To Be Partakers Of The Divine Nature

2 Peter 1:1-11

"Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, 'to those who have attained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption of the world through lust'.

 

'But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, ADD to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverence, to perseverence godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. FOR IF THESE THINGS ARE YOURS AND ABOUND, YOU WILL BE NEITHER BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ'."

 

This portion of scripture discusses the transformation of the saint from new birth to completion or maturity in Christ Jesus. These people have attained like precious faith and have been cleansed of their old sins. Yet they must add things to the faith they have attained: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverence, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Lacking these fruits indicates short-sightedness: you are not looking past the prayer to receive your sins forgiven to see the end of your faith: the salvation of your soul. The entrance to be supplied to you into the everlasting kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ comes with your diligence to make your call and election sure, becoming a partaker of the divine nature.

 

Peter called himself a bondservant. What do you call yourself?

mph501@yahoo.com to discuss this or previous posts

Tradition or Truth: By Which Shall We Live?

 Mark 7:5-9

 

"Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?' He answered and said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctines the commandments of men'. 'For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men- the washing of pitchers and cups and many other such things you do'. He said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition'."

 

The Jewish people were well aware of God's supernatural hand: the plagues that ultimately freed them from Egyptian rule; daily manna from Heaven to feed them in the wilderness; a promised land where they would lack nothing. Yet with all the good He had done, their hearts were far from Him. When presented with their Messiah, they mostly rejected Him, instead seeking to kill the One who could save them from their sins. The Pharisees and scribes - those who studied the Law and prophets and were in the best position to know when He had come, were the worst offenders. They served themselves and were unfruitful in Him.

 

We, the church, comprised of the ministers as well as the rest of the body, will be tempted in the same way. We must speak to the mountain that would stand between us and becoming a fruitful branch in Christ Jesus, saying unto that high thing which is any/every self-serving notion that would keep us from walking as He walked, "be removed, be cast into the sea, and doubt it not in our hearts, but believe it, and we shall have IT" - freedom from the bondage of self-service.

Greatness is Serving

Matthew 20:20-28
"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, 'What do you wish?' She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.'  But Jesus answered and said, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?'  They said to Him, 'We are able.'

So He said to them, 'You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but for whom it is prepared by My Father'. And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.' "

What if we current day saints came to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, asking Him to show us what it means to serve as Jesus did? What if we asked Him to show us how to love Him by keeping His commands and laying our lives down for our friends? What if our focus was on Him and what He knows we need to overcome rather than what we think is best for Him to do for us?

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten(Reference here to Job 5:7; Hebrews 12:6). Therefore be zealous(or eager) to repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sit down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:19-22)

In order to sit with Jesus on His thone, we must overcome those things that Jesus knows bind us to this world's ways. Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life produced from the root of self-service. Selfish ambition and envy produce unrighteous fruit- nothing good in Jesus Christ as an answer to carnality. He stands at the door of your heart. Open the door so He can get in!