Be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall. (2 Pet. 1:10)


TRIPPING IS EMBARRASSING. I would like to think that after forty-five years of life, I would no longer be self-conscious when people see me stumble. This is simply not the case. Instead, I find this law at work: the embarrassment of the act is directly proportional to the number of people observing it.

I am grateful for the instruction in Peter’s letter because it teaches us how to avoid stumbling in the faith. As we consistently confirm our calling by living out the truths of Scripture, our faith-walk becomes increasingly steadier. The words “make . . . sure” in this context mean to ratify, establish, perfect, or bring to pass. We perfect our walk through daily vigilance and dedication that, in turn, reveal how firm our salvation, or “election,” has become. The more we feed our faith, the more our doubts will starve and the stronger we will become.

Sadly, many believers limp along with faltering faith. They doubt God’s offer of salvation and stumble in the eyes of the world. The promise imparted to us here is that we are assured “a rich welcome” into God’s kingdom by Jesus himself. The guarantee is inseparably linked to God’s trustworthy character. The more we live out His values, the more we can anticipate this future hope.

Banish doubt about your salvation by seeing the witness of the Spirit.

Jim Miller is a chaplain in the US Army. He is married, has two teenage children, and enjoys traveling, music, video games, and playing with his dogs.