That ye might be PARTAKERS of the DIVINE nature....

 

" 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," 2 Peter 1:8

Last week I visited an older sister in the the Lord and we had a wonderful time reflecting on God's word. One day a week we like to get together and share scripture with one another... it may be a verse or chapter that we have read in the course of the previous week, or it could be a passage form a devotional or  even a hymn that has brought praise in our hearts. But we always manage to encourage each other through God's WORD... and it's always a delight to stop and think on the things above...  in the process, God blesses, and we are always uplifted .

So this past week we managed to read from 2 Peter chapter 1. What a joy and encouragement the passage was for me. I have meditated on it these past several days. And I've been most blessed.

Did  you ever realize that we can be partakes of the DIVINE nature of God?  When I read verse 4, I was just overwhelmed at our position in Christ. I mean, we have been given GREAT and PRECIOUS promises that we can call our own! We are equipped with a divine nature. How wonderful is that!

We have the HOLY SPIRIT dwelling in us... and we are to abound in the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is not enough, rather we are to add to faith: 1) virtue 2) knowledge 3) temperance 4) patience 5) godliness 6) brotherly kindness and  7) charity.

And so, if these things are in us.... and we abound in them(that is key).... then they will make us so that we be: neither 1) BARREN nor 2) UNFRUITFUL.... in the knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. We can truly know HIM as HE is!

You know, sometimes we may wonder why we don't know God's will for our life... well, we may simply lack knowledge of Him. His ways are not our ways.... however, we know God desires our good. So if we abound in the character of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, well, it would mean that we would be in HIS will.... and that HIS will would be good, acceptable and perfect . (Romans 12:2). Of course that would mean that we would be transformed by the renewing of our mind... bearing the character of  our LORD.

It's not always easy to show brotherly kindness, to have patience, to have godliness or show charity. But we know know that he that lacketh these things is:

1) BLIND, 2) CANNOT SEE AFAR OFF, and 3) HATH FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS PURGED FROM HIS OLD SINS.

We can see that for our own benefit we ought to give diligence to make our calling sure: " For if ye do these things, YE SHALL NEVER FALL." vs.10.

And abiding in Him will reward us with an entrance into God's kingdom. What a joyous reward! Verse 11 says it so beautifully,

" For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you ABUNDANTLY into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD JESUS CHRIST."

LORD, help me to abound in a Christ-like character! 

May you, too, abound in the knowledge of the SAVIOUR today... and be fruitful for HIS kingdom.

~Ellie