The promises of God point us ultimately to the reality that we “may become partakers of the divine nature.” The Greek word “koinos” is translated “partner”, “fellowship”, “companion”, as well as “partaker”. Our Orthodox brothers cite this verse in support of “deification”. They do not mean that we become God but we become like God. John Wesley saw this as sanctification, the process and actions by which a holy God makes His children holy. That God can take poor sinners like we were, wash and cleanse us so that we can partake of the divine nature, should make us fall in humility and awe.
“He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3 ESV)
