Can Humans Become God?
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There was some Greek Orthodox concept that embodied the idea of "becoming God". My understanding is that this comes from Paul's line about 'I have died but Christ rose up in my place'. The concept in reality is less about "becoming God" and more about letting your own earthly wants and wills die and to have that carnal nature replaced by God's nature. I don't remember the term off the top of my head. There was a user here that spoke in favour of it at one point.
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TRUE story - this really happened in real life - i was friends with a Brother in Christ, who was a pastor. He would preach heavily, relentlessly on 1 Cor 15:31 "I die daily" and Galatians 2 "i am crucified with Christ" and other passages that teach us to "die to self".
This pastor told me, personally, face to face, that he firmly believed if he were to completely die to self then he would never die physically, because he is no longer alive but Christ living in Him.
Long TRUE story made short now = he wound up developing serious health issues over a period of 10 - 15 years and he died relatively young - before his time, for sure.
i believe God took him (in LOVE, for he was truly Saved) because he was in danger of becoming a cult and leading others astray.
So this TRUE account belongs on this thread for the obvious reason, that we cannot become God/Christ.
This pastor told me, personally, face to face, that he firmly believed if he were to completely die to self then he would never die physically, because he is no longer alive but Christ living in Him.
Long TRUE story made short now = he wound up developing serious health issues over a period of 10 - 15 years and he died relatively young - before his time, for sure.
i believe God took him (in LOVE, for he was truly Saved) because he was in danger of becoming a cult and leading others astray.
So this TRUE account belongs on this thread for the obvious reason, that we cannot become God/Christ.
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.
How about we put it like this:
Is it possible for a human to be promoted to the rank of God, and thus be
endowed with all the prerogatives, privileges, and powers that are typically
associated with the one true God?
Were such a promotion possible, it would make the recipient worthy of the
same respect, worship, and submission that the top God is worthy of-- the
recipient would be, in practicality, the top God's equal.
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How about we put it like this:
Is it possible for a human to be promoted to the rank of God, and thus be
endowed with all the prerogatives, privileges, and powers that are typically
associated with the one true God?
Were such a promotion possible, it would make the recipient worthy of the
same respect, worship, and submission that the top God is worthy of-- the
recipient would be, in practicality, the top God's equal.
_
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How about we let the WORD put it like this:
And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.
They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 4
And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.
They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 4
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This requires wisdom.
The answer is "yes" but only within the nature of the Living God.
"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?"
Now, to a church tradition that aims to keep the people immature, this appears to be blasphemous. Indeed, even the religious people of Jesus' day accused Him of blasphemy.
Part of our folly comes from the tradition whereby we think of ourselves, even after reconciliation, as merely sinners saved by grace. This is not correct. While we all start our lives lost to God, once we are reconciled to Him, we may partake of His divine nature.
2Peter 1:2-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature..."
Now, it's the quality of the divine nature that has alluded us. In another's example above, for instance, we cannot say that divine nature causes our bodies to live forever. That is foolish. Our current bodies have a shelf life. When our bodies die, we are given a new body that is fit for eternal living. It is also not perfect power, or the right to rule in government, or the right to lord over others because of our status in Christ. No. The way we are to be perfect, like God, is in love.
The love of God prefers the other over themselves. We see this characteristic in the God: God the Father gives His Son for the remission of the sins of man; God the Son gives His life for the sake of others, preferring their lives above His own and submitting to the Father's will; The Holy Spirit submits to the Father and Son and speaks only what He hears. In these, they are perfect in love. And, as we are led by His Spirit and not by our own ideas, God gives us more responsibility to handle the affairs of His Kingdom. By this, by the demonstration that Christ lives through us, we are given, in increasing measure, the divine nature, because more of Him is required for more responsibility. By this truth, to God, we are not "another", we are actually in Christ (the corporate man), reconciling the world to Himself.
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
So yes, we are gods but only in the pattern of the divine nature of the Living God. We are not a member of a pantheon or a divine council. We do not inherit planets like some foolish doctrine suggests. We are members of the divine family of God, His sons. And we are called to perfect in love as He is perfect in love. By this, the we are partakers of the divine nature.
This is merely an outline of my thoughts. I could write pages on the topic of partaking of the divine nature. I hesitated to answer because of all the bad teaching I know has infected the church. There is this sort of "false humility" that pervades the American church culture so many are unable to receive any scripture that suggests we partake of the divine nature in Christ. As it is, in many ways these teachings are above my pay grade. May you be blessed as you seek the truth of the Truth.
Aaron56
The answer is "yes" but only within the nature of the Living God.
"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?"
Now, to a church tradition that aims to keep the people immature, this appears to be blasphemous. Indeed, even the religious people of Jesus' day accused Him of blasphemy.
Part of our folly comes from the tradition whereby we think of ourselves, even after reconciliation, as merely sinners saved by grace. This is not correct. While we all start our lives lost to God, once we are reconciled to Him, we may partake of His divine nature.
2Peter 1:2-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature..."
Now, it's the quality of the divine nature that has alluded us. In another's example above, for instance, we cannot say that divine nature causes our bodies to live forever. That is foolish. Our current bodies have a shelf life. When our bodies die, we are given a new body that is fit for eternal living. It is also not perfect power, or the right to rule in government, or the right to lord over others because of our status in Christ. No. The way we are to be perfect, like God, is in love.
The love of God prefers the other over themselves. We see this characteristic in the God: God the Father gives His Son for the remission of the sins of man; God the Son gives His life for the sake of others, preferring their lives above His own and submitting to the Father's will; The Holy Spirit submits to the Father and Son and speaks only what He hears. In these, they are perfect in love. And, as we are led by His Spirit and not by our own ideas, God gives us more responsibility to handle the affairs of His Kingdom. By this, by the demonstration that Christ lives through us, we are given, in increasing measure, the divine nature, because more of Him is required for more responsibility. By this truth, to God, we are not "another", we are actually in Christ (the corporate man), reconciling the world to Himself.
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
So yes, we are gods but only in the pattern of the divine nature of the Living God. We are not a member of a pantheon or a divine council. We do not inherit planets like some foolish doctrine suggests. We are members of the divine family of God, His sons. And we are called to perfect in love as He is perfect in love. By this, the we are partakers of the divine nature.
This is merely an outline of my thoughts. I could write pages on the topic of partaking of the divine nature. I hesitated to answer because of all the bad teaching I know has infected the church. There is this sort of "false humility" that pervades the American church culture so many are unable to receive any scripture that suggests we partake of the divine nature in Christ. As it is, in many ways these teachings are above my pay grade. May you be blessed as you seek the truth of the Truth.
Aaron56
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