Participating in God’s Divine Nature

Participating in God’s Divine Nature

Life is Only Found in God’s Divine Nature  

2.3 Billion of the World’s Population Identify as Christians

There are roughly 2.3 billion people (31% of the global population) who identify themselves as Christians, according to a 2015 Pew Research report. While Christianity remains the largest religious belief in the world, many of its believers have yet to experience and participate in God’s divine nature.

Having been raised in a family that professed to believe in God, Christianity, and the Catholic Church we appeared to be as Christian as any other church-going family. We attended church, prayed, learned our catechism, experienced christening, first communion, and confirmation, and believed that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We believed that Jesus was the Father’s only son and savior of the world. We were taught that God loved us and is always watching over us, knew all our thoughts, and through faith, confession, and prayer we could receive forgiveness for our sins. Believing, belonging, and participating in the church and its teachings were required to make it to Heaven. Failure to participate would lead one to hell.

Now there are 3 key principles that we must understand to move forward from this juncture: believing, belonging, and participating must be present and active. It is not enough to believe or feel a sense of belonging, we must participate to experience the fullness of God. Participation is the third leg of a three-legged foundation that keeps the structure from crashing down.

Now I am not speaking about the Catholic church or your denominational affiliation, but the divine Creator who has called us to believe, belong, and participate in his divine nature. You may believe, belong, and actively participate in your church or religion, but it will never qualify you for Heaven. You might be highly dedicated and viewed as a very religious person, but you still won’t make it to heaven. No level of believing, belonging, and participating in your church, denomination, or religion can ever save and redeem you from your sins. It is only through participating in God’s divine nature that we can escape the corruption of this world and be saved. The apostle Peter makes it clear:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

It is through God’s amazing and precious promises that we are made full participants in God’s divine nature. His divine power has given us everything we need to be transformed into overcoming, victorious Christians. The power of our faith and godliness is not sourced from the religion or denomination we participate in but from God himself. It is that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that makes one alive, empowered, and a full participant in the divine nature of God (Rom. 8:11). For God has promised to impart his divine nature into us, to fill us with His Spirit, empower us, and give us everything we need to live godly lives in the majestic light of His glory and escape the corruption of this world.

How is all this possible?

You must be born again to participate in the divine nature of God. Believing, belonging, and participating in your religion or denomination is not the same as believing, belonging, and participating in God’s divine nature. This is not to say there is no reason to join and follow the teachings of the local Christian church. On the contrary, Christians are commanded in the Scriptures to believe, belong, and participate in the local church. However, if you have not truly repented and been born again you will be unable to participate and be empowered by God’s divine nature. You might be a church member, financial contributor, usher, deacon, elder, worship leader, choir director, or even the church pastor; if you are not born again and living in and through God’s divine nature you are still lost and unredeemed from your sins.

Roughly 2.3 billion people wear the label of Christian but are all really Christians? Have all truly repented and been born again? Have all received the divine nature and power of God?

The primary focus of Christianity is not the building, the people, the doctrines, the traditions, or the theological style or philosophy; it is Christ. It was the Son of God that came down to earth and took our place on the cross and He is our message. He is the one who imparts the divine nature inside every believer. Listen to the apostle Peter’s passionate declaration of his eyewitness account:

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (2 Peter 1:16-18)

It is through Christ that we participate in God’s “divine nature.”  He is our focus, he is our message. He is the one who empowers us. It’s not just a story, fable, or folklore, He is the Savior of the world, and “in him we live move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).  It is through His divine nature residing in every born-again believer that our hearts are thrilled and filled with joy unspeakable. It is through His divine nature that our minds and hearts are illuminated by the glorious light of his presence and we not only understand right from wrong but are empowered to walk in godliness. It is through His divine nature that we are able to sense and know the empowerment of his love for not only us personally, but for the world.

May I ask you this question as we conclude?

Are you participating in the divine nature of God? Have you truly repented and been born again? If not, this might be your moment, the moment you realize how much God loves you and desires to rescue you from your sinful life and transform you by His divine power.