Theosis: Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature - Contemporary Example

A contemporary example of this content

The Eastern Orthodox tradition proclaims the most audacious truth in Christianity: we are called to become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). This is theosis—deification or union with God. The Incarnation makes this possible: God became human so that humans might become divine by grace. This isn't pantheism or the obliteration of our humanity. We remain creatures, but creatures transformed by divine grace, united to God as Christ prayed: 'that they may be one as we are one' (John 17:21). The Church Fathers taught that the goal of Christian life is theosis. Athanasius declared, 'God became man so that man might become god.' This transformation happens through participation in the divine energies—God's activity and presence that we can truly experience while His essence remains beyond our comprehension. The sacraments, especially the Eucharist, are central to this process. When we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we participate in His divine life. Prayer, fasting, and spiritual discipline prepare us for this mystical union. The Orthodox emphasis on icons reflects this truth—they are windows to heaven, connecting us to the divine reality. Like Paul, we can say 'I no longer live, but Christ lives in me' (Galatians 2:20). This isn't merely forensic justification but real transformation—becoming by grace what Christ is by nature.