Our Eternal Glory in Christ

CELEBRATION OF OUR ETERNAL GLORY IN CHRIST

By Ezekiel Kimosop

2 Peter 1:1-4 says "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

PASSAGE ANALYSIS

This passage carries a tribute to our eternal heritage in Christ and the glorious blessings that await us in heaven as the redeemed of God. 

This assurance is important for every child of God because our earthly life often comes with trials and afflictions that shake our faith.

2 Peter 1:4 speaks of "...exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

The promises that Christ unveiled at Calvary are humanly indescribable, unfathomable. They are incomparable to anything that this passing evil world can lay before us.

No amount of earthly riches or pleasures can remotely compare with what God has kept for those who are joint heirs with Christ (1 Peter 1:3-5).

I have come across some Bible teachers who lift the statement of 2 Peter 1:4 out of its passage context. They teach that believers are partakers of the divine nature of God and hence are possessed of divine essence.

Does this scripture teach that believers are divine by reason of our saving faith in Christ? 

What exactly is Peter speaking about in this context?

The passage of 2 Peter 1:1-11 is infact a celebration of eternal hope of glory that we have in Christ. It recognizes the unspeakable blessings that await us after we have gone through the afflictions of this earthly life.

2 Peter 1:1-4 is part of the apostolic salutation and opening remarks by Peter. 

It concludes with the promise of our hope in Christ. It also speaks of God's preserving grace by which believers are kept from the corruption of this evil world.

2 Peter 1:5-9 is an exhortation to spiritual diligence in building our faith in Christ.

2 Peter 1:10-11 is in fact related to the statement in 2 Peter 1:4 which is the subject of discussion. Both speak of the new life that awaits us in heaven.

My view is that this passage does not teach that believers share in God's divine attributes. We cannot and will never be possessed of any divine essence as followers of Christ. 

The truth is that when Christ shall appear in glory, believers shall take on incorruptible glorious bodies that shall never perish. 

This is the gist of the promise that Peter is outlining in his address here (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:35-49; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18). We shall also enjoy eternal fellowship with God in ways that no human words can express.

Revelation 3:12 declares "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name."

The glorified church will be Christ's possession in heaven. They will bear His divine name, having been sealed by the Holy Spirit on earth (Ephesians 4:30). 

One rule of biblical interpretation is to avoid lifting a Scripture verse out of its passage context and forcing it to say what it does not teach in its wider context, giving regard to the full revelation of God in the Bible. That approach is called proof texting and is a popular method employed by false teachers.

We should therefore diligently balance the truths of the word of God so that the full counsel of God is conveyed in our Christian doctrines.

My view is that the divinity of the Holy Trinity is as distinct here on Earth as it will be in heaven. Believers will be worshippers of God in heaven! They shall not be divine nor shall they be vested with any divine essence.

Leading Bible commentators acknowledge this fact. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible explains the use of the phrase "partakers of divine nature" in 2 Peter 1:4.

John Gill says that believers are "...not essentially, or of the essence of God, so as to be deified, this is impossible, for the nature, perfections, and glory of God, are incommunicable to creatures; nor, hypostatically and personally, so as the human nature of Christ."

My concluding view is that the claim to divine essence of believers in Christ is manifestly a Christian error.

OUR HERITAGE AND NEW NATURE IN CHRIST

What is it that we share in Christ? Here are just four dimensions of our heritage in Christ:

1) We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). This implies that the risen Christ dwells in us by His Spirit and that the worship of God perpetually occurs in our hearts.

2) We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

This implies that we can discern the things of God in a manner that is consistent with the teachings of Scripture. We can tell truth from error using the word of God and guided by the Holy Spirit.

3) We the sons of God. 

We are the children of God by divine adoption (John 1:12). We who were once far from God have now been reconciled to Him and brought into fellowship with Him (Ephesians 2:14-18). 

Romans 8:16-17 says "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

4) We are betrothed to Christ. 

We are the bride of Christ who will be presented to Him during the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-11). We belong to Him forever. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019

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