Through and on the basis of the Lord's glory and virtue, by and to which we have been called, God has given us His precious and exceedingly great promises.

[jidong xiao]

在一章四节彼得继续说，“藉这荣耀和美德，祂已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫你们既逃离世上从情欲来的败坏，就藉着这些应许，得有分于神的性情。”我们看过，这里的介系词“藉”也可译为因着或基于。神用主的荣耀和美德呼召我们，并且呼召我们到这荣耀和美德；藉着并基于这荣耀和美德，神已将祂又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们。

“藉这荣耀和美德”这话将三节和四节连接起来，到底有甚么意义，这是不容易明白的。要对此有正确的认识，我们需要经历，也需要属灵的悟性。这里彼得是说，藉着神的荣耀和美德，神已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们。这指明神若没有呼召我们到祂自己的荣耀和美德，祂就不需要赐给我们应许。但神已呼召我们到祂自己的荣耀和美德。这目标是浩大、广阔、深奥的。谁能达到神自己的荣耀和美德？我们没有人能达到这目标。所以，在我们迈向这目标的路上，需要神应许的话给我们保证，鼓励我们，加强我们，并催促我们。

In 1:4 Peter continues, "Through which He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises, that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world by lust." We have seen that the preposition "through" here may also be rendered on account of or on the basis of. The relative pronoun "which" refers to the glory and virtue in verse 3. Through and on the basis of the Lord's glory and virtue, by and to which we have been called, God has given us His precious and exceedingly great promises. 

It is not easy to know the meaning of the words "through which" as they connect verses 3 and 4. In order to have the proper knowledge of this, we need experience and also spiritual understanding. Here Peter is saying that through the divine glory and virtue God has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises. This indicates that if God had not called us to His own glory and virtue, there would be no need for Him to give us promises. But God has called us to His own glory and virtue. This goal is great, vast, profound. Who is able to reach God's own glory and virtue? None of us is able to arrive at this goal. Therefore, there is the need of God's word of promise to assure us, encourage us, strengthen us, and speed us on our way toward this goal.