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. 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.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
2 Peter 1:3-7
Scripture Notes
People often overlook important parts of scripture. Many read that His divine power has given us everything we need and ignore the purpose of living a godly life. Salvation is not a once-and-done transaction, but instead is a continual rejection of an old life, shedding our human nature, and shining brightly as a spiritual force more closely connected to the Almighty. Sanctification isn’t just a fleeting idea that gives us all we need so we can sit back and relax. Instead, we should strive diligently for virtue, goodness, and self-control in our faith.
Sharing in God’s divine nature does not mean we become gods ourselves. Since the Garden of Eden, man has believed the lie that we don’t need God and that we can be gods. Yet, even though our eyes have been opened to some things of this world, we were never meant to overthrow God from His throne. The promise of salvation, sanctification, and redemption to participate in His divine nature should lead us away from the evil desires of human nature. There should never be an argument that a so-called saintly end can be justified by evil means. To stand on moral ground, we must do the hard work of rejecting the lies and desires of the world and follow Christ’s example of sacrifice and love, even when it’s inconvenient, offers no personal benefit, or involves relinquishment.
Through our knowledge of Him, misunderstandings can sometimes arise, leading people to think it’s about education, learning, or study. The real message is about experiencing God and strengthening our faith through that experience. Having this kind of familiarity means avoiding evil, since God cannot tolerate it. We can’t have one foot in the divine nature and one foot in worldly desire—both are mutually exclusive. While studying is helpful, it has its limits. Knowing about God—the traits, promises, and covenants—is not the same as truly knowing Him and feeling His presence. We should yearn to leave behind our old ways and wholeheartedly reach out to the One who offers redemption and grace.
Just as in other scriptures, two things happen simultaneously. We are called to practically and daily pursue godliness not through our own strength but through God’s divine nature. While engaging in ordinary acts of goodness, we are also to strive for virtues such as perseverance, mutual affection, and love. Those called to His goodness and glory should not look back to a time of self-love and egotism, but keep their eyes upward in praise and humility.
MEMORY VERse
Attributed to Andrea Boscoli after Michelangelo. God the Father in Glory, 1550-1578 Rom. National Gallery of Art
Related Verses
More verses about provision and divine nature:
Prayer Invitation
Application Questions
- Since you have been given “all things” necessary for a godly life, in what way are you trying to manage or control things yourself? How can you rely more on God’s divine nature?
- In your habits, actions, emotions, and speech, do you need to exercise more self-control and goodness?
- How can you shift your energy in the study of God and better experience His presence?
- Are you meeting your brothers and sisters in Christ affectionately or with coldness? How can you better show kindness and connect better with those who follow Christ but may lead a different life than your own?
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