“According as His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these (promises) ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.

Fighting the effects of a dominating sin nature in one’s life with humanistic psychology will not give one victory over their sin nature.  We are all born with a sin nature due to Adam’s fall.  Once we are born again we become partakers of God’s Divine Nature.  God’s Divine Nature implanted in us is the source of our new life…our “new creature”.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17.  Partaking of the Divine Nature for the sinner is the Salvation experience.  Partaking of the Divine Nature for the Saint is the sanctification experience.

Allow me to say that again because I feel like that is where so many of us have failed, including myself – partaking in God’s Divine nature for the sinner is their Salvation experience, partaking in God’s Divine nature for the Saint is our Sanctification experience.  It is a daily, step by step, precept upon precept and line upon line experience freely given through faith in Jesus and His finished work and not through our works, rituals and ceremonies.  Many of us have been deceived by humanistic psychology, which is another gospel preaching another Jesus.  This gospel preaches against the effects of a dominating sin nature but will never give us victory over our sin nature.  If humanistic psychology could overcome sin there would have been no reason for Jesus to go to Calvary’s Cross.  The reason Jesus came to earth was to pay our sin debt and give us victory over sin but we must choose to partake in this life He came to give us and give us more abundantly.

“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” Romans 6:19.

Before our born again experience we are unable to yield ourselves unto God because we have no part in the Divine Nature.  Now that we are partakers of God’s Divine Nature through our Salvation experience, we are able to yield to Him and His will.  We are now able follow God’s plan but sadly many follow man’s scheme instead. They are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine constantly fighting the effects of their sin nature dominating their life.

Contrary to popular belief, satan can override a Christian’s will when they are not yielded to and partaking in God’s Divine Nature.   The Apostle Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 7:18.  This is why we must die to our flesh and yield our will to God’s Will.  Our will is woefully inadequate against the power of satan.  We will to do God’s will by rebuking the devil instead of actually stopping to yield our will to God’s Will.

It is only because of Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice that we are able to yield to God’s Will.  It is only because of Jesus Christ that we can be partakers of God’s Divine Nature.   It is only when we are partakers and yielded to God’s Will  because of our faith in Jesus’ finished work on Calvary’s Cross that our sin nature is dethroned in our lives.  Faith in our self efforts to fight the effects of the sin nature’s rule is not yielding to God’s plan of victory.  Sadly this is the gospel preached behind many pulpits today.

There is victory in the Cross of Jesus for each and every Child of God each and every day of our lives. This is picking up our cross daily – fighting the fight of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified and not placing our faith in our self efforts.  Man’s motivation is not God’s grace.  God’s grace flows through Calvary’s Cross.  Are you partaking in the Divine Nature?

-Donna Clark Warren