“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.” (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
Just as the fallen, unrighteous nature of Adam was
imparted to all men by natural birth, the holy, righteous nature of Christ is
imparted to all God's elect in the new birth. The righteousness of Christ is
imputed to us for justification. And the righteousness of Christ is imparted to
us in regeneration, by the irresistible power and effectual grace of God the Holy
Spirit (1 Pet.
I Am Not Saying
I am not saying that the believer is without sin! He is not. Sin is what we are by nature. Sin is mixed with all we do. Sin mars our best thoughts, blackens our best deeds, corrupts our best words, and defiles our noblest aspirations.
I am not saying that the old nature is changed in regeneration; it is not. Flesh is always flesh. It never improves. It never becomes spirit. It only corrupts, rots and, thank God, in time dies.
I am not saying that the believer's works can ever be accepted before God upon their own merit! They are not. We offer up our prayers and sacrifices to God, which are accepted by him, only upon the merits of Christ's righteousness and blood atonement (1 Pet. 2:5).
But I am saying that the person
who is born of God is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor.
There is a
constant warfare within! (See Rom. 7:14-25). All who are born of God mind the
things of God (
Those who do not have this imparted righteousness are no more born of God than those who do not have Christ's imputed righteousness are justified before God.
Don Fortner