“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” (2 Peter 1:4).
SHARE GOD’S HOLINESS (Pt 3)
We, who are born with a fallen nature, sold as slaves under the bondage of sin, may partake in the divine nature through repentance and faith in Christ. This is a true wonder when we stop and think about what God has done.
He is willing to share his holiness with us and “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). So we see the importance of being made holy and growing in our sanctification. Not staying where we are but moving forward becoming more like Christ. For we are now in God’s family and we grow as children in that family.
“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb 2:11).
We are not called to follow the way of the world, which continues to sink in the mire of ungodliness. We can find ourselves slowly slipping in the wrong direction, and watching, reading or engaging in unholy talk and behaviour. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2).
The direction that children of God should be heading in is “growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Eph 4:15).
So, by God’s grace, we are partakers in the divine nature and grow in that nature rather than growing in our fallen nature. And the Lord helps us grow in his nature and goodness; as we come before him each day he feeds us his goodness, peace and stability.
“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” (2 Pet 1:3).
We have “everything we need” to move forward in holiness and godliness, the Lord desires us to be holy as he is holy, so our thoughts and intentions are holy. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
In our sins we were floating around like tumbleweed having no roots in which to grow, but since we have come to know the Lord, our roots go down into his rich ground, and we grow in his likeness which was always God’s desire.
“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” (Gen 1:26).