July 22, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        God wants us to be like Him. God’s original plan for man was for him to reflect, to share, or to partake in His divine nature. See Gen. 1:26; Lev. 19:2; Rom. 8:28-29 and countless other passages.

        How do we become like Christ – how do we share or partake in God’s divine nature?

I. Partaking of the divine nature requires that grace and peace are being multiplied in our lives. See 1:2

        A. 2 foundational components of the Christian life are grace and         peace: no grace and peace equals = no faith. See Rom. 5:1-2, etc.

        B. Verse 2 answers the “how:” how grace and peace are multiplied –         through a growing and maturing knowledge of God and of Christ.

                1. “Knowledge” a key word in the letter. Note the difference                 between “knowing” someone and “really knowing someone.”

                2. Difference between γνοσισ (gnosis) and επιγνοσισ                 (epignosis).

II. Partaking of the divine nature requires divine power. See 1:3-4.

        A. Peter is not saying that a Christian can become a “god” – little “g.”

        See 2:1. Understand that all false religions start with a false teacher – with a teacher or leader that questions the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word or twisting it. Examples and quotes.

        B. Peter is defining the true Christian life.

                1. A true Christian is someone who has escaped and left the                 corruption of the world; they have turned away from sin; and                 they are now in the life long process of becoming more and                 more like Christ.

                2. Peter is taking us back to God’s original plan in Gen. 1:26.

        C. Peter tells us how – how mere humans, sinners saved by grace out         of the corruption of the world accomplish becoming a partaker of the         divine nature.

        How? If I am truly saved the “how” has been handled: all things that pertain to life and godliness given to me. See 1:3a.

                1. We have to know for certain the truth of our fallen nature.                 See 1:4c.

                2. We have to know for certain that we have the “exceedingly                 great and precious promises.” See 1:3-4.

Conclusion

        A Christian is one who is a partaker of the divine nature. He is one who is growing in apprehending and appropriating the traits and characteristics of God Himself – in other words, the divine life. He is in the process of becoming more and more like Christ. A true Christian doesn’t stop at the precious faith. They don’t stop at believing their sins are forgiven – they go on from there and becoming partakers of the divine nature.