Divinization (Christian) - New Testament

New Testament

Paul the Apostle taught in numerous passages that humans are sons of God (as in Romans 8 of Paul's Epistle to the Romans). Paul conceives of the resurrection as immortalization. Paul also writes that the saints would judge the world and the angels, and "all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians he writes "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." The fact that Christians attain "the same image" indicates a close union and even identification with Christ, the image of God.

In John 10:34-36, Jesus is described as defending himself against a charge of blasphemy,

"The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself 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 Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?"

There are ample biblical passages to support the belief that men can become "Gods" by overcoming the world through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There are also several biblical passages which state that men may become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ and will inherit all things just as Christ inherits all things.

Latter-day Saints believe that they are received into the "church of the firstborn," meaning they inherit as though they were the firstborn. Those who become as God shall inherit all things, become one with Christ and with the Father and receive glory, although man will always be subject to God.