The talk about elections is really beginning to heat up. You may have noticed that. On every level people are trying to get your attention. Vote for me. Don't vote for that other guy. This amendment is bad, this amendment is good. And on and on. I was actually a candidate in an election several times. In high school. There I learned a few things. First, you need to be taken seriously by the voters. Second, you need to have something to say. Fortunately there are usually no heavy platforms in a school election. Third, you need help to win an election. Fortunately, I guess, I won all three elections in high school. Not sure that it changed history or anything. Except for me. And maybe the girl that lost to me by 5 votes for Student Counsel president. BTW we stayed friends. But there is one election that I am a candidate in, and it is one that has life and death results. You may not realize it, but you are in an election also. An election which has eternal implications for you. An election in which you have the deciding vote. Many Bible writers refer to this election, Peter being one of them. He wrote: 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; Now I don't know about you, but if I am in an election, I want to make sure of the outcome. And while an enemy would have us to believe that the outcome will surely go in his favor, we have assurance of help. The word elect has some interesting synonyms: chosen, preferred, selected, desired, favored, and accepted. All words which have a generally positive context. And words that convey a special message when we see them as how God relates to us, His children. Why then does Peter call for us to make our election sure? Let's look at the whole context of this passage. 2 Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What do we see in this passage? 1. All that we need for salvation has been given us through God's power. 2. This includes exceedingly great precious promises. 3. These promises help us escape the corruption of the world. 4. These promises help us partake of the very nature of God. 5. The gifts that we are given we are to build on. 6. Be diligent to make our call and election sure. Isaiah 43.10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses," Says the LORD, "that I am God. 13 Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" As we look at these passages, we may come up with a couple of questions. One may be the one we asked before, "If salvation has been given us, and God has guaranteed it as in the Isaiah passage, what does Peter mean about making our election sure?" Let's look at some of the words of the apostle Paul. 1 Cor 312 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Here Paul describes a work similar to the one that Peter just referred to. But this is a work that is not that of gaining salvation. It is a work of maturing in the Lord. Even so, no works that we can do ever merit salvation. But we, through neglect and unholy choices, can despise our birthright and lose it, like Esau did. Lest anyone get proud and assume that their salvation is based on anything that they can do, Paul writes in the Book of Romans: Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God has chosen us. He is "for" us, on our side. He does not condemn us. He makes intercession for us. Nothing can separate us. However, and Paul repeats this, the chosing, selecting, is not something that we do, or any human being does. It is the work of God. Romans 9:11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), Rom 11:5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Israel seeks to find election through their works, their rituals, their ceremonies. 600 rules on how to observe Sabbath. Rules about washing hands and dishes. Laws about offerings and clothes and relationships. But Israel does not find that election. To put it into today's vernacular: Not any of all of our tithing, church attendance, literature distribution, seminars, and pious works have anything to do with our salvation. It is totally and absolutely 100% from and about God. Peter says of the Chosen: 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. What then of making our election sure? If it is from God, and it is, and if it is not of our works, and it is not, what is Peter telling us? As Paul says it is of GRACE. As Peter says, it is of MEZRCY. We can choose not to continue in that election. God is not willing that any should perish, but he will not force someone's conscience to save him. I believed that God planned for everyone to have this election. The sacrifice of Christ, the mercy and grace of God, were so complete that for the death on one, all are made potentially alive. Matthew 20.16 "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen." Matthew 22.14 "For many are called, but few are chosen." We recognize what the result of that would be in a popular saying. "A man convinced against his will, Is of the same opinion still." You may ask how this process works. Zech 4.3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. 4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes." 5 And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by. 6 Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, 7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here. 8 'Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. 9 For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,' Says the LORD of hosts, 'And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.'" Again, I repeat. You are in an election. God has chosen you. Satan claims you. The vote is 1 to 1. You have the tie breaker. Your choice does not make you merit salvation. Your vote does not make you more loved. Your vote will not even make you a better person. That is God's job. But your vote shows which side you choose. Your choice demonstrates where you get your help from. It shows which army you enlist in. What will happen to the elect? It will not always be easy. Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 "See, I have told you beforehand. According to Jesus, there will be trials and tests that are rigorous. But He will stand for us. He has chosen us from the beginning. And He has a lot for us. Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Rev 17.14 "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." What remains is for us to ask: "How are we responding to this election?" Have you accepted the wonderful gift that has been given to you? Have you cast your vote with the King of the Universe? If not, why not let Him be your choice for you today? 1 Thess 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.