Partakers of the Divine Nature

Does the title make you nervous? With the hysteria about the "inroads of mysticism" that we sometimes hear coming from various places today, it would not be a surprise. Sadly, in the midst of all of that, what we sometimes miss or minimize as a result, is that scripture does indeed invite us to actually become partakers of God's nature. That's Peter's choice of words, not ours. So what is he talking about? What is he inviting us to?

In the famous painting above, Michelangelo seeks to communicate what God longs for us to experience with Him - a sense of connection and closeness. God's desire to be with us, and along side of us, and as Jesus says, to be within us. It is not an invitation to take on the attributes of God, but to connect with Him and reflect His character. To be like Him. To abide in Him. For Him to live out His life in us.

That is what Peter is talking about in verse 3 when he talks about the power we experience that comes from genuinely knowing Who God is, and staying close to Him. It is as we respond to God's grace extended to us, and by putting our trust in Him, that we actually begin to participate in His divine nature. We begin to live God's life, reflecting His character, resting in His grace. And, as a result, our lives begin to change. Different things become important to us - central to us. We invest ourselves differently - not in order to earn God's favor, but in response to having received it. This is what Peter invites us to embrace, and what Pastor Jon invites us to reflect upon.

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2 Peter 1

NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdomof our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.