Key verses:
"The Lord is not slow about his promises, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
"But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth where righteousness is at home" (2 Peter 3:13).
Today's Epistle 2 Peter 3:9 declares that the Lord (ADONAI) does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance and attain salvation. Repentance involves changing one's mind and outlook. It is seeing God, oneself, other persons, circumstances and conditions from God's point of view. Repentance means seeing our relationships with God and other people in an entirely new and divine perspective. Repentance is people turning from error to truth, from darkness to light, and from death to life.
From God's divine perspective, repentance is the human initiative of mental preparation which God requires for mankind to be delivered from slavery to sin and pass over into the freedom of God's love in Christ. The Godhead is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. The Godhead in eternal and changeless. God does not measure time as humans do. With the Godhead, there is no delay in the coming and revelation of Christ (ADONAI, JEHOVAH). The Godhead and the kingdom of heaven are forever within us, among us and in our midst (Luke 17:20-21, 2 Peter 3:8)
Mankind's failure to discern and experience the revelation and coming of Christ is based on mankind's avoidance, denial and rejection of the eternal spiritual dimension of our human lives. In the mind of the flesh mankind cannot discern God's presence, faithfulness and promises. God therefore demands that all mankind repent from the mind of the flesh and clothe themselves in the mind of the spirit. The bible declared that in the mind of the flesh all human beings, traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups continue to suffer, perish, are destroyed and ultimately die (Romans 8:1-11). In the mind of the flesh, divine delays, God's long suffering and forbearance are misunderstood (2 Peter 3:9).
In the mind of the spirit however, mankind discerns God's faithfulness and the truth of God's word. In the mid of the spirit, believers experience God's sure promise of mankind's salvation, as proclaimed and revealed in Jesus Christ. In the mind of the spirit, the Man of Lawlessness is revealed, cast down and destroyed. The end times, the day of the Lord and the coming of Christ are all revealed and experienced in the spiritually awake believer, as thief in the night. These mysterious paschal experiences are often sudden, unexpected, and unexplainable, but always very real. They are frequently discerned as unitive experiences (Romans 8:12-17, 2 Peter 3:10).
In today's epistle, the apostle Paul outlines the faith, mindsets, attitudes and actions which Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based believers should have, within witnessing paschal faith communities, in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, throughout our planet earth? By steadfastly following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit, believers discern the need to practice daily repentance, not only for forgiveness of sins, but for spiritual formation and growth in righteousness. In the power of the Holy Spirit they are able to conduct their lives in holiness, godliness and peace, as they await and facilitate the coming, incarnation and manifestation of Christ in their personal lives, witnessing faith communities and throughout our planet (Romans 8:18-29, Peter 3:11-12).
By embracing life on earth in the mind of the spirit, these believers enter and dwell in new heavens and the new earth. Jesus declared that God's kingdom promises are fulfilled and inhabited by those who practice Christ-centered righteousness, agape love, compassion, mercy, civility, grace, peace and truth. Through the indwelling presence and power of the incarnate Godhead, believer seek to be morally, ethically and spiritually perfect (Matthew 6:33, 2 Peter 3:13).
Are you ready, willing and prepared to practice the repentance which God requires for salvation and kingdom living among all mankind, here on earth? Will you follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit, by casting down inappropriate left brain hemisphere dominion? Will you practice kingdom living, within witnessing paschal faith community here on earth, in the mind of the spirit, by embracing and daily practical application of appropriate right brain hemisphere dominion, in your personal and community life and relationships?
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