From Inheritance to Imitation

Peter's second letter to the Christians was written to address many of the problems they were facing in their day.  It was written to teach them, and in doing so teaches us, the importance of living a holy, God-honoring, faith-filled life.

Chapter 1, verses 3-4 say this, "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

The King James version of verse 4, in part, says it like this, “… that through these [God’s promises], ye may become partakers of the Divine nature.”

And isn’t that what it’s really all about anyway?
Adopting His nature?
Letting it form so completely within us that it affects the way we think, the way we speak, and the way we act?

And the teaching here is not so much about our current God-like nature.  Scripture tells us that we were, “made in the image of God.” (Gen 1:27) and that, “We are his offspring.”  (Acts 17:28).  But what Peter is here making reference to is our potential.  He’s speaking in regard to what, with our God-like nature, we may BECOME.

The Bible tells us what’s in store for those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior: “… because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God.”

An inheritance means this = “property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy.”
Because we belong to Jesus, we share in His Sonship by inheritance.  All that He has, we have the privilege of enjoying.
But look at the meaning in depth a bit more, “the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring; something, as a quality or characteristic, received from predecessors as if by succession.”

By inheritance, those who belong to Jesus possess the God-like qualities of the Father.  And yet it is only by imitation of those characteristics that we become partakers in His Divine nature.

God becomes more and more established internally and more visible externally, in proportion to our allowing His nature to unfold and be manifest in and through us.

Scripture says that we are to be imitators of Christ.  1 Peter 2:21 says, “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps.”  Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God.”  1 John 2:6, “Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.”

And so the call is certain.  The assignment is clear.
Learn as much as we can about God’s nature, and the life of Christ, and be that.
Allow it to be the supreme ambition of our lives.

I have a choice every day to partake in His Divine nature.  By allowing His character to affect my character, until my character begins to look more like His.

It’s the absolute aim of my life.

This is more than who we are by inheritance, but who we can become by imitation.

And it matters more than we know.