2 Peter

What does it mean to have your calling and election made sure? Does it mean – as Mormons teaches – that a person can enter exaltation as a God? Who are the false prophets spoken of in the last days?

2nd Peter seems to have been written in AD 68 as the persecutions increased upon the Christians by Nero the Emperor of Rome and shortly before Peter’s death2 Peter 1:1 “I Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them (believers) that have obtained (received) like precious faith with us (the body of apostles) through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”  Notice, they and we, are saved – not because of our own righteousness – but through the righteousness of God being imputed upon us.  Verse 2 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” Remember, in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they (and we) might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”  So, truly knowing the characteristics and attributes of God and Christ – multiplies “grace and peace” to us. 

2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life (eternal life) and godliness, through the knowledge of him (God) that hath called us to glory and virtue:”  This passage means God has given us His divine power which we need to live a life of Godliness here in the flesh, as we grow and obtain more knowledge of Him.  Verse 4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (of eternal life): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped (overcome) the corruption (wickedness) that is in the world through lust.”  In other words, through these great promises of God all regenerated souls may become partakers of God’s divine nature.  This is not teaching the idea of the LDS – that we can become like God and become exalted eventually as Gods, ourselves. 

At this point, I’m going to refer to a book written by David J. Ridges who spent a lifetime teaching for the LDS Church Education System.  He also served as a curriculum writer for the Sunday School manuals.  He’s been a bishop, stake president, and now a patriarch.  He wrote a Gospel Study Series called “Your study of the New Testament made easier.”  As we approach 1 Peter 2, I first want to quote from his book on page 382“Next, Peter will give a detailed set of steps which can lead to making our ‘calling and election sure’ (verse 10).  First, though, we need a very basic explanation of what the phrase ‘calling and election made sure’ means.  In its most basic sense, it means to ‘make our exaltation certain.’  Exaltation means becoming like our Father in Heaven (D&C 76:95), through entering into the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom (D&C 131:1-4), becoming gods, having our own spirit offspring (D&C 132:19-20), creating worlds for them, and making exaltation available to them in the same way our Father has made it available to us.  Our Father in Heaven ‘calls’ all of His children to make themselves worthy to return to Him in exaltation, through the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Those of His children who heed this ‘calling’ and do all they can to make themselves worthy, are cleansed and qualified by the Atonement, ‘after all they can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23), to be ‘elected by God’ to enter exaltation.  Thus, they are ‘called’ by their Father to return to Him.  If they follow the course requirements for exaltation, they are eventually ‘elected’ by Him to receive it…  Peter gives us instructions on how to do this, in verses 5-12.”  There, got all of that?  According to Mormonism – you will be on your way to exaltation and godhood.  That is the gospel of Mormonism – taught by a real “professional” Mormon on the subject.  But it – is a false gospel.

Now back to the Bible, 2 Peter 1:5-9 concerning the characteristics Christians should embrace.  “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and about, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But he that lacketh these things is blind (spiritually blind), and cannot see afar off (short sighted), and hath forgotten that he was purged (cleansed) from his old sins.”   

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