Through these things he has freely given us the precious and very grand promises, that through these you may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust.”​—2 Pet. 1:3, 4.

15. Why are the God-given promises “precious and very grand”?

¹⁵ God’s marvelous arrangement for salvation as revealed in the “good news” gave first-century Christians “precious and very grand promises.” These promises were precious or valuable in providing comfort, encouragement and sustaining power in facing the world’s hatred. When we consider that the believers to whom Peter wrote looked forward to sharing in Christ’s glory as joint heirs in his kingdom, we must agree with the apostle that they had received “very grand promises.”​—2 Pet. 1:4a.

16, 17. What effect do the divine promises have on believers?

¹⁶ What did these promises do for first-century believers? Peter’s answer is: “Through these you may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Pet. 1:4b) In other words, the promises of God furnished the basis for their becoming “sharers in divine nature.” The hope of first-century Christians was for them to be associated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom and to be like him. (Rom. 8:17) Since the Son is ‘the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being,’ all who come to be like Jesus Christ are also like the Father. (Heb. 1:3) The apostle John wrote: “Beloved ones, now we are children of God, but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be. We do know that whenever he is made manifest we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is. And everyone who has this hope set upon him purifies himself just as that one is pure.”​—1 John 3:2, 3.

¹⁷ Thus, by sharing in the glory of the Son of God, spirit-begotten Christians become partakers of “divine nature.” This grand hope based on God’s sure promises provided strong incentive for them to do their utmost to purify themselves of all worldly defilement. The apostle Peter made the same point about being clean, for he showed that “sharers in divine nature” had “escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust.” “Lust,” a passion for that to which a person is not entitled, is the source of the world’s corruption or defilement. It is from this defilement that believers had escaped when they availed themselves of God’s means of salvation and then applied themselves in conforming to the divine standard of holiness, cleanness or purity. As was true of first-century believers, the promises contained in the Scriptures can move us to continue purifying ourselves.