Born of Divine Nature

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (II Peter 1: 3, 4)

In the above words of Peter the theological word "divine" is used twice; first in regard to the "divine power" and then secondly in regard to the "divine nature." The word "divine" means "pertaining to God" or to the "divine nature."

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1: 20 NIV)

A "god-like" being would be any being that has some resemblance or characteristic of a god, or possesses some non-human attribute, such as only God may be thought to possess. "Divine" is generally a word set in opposition to that which is human or mortal. It is also a word closely associated with the word "godliness," as in the above words of Peter. What is "godliness" but "God-likeness"? What is "Christian" but "Christ-likeness"?

Power is a god-like thing and to the degree a creature possesses power, it is an image of deity and divinity.

Supernal wisdom and knowledge are also attributes of Divinity, part of the divine nature; And again, to the degree any creature possesses these qualities of nature, to that degree they possess and mirror what is divine.

Lord God is infinitely holy, and the very essence of love, superbly kind and benevolent, merciful and gracious, and to the degree any creature possesses these attributes, to that degree that creature reflects what is divine.

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." (Acts 17: 29)

Man, as he was originally created, was in the "likeness" and "image" of God his Maker. This likeness was in soul or spirit, chiefly, and is manifested in the rational powers, the ability to know and to have fellowship with God. But, because of man's sin and apostacy, he has lost this likeness and resemblance to his Maker, so that now sinners show but faint glimpses of former glory.

Thus, man is now, since his fall into sin, in need of a regeneration, a new birth, a new nature.

Every Christian, according to Peter, has become a "partaker of the divine nature." He has been "sired" by God, "begotten" and "born of" his Holy Spirit, being the recipient of divine "seed" (I Peter 1: 23), and of a divine life, and God-likeness, and of Lord God's own image, and of his very nature.

Peter says that our first birth was "of corruptible seed," while the second birth of the Spirit is "of incorruptible seed by the word of God."

Paul describes our condition resulting from our natural births as offspring of sinful and fallen Adam.

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." (Ephesians 2: 3 NIV)

"By nature" indicates that we are born with a spiritual defect, born under judgment, into a race that has been cursed for its rebellion. We are born with a procilivity and propensity to go away from God, to disbelieve and disobey him.

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." (Colossians 3: 9, 10 KJV)

"...put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4: 23 NIV)

So, to be "saved" in the Christian sense, is to be spiritually reborn and regenerated, to be begotten of Lord God, to receive his very life and nature within our being, having put off the old sinful nature, with which we are physically born (and with which we will yet struggle and fight to overcome and subdue), and putting on the new man, the new divine nature that literally makes one a "child" or "offspring" of the Almighty .

"Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." (I John 5: 1)