^ FoundationsOfLikePreciousFaith

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Exceeding Promises / Partakers of His Divine Nature

(child thread of FoundationsOfTheLikePreciousFaith series begun by RandyP )

kjv@2Peter:1:4 @ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,...

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We are going to be getting in to the consideration of the massive corruption of this world that we are all plagued by shortly; the things in particular now that we are Christians that have been corrupting our better intentions and decisions and establishments etc... To best understand this ugly matter we really need to have a familiarity with the Divine Nature that is supposed to be partaken of in Christ; promised to have been made available. Without the contrast of light and dark it is hard to explain further where we are at in the transition one to the other as participating "like precious" believers.

Contextual Anchors

Note: There is an overwhelming amount of scripture needing to be provided here, so where appropriate key foundations have been broken off into digestible pieces. It will become more and more important to keep coming back to these foundations and explore each morsel's greater depth and individual context as they will become the fuel that ignites true spiritual productivity. These pieces then can be used as element specific study/meditation tools.

1. Precious Promises

Quoted resource: strongs 'G5093'

Quoted resource: strongs 'G1862'

(see: Topical Study DivinePromise or slidy:DivinePromise )

Major Subjects:

• Contained in the Scriptures
  
• Made in Christ
  
• Made to Christ
  
• Made to Abraham
  
• Made to Isaac
  
• Made to Jacob
  
• Made to David
  
• Made to The Israelites
  
• Made to The Fathers
  
• Made to All who are called of God
  
• Made to Those who love him
  
• Confirmed by an oath
  
• Covenant established upon
  
• God is faithful to
  
• God remembers
  
• Are Good
  
• Are Holy
  
• Are Confirmed in Christ
  
• Are Yea and amen in Christ
  
• Are Fulfilled in Christ
  
• Are Through the righteousness of faith
  
• Are Obtained through faith
  
• Are Given to those who believe
  
• Are Inherited through faith and patience
  
• Are Performed in due season
  
• Not one shall fail
  
• The law not against
  
• The law could not disannul
  
• Subject of - Christ
  
• Subject of - The Holy Spirit
  
• Subject of - The gospel
  
• Subject of - Life in Christ
  
• Subject of - A crown of life
  
• Subject of - Eternal life
  
• Subject of - Adoption
  
• Subject of - Preservation in affliction
  
• Subject of - Blessing
  
• Subject of - Forgiveness of sins
  
• Subject of - Putting the law into the heart
  
• Subject of - Second coming of Christ
  
• Subject of - New heavens and earth
  
• Subject of - Entering into rest
  
• Should lead to perfecting holiness
  
• The inheritance of the saints is of
  
• Saints - Children of
  
• Saints - Heirs of
  
• Saints - Stagger not at
  
• Saints - Have implicit confidence in
  
• Expect the performance of
  
• Saints - Sometimes, through infirmity, tempted to doubt
  
• Saints - Plead in prayer
  
• Saints - Should wait for the performance of
  
• Gentiles shall be partakers of
  
• Man, by nature, has no interest in
  
• Scoffers despise
  
• Fear, lest ye come short of
  

2. Partakers

Quoted resource: strongs 'G2844'

Note: The more practical aspects of "partaking" of this divine nature will be studied in the second part of this foundational series ApplicationsOfTheLikePreciousFaith. Please take this time to become familiar with this precise divine nature before attempting to partake of it. For now, let it suffice to acquaint ourselves with the topic of abiding in Christ (see: Chapter study kjv@John:15 or sl[kjv@John:15] ).

3. Divine Nature

Quoted resource: strongs 'G2304'

Quoted resource: strongs 'G5449'

As Peter's choice of words is mostly unique to the epistles, I would like to expand the context out to the broader similitudes:

(see: Topical study DivineNature or slidy:DivineNature as being God's Holiness producing the genesis of sanctified believers)

Holiness of God:

• Is incomparable
  
• Exhibited in his Character
  
• Exhibited in his Name
  
• Exhibited in his Words
  
• Exhibited in his Works
  
• Exhibited in his Kingdom
  
• Is pledged for the fulfillment of His promises
  
• Saints are commanded to imitate
  
• Saints should praise
  
• Should produce reverential fear
  
• Requires holy service
  
• Heavenly hosts adore
  
• Should be magnified
  

(see: Topical study DivineGod or slidy:DivineGod as declared by scripture of God)

God

• Is a spirit
  
• Is declared to be Love
  
• Is declared to be Invisible
  
• Is declared to be Unsearchable
  
• Is declared to be Incorruptible
  
• Is declared to be Eternal
  
• Is declared to be Immortal
  
• Is declared to be Omnipotent
  
• Is declared to be Omniscient
  
• Is declared to be Omnipresent
  
• Is declared to be Immutable
  
• Is declared to be Only-wise
  
• Is declared to be Glorious
  
• Is declared to be Most High
  
• Is declared to be Perfect
  
• Is declared to be Holy
  
• Is declared to be Just
  
• Is declared to be True
  
• Is declared to be Upright
  
• Is declared to be Righteous
  
• Is declared to be Good
  
• Is declared to be Great
  
• Is declared to be Gracious
  
• Is declared to be Faithful
  
• Is declared to be Merciful
  
• Is declared to be Long-suffering
  
• Is declared to be Jealous
  
• Is declared to be Compassionate
  
• Is declared to be A consuming fire
  
• None beside him
  
• None before him
  
• None like to him
  
• None good but he
  
• Fills heaven and earth
  

Doctrinal Context: Covenant

(see: Topical study TorreyConvenant or slidy:TorreyConvenant )

• Christ, the substance of
  
• Christ, the Mediator of
  
• Christ, the Messenger of
  
• Made with: Abraham
  
• Made with: Isaac
  
• Made with: Jacob
  
• Made with: Israel
  
• Made with: David
  
• Renewed under the gospel
  
• Fulfilled in Christ
  
• Confirmed in Christ
  
• Ratified by the blood of Christ
  
• Is a covenant of peace
  
• Is unalterable
  
• Is everlasting
  
• All saints interested in
  
• The wicked have no interest in
  
• Blessings connected with
  
• God is faithful to
  
• God is ever mindful of
  
• Be mindful of
  
• Caution against forgetting
  
• Plead, in prayer
  
• Punishment for despising
  

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Practical Aspects

There are two conceivable natures that can be partaken of by any of us at any time, that which is manufactured by self, that which is the direct and substantial produce of God. Throughout the Old Testament men have been proven over and over to have operated from the nature that he himself is quite able and willing to manufacture; this being evident even (or shall we say especially) in their religious endeavors. If one thing can be emphatically stated about man from the Covenant of the Law it would be that man (all men) are utterly incapable of manufacturing even the slightest resemblance of fulfilling the intents of said Law. This is despite his good intention and moral conscience, despite his zeal and obsessive effort. This despite an inbred preference for wanting to earn his justification with God based upon good deeds and works rather than a pure reliance upon God's merciful grace. This manufactured lack of partaking is not just an Old Testament thing either. Thankfully we have the examples in the New Testament of men and women such as Peter to look to observe what is better intended.

In order to be able to partake of such a divine nature as suggested, avoiding any self generated guesswork or possible human corruption, one must be able to discern the dividing line between what he himself is manufacturing and what the truer divine source is actually projecting. What better way to know the nature of what is being divinely projected first and foremost than by the covenant promises made emphatically and unconditionally by the divine source from the very beginning on through to their complete fulfillment in Christ Jesus the author and finisher of spiritually regenerated "like precious" faith. If to partake of His divine nature then to partake of all of the nature that the covenant promises project about who He is and what for us He is meant to be.

Given the tendencies of the carnal mind, "exceeding great and precious promises" are going to be taken an entirely different direction than spiritually intended. The modern thought for Christians is to cherry pick scriptural promises to personally "claim" over their personal finances or health or career successes or entanglements etc... There are lists of such promises compiled for every desired outcome conceivable. Note that is not the current practice to suffer the process of transformation of our financial habits, only to be somehow extracted immediately from the consequences of such continuing habits; it is a seeking of deliverance from consequences not deliverance from substantive and habitual cause. Such a consideration makes the meaning of promise neither great nor precious nor even effectual, only self serving.

Rather, the concept of promise is first and foremost the promise of there being one Jesus the Christ provided to all righteous means and ends by the Holy Father, fully established, fully confirmed, fully anointed to be such. This consideration is of a singular and massive promise both exceeding great and precious by which all sub-promises following are inherent and due to His nature becoming more and more an influence upon and therefore part of us. The promise instead is that we would be by grace mercifully be given opportunity to "partake of His/Christ's divine nature", which is to mean under direct influence and the transformation of His character and will. There are many that would be willing to claim any number of His promises, but few that would place themselves under the tremendous life transformations of His sincerest acquaintance.

Partking as evidenced through:	of our corrupted nature?	of His divine nature?
VirtuousFaith
KnowledgeableVirtue
TemperateKnowledge
PatientTemperance
GodlyPatience
BrotherlyGodliness
AgapeBrotherliness

It is this acquaintance and partaking that is sought by those of the "like precious" faith. It is this which becomes their abiding productivity towards spiritual abundance.

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