Peter considers sinful desires to be the source of moral corruption which dominates the world and characterizes the heretics. If Christians are to stand firm against sinful desires, they need to be transformed by God through the knowledge of Christ. Believers have already escaped the world’s corruption in the sense that they belong to God, but the full realization of such liberation will be theirs on the day of resurrection.1 The corruption then that Peter has in mind is death and final judgment (see Romans 8:21; Colossians 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 1 Corinthians 15:50).2
4 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.