Episode Overview

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind
Episode Title: Due Diligence
Date: March 22, 2026
Host: Ligonier Ministries (Nathan W. Bingham)
Speaker: Dr. R.C. Sproul
Theme:
This episode delves into 2 Peter 1:5–11, focusing on the Christian’s call to due diligence in spiritual growth, the assurance of salvation, and the importance of understanding the doctrine of election. Dr. Sproul unpacks Peter’s exhortation to diligently pursue Christlike virtues, confronts common misunderstandings about salvation and election, and offers pastoral guidance for believers seeking assurance in their faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Apostolic Priority: Assurance of Election

[00:00–01:16]

• Dr. Sproul begins with a provocative reflection: If an apostle were present and asked for the most important question to answer, it would be: "Am I numbered among the elect?"
• Nathan Bingham sets the stage, highlighting the universal need for assurance in salvation.

2. Exposition: 2 Peter 1:5–11

[01:16–06:00]

• Dr. Sproul reads and expounds on the passage, emphasizing Peter’s call to “giving all diligence.”
• Virtues to be added to faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
• These are fruit that should “abound” in the life of true believers, preventing them from being “barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• Dr. Sproul compares Peter’s virtue list to Paul’s list of the Fruit of the Spirit, highlighting the practical and transformative aim of true knowledge.

Quote:

"Our approach to learning of God is not to be done in a frivolous, a capricious or a cavalier manner. It is to be done with earnest application, with careful study and inquiry, by applying ourselves diligently to every word that has proceeded forth from his mouth."
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([02:10])

3. The Problem of Forgetfulness and Spiritual Blindness

[06:00–10:00]

• Peter warns believers can be “shortsighted, even to blindness” when virtues are lacking. Dr. Sproul explains this is not directed at pagans but at Christians who forget “he was cleansed from his old sins.”
• Forgetfulness leads to barren lives; remembering God’s grace breeds gratitude and diligence.

Quote:

“I want you to think back to the first time that you realized that God had forgiven you of all of your sin... the peace that came to your conscience, the joy that came to your heart. And yet how easy it is to forget what God has done.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([09:12])

4. Due Diligence in Making Your Calling and Election Sure

[10:00–16:00]

• Peter insists believers be “even more diligent to make your calling and election sure.”
• Dr. Sproul notes the surprising apostolic emphasis on focusing diligence on election and assurance, not “in the abstract, but with respect to your own person.”
• Addresses misunderstandings about the doctrine of election, noting it is “pervasive” in scripture—not merely a Pauline or theological abstraction.

Quote:

“You need to be all the more diligent to make your calling and your election sure... The doctrine of election permeates the Epistles of St. Peter.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([11:32])

5. The Pathway to Assurance: The Test of Love for Christ

[16:00–19:30]

• Dr. Sproul addresses a pastoral question: how can a Christian know if they are truly saved?
  • Not by loving Jesus perfectly, nor as much as you ought, but simply: Do you love Jesus at all?
  • True affection for the biblical Christ is impossible apart from the Holy Spirit’s regenerating work.
• This knowledge forms a foundation for assurance.

Quote:

“If now, in time and space, you have the slightest true affection for Jesus... your assurance is solidified.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([18:30])

6. The Practical Purpose of Assurance

[19:30–21:30]

• Assurance is not merely to “sleep at night,” but to provide steadfastness in the Christian walk.
• Those assured of their election are “not like those who are tossed to and fro... but people who know that their destiny has been settled from the foundation of the world.”

Quote:

“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.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([20:20])

7. Monergism and Synergism: The Mechanics of Salvation and Sanctification

[21:30–23:00]

• Dr. Sproul clarifies that regeneration is monergistic (God alone acts), while sanctification is synergistic (cooperation between God and the believer).
• This fuels the diligence Peter commands.

Quote:

“You cannot cause yourself to be born again... Your rebirth is totally dependent upon the monergistic, the sole working of God, the Holy Spirit, who in his sovereign immediate power raises you from spiritual death... But from that moment until you die, the whole pilgrimage... is a synergistic action.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([21:55])

8. The Security and Fruitfulness of Election

[23:00–24:10]

• The “sweetness” and practical power of the doctrine of election are extolled:
  • Those firmly assured will bring forth fruit “like a tree planted by rivers of living water.”
• Dr. Sproul invokes the TULIP acronym humorously, contrasting “daisy-petal theology” (uncertainty) with the solidity of the Reformed understanding of assurance.

Quote:

“Daisies don’t give you much substance of hope for your eternal destiny. But when you know the truth of election... that matter is settled and you will begin to bring forth your fruit in your season.”
— Dr. R.C. Sproul ([23:39])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On diligence in spiritual growth:
  “It is to be done with earnest application, with careful study and inquiry, by applying ourselves diligently to every word that has proceeded forth from his mouth.” (Dr. Sproul, [02:10])

• On the assurance of salvation:
  “If now, in time and space, you have the slightest true affection for Jesus... your assurance is solidified.” (Dr. Sproul, [18:30])

• On the role of God’s work and ours:
  “Everything after rebirth... is a synergistic action, one that does involve a cooperation between you and God.” (Dr. Sproul, [21:55])

• On the joy of election:
  “You don’t know the sweetness of these doctrines... To know that your final destination is in God’s hands, not yours.” (Dr. Sproul, [22:50])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] — Opening scenario: “What is the most important question?”
• [01:16] — Reading and initial exposition of 2 Peter 1:5–11.
• [02:10] — The call to earnest, diligent study of the faith.
• [06:00] — Danger of spiritual forgetfulness and blindness.
• [10:00] — The importance of making your calling and election sure.
• [16:00] — The three-question assurance test and the role of love for Christ.
• [19:30] — Assurance and Christian stability.
• [21:30] — Monergism vs. synergism in salvation and sanctification.
• [23:00] — The sweetness and fruitfulness of election.

Conclusion

Due Diligence explores how Peter’s call for diligence in adding virtue to faith equips believers not just with theological knowledge but with the practical assurance and stability needed for a fruitful Christian life. Dr. Sproul argues that understanding and embracing the doctrine of election gives Christians the deepest assurance—“your destiny has been settled from the foundation of the world”—which in turn empowers them for growth and fruitfulness. Believers are urged to pursue assurance, not out of pride or fear, but so they may live abundantly in the truth and hope of the gospel.

For further reflection:

• Do you love the Jesus revealed in Scripture?
• How does the assurance of your salvation impact your daily walk?
• In what ways are you practicing due diligence in your own faith journey?