Yesterday we learned from Paul that to be experiencing abundance in our Christian lives we need to be praying for the Holy Spirit to be strengthening us in our inner being so that we might be deeply rooted and grounded in our Father’s love.
Sexual sin has a way of impacting the way we feel about ourselves. We can begin to believe that our sins are not forgiven, that Christ has turned His back on us, and that we are damaged unwanted goods. The result is we no longer feel loved by the Lord and so we need the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner being and give us the faith to continue to believe in this never-ending and eternal love of God.
As we keep affirming ourselves that we are still loved by the Lord and expanding not only our knowledge of His love for us but by faith continue to believe in His love then we can begin to be filled with all the fullness of God. He wants us to be filled in this way, but it requires that we continue to feed our hearts with His love instead of filling our minds with porn. You cannot have both. It is one or the other. One leads to life and the other to death. So, I look at it as every day I have to make a life or death decision. Will I walk in the Spirit or in the flesh today?
Now, let’s hear what Peter has to say about this abundant life. In 2 Peter 1:3-4 we read;
“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 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.”
Peter is telling us that we can become partakers of the divine nature. My first question is what is Peter trying to tell us? What does he mean by becoming partakers of the divine nature? Which leads me to the question what is the divine nature of God?
If we think about God’s nature or His essence, we might say that God is Love. John talks about that in 1 John 4:7-21. However, I do not think that is the best description of His essence or nature. The one attribute of God that is emphasized in the Scriptures that directs all of His other attributes and actions is His holiness. God in His divine nature is holy. Holiness permeates all that He is and all that He does.
So, we can become partakers of the divine nature means that we can come to share in His holiness. This is certainly supported by many Scriptures;
“…but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” Ephesians 5:3
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
We all know that God is Holy, and He wants us to be holy because sin only seeks to destroy us, but holiness makes us more like Jesus and it is into His image that the Spirit is wanting to transform us. He started this work the day we were saved, and He will finish His work as we step into heaven.
Between those two events we find ourselves in a time of transition. Having been born again and made alive spiritually, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and placed into the body of Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness. Our involvement in sexual sin is retarding this desired will of God. Our failings cause us to lose momentum in becoming like Christ and cause serious damage to this process of becoming holy.
But that does not need to be the case. One of the main things that we need to be doing as followers of Jesus is to be learning His “precious and great promises.” Peter says that is it through “them” – these precious and great promises we will become partakers of the divine nature. Knowledge precedes actions. What we think has a strong impact on what we do.
So, what are we putting into your mind on a daily basis? If it is the sinful images of porn or the neverending useless entertainment, we consume for hours each day…we are not going to be being changed into a more Christ-like person. You are not being transformed by the Spirit because you are putting the things of this world as a higher priority and giving to the world and your own sinful nature what it wants instead of these great and precious promises of God.
Instead of Looking for Gold…You are being satisfied with Garbage.
This passage tells us that God has already given us everything we need to live a life of godliness through our KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. So, if you want to become a partaker of the divine nature…if you want to be becoming more holy it will be determined by three things.
- Being filled with and walking in the Spirit every day.
- Learning these great and precious promises God has given to us in His Word.
- Living in a community of other believers who are helping one another find freedom from sexual sin.