Sanctified by his Spirit and blood; new birth hope; Spirit of Christ in prophets

See: according to the foreknowledge of God the Father he named himself an apostle of Christ. Explaining the manner of that apostleship, he says it was done “in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” So when those who believe in him are sanctified by the Spirit, and he also sprinkles us with his blood for cleansing, how would the one who sanctifies with his own Spirit and cleanses believers with his blood not be understood as God? For God was in flesh.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.” If God begot us to a living and abiding hope, and Christ has done this through his own resurrection from the dead, how would he not be God?

“Concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you searched and inquired, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating.” See again: here the Holy Spirit is called Christ’s, though he is God’s. So Christ is God, as one who has the Holy Spirit as his own.