“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.”

God has things He wants us to do right now in order to live for Him. He grants that we participate in the divine nature. To participate in the nature of God is to begin to take-on the characteristics of God.  To love as God loves, to have joy as God has joy, to know peace as God knows peace, to exercise self-control as God exercises self-control.  To become a partaker of His holiness (Hebrews 10:12). We may sum this up by saying, that to share in the divine nature is to "become more like Christ” (Gal. 2:20)           

There will be a coming day when this goal which has started on earth will be completed. The benefits of saved people include the promises: you will never have to experience hell; you will never have to be bondage to Satan; you will never have the consequences of your sins; and you will never have to be captive to the repercussions of victimization by others. That freedom is yours now when you grow in the knowledge of God. But the joys of heaven and the realities of hell make our salvation even more precious!

If you could have anything you could possibly want, what would you have? God sums it all up and says, ‘I will give you myself.’To participate of His divine nature is entirely something else available to His children. We have God in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Abraham didn't have that privilege, Moses didn't have that privilege, King David didn't have that privilege, Even John the Baptist, the greatest of all prophets didn't have that privilege, BUT you and I do.  We have God in us that hope of our glory. We have the Word which gives us instructions and the Spirit brings it home to us. We have the Advocate who intercedes for us in words we do not understand. That confidence comes in growing in the knowledge of God and belief in His promises that affects how we live today.           

Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world" It is the realization of what Jesus has done that gives us confidence that the promises will hold true in what He will do.

Remember we have a destiny that reaches far beyond the few years of life we have in these bodies. God is preparing us for eternity by teaching us now how to walk in dependence upon Him. We are learning, growing, changing and standing on the promises of our Lord, discovering that He is able to keep us from falling. We are learning to escape corruptible things and focus on eternal things.  We are sharing in the very life and nature of God as He lives out His life through ours. When He gave us the Holy Spirit, He gave us everything we need for life and godliness.

Application:   Let Him shine and be glorified in you.

Prayer:   LORD GOD, Heavenly Father we know that it is only by Your Grace that we can walk in Your ways.   It is You and our privilee to participate in Your divine nature that we can accomplish any good work.   We stand in awe of You!