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 Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11 KJV
Peter, Apostle and spokesman for Jesus Christ - who is God Himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit - who is God Himself, and personal witness to the voice of the Father - who is God Himself (verse 17), states that "calling and election" can and must be made sure.
The first and obvious thing to say about this verse is that, whatever foolish system that some guy named Calvin (or any of his blinded followers, verse 9) came up with to satisfy his bigoted imagination is not worth the paper it is written on. The verses above clearly state that the way into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus is through gaining and maintaining your election and calling. Any notion that you were personally chosen in some nebulous or ambiguous time past and then actualized by faith inoculation in the present is a satanic misrepresentation of Biblical truth.
The second thing to notice is that the same Holy Spirit inspired both Peter and Paul. There is no disagreement between them, even though the Apostle Paul wrote in a manner that was often more complicated than Peter (2 Peter 3:14-16...there's our word "diligent" again). A calvinist system that seems to agree with what Paul wrote and disagrees with Peter or James or John or the book of Esther or Ruth is a lying system made up by humans who had no inspiration.
Election is a biblical term and must be understood by using the Bible itself as a reference. It does no good looking up the word in a dictionary. The only thing a dictionary can tell us is a modern idea of what a word has come to mean and some of its ancient usages. There is no unbroken chain of dictionaries that goes back to the days of Isaiah or Moses. The biblical definition of a word must be derived from biblical usage. The value of Isaiah is that he - inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21), used the word "elect" in such a way that it obviously means "servant" to any other biblical writer. It can also mean "tried" when we compare the way Peter applies the truth of Isaiah 28:16 in 1 Peter 2:6. The resultant meaning can safely be understood as "qualified" -- something that happens in time.
Jesus Christ was pre-destined from before the foundation of the world to establish a way for all of mankind to enter into a relationship with the unity of God and a dwelling place with Him. Jesus became a servant to His own creation...even a created element that was wretched, distorted and sinful. He did not wave a magic wand to actualize some pre-packaged good folks that had been reserved in a Gnostic fog. He came into the filth of our sinful stuff and became sin for us so that He could begin the work of New Creation -- not so He could clean up a few randomly chosen lottery winners. All have sinned so all have access to the grace of God through Jesus Christ and His cleansing blood.
All humans are designed to be servants.
Jesus has shown us how.
We may fit in with Him
if we join Him at the cross.
Sinner.
Come to Jesus.
Come to the Cross.
Peter, Apostle and spokesman for Jesus Christ - who is God Himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit - who is God Himself, and personal witness to the voice of the Father - who is God Himself (verse 17), states that "calling and election" can and must be made sure.
The first and obvious thing to say about this verse is that, whatever foolish system that some guy named Calvin (or any of his blinded followers, verse 9) came up with to satisfy his bigoted imagination is not worth the paper it is written on. The verses above clearly state that the way into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus is through gaining and maintaining your election and calling. Any notion that you were personally chosen in some nebulous or ambiguous time past and then actualized by faith inoculation in the present is a satanic misrepresentation of Biblical truth.
The second thing to notice is that the same Holy Spirit inspired both Peter and Paul. There is no disagreement between them, even though the Apostle Paul wrote in a manner that was often more complicated than Peter (2 Peter 3:14-16...there's our word "diligent" again). A calvinist system that seems to agree with what Paul wrote and disagrees with Peter or James or John or the book of Esther or Ruth is a lying system made up by humans who had no inspiration.
Election is a biblical term and must be understood by using the Bible itself as a reference. It does no good looking up the word in a dictionary. The only thing a dictionary can tell us is a modern idea of what a word has come to mean and some of its ancient usages. There is no unbroken chain of dictionaries that goes back to the days of Isaiah or Moses. The biblical definition of a word must be derived from biblical usage. The value of Isaiah is that he - inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21), used the word "elect" in such a way that it obviously means "servant" to any other biblical writer. It can also mean "tried" when we compare the way Peter applies the truth of Isaiah 28:16 in 1 Peter 2:6. The resultant meaning can safely be understood as "qualified" -- something that happens in time.
Jesus Christ was pre-destined from before the foundation of the world to establish a way for all of mankind to enter into a relationship with the unity of God and a dwelling place with Him. Jesus became a servant to His own creation...even a created element that was wretched, distorted and sinful. He did not wave a magic wand to actualize some pre-packaged good folks that had been reserved in a Gnostic fog. He came into the filth of our sinful stuff and became sin for us so that He could begin the work of New Creation -- not so He could clean up a few randomly chosen lottery winners. All have sinned so all have access to the grace of God through Jesus Christ and His cleansing blood.
All humans are designed to be servants.
Jesus has shown us how.
We may fit in with Him
if we join Him at the cross.
Sinner.
Come to Jesus.
Come to the Cross.
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