Rescued from and Welcomed to ...
That through these (promises) you may escape the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. (II Peter 1:4)
Read: II Pet. 1:3-11; Gen. 6:11-13; Rom. 1:28-32; Gal. 6:3
What Is God Saying?
In his first letter, Peter comforts those persecuted for their faith. In this letter, he speaks of another problem. It is not outright persecution and suffering. It is the temptation to yield to the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire (II Pet. 1:4 ).
There is a remedy. We not only can escape the corruption, we can actually ‘partake of the divine nature’--escape corruption on the one hand and be partakers of the very nature of God on the other hand. The contrast is incomprehensible. Only God could do it. Only believers can receive it, and then only by grace. ‘All things about life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his glory and goodness’ (I Peter 1 :3). That's the secret Peter gives.
How Does This Apply To Us?
We are surrounded, no, mandated by evil and corruption. To look around for help is futile. What we need is a life-saver connected to a rope at the other end which is someone who can lift us, up, and away. Let the goodness of God make its full impact on our lives. He can lift us out of the quicksand of destruction into the oasis of love and beauty and life. He can replace faltering weakness with conquering strength. He can exchange disaster for life abundant. The only way to escape the vicious and subtle and universal corruption in the world is to let God have His life through us. Then follows an important sequence of virtues-very attainable and very necessary. These are qualities that grow out and up, branch by branch, blossom by blossom, all anchored to the root of the Divine Nature of which we are partakers (II Peter 1:5-7). The end of all that (and to the end) is a ‘rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:11 ).
Pray With Me
O God, by Your grace, I not only can escape this world's corruption, but become a partaker of your perfection-not only to flee from death, defeat, and destruction, but to be welcomed into life, victory, and salvation. This is beyond all comprehension but, based on Your Word, it is beyond all question only shielded from that which spells my doom, but sheltered by that which guarantees my deliverance; not only kept from passions that lead to death but kept in paths that lead to life.
Heavenly Father, I need to discern and desire those paths. Let my feet be directed to a walk of faith and virtue. Let my mind be content with nothing less than the knowledge of Your Word. Let my will be ruled by self-control and steadfastness that rise from devot10n to my Lord. Let my life be filled with evidence of godliness. Let my hands be busy with deeds of affection Let my heart be full of love--divine and pure.
Such is Your path for me. It is the wise man's path that leads to life away from the corruption of sin and onward to the coronation of virtue; away from the misery of failure and upward to the joy of triumph; away from the pain of past defeats and forward to the prize of Your high calling in Christ Jesus. O Lord, I thank You that You provide both an escape from corruption and an entrance into life, both a way out of shame and a way into glory, both an end to despair and a beginning to hope. Being fully persuaded of Your wisdom and love, I would more and more die to myself and live for God.
To the glory of my risen and living Lord. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
In prayer, we should always remember what God wants to take out of us and what He wants to put into us. We should rejoice in what we have been saved from and what we have been saved to. Escaping corruption ... God is engaged in that for us. Only we can prevent it. Partakers of His Divine Nature ... the supreme object of prayer is to open the door to that.
Prayer continued on that basis leading to a rich welcome-even now the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savi0r Jesus Christ. That's prayer at its best. That's a prayer for the best.
