Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained life, precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. According as his divine power, hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us succeeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, and 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, or love. If these things be in you and abound, 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 and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence, now this is my text, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things ye shall never fall." Undoubtedly many think I'm going to speak on politics this morning, but I'm not, but I'm certainly going to draw a parallel, a comparison, on the present political campaign. We'll mention something about the candidates and also the candidates that you'll find in the Bible. So we'll compare the physical material election with the spiritual election. You have candidates in both places, both realms, and you also have the platform. You have the election day and the administration. Before getting into that, I want to draw your attention to the few things in this chapter that lead up to this election. You'll notice in... The beginning, a call to diligence. I wonder why, because of apathy. And if there's anything, both delegates today and also both parties are urging people to get out and vote. They're warning against apathy. People just staying at home and not taking the time or making any effort to get out and vote for the candidate. that they would like to see in. That may prove costly. And I figure this, if a man you'd like to see in doesn't get in, and you didn't vote, you have no right to complain. But in the turnaround is serious if you don't vote. By the way, there's no such thing as abstaining. in the spiritual realm, you've got to vote. And yet today we find such apathy around the world right here in Albany. There's a great election going on, far superior than the one that will be here on Wednesday election day, and that's going on now by the candidates and their parties. There's an election that's far, far greater and more important because it's eternal. And yet apathy seems to have settled down upon men and women. They're unconcerned about this great election. They're unconcerned about spiritual value. And so this chapter opens with a warning against apathy. And then you have the marks of diligence if you want to read them in verses five and seven. Jesus adds to your faith, virtues, That's a good mark of diligence. Virtue, manly energy or courage, and you need that today. And of course, a lot of these politicians would like to have that kind of help also. And add to virtue knowledge, which means and requires Bible study and patience. That implies endurance. Temperance, self-control. Godliness or reverence. brotherly kindness, and then brotherly, lover, charity. It begins with faith that ends with love, that remarkable passage marks of real diligence. And then you have the results or the fruit of diligence in verse eight, how remarkable that is. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, showing that in the spiritual realm, diligence really pays off, and it's going to pay off in this election. In other words, it says the measure that the followers of these two delegates are diligent, and they're giving it all they've got, what's going to be the fruit and the glad result their man got in? and so there's a need for us to learn a lesson and to be diligent. And you have the absence of diligence in verse nine. What does he say in verse nine? But he that lacketh these things, as I mentioned, those seven things, is blind and cannot see afar off and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. One lacking in diligence, according to this passage, is blind. He doesn't see afar off. He's living in the light of the present. And, of course, as you follow these elections, it's almost stupid the things that govern some voters. They don't think of the future they're thinking about today. Some will elect the man because he's good-looking, as if you can live on that for the next four years. Others may vote for man, they like his personality. Of course, that will pay your bills. Instead of the issues. And so we need to see that there is not an absence of diligence in spiritual things. Then you have the renewed exhortation in verse ten. And he tells us there to be diligent, give diligence to make your calling. and your election, sure. The divine side is in verses two and three. He called you. I don't want you to notice that, verses two and three. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord, according as His divine power are given unto us, all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue. Now there's the gospel brought. But God is calling us. And there are two sides to this subject of election, even in the Bible. People, some people think, why you don't have to do a thing. If you're among the elect, you're going to enter heaven anyway, you're going to get there anyway. So why worry? If you're not among the elect, well, it's too bad. But if you're among the elect, then Why, all you got to do is just sit still, let your horse be on the boat side, and do nothing. But this is a call to election. Here's God's side. He's calling people. Many are called, but only few are chosen or elected. And what is the difference? What is the difference? Those who respond to God's revelation in Jesus Christ, the salvation is in Christ, and Christ alone, They are elected, and there's man's responsibility to respond to God's revelation. He says, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Well, if I've elected before I'm born, if I'm going to heaven anyway, I don't have to be diligent. I don't have to worry about it. But he says, you've got to be diligent about this thing and be sure. Be sure. And the only way you can be sure that you're among God's elect and go to heaven is by accepting God's revelation concerning His Son, and you do that by faith. You know, it's remarkable thinking how men can get across to their audiences certain doctrines, and yet they seem to soak in with some. Thank God others won't accept it. But there are those who would try and say that You're elected, and there's no need of you being worried about it. I've talked to them. Nothing you can do about it. It's all up to God. I want to say this, but there are plenty of verses in the Bible to prove that man has a responsibility. The word whosoever nullifies that argument. The gospel is to whosoever will, but only those who accept Christ will be the ones who will enter in through the gates, into the city. Now let us notice the delegates. Unless you don't know, President Nixon is one, as far as this president-elect is concerned, and George McGovern the other. Now in this one that I want to speak on, the candidates are Jesus Christ and Satan. Now I'm not telling you that one of these present candidates is like Christ, in other words, like the devil. Not for a moment. I think there's a lot of the devil above both, and very little of Christ. But here we have the candidates, and Christ is the one candidate. And I'll tell you, it's a two-party system. You have your Democrats, your Republicans, two major parties. And there is an election going on that has two major candidates. two major parties, Jesus Christ and his party, and the devil and his party. Here you have these two candidates, and think of the difference in these candidates. Christ never told a lie. That can't be said of any politician or any candidate in this world. Jesus Christ never told a lie. No moral blemish. Some have run for the office of the presidency of the United States, and they've got moral blemish. No scandal about Jesus Christ. No moral blemish and no scandal. And he was born poor. And he was a working man. He was a carpenter. He's a lover and a friend of the poor, the working man. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This man is an economic expert. He can solve all problems, the Lord Jesus Christ, whether it be social... economic, political, domestic, military, or the pollution problem, or personal problems, domestic problems, or spiritual problems. This candidate can solve them all. And Jesus Christ is running not for four years, but forever. Forever. So this is the one candidate. And you know what's wonderful? When you see what the platform of the Lord Jesus Christ is. We've heard enough about the platform and splinters of the present candidate, but think of what the Lord Jesus says as to his promises. You'll find them in Isaiah and Jeremiah. I looked these up this past week and they're wonderful. Some of the I will. And it's strange to hear these present politicians When they make a promise, they never say, oh, well, they couldn't say that if the Lord with them. They don't say, I'll do my best. No. They speak emphatically. They speak emphatically. In fact, very emphatically. But how often they're wrong. But not so, the Lord Jesus. Here are some of his I-wills, as you'll find over in Isaiah. In verse twenty-seven of chapter forty-one, I will give good tidings. That's his promise. And he has given good tidings to the gospel. He said, I will give you light and salvation in chapter forty-nine and verse six. I will give you treasures, treasures forevermore in chapter forty-five and three. I will give you a house, a place that dwell in. in fifty-six chapter and the fifth verse, the many mansions. I will give you an everlasting name in that same verse of Isaiah fifty-six and verse five. He said, I will give you pastors or shepherds to feed you in Jeremiah three five. I will give you a heart to know me. I'm glad that these men don't give us a heart to love them. I wouldn't want to be the one. But the Lord Jesus Christ said, I'll give you a heart to love me, to know me. He will when you accept the mighty Savior. And he said, I will give you one way in Jeremiah twenty-two and thirty-nine. And one could add to that this, I will give you peace. I will give you joy. I will give you everlasting life. I will give. I will give. I will give. And he means that. On what he has promised, he is able also to perform. What a candidate this is, who could not only make promises, but he can perform those promises. He will perform those promises. He's been making promises now for thousands of years. The present politicians like to point back to the other man's record and point out and pick out certain times when he made such a promise and he didn't fulfill it. They like to go back to the past records of these politicians. Well, friend, I challenge you to go back to the past records of the Lord Jesus Christ and find anything wrong with him. His record is clean. His record is upright upon us. He has fulfilled every promise that He made, and He will in the future. Then think of the other candidate, Satan. He's a liar from the beginning. The Bible says that. The Lord Jesus says Satan is a liar from the beginning. He's a deceiver, the Bible says. He's a murderer. And he's such. He's a serpent. Ah, yes, here's Satan. What a candidate in contrast to Jesus Christ. You can't believe it. You can't trust him. He'll deceive you. He'll betray you. You know, it's remarkable when you think of the Word of God, as we have the promises of God and the platform relative to the Lord Jesus Christ and all these wills, I will, I will, I will. You have some I wills also for a certain Satan concerning Satan. In the Old Testament you have two kings. The first two to rule over Israel was Saul and David. Saul was the people's choice. David was God's choice. David is a figure of Christ. Saul, a man of the flesh, is typical of the devil. We've noticed the I-wills of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, what He will do, what He's going to do. But it's very interesting when you think of what is said concerning Saul, the other candidate. And we will read this over in First Samuel chapter eight, if you wish to go to the trouble to read it when you get home. And this is what it said in verse seven. Now this is Saul speaking. And they demanded, they demanded Saul. He was the people's choice. And this is what God says. This is the character of your candidates. the king that you have demanded. He will take your sons and your daughters. He will take your daughters to be confectioners. He will take your fields, your vineyards, your olive yards. He will take your grain, your crops. He will take your men's servants and your man's servants, He will take a tenth of your flocks. And six times over, He will take. He will take. He will take. The other candidate, God says, I will give. Jesus Christ says, I will give. Come unto me all, even labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest. I will give you living water. I will give you everlasting life. Always a great giver. And so the Lord Jesus is constantly giving. Finally he gave himself up upon the cross to save us. But the devil, he will take. He will take. He will take. As is so. Yes, he will take. As Saul did then, he will take your young men and your young women, and let me tell you, parents, the devil's out to take your sons and your daughters. He's out to get them. He'll get them by way of the drugs. He'll get them by way of offering them and promising them a good time. A nice sale on life's giddy seed. He doesn't speak of the rocks and the reefs and how short that sail will be. Oh, yes, he promises you a good time. If only you'll listen to him, why he'll make life worthwhile. He'll assist you in making money. Yes, he's a liar from the beginning. He won't satisfy, although he promises that he will. He will. You've got your choice there between God's man and the people's man. This morning we have the Lord Jesus Christ and we have Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ is I will give. Satan says, I'll take. I'll take from you peace. I'll take from you joy. I'll take from you every blessing eventually, and then I'll take you down to hell. Where you'll be with me? The weep and wail and gnash your feet forever. Which one are you going to choose? When you stop to think about it, election, what is election? Election simply means you have the right the power and the privilege to make a choice every American has this right power and privilege to make a choice in the upcoming election you have the right you have the power you have the privilege to make a choice are you going to exercise your right or are you not when you stop to think of these candidates. You know, in reference of the Lord Jesus Christ, he knows the hearts of all who are going to vote. So does the devil. Why wouldn't McGovern love to know the hearts of all who are going to vote for him? He'd have it made before the election. And so would President Nixon. But here's the thing. The Lord himself He knows the hearts of all men. He knows your heart before, right now. If you haven't yet voted for Jesus Christ, if you haven't yet trusted him, he sees your heart, and he sees what your thoughts are and why you're not going to vote for him. And Satan also knows that you have a heart. He caters to what that heart longs for. He knows what that young man wants or that young woman wants in life, and he'll do all his best to satisfy them, as long as they don't vote for the other candidate, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ knows your heart, and so does the devil. Who are to vote? All ages. Of course, the age limit in this coming election is eighteen. But thank God in this spiritual election, you can go down even to five. I've heard of some who supposedly got saved at four. You have to wait and see in those days. Oh, yes. Right from four, five up to a hundred or over. All may vote that must vote in this spiritual election. All nationalities, no race barrier, red, yellow, black, and white, all are precious in his sight. All can vote in this spiritual election. All classes, rich and poor, it makes no difference. They can vote too, and they must vote. You can't abstain. There's no neutral ground. You can be neutral in this coming election. You can stay home and abstain from voting. But in this other election, of course, I believe that if you don't vote to stay home, why, one of the candidates is going to suffer. But in the election that I'm speaking of is the most important. You've got to vote. If you don't vote for Jesus Christ, it's a vote for the devil. You cannot be neutral. You've got to make a decision. All the time you're not cast in your ballot. You're on the way to hell. I think we used the illustration years ago of the man whose car stalled on the railroad tracks. Of course he was proud of his car. car stolen, he saw this train roaring down the railroad track. Oh, he didn't want to lose his car. He had to hurry up and make a decision, either to get out of that car and save his life or stay in and get killed. Every second that he halted on that decision, he was in the path of death and destruction. when the judgment of God is roaring down the rails of time toward you. And every new moment that you remain unsaved, out of Christ, not having voted for him, you're in the path of death and destruction. If you use your brains, if you cast your bellicance, Unlike that man, if he had any sense, he'd put his light before his lovely car, you'll put salvation before all this world has offered you. And all the devil has offered you. That's sense. Cast your belly in favor of Jesus Christ. For remember, no man can serve two masters. Christ says, you've got to be the wolf for me. all for the devil. You can't serve both at the same time. And so you must go there. No abstaining, no middle plan in this spiritual election. It may be so in the election now and going on. You can stay home, you can be indifferent, but you can't do that for the things of God. There's got to be a choice. There's the broad road. There's the narrow road. Also, Those who vote for Jesus Christ, and this is where the rug comes in, those who vote for Jesus Christ must be with repentance, must be in repentance, a repentance on a broken and contrite spirit. That's the only way you can cast your ballot for Jesus Christ. No other vote will come. If that ballot doesn't have on it, I'm a lost and guilty sinner. I'm repentant. But I want to be saved. It's invalid. The only ones that will be accepted, the only votes that will be valid is heaven. For Jesus Christ are those that are tasked with the heart of repentance, the broken and contrite spirit. Also remember, someone's going to cast the last vote. The last vote, I don't know if we'll cast it on this present election. But then the roofs will be closed. Someone is going to cast the last vote relative to Jesus Christ. God is visiting the Gentiles that take out of them a people for His name. and through to the last boat is cast. And that can't be far off the way things are going in the world. The moment the last soul is saved to complete the search, go again. God alone knows the dead life. Well, it's going to come. Some soul will be the last, and you better hurry up and cast your boat for Jesus Christ. No polls are needed in this election to see which way the winds are going, the winds going. Well, they're going by the polls, that's true. But the polls may be right, they could be wrong. But there's no polls in this spiritual election. We do have disinformation that the majority are not going to be saved. And it's very hard to find out sometimes who is saved and who isn't. And as they take these votes, these people say, yes, I'm a Republican. I'm a Democrat. You are. Some of them are pretty poor Democrats and poor Republicans. And some people who say, if I'm a Christian, they're mighty poor. In other words, you may take a poll, and I suppose if you went around and asked one question in all over Albany and all over the United States, are you a Christian? Sure. They got me a heathen. That's a vote for Christ. Put this question, are you born again? Have you been washed in the blood? Well, I can't say that, prophet. In other words, friend, you've got to be born again before your boat registers. Men may take poles in this world religiously. But I'll tell you, the Lord knows them that are his. Only the Lord himself knows. I've had many a first level. Mr. Wilson, you know I'm saved. Well, I'm sorry. I am not sure of that. I can't look into your heart and see. I haven't seen the books. You say your heart, you say, but your life doesn't seem to help any. By their work, she shall know. And so you can't go by the pool to hear some people talk, some preachers, you think everybody's voting for Jesus Christ. Everybody's a child of God. The fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man. Well, the devil, according to them, doesn't even get a vote. My Bible says that only the few are on the way to heaven, and the majority are on the way to hell. Now the Bible gives us that fold. It says there in Matthew chapter seven. strive to enter in a straight gate, for many shall seek to enter in, and will not be able. Why did the gates implore us the ways that lead us unto destruction? And many there be which were not straight as the gates and arrows the way that lead us unto life, and few there be satisfied. Many are called few chosen. You are hearing the call. Are you going to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? And you know when your delegate or your choice gets in, my, what a happy time. Happy they'll be. They'll be celebrating all over the country. What a happy day when our Lord Jesus Christ is voted in as the winning delegate. And that day's come. What joy in heaven this morning if you would cast your ballot in favor of him? Heaven will rejoice over another sinner that repenteth on what joy that be in your heart. Yes, the party that wins on Tuesday night, there'll be great celebrating. But go to the other party. Sadness. Tears of sadness. What about the devil's party? There's going to be a lot of sadness in hell. No celebrating, sad, weeping, wailing, banishing of the people. They voted for the wrong candidate. What is the administration of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, he has an administration And he's told us all about what he's going to do when he comes. I said, it's wonderful when you look into your Bible and see what's in store for this world. They're trying to bring in the utopia these men. Although you can't doubt some of their sincerity, but they just don't have the power to do what they'd like to do. But the Lord Jesus has all power. What's his administration going to be like? I'll tell you what the new society is going to be like that he's going to usher in. There will be no more hate for the millennium, no more hate, no more poverty, no class distinctions, no unemployment. He says my servants will serve me. That won't be wonderful. And he says there will be no housing problem. We'll all have a mansion. in my father's house are many mansions. No crime problem, swift judgment during the millennium. Switten dead when Christ is reigning over this earth, if you say. No language problem, they'll all speak the same language again. There'll be no garbage problem, nothing that defilers shall enter in. No street-sweeping necessary if they do have a street-sweeper. It'll be gold, I suppose, for the streets are made of gold. None of these problems, no medical problems there, no health problems, no domestic problems, no moral problems, no drug problems, no drug problems, no military problems, no economic problems. No agricultural problems. A hundred percent yield, the Bible says. And no pollution problems, air pollution. Do you know where it not for God's balance in creation? They talk about air pollution. The human race to have been snuffed up long ago, but hadn't been God's cure. Do you know what keeps the air pure? Isn't there enough for human nature to live? The seven salt seeds. and oceans. Salt is a preventative and a preservative. And you go down in the purest air that you can breathe. It will do you good. It will stand on the sea shore and have that salt air blow in. That's the most indicative. And were it not for the winds that blow off the seven seas, that salt water This earth will suffer long before now with air pollution. But God seems to strike a balance. In that coming day, it will be more pure than that. And so there will be no air pollution there. And no water pollution? It says the river that flows there is clear as crystal. No spiritual problem. All problems met. what a society what a society and what about satan's administration i'll tell you it's not very pleasant to think of what he's going to do you have no more to give to him for he himself is going to be hurled into the lake that burneth the fire of himself When all his promises proved lying, he won't even be an administrator to be robbed of that power. And he'll be mocked of Adam's grave. All turns to Adam. No promises really fulfilled. No truth satisfaction, Lord. And Satan shall... is cast into the lake, the burning of fire and the brimstone, with the beast and the false prophet Mark.