Partakers Of The Divine Nature

 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us great and precious promises, so that through them you may be partakers in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world by evil desires.”                                                                                                                                                    - 2 Peter 1:3-4

I pondered this verse wondering what it means. Can we as sinful humans be partakers of God’s holy nature? Seems impossible. One commentator said that regarding our partaking is “that we do not become God, but we possess the righteousness that comes from God and share fellowship with the Godhead.”             

It is true. We who are in Christ are partakers of God’s nature because we are born again. It is the only way we can be accepted as children of God. Without God’s Holy Spirit we are dead husks. Understand the reason we have God’s Spirit is so that we can conform into Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). We were saved not to live unto ourselves, but to be holy and blameless in Christ (Ephesians 1:4).  

Being partakers of the divine nature means we have been transformed. We have gone from death to life. Wickedness to righteousness. From spiritual darkness to children of light (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13;2 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 12:36). As partakers of the divine nature, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. The old man has died with his deeds. God has retrofitted the new man and woman to serve God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The work of the new man is to always meditate on God’s word so that the truths of scripture do not become and dull and lose their vigor in one’s life. God’s word is the power unto salvation and that same word is what continues to cause us to look more like Christ when applied to our lives. I heard one person say a long time ago, “wisdom is knowledge applied.”  How does that axiom apply to us as believers? When we read and understand the word of God that is knowledge. When we put Godly knowledge to practice in our lives that is wisdom or being wise. Proverbs 1:7 says, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

As partakers of the divine nature, we have been lavishly graced. God has lovingly favored us with His own Spirit! This was an easy gift for God to give to us because Christ did the hard work when He died for our sins. In Romans 8:31 Paul says, “what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?”

Because of Jesus we have an eternal relationship with the Godhead and all the Saints forever.

 

 

Abraham Isaac and Ishmael

 A friend of my oldest daughter was reading the book of Genesis last month. When she reached Chapters 21-24, she had questions, so she texted me what she wanted answers to. Her questions were very challenging, insightful, and honest. I’ll summarize them here. 1) Why did Abraham abandon Ishmael? 2) Why did God say to Abraham that Isaac was his only son when Ishmael was also his son, his firstborn?

The reason Abraham had to send Ishmael and his mother Hagar away was because Ishmael was mocking Isaac (the mocking may have been over a period of time), and Sarah became angry and said, “Cast out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” Abraham is distressed over this. God speaks to him and tells him to listen to his wife. Isaac was Abraham’s heir, the son that was promised to them. Ishmael was not the son of promise, but God would bless him for Abraham’s sake because he was Abraham’s descendant (Genesis 21:9-14).

Islamic tradition claims Hagar and Ishmael settled In Mecca in Arabia. The Bible says Ishmael settled in the wilderness of Paran (Genesis 21:21).   

In Genesis 22 God tests Abraham. God commands him to take his only son and go to Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering. Why would God say that Isaac was Abraham’s only son when Ishmael was also his son? Isaac was the only heir, the son of the Abrahamic covenant. It’s not that God dismissed Ishmael. God was with Ishmael and made him a great nation. Ishmael had 12 sons (Genesis 21:18; 25:12-16), but he was not the chosen son of promise. It is also important to recognize that when Abraham and Isaac went to Mt. Moriah, it was a three day journey. Once they arrived there, Abraham prepared the wood and fire, bound Isaac, placed him on the altar and prepared to kill his son. God called to Abraham and told him not to harm Isaac. This was all to test Abraham’s faith in the Lord (Genesis 22:1-18).

Also, the test was prophetic and symbolic. Abraham was symbolic of God the Father, and Isaac was representing Christ as the one being offered. The three day’s journey represents Jesus’ death and resurrection which occurred in three days. The symbolism is clear. Figuratively, Abraham and Isaac were portraying the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How do we know this? After Abraham receives Isaac back figuratively from the dead, he names the place “Jehovah Jireh”, In the mountain of the Lord it will be seen (Genesis 22:14; Hebrews 11:17-19). What will be seen? Two thousand years later from that time, on the same mountain, the Father God will offer up His only Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:22).