Divine Nature

PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE "In what ways are believers partakers of the divine nature?" Answer: Second Peter 1:3–4 says, “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, 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” (ESV). The verse plainly says that believers are made “partakers of the divine nature” through God’s promises, but what does that mean, exactly? To what extent can we partake of God’s nature? The key to understanding this concept is to recognize what the Bible means when it refers to our “nature.” Every human being is born with a sin nature, a natural bent toward pleasing self (Romans 5:12; 7:14). Our natural selves cannot please God (Romans 8:8). No matter how hard we may try to do good, our motivations and underlying desires are to please and promote self. That sin nature keeps us from fellowship with God, keeps us in bondage to sin, and leads eventually to spiritual death ( Romans 6:16, 23; 7:14; 2 Peter 2:19). We cannot free ourselves from sin because we cannot change our own natures, just as a tiger cannot change its own stripes. That’s why we need a Savior. Jesus said there is only one way we can get a new, divine nature. He said, “You must be born again” (John 3:3). Only a complete new birth can bring about the radical change of nature required to fellowship with a holy God. Mental agreement with God’s Word is not enough to change our sin nature. We must be “saved” from that nature ( Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). Salvation implies that we were helpless and we have been rescued from the evil bent of our human nature. When we come to Christ in faith, accepting His death and resurrection as our substitute, we declare Him to be the Lord of our lives ( Romans 10:8–9). At that moment, the Holy Spirit “births” us into the family of God. Our old nature is defeated, and we receive a new, divine nature that desires the things of God ( 2 Corinthians 5:17). When Christ died for us, He became our sin, so that when we come to Him in faith, we gain His righteousness ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). It is a divine exchange: our sin for His perfection. To be born again means that we are recreated as new people with a new nature. Believers have a divine nature and no longer have to be enslaved to the passions and sins of the flesh ( Romans 6:6, 14). First John 3:9 says, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” When we share in His divine nature, we begin to desire the things God desires. We love what He loves and hate what He hates (Galatians 5:22; 1 John 4:4). We have the power to conquer every temptation that comes against us ( 1 Corinthians 10:13). God declares that we are “more than conquerors” because of the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within our hearts ( Romans 8:37). Sin no longer controls the one who has become a partaker of the divine nature. By giving us His nature, God makes us His sons and daughters and conforms us to the image of His Son ( Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 6:18).

The Persecuted

~ The Persecuted ~Blessed Are the Persecuted ~ by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," Persecution! The very word can generate vivid images of hiding in terror of pursuing, implacable foes; of being found and resolutely facing the excruciating pain of torture meant to cause renunciation of cherished beliefs; and finally—hopefully— following faithful resistance to every agonizing constraint to deny the faith, of death. Others imagine a courtroom scene where one endures a penetrating inquisition before ecclesiastical or civil authorities. Some think of the Roman Coliseum filled with people raucously cheering as hungry lions chase down defenseless Christians; of people lashed to a stake as piled wood is lighted beneath them; or of a person chained in a dark, dank jail with rats scurrying about his feet. Each of these images can be a dreadful, unwanted result of our faith in God, yet Jesus calls those persecuted for righteousness' sake "blessed." Such people will be greatly rewarded! This seems far removed from God's multitudinous promises of peace, prosperity and deliverance. Some think it an enigma or contradictory that a God of endless love and limitless power can even say such things, let alone seem to do nothing while His innocent and faithful children are undeservedly, cruelly and painfully harassed, tormented and mocked. As unjust as this seems on the surface, it is part of God's Word and His way of life. In no way does it invalidate His love or negate His purpose or care of His children. The Bible records so much persecution of His servants that, understood in the right context, we can see that it serves a vital role in the outworking of His purpose. Strong's Concordance reveals that "persecute" (Greek dioko) means "to pursue, follow after or press toward." Vine's Expository Dictionary adds "to put to flight or drive away." Only within certain contexts does it take on the sense of oppression, ill treatment, abuse, tyranny and even martyrdom and murder. Persecution is aggressive and injurious behavior carried out in a hostile, antagonistic spirit, normally by a group, but occasionally by one individual toward another. It is often carried out with fiery zeal, as Paul remarks about his persecution of the church (Philippians 3:6), but the persecuted must always remember that the fiery zeal bent against them is, according to Romans 10:2, "not according to knowledge." Thus Jesus, while dying on the stake, asks His Father to forgive His persecutors, "for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Source and Focus In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, persecution is so pervasive that it is presented as a more or less expected terror. Jesus, the epitome of righteousness, is also the focal point of persecution. As such, He clearly reveals persecution's source. In John 8 the Pharisees challenge Jesus' assertion of who He was, and the ensuing discussion leads to revealing its source. The Jews claim to be Abraham's descendants and never in bondage to any man (though at the time they were subject to the Romans). Their statement is partly true. Jesus readily acknowledges they are physically Abraham's descendants, but He adds in verse 40, "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this." He implies that, if they were truly Abraham's children, their conduct would display his characteristics, and they would not be persecuting Him. He continues: You do the deeds of your father. . . . You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (verses 41, 44) Satan the Devil is the source of persecution of those bearing and living the truth of God. At times he undoubtedly works through people whom he has duped and inflamed to unrelenting anger toward God's people so that the persecution appears to be entirely of men. But the Bible reveals the reality of Satan as the source. Revelation 12:3-5, 13-17 confirms this: And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with

To Hunger and Thirst

~ To Hunger and Thirst ~What Does It Mean To Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). "If you do right, you won't get hungry or thirsty," says Zach, age 6. Actually, to be spiritually thirsty is something different, says Anna, 10: "It means that people who want righteousness thirst for it like water." Have you ever been thirsty? From my elevated campsite in the Arizona desert, the Colorado River looked like an easy 30-minute trek. The dry ravine I followed was anything but straight and made the trip much longer. After my canteen ran dry, I began to be thirsty like never before. God will quench the thirst of those who desire him as a man walking in the desert with a dry canteen craves water. There's nothing casual about this kind of thirst. It's desperate. "I think it means when Jesus was at the well and told the lady about everlasting water," says Lauren, 8, "she took the water and was satisfied." The woman at the well with whom Jesus spoke had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband, yet Jesus spoke to her about being thirsty (John 4:14). "If we try to gain transcendence through indulgence, soon enough familiarity breeds contempt and we are driven to search for mystery elsewhere," write authors Brent Curtis and John Eldredge in an amazing book titled "The Sacred Romance." "To thirst after righteousness means wanting to live according to God's will instead of the world's," says Kristen, 10. "This is the only way to be happy and filled. If you thirst after righteousness, God will bless you. "You are what you desire to eat! There's a God-shaped hole in all of us that only God can fill." Yes, God is in the filling business. In fact, the word "fill" means to be satisfied in the sense of being stuffed after a sumptuous meal. If you're eating the junk food of the self- centered life, you'll never be satisfied. The hungry and thirsty are the desperate of the previous Beatitudes (the poor in spirit, the mournful and the meek). "It means if you thirst after righteousness, you want to live a godly life," says Morgan, 10. "It also means you would act like God would want you to live." "There is only One Being who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ," wrote author Oswald Chambers. God doesn't ask us to deny our burning desire for intimacy, beauty and adventure. Religion does that. Jesus invites us to intimate communion with himself and his Father that satisfies the deepest longings of our souls. Jesus upset the religious system of his day by awakening the desires of people's hearts. Consider his statement: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). It's whom you ask, where you seek and what door you knock on that makes all the difference. A journey into God himself makes every other adventure look dull. "Those who thirst after righteousness will be filled with it," says Nick, 10. "They will be blessed with love from God." Think about this: God will satisfy your deepest desires if you look to him for fulfillment. Memorize this truth: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Ask this question: Where are you looking to satisfy your deepest desires and longings?

The Beatitudes

~ The Beatitudes ~ Question: "What are the beatitudes?" Answer: The Beatitudes are the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:3-12), each beginning with "Blessed are..." It is debated as to exactly how many beatitudes there are. Some speak of seven, nine, or ten beatitudes, but the number appears to be eight (verses 10-12 of Matthew 5 being one beatitude). The Greek word translated “blessed” means "spiritual well-being and prosperity." This refers to the deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of Heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of each beatitude is an exclamation of: "O the bliss [or blessedness] of..." The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and in the New Testament as well ( John 20:29; 14:22; James 1:12; Revelation 14:13).

The Merciful

~ The Merciful ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are the merciful’ mean?" Answer: Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, a series of statements describing the blessed life. The fifth Beatitude states, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” ( Matthew 5:7). First, the word translated “blessed” is one that has the general meaning of “happy” or “joyful.” It is a spiritual blessedness, a divine satisfaction that comes from a right relationship with God. To be merciful is to show forgiveness and compassion to those in need. Jesus frequently spoke of this trait. In the Lord’s Prayer, He says, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” ( Matthew 6:12). In Matthew 9:13 Jesus instructs the Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” We are blessed if we are merciful because mercy is something God Himself displays. God’s mercy is the withholding of a just punishment. Deuteronomy 30:3 says, “The LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you” (NLT). The psalmist writes, “Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy” ( Psalm 28:6). Jesus Himself often showed mercy, as we see in His healing of the man freed from demons: “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” ( Mark 5:19). We have received God’s mercy. Romans 11:30 notes, “You who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy.” Paul shared that his ministry was given to him by God’s mercy ( 2 Corinthians 4:1). He also saw his salvation as an act of God’s mercy: “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” ( 1 Timothy 1:13). Our salvation is also called an act of God’s mercy: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” ( Titus 3:5). As Peter expressed it, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” ( 1 Peter 1:3). God’s children reflect His mercy and are therefore merciful themselves. The merciful in this world are blessed in the sense that they know God’s joy. The person who is merciful will be eternally happy because he knows God’s mercy.

To Mourn

~ To Mourn ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are those who mourn’ mean?" Answer: Matthew 5 records the part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. Verse 4 says, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." It is important to remember that this portion of Jesus’ teaching was directed toward His closest friends, not the general population (verse 2). We cannot pull one or two verses from the whole and build a theology around them. This sermon was a collection of truths designed to prepare His followers for His kingdom, which involved a lifestyle radically different from the world’s. In the Bible, blessed usually means "happy." But in the context of Matthew 5, blessed most likely indicates "an enviable state." When a person has acquired good fortune, we call him “blessed.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus calls some people “blessed” who appear to be quite the opposite. People who “mourn” don’t seem to be “blessed,” according to most other people. Jesus is contrasting the world’s idea of happiness with true blessedness—spiritual prosperity— which comes from a right relationship with God. The term mourn means “to experience deep grief.” In keeping with His theme of spiritual blessedness, Jesus seems to indicate that this mourning is due to grief over sin. The people who agree with God about the evil of their own hearts can attain an "enviable state of blessedness," due to the comfort they receive from communion with the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter ( John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 1:4). The Spirit comforts those who are honest about their own sin and humble enough to ask for forgiveness and healing. Those who hide their sin or try to justify it before God can never know the comfort that comes from a pure heart, as Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:8 (cf. Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 57:15). In the Beatitudes, Jesus reminds His disciples that they cannot seek happiness the way the world does. True joy is not found in selfish ambition, excuses, or self-justification. An enviable state of blessedness comes to those who mourn over their own sin. "These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word" ( Isaiah 66:2). When we agree with God about how bad our sin is, repent of it, and seek His power to walk away from it, Jesus promises comfort from the Holy Spirit. The kind of "mourning" that leads to repentance is truly blessed ( 2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance results in forgiveness and cleansing from God ( Psalm 30:5). When we have trusted in Jesus as our personal substitute for sin, we no longer stand condemned ( Romans 8:1). Rather than wallow in guilt and shame, we realize that we stand justified before God ( 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:24). Those who learn to mourn over their own sin find the heart of God. And intimate fellowship with God is the very foundation of true happiness.

The Meek

~ The Meek ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are the meek’ mean?" Answer: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus opens with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes. The third Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” ( Matthew 5:5). Jesus’ words echo Psalm 37:11, which says, “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.” What does it mean that the meek are “blessed”? First, we must understand what it means to be blessed. The Greek word translated “blessed” in this verse can also be translated “happy.” The idea is that a person will have joy if he or she is meek. The blessedness is from God’s perspective, not our own. It is a spiritual prosperity, not necessarily an earthly happiness. Also, we must understand what “meek” means. The Greek word translated “meek” is praeis and refers to mildness, gentleness of spirit, or humility. Other forms of this Greek word are used elsewhere in the New Testament, including James 1:21 and James 3:13. Meekness is humility toward God and toward others. It is having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else. Paul urged meekness when he told us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” ( Ephesians 4:1–2). Meekness models the humility of Jesus Christ. As Philippians 2:6–8 says, “[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death —even death on a cross!” Being “in the very nature God,” Jesus had the right to do whatever He wanted, but, for our sake, He submitted to “death on a cross.” That is the ultimate in meekness. Meekness was also demonstrated by godly leaders in the Old Testament. Numbers 12:3 says that Moses “was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (ESV). Believers are called to share the gospel message in gentleness and meekness. First Peter 3:15 instructs, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The KJV translates the word for “gentleness” here as “meekness.” Someone who knows Christ as personal Savior will be growing in meekness. It may seem counterintuitive, but Jesus’ promise stands—a meek person will be happy or blessed. Living in humility and being willing to forego one’s rights for the benefit of someone else models the attitude of Jesus Christ. Meekness also helps us to more effectively share the gospel message with others. Striving for power and prestige is not the path to blessedness. Meekness is.