Quote:
Originally Posted by Oregon
My problem with this teaching is that I don't believe I am becoming God.......I believe I am entering into God and abiding in Him and partaking of what he is. To me that is a very different thought. The LC people are looking for some kind of transformation in their being over time that will be a vindication of this truth. Many have become discouraged and even fallen away over the years because this so called change never happens. In my thought.....it isn't supposed to happen and isn't going to happen. It's a flawed teaching that sets people up for great disapointment.
Jesus said "I am the vine and you are the branches..........abide in me and I in you." If the branch does not abide in the vine it becomes withered and is good to be burned. That is my experience. I'm not becoming God......I am just me......the fallen sinner in need of God constantly. I only exibit a change in my life and being as long as I abide in him. If I cease.....I wither away and am just my old self again. I believe this is what is taught in the NT and is real to me. The "becoming God" thing has never been real to me and I don't believe it is what the NT teaches.
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We need to do some Bible study. God did indeed say he would sanctify us completely as if it were a process, because of these verses:
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 "
Notice he said "He will surely" sanctify us completely. Another verse says he disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. Discipline is definitely a process.
"For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. Hebrews 12:10 "
Being sanctified completely means we will become God in his sanctified nature, which means we will become him in his nature.
Witness Lee points out we are partakers of the divine nature, which is clearly stated in 2 Peter 1:4:
"by which 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 1:4 "
As for becoming life, being God in his life means that we will share his imperishable or incorruptible property. This equates to us being transformed into an imperishable body in the resurrection. We will become imperishable beings in the resurrection according to 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; thus, we will become God in his life.
"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 "
Though we are partakers of the divine nature and life of God, we are not somewhat different from God because of 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 which says we should not proclaim to follow anyone but Christ. He is still our head shepherd. Because we can only worship the Head (Revelation 19:10), this makes us different from the Head because none of us are allowed to worship saints.