Make Our Calling and Election Sure
George Mueller emphasizes the importance of making our calling and election sure by attending to God's promises and striving to increase in faith and holiness.
George Mueller emphasizes the importance of making our calling and election sure, urging believers to have the assurance of their salvation and the love of God. He encourages the congregation to actively pursue the qualities outlined in 2 Peter 1:5-11, which will lead to a deeper confidence in their relationship with God and the promise of eternal life. Mueller reassures that this certainty elevates one's perspective above worldly concerns, fostering a joy rooted in heavenly hope. He stresses the necessity of a good beginning in faith and the continuous growth in assurance, as our paths should shine brighter as we draw closer to God.
Text
2 Peter 1:5-11
Have we all done this? Is it true of you all, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, that you have made your calling and election sure? Is it as certain with you all, that you will go to heaven, as if you were there already?
"But," you say, "how can we do this?" Just by attending to the points brought before us in the previous verses. For if we attend to all these things, then we shall make our calling and election sure. We shall have the assurance in our own soul, that we are the children of God; that we have received the forgiveness of sins, and that our Father loves us; that we are on the road to heaven, and that we have before us the bright and blessed prospect of glory, and are daily getting "nearer home"; and that we shall most assuredly reach heaven at last.
In order to have this blessed assurance, let us, my beloved brethren, aim after all these things, that we may make our calling and election sure.
There is such a thing as doing this. I should be doing dishonour to my God, and failing in my duty, if I did not know I have made my calling and election sure. If, after all this, my beloved brethren, you are not sure of it, oh, be not satisfied till the matter is settled.
And what is the result of all this? The beggarly elements of this world affect me very little, because I have heavenly joy in my heart. I do not care for the money, the rank, or the honour of this evil world, and all its other allurements which attract many. I have something better--better by far. The heavenly things are the best lever to lift your minds out of this world into heaven. Therefore aim after this certainty as to heaven, and it will raise you above the things of this life.
It is deeply important, my beloved younger brethren and sisters, to make a good beginning in this way, and to continue thus, and then your joy and assurance will increase more and more. Your path will be as that of the just, which "shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Why should it not be so? We ought to increase. You and I are neither prophets nor apostles, yet our path ought, as that of the just, to "shine more and more unto the perfect day."
Sermon Outline
- I. Making Our Calling and Election Sure
- A. The importance of assurance in our souls
- B. The role of attending to God's promises in 2 Peter 1:5-11
- 'C. The result of making our calling and election sure: heavenly joy and a focus on eternal things'
Key Quotes
“The heavenly things are the best lever to lift your minds out of this world into heaven.” — George Mueller
“Your path will be as that of the just, which 'shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'” — George Mueller
“We ought to increase. You and I are neither prophets nor apostles, yet our path ought, as that of the just, to 'shine more and more unto the perfect day.'” — George Mueller
Application Points
- Strive to make your calling and election sure by attending to God's promises and increasing in faith and holiness.
- Focus on eternal things and heavenly joy, rather than the fleeting pleasures of this world.
- Continue to strive for growth and increase in your faith and holiness, just as the path of the just 'shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'