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Nov 12, 2011

81 Is divine human nature a free gift


Now 2 Peter vs 2 Peter

The New Testament letter 2 Peter, allegedly written by the apostle Peter, says that God gives Christians supernatural gifts

2 Peter 1:3 God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. 4 In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.” 

The letter declares that Christians receive divine gifts during their lifetime. The catch is that Christians are required to be extra nice

5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; 7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.  

They should be kind to people or their divine gift might go to waste  

8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.

It’s as if Christians have won a lottery prize worth lot of money but then must go to work to get it.

Further, there’s a chance that they won’t get to heaven if they become negligent in their Christian duties

11 In this way you will be given the full right to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Recap: I would expect they are assured a place in heaven once they have a ticket to get there. But they must do things to earn the gift, their new divine nature. A gift is supposed to be free.

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