1 Peter 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

Hello readers, it’s Saturday morning, we’re just finishing up a week of beautiful sunny weather, and I’ve been thinking in recent times about the phrase “partakers of the divine nature” in 2 Peter 1.

I don’t think my nature is very divine at all, but yet the divine nature is something I’m meant to be partaking in as a child of God!

And it is the work of the Holy Spirit in every Christian to birth, grow and empower that new divine nature in the believer.

So why is it missing? Why are we such carnal, sinful, typical human creatures?

Have you ever looked at your own nature? How would people describe you? Would they say oh that person has such a kind, gentle, caring, godly nature? Have you ever faced what your nature truly is?

Often we can be quite deluded about who, what and how we are. And most of us would like to be this kind of person, a person of grace and charity… but instead we are always that kind of person, a person of great moral weakness and infirmity, a person bound up in the same sinful condition that everyone else is.

I’ve been thinking about charity, which really is the divine nature of the Christian.

The Bible describes charity as “the bond of perfectness”. And 2 Peter describes it as the final thing added to our faith. So charity is the nature of the Christian who has grown in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

And I get to thinking I could have charity… under the right circumstances, if all the stars “aligned”, if I had the right environment… but the man or woman of charity is that despite the circumstances!

One of many things that makes charity what it is, is because it is who you are, how you are… despite what’s going on around you or what circumstances we are in.

We are all very good at being “circumstantial” Christians. That is, we are Christians in certain contexts, environments… circumstances.

I always remember seeing that phrase about Samson in Judges 13, as he was growing up, where the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord began to move him “at times” in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson was a circumstantial Christian.

But we can all be that. Maybe you’re a good Christian on Sunday… but how about the other days? Maybe you’re a good Christian around certain kinds of people… but how about out there in this antichrist world? Maybe you’re a good Christian when things are going well… but how about when things aren’t going well?

And the test of our divine nature is really not how we are when things are going well… it’s how we are when they aren’t.

As I’ve thought about the divine nature, I’ve realized the need to look at Jesus Christ… because he had the divine nature, because although he was full humanity, he was also full divinity.

So where we share this problem of a sinful human nature, he had a divine nature, which was most gloriously displayed when… he suffered. I don’t think you can see Jesus Christ’s divinity shine more than in his crucifixion.

And it is in suffering and experiencing unjust, unfair, unreasonable treatment that our nature is truly tested… and then what comes out?

See, it’s fairly easy to be “divine” when things are going our way, but I’ve found I’m not so divine when things are getting a bit rocky and turbulent.

There’s always been things about my personality, my nature, that I don’t necessarily like. I recognize them but they always seem to win over me.

And there’s the kind of person I’d like to be… and then the person I am.

God has been changing me, and given me new life with a new name with a new nature, but boy that old nature sure dies hard.

For instance… if someone says something nasty to me, makes fun of me or something like that, my nature isn’t just to take it, smile and think the best of that person.

So when it says that Jesus suffered… but threatened not… the Bible has my attention.

Because think about it… there is no one higher than Jesus… and yet he had sinful, evil, wicked men inflicting pain on him, making fun of him, spitting on him… and he threatened not!

When someone hit me, I would say “do that again and I’ll do x,y,z to you”. But Jesus didn’t behave like that.

What would I have done in Jesus’ situation? Well I would have called those twelve legions of angels. I would’ve said “I’m going to get you back for that” and make sure you get what you deserve.

But he didn’t. And that is the divine nature. I’m not that divine.

Just the mere fact Jesus humbled himself is a sign of his divinity, because our nature is not humility. To be the most High and yet become as a servant, and a suffering servant at that… that shows just how royal and divine Jesus is far more than pomp and glory.

When people reviled Jesus… and they did… and look that word up, it’s a strong word associated with pouring scorn and contempt on someone… yet he didn’t revile back.

And we might think oh he was weak. No, go and try it yourself. That takes immense strength. What’s weak is to snap back and swear at other people, or revile them back.

It’s like when people belittle you for not drinking alcohol or sleeping around. But who’s the weakling? Most drink just to be accepted and fit in… what’s not weak is to have the moral strength and conviction to know what’s right, and stand by what’s right, despite what others say.

That’s why we call the moral strengths of people “virtues”… and virtue takes power… the power of God.

But I’ve thought about what Jesus’ nature allowed to happen in the end. Because there is so much power involved. Because Jesus enduring that suffering with the divine nature has led to the salvation of countless souls through time.

We partake in the divine nature not just for ourselves, but for others also. We really do not know what kind of power our Christian lives can carry, if we would just let the power of God work in our lives.

I’ve found that we simply cannot overstate these words that Jesus prayed on the cross “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” They are divine words from the divine nature.

And then, when we think it’s impossible for us to be like that, like it’s a Jesus only thing… but just flick over to the book of Acts 7 and find the very last verse… and we see a man who had partaken in the same divine nature of Christ, because as they were pelting him with stones, this man called Stephen said this just before he died “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”.

That’s goosebumps Christianity. Maybe I would have the grace to do that, but I’d need it, because it wouldn’t come naturally to me. The Bible earlier describes Stephen as a man “full of faith and power” … yeah he sure was. May we all be full of the power of God.

The thing is, you cannot talk about the divine nature without talking about the divine power of God… because this is supernatural territory.

What is natural is to bite back at someone who is biting at you. What is natural is to threaten someone who is threatening you. What is natural is to hold grudges, what is natural is to be resentful and bitter.

So I pray today that we all will look at our own nature. And let’s not kid ourselves, we all have the same human nature and share the same human condition.

But God is greater. So is the life of Christ in you? It’s not something we just decide to be. You can’t just decide to be divine and sustain it. You’ll wash out so quick. God must start the fire, God must be in our lives. That’s the only way the bush didn’t burn out, and the only way we won’t burn out. But get on fire for God, have FERVENT charity among ourselves the Bible says… we all need charity, we all need to partake in this divine nature, because that’s when our lives will be transformed and the lives of those around us “for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

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