‘Made partakers of the divine nature’

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT’S from the Second Letter of St. Peter. (1,4) The complete verse says: “All things of his divine power which appertain to life and godliness, are given us, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own proper glory and virtue. By whom he has given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature: flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world.”

While this foundational truth might stun us, our calling is to move from passive acceptance to active, lived application. This monumental truth certainly leaves us breathless, challenging us to not just contemplate it, but to truly walk it out.

That is why, St. Peter recommended the following steps to follow: “And you, employing all care, minister in your faith, virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, abstinence; and in abstinence, patience; and in patience, godliness; and in godliness, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity.” (2 Peter 1,5-7)

To be partakers of the divine nature means to participate or share in the divine nature. We do not become God by our own nature; rather, God gives us a share in what he is living and giving.

The purpose of this participation is for moral renewal, enabling us to escape the corruption in the world. This participation in the divine nature is about being healed and transformed by escaping sin and living a new life.

This is the reason why God became man in Christ and made constantly present in the world through the Holy Spirit. In this way, we can truly become God’s children.

But for this truth of faith to take place in us, we need to humble ourselves so that the light of faith can guide us rather than we just keeping to ourselves in our own estimations and ways. Let’s remember that God is ever willing and eager to share his life and nature with us. Our sharing in God’s life starts with our faith in God, but for that faith to take root in us, we need to be humble.

We should spend time meditating on this truth of our faith, and we should try to overcome whatever awkwardness and disbelief we have about it. Truth is, given the way the world is developing today, with so much drifting away if not rebellion against God, we need some divine powers to put ourselves afloat in our true dignity as children of God.

To be sure, if we have the right intention to share God’s life, we would always remain humble and ever eager to help others. Otherwise, we would be playing the game of the devil!

With humility, we would be able to give our all to God. We can be generous and magnanimous just as God is overwhelmingly generous and magnanimous to all of us. There has to be that mutual dynamic of love and self-giving that has been initiated by God himself. God loves us first, and we have to learn to love him in return, a love that is also expressed in loving everybody just as God loves everybody irrespective of how they are!

Let’s not be afraid of the effort and the sacrifices involved in this process. It will all be worthwhile. If we truly try to identify ourselves with Christ, we would be confident that Christ himself would give us the same peace and joy that he had as he went through his own passion and death on the cross to recover our true dignity as children of God.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com