Linked to the Divine, January 17
            
            
              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
            
            
              .
            
            
              The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity, and
            
            
              lived a sinless life, that men might have no fear that because of the
            
            
              weakness of human nature they could not overcome.
            
            
              “The prince of this world cometh,” said Jesus, “and hath nothing in
            
            
              me.”
            
            
              John 14:30
            
            
              . There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s
            
            
              sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield
            
            
              to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with
            
            
              divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy
            
            
              Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long
            
            
              as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us.
            
            
              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.
            
            
              How this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did
            
            
              He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the Word of God. Only
            
            
              by the Word could He resist temptation. “It is written,” He said. And
            
            
              unto us are given “exceeding great and precious promises: that by these
            
            
              ye might be partakers of the divine nature....” Every promise in God’s
            
            
              Word is ours.... When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances
            
            
              or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength
            
            
              is yours.
            
            
              Grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: “Him that cometh
            
            
              to me I will in no wise cast out.”
            
            
              John 6:37
            
            
              . As you come to Him,
            
            
              believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never
            
            
              perish while you do this—never.
            
            
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