The Supernatural Life

“...through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Peter 1:4)

Right away we see that this is in the middle of some discussion. Questions arise in the beginning of this Scripture with the words, “through which.” To know through what it’s talking about we have to go to the beginning of this thought in the previous Scriptures. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue...” (2Peter 1:2-3) Peter is talking about the knowledge of “Him” meaning the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord in the previous Scriptures of verse 4. Grace and peace is multiplied through knowing God and Jesus. Jesus has given us all and everything we need pertaining to life and godliness through knowing Him because He’s called us to glory and virtue.

All those words mean that when we chose to belong to Jesus, He changed the course of our lives. No longer are we “merely” human, but supernatural because we are in Jesus. When He is glorified, we will be glorified in Him. We have a different calling, no longer pertaining to this world and the things of this world. We now have a higher calling. That calling Peter says is one of “glory and virtue.” And we can realize this calling through the knowledge of Him and what He has given us to live that life. Jesus has given us everything we need to live that life of glory and virtue.  This life is a life with the divine nature of Christ. As children of God and the gifts that Jesus has given us, the lives of the children of God should not be ordinary, but supernatural, like the life of Jesus because He has given us all that we need to live that life. But there is an important “but.”

If we don’t know Him, we will not live to the potential of the life Jesus came to give us. These Scriptures emphasize the importance of growing in knowing God and Jesus. This is done through fellowship with the Father and Jesus in prayer, in communion, in dependance and trust. This is done through growing in knowledge of what God has said in His Word. How can we know Him without knowing what He has said. This knowing is found when we get in the Bible. Hearing a sermon once a week is not enough. We often forget the moment we walk out of the church. But when we hear it, then read it, then meditate (think) on it and talk to the Father and Jesus about it, we do not forget it. Even if you’ve heard it a thousand times, when you discuss it with the Lord, He shows you what it means to you, to your secret thoughts and to your daily living.

Too many of us want the blessings and the promises without commitment, without effort and without doing the basic fundamental Christian practices that bring us closer, not to the promises and blessings, but to the One Who is the giver of the promises and blessings. While it’s not in our efforts and in the doing that we receive, but the doing and effort in doing the fundamental Christian practices which bring us close to the Lord Who blesses and keeps covenant with us. The promises and blessings are with the Lord. “For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God by us.” (2Corinthians 1:20)

The promise of taking on the divine nature of Christ is a promise that isn’t much spoken about. What exactly does it mean?  The divine nature is that supernatural nature that Christ had. We don’t talk about it because we know the flesh too well in ourselves. But that is the flesh. In our minds we think that we can never obtain that supernatural life of glory, virtue and righteous living that the Lord promises us because we know our weaknesses, our past failures and if we’re honest, our future failures. But the Lord knows us. He knows our weaknesses, our failures and our future falls. He knows what we’re capable of because of He has given us a new nature and given us the Holy Spirit and His power in us. So how do we reach that level of commitment and ability? The secret is not in how we can live, but in how we allow Jesus to live through us. It has to do with surrender. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24) Do you remember the little wrist bands we wore that said, “What would Jesus do?” Well, that is what has to be imprinted in our very being for every moment in our life. That is allowing Jesus to live through us. What would Jesus do? Surrender to Jesus because we know Him, because of the time we’ve spent with Him, because we love Him, because He is our Lord and because we are His disciples.

The temptation to do what is easy, what is comfortable or what feels good is real. It’s the flesh. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1John 2:15-16) To be specific in today’s world it’s social media, TV, the latest fashions, racy music and the latest comforts of modern life that lure us into the world. To be truthful we’ve gotten sucked up by culture instead of resisting it. “Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) The things of the world are defiled and submitting to its lure defiles us. I don’t know what part of the world culture its tendrils have distracting you from Bible study, prayer (communion with the Lord), meditation of the Word or attendance to worship services. I know my distractions and you know your distractions. What are we to do? We are to confess and repent. Repent for not resisting the devil.

Repent means to abandon it. We must abandon our desire to scroll through social media for hours, our desire to sit through just one more episode of a TV sitcom, our desire for that racy song that takes our imagination to forbidden places, our desire to have the latest fashions or name brand shoes that fill us with pride, our desire to be number one in our quest for recognition and pride thinking that we’re just better than everyone else. The Lord knows it all. We may hide it from our family, our friends and even ourselves, but the Lord sees it all and knows it all. And yet, He’s called us to this divine life of righteousness and virtue. He doesn’t rescind His promise. He is longsuffering waiting for us to take our rightful place as His priests and kings in this world (Revelation 1:6). Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome (Romans 1:7), “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your impenitent heart, do you treasure up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works; indeed to those who with patience in good work are seeking for glory, and honor, and incorruptibility, everlasting life.” (Romans 2:4-7) That Scripture raises many questions. He was writing to Roman Christians who continued in their sin. And we may say that what they were doing was very bad compared to our negligence of the faith. But God doesn’t categorize sin in degrees. Jesus showed this when He spoke about adultery. “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28) To God looking with lust at a woman was the same as committing adultery. Lying is the same as stealing. Hating is the same as murder. Get the gist? Our negligence is the same as rejection of the Gospel, of our Lord and of His Word. Yikes! All sin is death. (Romans 6:23) The time for the return of Jesus is near. We cannot afford to be careless, lazy or lax with the things of God.

Concluding, we see that there is no excuse for not taking our rightful place as divine priest and kings in this world because the Lord has given us everything we need to live this supernatural life. And all it takes is surrender.

Let us pray:

Father God, I confess my negligence, my laziness and my laxness of the things of God. And I repent. Lord, I need Your strength and power to resist the lure of the world. I need Your supernatural ability to take my rightful place and live the divine life of righteousness and virtue that You have provided for me to live. I thank You for the precious Body of Christ which was wounded for me. Thank You Jesus. Thank You for the Blood of the Lamb which cleanses and purifies me. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who leads and guides me into righteous living. I surrender to You Lord. Help me to deny myself daily, hourly and at every moment. Bring to my thoughts the words, “What would Jesus do?” to remind me of my commitment. And I ask for supernatural strength to resist the world and the flesh. I love You my Lord. You are my all in all, the air that I breathe and my reason to live and to live for You. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.