“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 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 ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” {RH January 14, 1909, par. 1}
There is a possibility of the believer in Christ obtaining an experience that will be wholly sufficient to place him in right relation to God. Every promise that is in God’s Book holds out to us the encouragement that we may be partakers of the divine nature. This is the possibility—to rely upon God, to believe his Word, to work his works; and this we can do when we lay hold of the divinity of Christ. This possibility is worth more to us than all the riches in the world. There is nothing on earth that can compare with it. As we lay hold of the power thus placed within our reach, we receive a hope so strong that we can rely wholly upon God’s promises; and laying hold of the possibilities there are in Christ, we become the sons and daughters of God. {RH January 14, 1909, par. 2}
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Christ stood by every word of God, and he prevailed. If we would always take such a position as this when tempted, refusing to dally with temptation or argue with the enemy, the same experience would be ours. It is when we stop to reason with the devil, that we are overcome. It is for us to know individually that we are right in the warfare, to take the affirmative in the sight of God, and there to stand. It is thus that we obtain the divine power promised, through which we obtain “all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” {RH January 14, 1909, par. 5}
There is such a thing as being partakers of the divine nature. We shall all be tempted in a variety of ways; but when we are tempted, we need to remember that provision has been made whereby we may overcome. “Go so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He who truly believes in Christ is made a partaker of the divine nature, and has power that he can appropriate under every temptation. He will not fall under temptation, and be left to defeat. In time of trial he will claim the promises, and by these escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. {RH January 14, 1909, par. 6}
We think it costs us something to stand in this position before the world; and so it does. But what has our salvation cost the heavenly universe? To make us partakers of the divine nature, heaven gave its most costly treasure. The Son of God laid aside his royal robe and kingly crown, and came to our earth as a little child. He pledged himself to live from infancy to manhood a perfect life. He engaged to stand in a fallen world as the representative of the Father. And he would die in behalf of a lost race. What a work was this! If he should fail, if he should be overcome by temptation, a world would be lost. {RH January 14, 1909, par. 7}
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Christ suffered all this that he might obtain your salvation, and mine. By his life of sacrifice and death of shame, he has made it possible for us to take hold of divinity, and to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. There is a battle going on between the powers of darkness and the children of light,—a battle that means humiliation of self at every step. Where are those who will stand? There are some who will. Where are those who understand what it means to be partakers of the divine nature, and to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust? If you are partakers of the divine nature, you will day by day be obtaining a fitting for the life that measures with the life of God. Day by day you will purify your trust in Jesus and follow his example, growing into his likeness until you shall stand before him perfected. {RH January 14, 1909, par. 13}
… By beholding the works of Christ, humanity will take hold upon divinity. There the appeal to souls is made, and he never turns one away. Whatever may be the position in life, whatever the past may have been, he will still receive. {RH January 14, 1909, par. 14}
Sermon preached at Loma Linda, Cal., Sabbath morning, August 29, 1908