Participants of the Divine Nature

Ministry in Word

Participants of the Divine Nature – Part 1

与神的性情有分-第一部

Based on Charles H. Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening devotional
2 Peter 1:3-4
彼得後书1:3-4

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
「神的神能已将一切关乎生命和虔敬的事赐给我们，皆因我们认识那用自己荣耀
和美德召我们的主。因此，他已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫我们既脱离
世上从情欲来的败坏，就得与神的性情有分。」

Great and Precious Promises
又宝贵又极大的应许

Apostle Peter writes in these Scriptures that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. All that we need for living a godly life have been given us, we don’t need anything any more. How did it happen? God did so through our knowledge of Him, through our getting to know Him more in our daily reading and meditation of His Word, the Bible, in our daily prayer to Him, and in our daily walk with Him validating what we know with what we experience and vice versa. Through His own glory and goodness He called us into His great and precious promises. What do His promises aim at? Their purpose is to get us to participate in the divine nature and avoid the corruption in the world.
使徒彼得在这段经文中写道，神已赐给我们一切所需关乎生命和虔敬的事。一切
所需来过虔敬生命的事都已赐给我们了，再不需要什麽了。这是如何发生的呢？
神藉着我们对他的认识、藉着我们每天阅读和默想神的话与祷告来更认识他，以
及藉着我们每天与他同行以我们知道的和我们经历的彼比印证来
成就这事。他以自己的荣耀和美德召我们进入他宝贵又极大的应
许中。他的应许的目标何在呢？它们的目的是要叫我们与神的性
情有分和脱离世上从情欲来的败坏。

Christ’s Divine Nature Is Our Power to Live Victoriously
基督之神的性情是我们过得胜生活的力量

We cannot rely on our own strength to escape the corruption in the world, we must depend on Christ. Not only that, we must acquire the divine nature of Christ in order to succeed in living a godly life. As Jesus had said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5) The branch must be a part of the vine to be able to bear fruit, for it is the nature of the vine to bear fruit. A man must be a part of Christ to be able to live a godly life, for it is Christ’s divine nature to be godly. A man must participate in Christ’s divine nature to live a godly life. Christ’s divine nature is our power to live victoriously.
我们不能靠自己的力量来脱离世上的败坏，一定要倚靠基督。不单如此，我们得
与神的性情有分才能过敬虔的生活。正如耶稣曾说，「我是葡萄树，你们是枝
子。常在我里面的，我也常在他里面，这人就多结果
子；因为离了我，你们就不能做甚麽。」〔约15:5〕枝
子必须是葡萄树的一部分才能结果子，因为结果子就是
葡萄树的性情。一个人必须是基督的一部分才能过敬虔
的生活，因为敬虔就是基督之神的性情。基督之神的性
情是我们过得胜生活的力量。

You may ask, “Do the participants of the divine nature become God?” No, they do not become God. They do not participate in the essence of Deity but only the nature. God is the Creator and they remain the creatures. There is a great divide between the intrinsic nature of the creature and the Creator.
你可能会问，「与神的性情有分的人会变成神吗？」不会的，他们不会变成神
的。他们并非与神的本质有分，而只是与神的性情有分。神是创造者而他们仍是
受造物。在创造者与受造物的实质之间有一极大的区分。

To be continued next week.
下周待续。

May we escape the corruption in this world and to participate in the divine nature, so that
our life may bring glory to God and blessings to man.

愿我们脱离世上的败坏，得与神的性情有分，好让我们的生命可以给神带来荣
耀，给人带来祝福。

Tom and Tehwan Tso
仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

“信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9