2 Peter 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
God has granted his promises to us through his glory and goodness. The key promise that Peter has in mind here is that we can participate in God’s nature. Theologians speak of this as being recreated into God’s image which was in someway distorted because of the sin of Adam and Eve which every human inherits and follows. This recreation does two things. First, it helps us to become holy and loving like God intended the human race to be. That is how humans were created to be. Second, it helps us escape sin that so easily entangles us and corrupts our thoughts and lives. The world around us is controlled by this fallen nature. It influences just about every aspect of our lives. We can make the decision through faith and reliance on God’s glory and goodness to overcome this corruption. We cannot do this totally on our own strength. God gives us the strength. But we must do our part by trusting in God and living in faithful obedience to God’s teachings and direction. This verse is one of the most profound claims in all of the New Testament. It is a bold proclamation that God has better things planned for us in this world if we will only receive them in humble submission.
For older posts, click here.