"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him, that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
2 Peter 1:3-4
Part 4
Yesterday:
“Whereby”
Through His glory and virtue, He has given unto us “exceeding great and precious promises.”
“Are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:”
His promises to us are great as in enormous, and they are precious as in extremely valuable. We can always trust His promises, His Word because we trust Him.
Today:
“That by these”
By these promises, so ironclad, it is as if they have already ultimately come to pass.
“Ye might be partakers of the divine nature,”
“What good are these great and precious promises? Through these promises, we are partakers of the divine nature” [1] (Guzik).
“Partakers.” What is a “partaker?”
“a partner, associate, comrade, companion…sharer, in anything” (Thayer).
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1).
“For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).
“The divine nature,” we become a part of His body when He saves us. As He is sanctifying us, we become more like Him.
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).
“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (Acts 17:29).
“Ye may become partakers of the divine nature – Being renewed in the image of God, and having communion with them, so as to dwell in God and God in you”[2] (John Wesley).
“Sanctification is the imparting to us of God Himself by the Holy Spirit in the soul. We by faith partake also of the material nature of Jesus…. The “divine power” enables us to be partakers of “the divine nature” [3] (JFB).
“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30).
“Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
He saved us from our sins, removed us from Satan’s family, and placed us into His family.
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
Dear Lord, thank you for your gifts! You have given me everything I need for this life and the next. Thank you for your precious promises!
[1] Guzik, David, David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] John Wesley. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.