Partakers of the divine nature...
2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Encouraging Words...
"That through these you may be partakers of the divine nature..." By the grace of our Father and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ we have been adopted into the family of God. Through this adoption we may partake in the divine nature. Just as children take on the traits and characteristics of their parents so can we take on the image of our God. We cannot become Him, but we can become more like Him, which is what we mean by theosis.
As Cyril of Alexandria stated: "We that are made worthy to participate in Him [the Holy Spirit] through faith in Christ are brought to perfection as participants of the divine nature, and are said to be born of God, and on that account are given the title gods, not flying up to the glory above us by grace alone, but as already having God indwelling and taking lodging in us, according to what is set forth in the Prophet, ‘I shall dwell among them and walk about in their midst’ (Lv 26:12; 2Co 6:16)"
Glory be to God!
No comments:
Post a Comment