I. Verse 10.
A. Wherefore the rather, brethren.
1. Don't do like those people in verse 9, but rather like the people in
verse 8.
2. He calls them brethren, for he does not doubt their salvation, and
they continued efforts to serve God.
B. It is more important to know God has elected and called you than
anything else in this world, or in the world to come.
1. You can’t go by feelings because feelings change often.
2. You can’t go by your works because sometimes we don’t do good
works.
3. You can’t trust your memory because your memories often change to
reflect to what we wish the past had been.
4. You must go by what the Word of God says – see I John to know if you
are saved or not.
C. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
1. Diligence means to try to find out whether you are called and elected.
2. This is the personal, individual responsibility of every person who
believes they are saved.
3. Calling and election are two different things that are irreversibly
linked together.
a. Calling is to make sure the Holy Spirit has drawn us to God; that
friends, family, Satan, or ourselves haven’t "drawn" us.
b. Eph. 1:4, Election is the choosing of God that He has made before
the foundation of the world.
D. How can I know I am elected?
1. Is it possible to go back into eternity with God and be there when he
elected me?
2. No. Remember what Nicodemus asked Jesus in John 3?
3. I Thessalonians 1:4 – How did Paul know these people were elected?
4. By the evidence of their lives: see verses 5-10.
E. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
1. Col. 1:9,10 - When we are filled with the knowledge of God, we will
walk worthy of His holy name, and be fruitful.
2. John 15:1-5 - When we abide with Christ like we ought to, we will bear
much fruit to the glory of God.
3. This scripture is not talking about bearing these fruits so that we
won't lose our salvation.
4. The word "fall" is referring to verse 9.
a. These people didn't lose their salvation.
b. They forgot the joy of being saved and serving God.
II. Verse 11.
A. The abundance entrance.
1. This is not an entrance into heaven.
2. If this were an entrance into heaven, it would mean salvation came
because of our works.
B. Into the everlasting kingdom of Christ.
1. There is a sense of the kingdom of God that refers to the spiritual
reign in our hearts, but this is not the sense of the kingdom Peter is
referring to in this verse.
2. Peter is referring to the everlasting kingdom of Christ – that is
– in eternity.
3. Satan has a kingdom on this earth.
a. Luke 4:5-8 - Satan promises Jesus all the kingdoms of this world if
He will only fall down and worship him.
b. Rev. 16:10,11 - Satan's kingdom will be full of trouble.
c. Rev. 20:10 - Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
4. Christ also has a kingdom.
a. Psalms 72:8 - Christ shall reign from sea to sea. This shows Christ
will reign on this present earth.
b. Rev. 21:1 - When there is no more sea, (in the eternal age) Christ
will continue to reign in eternity.