Lesson 21

MAKE SURE

Table of Contents

– Are You Saved?
– The Keys
– Entering In

Scriptures Cited:

2 Peter 1:5-11, 2 Peter 1:1, Matthew 16:13-20, 1 Corinthians 3:11, Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Acts 2:14-41, Philippians 2:9, John 3:25-26, Acts 2:42, Acts 2:47

ARE YOU SAVED?

This lesson is different than previous ones, in that it comes from directly confronting the reality of our limited time and opportunity to make sure that we are right with God while we are here on earth. And while thinking about this, there is one particular phrase that has repeatedly come to mind. It is something that Peter says in verse 10 of the first chapter in his second epistle. We will begin reading from verse 5 to give some context.

2 Peter 1:5-11
⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Note: Another word used for ‘charity’ in modern translations, is ‘love’.

⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Note: Verse 10…

¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Note: For added context, we will read verse 11 as well.

¹¹ For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We see Peter instructing in verse 10 to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” And the importance and seriousness of that statement is what I hope this lesson causes you to consider. What does it mean to “make your calling and election sure”? To sum it up, we do not want there to be any questions when it comes to our salvation. Make it sure. This is the theme to keep in mind as we look at some scriptures that will help you to know how ‘to make your calling and election sure’.

One thing to note here in 2 Peter is verse number 9, where it says “but he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” Many of the newer translations use the word “cleansed” instead of “purged”, which lets you know who this was written to. It is written to people who have already believed and obeyed the gospel, in other words the church. We can even go back to verse 1 to get the context of who it is that Peter is speaking to here. As he addresses his audience at the beginning of the letter he says:

2 Peter 1:1
¹ Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

We can see here that this letter was written to believers. So, when Peter gives his instruction starting in verse 5 of adding to your faith virtue, and to your virtue knowledge etc. – he is not writing this to unbelievers. It would not be proper to give these instructions to a person who has not obeyed the gospel, telling them ‘an entrance will be made unto you into the kingdom’. Rather, Peter makes it clear that he is writing to people who had already obtained the like faith of the apostles, and as it says – have already been purged (cleansed) of their old sins. He writes this to instruct ‘the church’ on making their salvation sure.

Continuing on, we will stay with the apostle Peter in this lesson, since he is the one giving the instruction to make our calling and election sure. We will gain more insight about this church and the Kingdom, from the words of Jesus, when He asks His disciples a very important question: ‘whom say ye that I am?’ And it is Peter who gives the answer. So, beginning in Matthew chapter 16, verse 13 we read:

Matthew 16:13-20
¹³ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ¹⁴ And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¹⁵ He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Note: This is the same Simon Peter who wrote the letter we read earlier. He is the ‘thread’ that we will see throughout this entire lesson.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Note: Verse 19…

¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

²⁰ Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

We see here Peter’s confession of who he believes and understands Jesus to be: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. To this, Jesus replies ‘Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father, which is in Heaven.’ He then goes further to say to Peter ‘Upon this rock I will build my church’. Many people get confused thinking that it is Peter himself who Christ was referring to as the “rock” which the church would be built upon. This is due to the related nature of the Greek words (Πέτρος-Petros-Peter) and (πέτρᾳ-petra-rock). But it is very clear through scripture that the rock which Jesus is speaking of is the revelation of who He truly is. This is the rock that the church is built upon. Paul also testifies of this in 1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” See also Deuteronomy 32:3-4.

After Jesus speaks of building His church, He then goes on to say that He will give Peter the keys to the Kingdom. So, it is evident that there is a relationship between the church and the Kingdom; and in some ways, they are considered as synonymous terms throughout scripture. This becomes clear when we realize that the same people who are truly in His church, are the same people in His everlasting Kingdom.

Keeping in mind once again, that statement of making your calling and election sure… we know that the only way to do this is to be in the one true church that Jesus Christ founded – the one church that He said He would build. And in speaking of that, He tells Peter ‘I’m going to give you the keys to the Kingdom.’ Then in verse 20 we see Jesus give strict instruction regarding the revelation of who He truly is: “that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.” Notice how this instruction is given as the conclusion after Jesus speaks about the church and the ‘keys of the Kingdom’. This will be vital for us pinpointing when the church first began to be built, how the keys of the Kingdom were used – and what we do to become part of His church.

There are many different beliefs that people have about how you can come into His Kingdom – His church. Some people believe that you can just raise your hand, close your eyes, and say this prayer, ‘Repeat after me…’ Other people believe that you can be saved by being a good person. Some people think that all you have to do is believe, to enter into this Kingdom. And some believe that by being ‘baptized’ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that is how you enter in. Whatever your belief is, you are literally staking your eternity on that belief.

But the truth is that we don’t see anywhere in the New Testament where anyone said a prayer and the Bible tell us that they were saved. We don’t see that it says anywhere ‘by being a good person, you will be added to the church.’ And we don’t see anywhere in the Bible, any examples of people being baptized ‘in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit’. We do not see any of that, but what the Bible does say is that those who received the Word of the gospel and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, were added to His church. But we will read more on that as we continue.

THE KEYS

What I want to do now is take a look at when Peter first used the keys of the Kingdom. We know that keys are used for opening doors, entrances, or things that are locked; you open them with keys. Remember, Peter is the one who had the revelation of who Jesus really is, and also wrote to ‘make your calling and election sure.’

So, let’s go to Acts chapter 2 beginning in verse 14, and we will read the full message that Peter gave after he received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is when those keys to the Kingdom were first used, and when that Rock was revealed. So, in verse 14:

Acts 2:14-36
¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: ¹⁵ For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

¹⁶ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

¹⁷ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
¹⁸ And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
¹⁹ And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
²¹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Note: We have to continue to the end of Peter’s preaching here, to truly understand what verse 21 means.

²² Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: ²³ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: ²⁴ Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ²⁵ For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: ²⁶ Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: ²⁷ Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸ Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

²⁹ Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. ³⁰ Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ³¹ He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

Note: Verse 32…

³² This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ³³ Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. ³⁴ For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ³⁵ Until I make thy foes thy footstool. ³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

If we think back to when Jesus was speaking of building His church and the keys – He told His disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ. But now that the Holy Spirit had been given, it was time for Peter to use those keys. He boldly proclaimed to everyone listening that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. This is the rock that the church is founded on – the truth of who Jesus is. Continuing to verse 37:

ENTERING IN

Acts 2:37-40
³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Note: This is Peter using those keys, opening the doors to the church.

³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

So, this was the same Peter who said ‘make your calling and election sure.’ And here he is saying “Save yourselves…” after telling them what they must do. And in verse 41:

Acts 2:41
⁴¹ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Remembering that our eternity depends on whether or not we are truly part of the one church that Jesus built – these scriptures are crucial to understand, because not only do they give the instruction on entering the kingdom… but they also tell us the outcome for those who obeyed.

So, when I said that we don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says that you can say a prayer and be added to the church, or any of those other ways to enter in… it is because the only place in the Bible that tells us how to be added to the church which Jesus Christ built, is right here in what Peter said. And the same is exampled over and over throughout the book of Acts. As we see here, after they were pricked in their hearts by the true gospel, Peter said to repent and to obey that gospel by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

So, when it comes to that phrase of making your calling and election sure, this is where we begin. We must be sure that we are truly in the church that Jesus built. If we truly believe the gospel, we are to make our calling and election sure by being baptized in the name of the one who died for each of us – in the name of Jesus Christ. In the name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9).

This ties right back to where we began in 2 Peter, when he wrote to the church saying that he who lacks those virtues listed, “hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” The Greek word that is translated for “purged” is katharismos (G2512), which means a cleansing, purification, a ritual purgation, or washing.

This is the same word used in John 3:25, when John the Baptist was asked why Jesus was now also baptizing:

John 3:25-26
²⁵ Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.

Note: Purifying here is the Greek word Katharismos (G2512)

²⁶ And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

But if we were to continue on in Acts 2 and get to verse 42, it says that those who received the word which Peter preached, continued in the apostles’ doctrine. And what is the apostles’ doctrine? Well, we just read what the apostles’ doctrine is; it is what Peter just got up and said along with all that they taught in the name of the Lord.

And lastly in Acts 2 verse 47 it says “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

The message in this lesson is to make your calling and election sure. One way or another, you are trusting your eternity on something you believe. And we are shown by example the way to eternal life in the Kingdom of God through the scriptures. The people heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ… they believed that true gospel of Jesus Christ. They repented, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and they received the Holy Spirit.

If you are one who has not made your calling and election sure, remember that tomorrow is not promised. This is the one chance that we have to get it right, and by the grace of God He has given us instructions – not only instructions, but real life examples of salvation. If you would like to make sure that you are in the church which Jesus built, now is the time to obey the gospel the same way that they did on the day of Pentecost; the same way that we see the scriptures tell us that 3,000 souls were added to the church. Feel free to contact us and we will help you in making your calling and election sure. In Jesus’ name.