Day 1,168: 2 Peter 1- Partakers Of Divine Nature

​Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirm Your Calling and Election
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 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. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
 
Meditation
The gospel guarantees the power for disciples to partake in Divine life- today. Through the work of Jesus, Christians are free to live, love, and look like Jesus.
 
The foundation for participation in Divine life is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and prioritizing the power of God’s prophetic word. Peter was an “eyewitness to (Christ’s) majesty,” seeing the majestic glory of God on the mount of transfiguration and hearing the voice of the Father (16-18). Peter celebrates the power of God’s Spirit speaking God’s word through men chosen by God (19-21). So too Christians encounter Christ personally, hearing the voice of our Father sharing His unconditional love through Christ, as we allow God’s Spirit to use God’s word in our life to make us look more like Jesus.
 
With this foundation, disciples are guaranteed the power to participate in all things that pertain to life and godliness (3). Having escaped the corruption of the world, Christians can begin reconstruction of our lives using the building blocks of faith, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, and brotherly love (4-7). Partaking in Divine life is a lifelong reconstruction process, increasing as we know Christ more (8-15).
 
Though Christians will never be perfect in this life, God’s mercy moves us to “make every effort” to zealously partake in Divine life. Disciples of Christ build on our faith with blocks shaped by Christ, putting on the character and clothes of Christ that we might live, love, and look like Jesus.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you believe God has guaranteed you to have the power to partake in Divine life- today?
 
-What keeps you from participating in being made more like Jesus, building on a personal encounter with Christ and the prophetic word of Christ with character traits of Christ?
 
-How does the Trinitarian reality (work of Jesus, love of the Father, speaking of the Spirit) compel you to “make every effort” to become more like Jesus? What is a specific area of your life where you can do this?
 
Key verse
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.