Sep 1 Sermon

Partakers of the Divine Nature

2 Peter 3-15

Introduction:

My name is Aaron Stevens and my wife and I attended here at Trinity for about 8 years and were blessed in many ways by Trinity and still are. Although we attend at a different church and have taken on roles there, we are still hold this church and many of you very close to our hearts.

We have 3 daughters, Sylvie, Norah, and Vivian and are in love with them and all of the joy and deep breathing exercises they evoke in us.

Who is rejoicing today? Who is mourning today? We rejoice with you who are rejoicing and for anyone who just needed to be loved a little more today for whatever you might be going through, we come here together with you to be in the presence of the Lord, our source of strength and peace and comfort. We come in many ways from many paths.

Sometimes our lives can feel so upended, so overwhelming, and often difficult or even painful, that we’re just trying to make it by day by day right?

And even though some of us may not be feeling like jumping up and down and shouting to the rooftops , we have something that can certainly more than make up for whatever setbacks we may experience.

alright let’s jump in to the first part of our passage today 2 Peter 3-4. If you would like, follow along in your bibles or devices or here on the screen as I read this:

2nd Peter 3-4

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

All things that pertain to life and godliness, precious and very great promises, partakers of the divine nature, escaped from corruption.

Peter is trying to convey something incredibly profound to us here. This is really a text to meditate on for a long-time.

Partaking of the Divine Nature

Normally on Sunday morning’s, I am teaching children ages 6-12 in our church’s children classes. Sometimes it seems quite the challenge to convey to them just the magnitude of gift of grace, and the wisdom, and the joy, and the peace, and the discipline that leads to better living, and the unending daily blessings from God, even in trials.

Each and every day there are just new reasons to praise God or remember how much better off we are because of the knowledge of Christ and the love of Christ. And as there little faces are looking back at me, though I remember to keep it simple, my hearts desire is to some how express to them in a way that will just stick in their souls that the Lord loves them truly and deeply and will enrich their lives in ways they just can’t forsee. They haven’t lived it yet (or at least most of them). For us who have, we know, we just know. We don’t always remember the specific instances or have the time to tell of the specifics, but we know.

So what do you think of when you hear that phrase, “partakers of the divine nature?”

You may think of peace that comes when you ask for it when you need it most

Feeling of His overflowing love like a spring welling up in you.

You may think of the wisdom and discernment that has guided you through difficult circumstances, where it almost seemed like the Spirit was taking you by the arm or speaking the words you needed through you.

The more seasons we live through the more we experience these things in very real and tangible ways and as we look back at our lives we find countless examples of His promises made manifest all through our lives.

We respond often by looking back and remembering the lives we also escaped that may have become had it not been for Christ saving us. How often do you think about how much worse off your life might have been if not for Christ? And in fact, even though many have long been partakers, we are still escaping from the corruption aren’t we? Since we know sinful desire can and does still remain a potential threat, we take heart in knowing God is still helping us to avoid the misery and destruction our lives could yet face if not for our relationships with Christ.

Every day brings another opportunity or temptation for our lives to go off track - the devil creeps around like a prowling lion right? The parable of the sower right? thorns and birds and desires of this life are a real and constant threat to our blessings.

So we’re not done yet though right? So what’s Peter say next:

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For this very reason - what very reason?

God has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from corruption.

Chore vs. Reality - maybe a matter of our faith and belief

Alright what do we think of when we think of gaining knowledge? Reading and understand scripture? right or hearing the word of God at church or other ways right?

To some of us this may sound like a chore. Why is that? Why does the thought of taking time to read the word of God or give time to Him sound like a chore? That would mean there is no real pleasure and it’s just a task?

Being filled up

Many of you would testify that the time you spend with Him, is sweet and fills us up. You receive

mental relief

emotional healing,

love in your hearts

joy in your spirit

peace over anxiety,

knowledge, wisdom, inspiration for your day and the list goes on.

So when supplementing your faith with virtue - what does that look like to you? How does that begin?

You might answer that with your morning routine of coffee and scripture, praise and worship in your car, psalms in the evening, small groups, youth group, or even a desperate plea in your painful moments. What about receiving prayer and the laying on of hands? What about calling out the name of Jesus, speaking the name of Jesus over situations of spiritual warfare and other times where we have felt the power of the Lord break through in a situation.

Supplementing our Faith with Virtue - We Really Need This

When we do any of these things in Christ name, in seeking Him and to be filled with Him, we’re supplementing our faith with virtue.

We begin to do it out of desire of our spirits because we want to because we know how good it is, and we’re no longer working at it. We’re doing something we want to be doing and spending our time the way we want to live. We are living by the Sprit and no longer to satisfy the desires of the flesh. We’ve come into a deeper understanding of partaking in divine nature and the satisfaction we get from partaking in Him.

We are satisfied and grow in the things that God has granted us:

And as we partake, we grow, and we live more content and satisfied lives, even through trials, our faith grows stronger.

We desire to be filled more, so we seek the word more and to gain knowledge, worship starts becoming a natural part of who you are and how you interact with God’s many gifts,

we find our selves in service to others more, we put less of a value on money and give and share what we have more freely,

if you are like me, you will find yourself being disciplined much much more (but hopefully you gain the discipline). Our resolve to lean in to the Lord gets stronger and we are less shaken by winds, our affections flow more easily from a softened heart, and love comes forth more and fills us up to then love others with more.

Application:

So, it is so so important for our faith and our resolve to remember what we have been cleansed from. To think about what we have escaped and are still escaping - the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from corruption.

Now here is the thing, and it’s a big thing, there is sill a cost. God’s grace is freely given but there is a cost to following Jesus and if any are struggling to see the precious and very good promises and the things God has granted us, there is a possibility its related to our own commitment to Him. God requires things of us doesn’t He.

We’re to tithe, we’re to give of our time and finances,

we’re to put Him first before everything in our lives and make decisions about our life based on how the Lord is calling us to live.

To live humble lives, not for selfish gain or ambition,

making peace with our enemies, not seeking revenge when hurt, turning the other cheek,

not fulfilling the desires of the flesh - physically or other means.

When we don’t make the sacrifices we are called to make, when we don’t pick up our cross and carry it, if we presume on God’s good graces and don’t gain discipline over our weaknesses, how can we fully partake in the divine nature? So we have to ask ourselved, are we fully committed? Are we all in, or are just practicing the church life? Are we fully invested into partaking in the divine nature and in full belief that God has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness? Are we confirming our calling and election?

English Standard Version Chapter 1

10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Here’s the goal: “Richly provided to you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Let’s be stirred up to remember why we choose this life in the first place; we need stirring don’t we. We need to remember what we’re doing this for and how good it is for us to partake. How good it is that we have escaped and are still escaping corruption.

Closing Prayer