PARTAKERS OF DIVINE NATURE - PART 1

WEDNESDAY 10 MAY 2023

I want to introduce a new topic today, which is known as divine nature and it will come with successive parts that will establish an accurate understanding of our new nature in Christ. What is divine nature? It is the embodiment of inherent features, characters or attributes of the Godhead which impart an all-round completeness that set forth the glory and power of the Kingdom light in those who believe in Christ. Partaking of the divine nature starts by our faith in Christ, which makes us God's own children. That means, the God-kind of faith received as a result of our salvation, makes it possible for us to become "divine nature" partakers. More below!

Reference: 2 Peter 1:4 New Living Translation (NLT) "And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us greater and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires."

I just concluded the topic on ornamental virtues. And today's topic is plainly a follow up to dig into our new nature because our referenced Scripture noted that as a result of His glory and excellence (excellence implies virtue), God has given us great and precious promises that enable us to share His divine nature. Got it? According to the translation known as NIV, it's rendering noted that by these virtues, God has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them, we may participate in the divine nature.

Remember that we cultivate those trait-like virtues in accordance with divine nature. And this very nature is as perpetual as eternity because it transmits the eternality of God. As the partakers, we are a significantly different species, having received the quality of being eternal. Our everlastingness is certain in Christ Jesus. This is because eternal life is in Christ, and He actively lives in us forever. Through His perfect sacrifice, which has made atonement for sin, we were raised with Him and hallowed to partake of His divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world introduced by Adamic nature.

Christ dwells in our hearts now, but we have to consciously participate in His nature, and work it out in our actions and way of life, because it is the nature God Himself has bestowed on us or implanted in our spirits, as born again Christians. Remember that in Ezekiel 36:26-27, God said, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (NIV). That's the accurate description of the divine nature at work in us. As we acknowledge that Christ lives in us, His divinity and nature will start unfolding the supernatural life within us. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 1:1-4; John 14:6-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 3:1-3.

Guided Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I thank you for the power and nature of your Spirit dwelling in me. I acknowledge that divine energy is graciously working in my soul and inward being through Christ in me. And by your special grace, the abiding influence of your Spirit yields tremendous results in my life, thereby perfecting holiness in me and bringing me in conformity to divine nature, in Jesus' Name, Amen!