II Peter 1:4. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
The promises of God are rich, unbreakable, glorious! One of these days, I’m going to do a topical study on all the promises of God.
Whereby: Through the knowledge of God, through His Word, we will learn:
Exceeding great: The Greek word is megistos. It means superlative; not to be improved. Did you ever make a promise you were unable, or simply forgot, to keep? That terrible, sinking sensation when you realize that you broke your promise is awful. God will never do that. What He promises, He performs.
Promises: A promise is “a self-committal (by assurance of conferring some good).” (BlueLetterBible.com). Can a promise ever be assurance of something NOT so good? Well, I suppose so. More than once I promised my four children certain dire results if they persisted in their present behavior. But usually, we think of God’s promises in a positive sense.
Partakers of the Divine nature: Through God’s promises, we become participants in His divine nature. We share in the blessing of His being, enjoying His blessings. We share in fellowship with one another. His divine nature is simply Who He is, far above the vagaries of our human nature. It is a great blessing to be invited to take part in His divine nature!
In Christ, we can escape worldly, carnal lusts. In Him, we can grow to find those lusts unattractive, disgusting, even repellent. His promises give us the joy of fellowship in Him, with Him, in concert with other believers.
Linda's Bible Study 