Salvation Means We Are Partakers of God’s Divine Nature
3 Reflections
God didn’t just forgive you; He gave you His nature. There’s a passage where Peter says something almost inconceivable: if you belong to Jesus, you have become a “partaker of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Meaning, God doesn’t merely remove your sin—He shares His life with you. His Spirit lives inside you. A new nature is now planted in you. And if that’s true, then you now have permission, and the grace, to live like Jesus.
Faith is how you receive new life; the character of Christ is what now defines you. Peter goes on to say: because you’ve received this new life, you’re meant to add to your faith certain qualities—starting with “excellence of character.” Faith is the one thing every Christian has in common. You can’t come to Jesus without it. But faith isn’t the same thing as maturity, or Christ-like character. Some believers sit down at the starting line of faith. They believe, but they never grow. They have a new nature, but they keep living out the old patterns. Peter won’t let us stay there.
The grief you feel over sin is evidence of the new nature at work.
Here’s one of the clearest signs that God’s life is in you: sin doesn’t sit right anymore. You may still be tempted. You may still stumble. But when you do, there’s a sorrow that follows—not just regret for consequences, but brokenness that something unholy touched what God has made holy. Don’t mistake that for God trying to shame you. It’s Christ in you saying, “We are not of that kind anymore.”
“The Word of God… became what we are, so that he might make us what he himself is.” - Irenaeus
2 Scriptures
“Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”
— Hebrews 6:1
“Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”
— Philippians 3:12–13
1 Action
Ask yourself: Have I sat down at the starting line of faith?
It’s possible to step into faith—and then stop moving. You believe. You know the language. You attend the services. But growth stalls out.
Are there areas of your life that you're excusing as “this is just how I am”?
Do this one thing this week: Pick one trait Peter names in this passage—self-control, perseverance, kindness, love—and take one practical step towards Christ-like maturity:
Self-control: choose one boundary for the week. For example: no phone after 9 pm, no second drink, no impulse spending.
Perseverance: finish one thing you keep avoiding (make the appointment, have the conversation, complete the task) before next week’s Between Sundays email.
Kindness: send one intentional message a day to someone specific—encouragement, gratitude, honor.
Love: do one costly act of service that no one will applaud—give generously, forgive quickly, serve selflessly, show up when it’s inconvenient.
Don’t try to overhaul your whole life. Just take the next step of maturity.
Grace and peace,
NEIL
