of this generation, to a benumbing of them, and rendering them insensible and unconcerned in the matters of God, and of their own souls, and sunk deep in the gulf of dreadful inconsideration, who seeth not, or taketh no notice of, nor is troubled at the …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

The Christian's Book
Scripture references 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 2 Samuel 23:2; Luke 1:70; 24:32,45; John 2:22; 10:35; 19:36; Acts 1:16; Romans 1:1,2; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; James 2:8. WHAT IS THE BIBLE? What is the Bible? How shall we regard it? Where shall we place it? These and many questions like them at once come to the front when we begin to discuss the Bible as a book. It is only possible in this brief study, of a great subject, to indicate the line of some of the answers. …
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

The Mystical Union with Immanuel.
"Christ in you the hope of glory." --Col. i. 27. The union of believers with Christ their Head is not effected by instilling a divine-human life-tincture into the soul. There is no divine-human life. There is a most holy Person, who unites in Himself the divine and the human life; but both natures continue unmixed, unblended, each retaining its own properties. And since there is no divine-human life in Jesus, He can not instil it into us. We do heartily acknowledge that there is a certain conformity …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Its Basis
In our last chapter we contemplated the problem which is presented in the justifying or pronouncing righteous one who is a flagrant violater of the Law of God. Some may have been surprised at the introduction of such a term as "problem": as there are many in the ranks of the ungodly who feel that the world owes them a living, so there are not a few Pharisees in Christendom who suppose it is due them that at death their Creator should take them to Heaven. But different far is it with one who has been …
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

The Beatific vision.
Reason, revelation, and the experience of six thousand years unite their voices in proclaiming that perfect happiness cannot be found in this world. It certainly cannot be found in creatures; for they were not clothed with the power to give it. It cannot be found even in the practice of virtue; for God has, in His wisdom, decreed that virtue should merit, but never enjoy perfect happiness in this world. He has solemnly pledged himself to give "eternal life" to all who love and serve him here on earth. …
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." There is a great marriage spoken of, Eph. v. that hath a great mystery in it, which the apostle propoundeth as the sample and archetype of all marriages or rather as the substance, of which all conjunctions and relations among the creatures are but the shadows. It is that marriage between Christ and his church, for which, it would appear, this world was builded, to be …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

How Christ is to be Made Use Of, in Reference to Growing in Grace.
I come now to speak a little to the other part of sanctification, which concerneth the change of our nature and frame, and is called vivification, or quickening of the new man of grace; which is called the new man, as having all its several members and parts, as well as the old man; and called new, because posterior to the other; and after regeneration is upon the growing hand, this duty of growing in grace, as it is called, 2 Pet. iii. &c. is variously expressed and held forth to us in Scripture; …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Remaining Books of the Old Testament.
1. The divine authority of the Pentateuch having been established, it is not necessary to dwell at length on the historical books which follow. The events which they record are a natural and necessary sequel to the establishment of the theocracy, as given in the five books of Moses. The Pentateuch is occupied mainly with the founding of the theocracy; the following historical books describe the settlement of the Israelitish nation under this theocracy in the promised land, and its practical operation …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Concerning the Sacrament of Baptism
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to the riches of His mercy has at least preserved this one sacrament in His Church uninjured and uncontaminated by the devices of men, and has made it free to all nations and to men of every class. He has not suffered it to be overwhelmed with the foul and impious monstrosities of avarice and superstition; doubtless having this purpose, that He would have little children, incapable of avarice and superstition, to be initiated into …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Faith
What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for our sin? Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means, whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. I begin with the first, faith in Jesus Christ. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.' Rom 3: 25. The great privilege in the text is, to have Christ for a propitiation; which is not only to free us from God's wrath, but to …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Approval of the Spirit
TEXT: "Yea, saith the Spirit."--Rev. 14:31. The world has had many notable galleries of art in which we have been enabled to study the beautiful landscape, to consider deeds of heroism which have made the past illustrious, in which we have also read the stories of saintly lives; but surpassing all these is the gallery of art in which we find the text. Humanly speaking John is the artist while he is an exile on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. The words he uses and the figures he presents …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

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