2 Peter 1:4 - God's Power Gives Us the Ability to Live Godly Lives.
2Pe.1:4; God's Power Gives Us the Ability to Live Godly Lives.
TEXT
2 Peter 1:4 (NLT) And because of his glory and excellence, he
has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises
that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's
corruption caused by human desires.
PARAPHRASE
2 Peter 1:4 (CWR) Because He is good, He has given us many
precious promises through which we may participate in His divine power to
live above the evil, lustful desires of this world.
WORD STUDY
Exceeding great ... promises. Textual evidence may be cited for
the following word order: "the precious and exceedingly great
promises." The word for "promises" (epaggelmata), occurring only here and
in ch. 3:13 in the NT, may be translated "promised blessings,"
referring to the fulfillment of the promises rather than simply to the
promises as such. It doubtless refers to all the divine assurances that
are fulfilled in a man's salvation. But, in view of Peter's later
usage (ch. 3:13), the word may have special reference to the second
coming and its attendant glory, in which event all divine promises find
satisfying fulfillment. [SDA Commentary]
Divine nature. Does not indicate that Christians become divine
in any sense, but only that we are indwelt by God through his Holy
Spirit. [NIV SB]
Divine nature. Adam was created "in the image of God" (Gen.
1:27), but sin came, and the divine image was marred. Christ came to
restore that which was lost, and the Christian may therefore expect to
have the divine image restored in his soul (2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 3:14).
This possibility should ever be before the believer's eyes to
stimulate him to perfect Christ-likeness. He will attain to this goal to
the extent that he accepts and uses the powers latent in the
spiritual gifts Christ has made available to him. The transformation
begins at the new birth and continues until Christ's appearing (1 John
3:2). [SDA Commentary]
To be a partaker of the divine nature is not, of course, to
become God. That cannot be. The essence of Deity is not to be
participated in by the creature. Between the creature and the Creator there
must ever be a gulf fixed in respect of essence; but as the first man
Adam was made in the image of God, so we, by the renewal of the Holy
Spirit, are in a yet diviner sense made in the image of the Most High,
and are partakers of the divine nature. We are, by grace, made like
God. "God is love"; we become love--"He that loveth is born of God."
God is truth; we become true, and we love that which is true: God is
good, and he makes us good by his grace, so that we become the pure in
heart who shall see God. Moreover, we become partakers of the divine
nature in even a higher sense than this--in fact, in as lofty a sense as
can be conceived, short of our being absolutely divine. Do we not
become members of the body of the divine person of Christ? Yes, the
same blood which flows in the head flows in the hand: and the same
life which quickens Christ quickens his people, for "Ye are dead, and
your life is hid with Christ in God." Nay, as if this were not
enough, we are married unto Christ. He hath betrothed us unto himself in
righteousness and in faithfulness, and he who is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit. Oh! marvellous mystery! We look into it, but who shall
understand it? One with Jesus--so one with him that the branch is not more
one with the vine than we are a part of the Lord, our Saviour, and
our Redeemer! While we rejoice in this, let us remember that those
who are made partakers of the divine nature will manifest their high
and holy relationship in their intercourse with others, and make it
evident by their daily walk and conversation that they have escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust. O for more divine holiness of
life! [Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]
Having escaped. "to flee away from," implying, not a rescue in
which the Christian is a passive object, but an active flight from
evil. This stresses an important truth: the believer is not saved in
sin, but is given power to turn from sin, to escape from its clutches
and thus to live free from its corrupting influence. The tense of
the verb, "having fled away from," shows that the sharing in the
divine nature can come only after the Christian has fled from the
corruption. [SDA Commentary]
Through lust. The expression may be interpreted "by lust,"
making lust the source of the evil that is in the world, or, "in lust,"
making lust the sphere in which the evil manifests itself. Rom. 7:7.
[SDA Commentary]
APPLICATION COMMENTARY
Christ Our Example
Christ came to fight the battles as man, in man's behalf. His
temptation and victory tell us that humanity must copy the Pattern; man
must become a partaker of the divine nature. In Christ, divinity and
humanity were combined. Divinity was not degraded to humanity; divinity
held its place, but humanity, by being united to divinity, withstood
the fiercest test of temptation in the wilderness.... He withstood the
temptation, through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the
throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access
to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of
the divine nature; not a soul lives who may not summon the aid of
Heaven in temptation and trial. Christ came to reveal the source of His
power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities....
Christ came to be our example, and to make known to us that we may be
partakers of the divine nature.... Christ, by His own example, made it
evident that man may stand in integrity. Men may have a power to resist
evil--a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a
power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame.
Divinity and humanity may be combined in them (RH Feb. 18, 1890).
5BC1082
In Christ God pledges himself to come under obligation to
mankind, if man will comply with the conditions. "Take my yoke upon
you," he says, "and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and
ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light." God purposes to yoke up with human instrumentalities.
This must be a work of co-operation; for how can two walk together,
except they be agreed? RH 08-28-00
The Holy Spirit Plays a Part
Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for
the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to
make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to
Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the
hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity
of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. DA123
Through believing the promise of the Gospel, God implants His
own divine nature in us, and we experience a flood of spiritual
power. In knowing Christ, we have everything we need to "escape the
corruption in the world" that is caused by "evil desires." The one thing a
Christian is not is powerless. But we may not realize the nature of God's
power, or why it is given to us. We are not given power to succeed in
business, or power to become popular. We are given power to live godly
lives. If you and I concentrate on living godly lives, we will find we
have power aplenty. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
These "precious promises" have a purifying effect on the
believer's life (cf. 1 John 3:3). Conversion involves a definite break with
the corruption caused by evil desire. In coming to know God through
Christ, not only do believers escape the corruption of sin, but also
Christ renews and restores the divine image in them. [Believer's SB]
Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God's
commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But
Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He
proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God's
precepts. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12. This
power is not in the human agent. It is the power of God. When a soul
receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ.
COL314-317
Faith works by love ... Through faith the Holy Spirit finds
access to the heart, and creates holiness therein. Man cannot become an
agent to work the works of Christ unless he is in communion with God
through the Holy Spirit. We can be fitted for heaven only through a
transformation of character; we must have Christ's righteousness as our
credentials, if we would find access to the Father. We must be partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust. We must daily be transformed by the influence of
the Holy Spirit; for it is the work of the Holy Spirit to elevate
the taste, to sanctify the heart, to ennoble the whole man, by
presenting to the soul the matchless charms of Jesus. BEcho 02-15-93
God's Word Plays a Part
By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan?--By
the word of God. Only by the word could He resist temptation. "It is
written," He said. And unto us are given "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."[4 2 PETER
1:4.] Every promise in God's word is ours. "By every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God" as we to live. When assailed by
temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the
power of the word. All its strength is yours. DA123
The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the
temptations of Satan, Christ met with the word of God. By trusting in God's
promises, He received power to obey God's commandments, and the tempter
could gain no advantage. To every temptation His answer was, "It is
written." So God has given us His word wherewith to resist evil. MH181
The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in
the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every
command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it
brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It TRANSFORMS the nature
and re-creates the soul in the IMAGE of God. ED126
The Bible is the garden of God, and as we see the lovely flowers
of promise, we should gather them to our souls, for "exceeding
great and precious promises" have been given unto us, that by these we
might become partakers of the divine nature, ST 02-08-92
If you would know experimentally the preciousness of the
promises, and enjoy them in your own heart, meditate much upon them. There
are promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will
tread them the juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will
often be the prelude to their fulfilment. While you are musing upon
them, the boon which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many
a Christian who has thirsted for the promise has found the favour
which it ensured gently distilling into his soul even while he has
been considering the divine record; and he has rejoiced that ever he
was led to lay the promise near his heart.
But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in thy soul to
receive them as being the very words of God. Speak to thy soul thus, "If
I were dealing with a man's promise, I should carefully consider
the ability and the character of the man who had covenanted with me.
So with the promise of God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon
the greatness of the mercy--that may stagger me; as upon the
greatness of the promiser--that will cheer me. My soul, it is God, even thy
God, God that cannot lie, who speaks to thee. This word of his which
thou art now considering is as true as his own existence. He is a God
unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which has gone out of his mouth,
nor called back one single consolatory sentence. Nor doth he lack
any power; it is the God that made the heavens and the earth who has
spoken thus. Nor can he fail in wisdom as to the time when he will
bestow the favours, for he knoweth when it is best to give and when
better to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the word of a God so
true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, I will and must believe the
promise." If we thus meditate upon the promises, and consider the
Promiser, we shall experience their sweetness, and obtain their
fulfilment. [Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]
There are many hundreds of thousands of books in the Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C. Books on countless subjects, by countless
people over hundreds of years. Some of those writings have been the
seed bed for philosophies, political parties, religious movements and
more. The writers have come and gone; most are no longer remembered.
God's Word is remembered because it IS His Word, and it WORKS. The
sad thing is, many of us don't pay any more attention to God's Word
than to any other book. In the Bible are the tools to enable every
believer to lead a victorious life. But day after day, the Bible sits
unopened. We must take that Word, read it, think about it and so devour
it that it feeds us. Memorize it! That Word transforms our thoughts
and actions. Christian, take it today and feed on it and put it in
your heart, that you might not sin against Almighty God, and partake
of the victorious life! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If we are to escape the contaminating influences of this
degenerate age, we have earnest work before us, and we must have a living
connection with Christ. We must have a knowledge of his life and character,
and a desire to be like him. Then we must seek earnestly to overcome
the temptations that are around us, and have faith to believe that
his promises will be verified unto us. RH 12-01-85
By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love
will grow stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to
God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love.
They will be more intelligent and fervent.... The more our thoughts are
upon Christ, the more we shall speak of Him to others, and represent
Him to the world. 3BC1145
By beholding we become changed. If you allow your mind to dwell
upon the imperfections and moral deformities of others, you will be
changed into the same image. You will become deformed in character, and
mentally one-sided and unbalanced. Let the mind dwell upon the perfect
life of Christ. If the thoughts are centered upon him, and the
conversation is on heavenly themes, you will be "changed into the same image
from glory to glory." You will become "partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." ST 05-08-84
If we are to be a blessing we must renew our spiritual strength
daily; we must be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust. 5T419
|
|
