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How to Enjoy Heaven, March 30
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 Peter 1:4
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The design of God in giving us rich promises is stated by the apostle
Peter—that we “might be partakers of the divine nature.” We must have
earthly, worldly tastes transformed to the divine and heavenly. Heaven
would be no heaven to you or to me if our tastes and our meditations and
our temper were not Christlike. The pure and heavenly mansions which
Christ has gone to prepare for His children are such as the redeemed alone
can value by being made meet for them by the inward work of grace in
their hearts.
I might picture to you the blessedness of heaven, the crowns laid up
for the conquerors, the white linen which is the righteousness of Christ,
the palm branches of victory, and the harps of gold. But all these alone
will not make heaven a place of bliss for any one of us. Without any of
these, if we have pure and holy characters, we would be happy, for we
would have Jesus and His love. Purity and innocence and conformity to
Christ’s character will make heaven enjoyable. All the faculties will be
strengthened, all in harmony. Perfect bliss can only dwell in the heart
where Christ reigns supreme.
Christ came to our world to die, the Just for the unjust, ... that He might
elevate and ennoble men and women and stamp His divine image upon
them. For this His Spirit strives with us that there may be an ever advancing
vigor and perfection of spiritual life
We need not retain one sinful propensity.... As we partake of the divine
nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from
the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of
the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God
in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, that man
may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together
with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in
Jesus
[96]
39
Letter 4, 1895
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40
S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:943
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95