“…if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have PASSED AWAY; behold, all things have BECOME NEW.” (2 Corin. 5:17) As long as we live in this world without Christ in our lives AMY, we just become more conformed to the worldly nature, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you DO NOT be conformed to this world…” (Rom. 12:2a) We cannot continue to become more and more worldly which will make us less and less godly AMY, for the Lord, “…will put a new spirit within us, and take the stony heart out of our flesh…” (Ezek. 11:19) But of course the best plan the Lord has for us is that we can be, “…1TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and PERFECT WILL OF GOD.” (Rom. 12:2) 1metamorphoō: to undergo a spiritual transformation, to be changed in form. This is a spiritual event that happens when the Lord saves and sanctifies us. We can conform but only the Lord can transform. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:2-4)
To be a partaker of GOD’S divine nature means that the characteristics of God’s nature BECOME OUR OWN – through His creating work in us AMY! This sounds unbelievable. We can be partakers of GOD’S DIVINE NATURE? What does that actually mean? Isn’t it blasphemy to say that we could be divine – like God? To believe that we personally can be a partaker of God’s divine nature does not mean that we are trying to become as great as God. Becoming a partaker of God’s divine nature means that the characteristics of God’s nature become OUR OWN.
-Bill Stockham