~/john/17/21/theosis {The unity shared by believers and God is not just nominally described in this verse. Rather it emphasizes a real union that is much greater than one might initially consider. On the surface, Christ is praying for the unity of believers here on Earth, but we may root this in the concept of theosis/divinization. This is, our process towards sanctification in God. Theosis is tied directly to our adoption as children of God, so that we may participate in the divine nature. This does not describe a substantial change or an altering of natures. Rather a participation in the attributes of the divine life of Christ. Insofar as we understand that we do not possess the divine nature by essence or by a new divine substance. Rather we participate in the divine nature by sharing in Christ's sonship, holiness, and Communion with the Trinity. An analogy of iron in a fire is typically used to understand what this participation may look like. Imagine a chunk of iron placed in a red hot fire, the iron may adopt the properties of the fire such as being red hot, producing light, and giving off heat and in this way the iron is fire or fire-like, participating in the properties of the fire here. However it is still substantially iron as our substance remains throughout divinization.}