Confidence from 2 Peter 1:3–11
What It Really Means to Be Chosen by God (And How You Can Be Sure)
Confirming Your Calling and Election: It’s Not About Earning, It’s About Trusting
Have you ever laid awake at night and thought, “Am I really saved?” Or maybe more specifically, “How can I know if I’ve been chosen by God?”
If that’s you — you’re not alone. That question has stirred in the hearts of sincere followers of Jesus for centuries. Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t leave us in the dark. In fact, one passage in particular cuts right to the heart of the matter: 2 Peter 1:3–11. This section gives us both a reality check and an incredible encouragement — one that can fill your heart with confidence, not confusion.
Let’s break it down and see what it actually means to confirm your calling and election — and how that has nothing to do with performance, and everything to do with trusting in Jesus.
🧭 What It Really Means to Be Chosen by God (And How You Can Be Sure)
The Bible speaks often about those who are “chosen by God.” But let’s be real: that phrase can feel both comforting and confusing. Does it mean God picked some people and not others? Can I miss my chance? Am I one of the chosen or not?
Those are weighty questions, and they’re worth asking.
But here’s the good news: God doesn’t leave His people hanging. In 2 Peter 1, the apostle Peter writes to believers who are wrestling with similar thoughts. And he opens with a bombshell of truth in verse 3:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…”
Let that sink in. If you belong to Jesus, you already have everything you need to live a godly life. You don’t have to earn God’s approval or perform some spiritual checklist. His power — not yours — supplies the ability to live for Him.
Then Peter goes on to list qualities that start to show up in the life of someone who knows Jesus: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (verses 5–7). These aren’t traits you produce on your own. They’re the evidence of Christ at work in you.
And that’s where we get to verses 10–11:
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom…”
So, how do you know if you’ve been chosen by God?
It’s not about having some mystical experience or waiting for a lightning bolt moment.
It’s about asking:
👉 Am I trusting in Christ’s atonement?
👉 Do I believe He’s given me everything I need for life and godliness?
👉 Is there spiritual fruit growing in my life — even slowly?
If you can answer yes — even through struggles — then friend, you’ve got real evidence of your calling. You’re not trying to earn your spot in the Kingdom. You’re walking in the confirmation of what Christ has already done.
🌱 Confirming Your Calling and Election: It’s Not About Earning, It’s About Trusting
Let’s be clear: confirming your calling and election does not mean securing your salvation through good works. That would flip the gospel on its head. Christianity isn’t about working for God’s love — it’s about living from it.
Peter’s list in verses 5–7 isn’t a “to-do” list to prove your worth. It’s a “look what God is doing” list. Those spiritual qualities — faith, self-control, love, and the rest — show up in the lives of people who’ve been transformed by grace.
It’s like fruit on a tree. The apple doesn’t make the tree an apple tree. The apple proves it is one.
The same is true with believers. Growth doesn’t cause your salvation, it confirms it. It’s the Spirit showing up and shining through your life.
But hey — let’s keep it honest. Growth isn’t always pretty. Some days feel like two steps forward, three steps back. But even that struggle is evidence. People who aren’t born again don’t care about fighting sin or pursuing godliness. If you’re battling — even limping — toward holiness, that’s grace in motion.
✨ Living With Confidence, Not Fear
So how should this affect the way you live?
It should drive out fear and fill you with peace.
You’re not called to walk on eggshells with God. You’re called to walk in the assurance that His divine power has given you everything you need.
You’re called — not to perfection — but to pursuit. And when you stumble, you don’t fall out of grace. You fall into His arms again.
This passage doesn’t exist to make you doubt your salvation. It exists to make your salvation rock-solid in your heart. That’s why Peter says:
“…if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”
What a promise.
🙌 Final Word: You Can Know You’ve Been Chosen
If you’re still wondering, “Am I chosen by God?” — don’t look inward to your performance.
Look outward to Jesus.
If you’re trusting in His life, death, and resurrection —
If you’re leaning on His divine power to grow in godliness —
If you see the fruit of the Spirit, even in small ways —
Then yes, you’ve been called. You’ve been chosen.
And you can walk with humble confidence that your entrance into the eternal Kingdom has already been secured.
So, instead of living in doubt, live in worship.
Come sing, pray, and praise the God who called you out of darkness and into His glorious light.
