“Be Equipped With Divine Power And Divine Nature, But Do Not Be Complacent!”

“Be Equipped With Divine Power And Divine Nature, But Do Not Be Complacent!”(II Pt.1:3-8).
I spent quite some years teaching African Traditional Religion(ATR) at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Due to my mastery of the subject a good number of pastors who came in for a degree programme usually concluded that I was loaded with the mystical powers of ATR. I usually told them that when it comes to such African mystical powers that qualifies one to be a real man, they should consider me to be a woman.
A colleague once told me without mincing words that he has heard that nobody gets to top leadership without having some “mystical powers!” Of course, I have mystical powers but not in the sense that he meant it. He was talking about “Odeshi,” “Famla,” “Nyongo,” “Kupe,” etc.
Back in the early church there were those heretics who were derailing the Christians by teaching that one had to have some kind of esoteric knowledge in order to become knowledgeable in, and to possess spiritual powers. Peter had to remind the Christians as he is reminding us today that God’s “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.
As a Christian my faith teaches us and we know it that we have “divine powers!” Some times we confuse ourselves by thinking that divine powers is limited to the ability to perform miracles. As such we are ready to die for “miracle fakers” who project themselves as “miracle workers.”
Divine power manifests itself in our various domains of work. When we do it with the fear of the Lord and the results bring glory to his name, then that is divine power at work.
It is not enough to have divine powers if we are not yet pariticipating in his “divine nature.” To this end the Lord “has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
This is not to say we become divine like God but that he indwells us through his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us escape the corruption of this world caused by our evil desires.
What we desire reveals where we belong!
However, we do not become complacent because we have divine power and divine nature. We must of necessity “make every effort to add to our faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”
Possession of the above helps us in effective and productive knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us therefore seek divine power and be fulfilled in divine nature and let love lead.
Sunday prayer: Lord keep me effective and productive in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev. Babila Fochang.