2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4. Whereby are given unto us 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.It has been suggested that what Peter is saying above is that upon obtaining the like precious faith with the apostles, we immediately become partakers of the divine nature. I suggest that you read it again slower and ask yourself, Is that what Peter says?What I hear Peter saying, if I might paraphrase, is that God has done everything in His power to make it possible for us to share in His kingdom which includes being partakers of His divine nature but there is much that we must do to take advantage of what God has made available to us. Peter never even suggests (that I can see) that we are now, already partakers of this divine nature, just because we have obtained the faith. But rather that our faith is a means to that end.Peter states that God has given us promises and that if we take advantage of these promises, it is in order that we MIGHT be partakers of the divine nature. But Peter also says that the good things that God gives, including these promises, He gives through knowing Him. And therefore knowing Him is an important thing that we must do - in other words all the good things that Peter says God gives us come through the knowledge of Him. Then Peter goes on to explain how to obtain the knowledge of Him with his next passage and he makes it clear that obtaining this knowledge is mandatory for success.2 Peter 1:5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.It looks to me like obtaining the like precious faith is the starting point that through diligence and all the things that he lists next we we have the opportunity to (might) arrive at the place where we become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.Upon obtaining the like precious faith, the actual prize of partaking of the divine nature is yet future, not stamped on by God right then, as has been suggested. Like verse 11 above says that (if you do these things, then): For so SHALL an entrance be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That is when you get It. It is yet future and is the very prize that Apostle Paul was also pressing toward the mark for. He did not claim to already have obtained it, yet we know that he was already in the like precious faith, right?Small wonder that Christians become discouraged when they are told that they already are partakers of the divine nature now and yet they see no evidence or power of God in their lives. They do not even know God yet, or His ways and have not yet even been instructed in how to enter the race that is set before them and yet they are told that they already have the prize. This robs from them the very diligence that Peter admonishes them to stir up for the challenge before them. He even says that as long as he is alive he will keep on stirring them up by putting them in remembrance of this challenge. Why would he say that if they already have the partaking of the divine nature now? No need to go through all the stuff he describes if we have it already now, just because for nothing...If you are a Christian and you have not known the power of God in your life, take heart, you can still find Him. Ask Him now what He would have you do in order that you may get to know Him right now starting where you are. Wait on Him like a Waiter waits on a table in a restaurant. You ask Him what He would have you do and then you wait for His answer. When He tells you what He wants you to do, you do it. That my friend is adding to your faith virtue. The minute you have done that, you will then be on the road to adding to your virtue knowledge of God. Because, by your faith in action, you will be getting to know God through experiencing Him. As you add to your knowing God, the next thing is self control and so on down the list. But if you have never done these things then you are easy prey for the false teaching that says you already have the prize and you did not have to do anything for it.Does someone who receives a promise of a prize rejoice as one who has already obtained the prize? Or has he merely been promised an opportunity for the prize if he finishes victorious in his appointed course?
What was it that was said of our becoming Sons of God? That we are such the instant we pray the sinner's prayer? What about this scripture:
John 1:
12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
According to this scripture, those who WERE BORN (past tense) of God, were given the power TO BECOME (future tense) the sons of God. They do not instantly become one. This is in perfect harmony with what Peter is also saying. The believer in Jesus Christ is given the promises of God that if he will do certain things and follow Jesus and take up his cross and make Jesus Lord etc. then by the end of his journey will be the reward. And that reward includes to become partaker of the divine nature. But nowhere is there the suggestion that merely obtaining the faith gives the person all the rewards to claim as if he were already finished. For even the Apostle Paul himself did not claim to have been finished or were already made perfect or complete.Romans 8:8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Somebody count how many times the apostle says IF here. If you do your part then this will be yours to claim but if not then can you still claim it just because someone today says you can?Barry Amundsen