Living a Christian Life and Church Life
Under the Government of God
for the Economy of God
Message Six
Partakers of the Divine Nature and the Development
of the Divine Life and the Divine Nature
for a Rich Entrance into the Eternal Kingdom
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
2 Pet. 1:4-11 Through which He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature…And for this very reason also, adding all diligence, supply bountifully in your faith virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, endurance; and in endurance, godliness. And in godliness, brotherly love; and in brotherly love, love…For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly and bountifully supplied to you.
Word of Appetizer
What is “the nature of God”? What is “to partake of the divine nature”? What is the condition for becoming partakers of the divine nature?
The divine nature refers to what God is, that is, the riches, the elements, and the constituents of God’s being. The divine nature, which mainly refers to the constitution of the divine life, the constitution of God, is constituted with Spirit, love, and light.
To partake of the divine nature is to be a partaker of the riches, the elements, and the constituents of God’s being. Being a partaker of the divine nature has a condition—that we escape the corruption which is in the world by lust; we need to live in the cycle of escaping and partaking and of partaking and escaping.
Spiritual Burden
We need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in the divine seed that has been sown into us so that we may have a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom. We need to have the full development and maturity from the seed of faith, through the roots of virtue and knowledge, the trunk of self-control, and the branches of endurance and godliness, to the blossom and fruit of brotherly love and love.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
As those who have received equally precious faith, we, the believers in Christ, should be partakers of the divine nature.
We need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in the divine seed that has been sown into us so that we may have a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom.
The Experience of Life
At our regeneration, another nature was imparted into us; this is the nature of God, the divine nature. Whoever believes into the Son of God is born of God and has the right to become a child of God; thus, a believer has the right to partake of, to enjoy, the nature of God.
We have been allotted the wonderful equally precious faith, and this faith is an all-inclusive seed. In our enjoyment of the divine nature, we need to let the divine seed of the allotted faith develop to its consummation in the divine and nobler love.
Practice and Application
Being a partaker of the divine nature has a condition—that we escape the corruption which is in the world by lust; we need to live in the cycle of escaping and partaking and of partaking and escaping.
We need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in the divine seed that has been sown into us so that we may have a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom. Self-control is the exercise of control and restraint over one’s self in its passions, desires, and habits; such self-control needs to be exercised in knowledge for the proper growth in life.
We should be diligent to pursue the growth and development of the divine life and divine nature for a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 A believer has the right to partake of, to enjoy, the nature of God (John 1:12-13; 2 Pet. 1:4)
(Please illustrate that the greatest blessing in the universe is that we can partake of God’s nature.)
T2 Any adjustments that we make should be made according to the divine nature within (2 Pet. 1:4)
(Please illustrate with experiences that since we have the divine nature, we do not need outward regulations to adjust our hair, clothes, and behavior.)
Day 2
T1 God has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises for a specific purpose (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
(Please illustrate that for what a specific purpose God has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises.)
T2 To be a partaker of the divine nature is to be a partaker of the elements, the ingredients, of God’s being (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
(Please illustrate that the condition for becoming partakers of the divine nature.)
Day 3
T1 In our faith we need to develop virtue (2 Pet. 1:5-6)
(Please illustrate that what the divine power has given us in 1:3 and 4 is developed in verses 5 through 7.)
T2 In virtue, knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5-6)
(Please illustrate that which items are included the knowledge that we should develop in our virtue.)
Day 4
T1 In brotherly love, love (2 Pet. 1:7)
(Please illustrate that what the difference between brotherly love and love is different in the Greek word.)
T2 The issue of God’s full salvation is the expression of God and the love for the brothers (2 Pet. 1:7)
(Please illustrate that Peter’s thought in [1 Peter 1] is that the full salvation of the Triune God issues in holiness and brotherly love.)
Day 5
T1 The brothers and sisters in the church life may love one another, but their love is lacking in agape (1 John 4:16)
(Please illustrate that God’s love is not only nourishing but also contains a spiritual antibiotic that fosters healing and prevents illness.)
T2 God’s love is consistent (Matt. 5:44-45)
(Please illustrate that we should love all the brothers, but we should love them with discernment [and also] according to a measure or within a limitation.)
Day 6
T1 If we are diligent to develop the virtues mentioned in verses 5 through 7, we will confirm, make sure, our calling and selection (2 Pet. 1:5-7)
(Why do some may question whether God has chosen them?)
T2 We may have an entrance richly and bountifully supplied into the kingdom of our Lord (2 Pet. 1:10-11)
(Why do a good number of Christians will not have such an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord?)
