Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature

[Christsfreeservant]

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.​

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“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:1-4 ESV)​

When Peter wrote this to those “who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ,” he was not speaking of human-based faith, based in the teachings of humans and in their ideas of what that faith looks like. He was speaking of the faith that is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ, that comes from God, and is gifted to us by God, and that is persuaded of God, and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of human beings.

It is the faith that comes from God and is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn away from our sins (to repent) and to now walk in righteousness and in holiness in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, by the grace of God, and in the power, strength, and wisdom of God. It is the faith that leads us to being crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 9:23-26]

The people of such a faith as this are those who are being addressed here. We are the called of God, his chosen people, his holy city/nation, and a people for his own possession that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light – who are zealous for good works, the works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them as his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. And we are his temple in whom Christ dwells by his Spirit, the body of Christ.

[Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:8-22; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:24; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 10:30; Hebrews 11:25; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Jude 1:20-21]

We are called of God to his own glory and excellence, i.e. we are to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to our Lord, in walks of obedience to his commands (New Covenant). He has granted to us his precious promises, but not unconditionally. For we don’t “get saved” and now heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but regardless of how we live. He has granted to us his precious promises so that through them we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Amen!

Do you see what this is saying here? The whole purpose of Jesus dying on that cross was not to unconditionally forgive us our sins and promise us heaven when we die, based on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The central purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection was that we might be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, not to life.

For what did Jesus say? He said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, we have the hope of eternal life with God, provided that we continue in that faith until the very end. For he also said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father.

[Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Near the Cross

Hymn lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Music by William H. Doane, 1869

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

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