R.C. Sproul

You are utterly, completely passive.

in that action, which is the beginning of the Christian life.

But from that moment until you die, the whole pilgrimage, the whole progress of your Christian life is a synergistic action.

one that does involve a cooperation between you and God.

You know, the apostle Paul tells us that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, with all diligence, because God is at work within us both to will and to do.

That's a cooperative activity, everything after rebirth.

Now, what Peter is saying here is if you want to have a fruitful Christian life,

if you want to grow in grace, if you want to move forward in your sanctification, one of the most important things that you can do is early on in your walk, make sure of your election.

Because those who are sure with the sound reasons of assurance of their election

are not like those who are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

They're not double-minded people who are up one day and down the next.

But they're people who know that their destiny has been settled from the foundation of the world.

When I talk with my Christian friends who, you know, just kick and scream against election, predestination, everything, I say, you don't know the sweetness of these doctrines.

You just don't understand how valuable these are in the Christian life to know that your final destination is in God's hands, not yours.

And the irony is the more sure of that you are,

the more likely it is that you will bear forth fruit in abundance.

You know, we say that the purest flower in God's garden is the tulip.

T for total depravity, U for unconditional election, L for limited, you know, the five points.

And we also say in a teasing manner to our Arminian friends that their favorite flower is the daisy.

As the semi-Pelagian never knows for sure, he sits there and he takes the daisy and pulls the petals.