NOTES for Pe2 1:10-11
What does Peter mean, by exhorting those to whom his message is addressed "to make their calling and election sure"? As for the election, the apostle, as seen, holds here a completely traditional glance for his time on the Messiah and on this messianic remnant, which grows into new people, meeting and accepting the Messiah. According to these Jewish representations, the Messiah, quite as the people of God, was conceived by God before even the creation of the world. Of course God's plan did not concern individuals, but a nation as a whole, as an entity, as people-community, community of believers, the main historic task of which will be the conservation of the revelation received from God until the day of the coming of the Messiah, when this revelation will become accessible to everyone, accepting the Messiah.
As for individuals, here many were defined by the free choice of man: because to be born Jewish was insufficient, it was still necessary to realize in his life this calling, which was potentially given to everyone, been born Jewish. To realize the spiritual calling without personal choice, is obviously completely impossible, then the question of the membership in the people of God was not only defined by the birth, but also by the entire life. The apostle, as seen, transfers this traditional representation on the Church, what is not surprising: because if we can be born Jewish, we are not born Christian, although the Church, quite as the Messiah Himself, was indubitably designed by God right before the creation of the world. And each, joining it, joins this plan, becoming a part of it, becoming the elected of God.
But it is insufficient to enter the Church once, it is necessary again to live in it. The Church is the earthly measure of the Kingdom, and if in the Kingdom it is possible to live, by applying only constant spiritual efforts in order not to lose it, then it is possible to say the same thing about life in the Church, and otherwise it would be easy to lose the elected. It would seem, God's calling is for ever. But indeed, the calling is only also a possibility, it is still necessary to reveal it, to reveal during the entire life, otherwise it will die, not having manifested itself.
Peter does not get tired to remind it, maybe, because already at his time began to appear in the Church people sincerely considering that their first step on the spiritual way is already its successful and victorious completion, that salvation and the fullness of life in the Kingdom are already guarantied to them, because they trusted their Savior and accepted baptism. But the Apostle, as seen, wants to dispel in them this delusion: because it could easily cost them salvation. Salvation, which is easy to lose and hard to find again later.