“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 ESV).
Another potential misinterpretation arises from this reference to “partakers of the divine nature” here in 2 Peter 1:4: partaking in the divine nature does not mean individual human identities will be absorbed into the divine.
Some eastern religions seek to achieve human oneness with an eternal “Universal Soul,” much like a raindrop becomes one with the ocean. (1) However, those who partake of the divine nature in Christ do not forfeit their individual identities. Perhaps the clearest support for this idea comes from Peter’s own experience as he witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration…
“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters– one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah'” (Matthew 17:1-4 NIV).
While the focus of this passage centers on the revelation of Jesus’ divine glory, there is one aspect of this encounter that relates to our discussion of 2 Peter 1:4. That aspect involves the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Notice that Moses and Elijah were visually distinguishable during their interaction with Jesus. We can see other such examples in the accounts of Abraham (Luke 16:19-31) and Samuel (1 Samuel 28:7-19) as well.
Jesus also affirmed that individuals like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to retain their personal identities in the afterlife (Mark 12:26-27). Because of this, we should have confidence that those who partake of the divine nature through Christ will also maintain their individual identities when they pass from this life.
So this reference to partaking of the divine nature aptly describes those who become new creations in Christ and reflect the attributes of God’s divine nature. As the Biblical epistle of 1 John tells us, “Those who are children of God do not continue to sin, for God’s very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin” (1 John 3:9 GNT).
(1) See Ferguson, Sinclair B, Wright, David F. New Dictionary of Theology, “Buddhism And Christianity” © Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Leicester, England, 1988 [pg.112]