Participating In The Divine Nature

Participating In The Divine Nature

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:4

Peter says that through the power of faith we participate in the divine nature and have fellowship with the divine nature. What a verse! We can’t find another one like this in either the New or Old Testament. Yet unbelievers consider this a small matter.

But what is the divine nature anyway? It’s eternal truth, justice, wisdom, eternal life, peace, joy, happiness, and whatever else can be called good. Those who share in the divine nature receive all of this so that they live eternally and have eternal peace, pleasure, and joy. They are pure and clean, and they have power over the devil, sin, and death. Peter is saying, “Just as one cannot take eternal life and truth from God, no one can take it from you.” If anyone does something to you, they also do it to God. If anyone oppresses a Christian, they also oppress God. The way Peter uses the little phrase “divine nature” means all of this.

It’s truly wonderful when a person believes. However, Peter didn’t mean for all these instructions to be a foundation for faith. Instead, he is underscoring what great, rich possessions we receive as a result of faith. This is why Peter adds that we will have all of this if we demonstrate our faith by fleeing evil desires.