All human beings seek for a sense of accomplishment—a sense of satisfaction. That satisfaction comes from an innate sense of our existence; human living was brought into existence on the earth for a purpose. At times when we are alone or bored, we may realize that we have lost that sense of existence, or the purpose of our life. We may not know why or what to do about it, but suddenly we feel lonely, listless, and purposeless. Even when we have work, studies, or chores to occupy us, we still find it difficult to engage our being fully. These days, in the midst of the pandemic, we experience this a lot. Our sense of existence should not be taken for granted; it is very important to our human life, especially in our day-to-day living. If we don’t have that sense that we are living unto something meaningful in our daily actions and experiences, we simply won’t be satisfied as human beings. And if we don’t find that satisfaction each day, that will impact our emotions, our condition, and our efficiency to carry out our daily living properly. Human beings live in time, but human beings are designed in a way that isn’t physical; every moment requires that sense of satisfaction, or sense of existing. If we don’t have that, our lives will be meaningless; moreover, we will be “off the mark” from the purpose of our existence. But how do we gain that satisfaction?
2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord does not delay regarding the promise, as some count delay, but is long-suffering toward you, not intending that any perish but that all advance to repentance.” Peter uses the word “advance,” but, according to the original Greek, this word chōreō can also be translated as “come forward.” It is easy enough to understand that we should repent, but what does it mean to “come forward” to repent? The word chōreō can also mean “having room, having a place, having a space.” Here, we see that Peter is indicating that we need to have a condition, or a state of being, to take this privilege to come forward—that we must make room in space and time. So it is not just that “we come” or “advance” in action; it is also to repent “in advance” in time and space—to catch the moment now, without delay. The church life today is our opportunity to catch the time and to advance to repentance today. In other places in the Bible, this word is also translated as “receive” (Matt. 19:11-12; Mar.2:2; 2 Cor. 7:2). We need a condition and a space to receive repentance—to “make room in our heart.” We may be quick to say we are ready to receive, but before we can receive, we should see whether we have room inside of us so that we can come forward to receive this repentance.
The Lord’s speaking is a privilege to us if we believe it and live it out. We need direct contact with the Word, not just as words, but as life. Everyone can read the Bible, but not everyone has the condition—the intimate knowing of the purpose of our existence—that allows us to realize repentance, or any other word in the Bible, in our living. If we want to find that sense of existence, ownership, and satisfaction, we need to come to the Bible in this condition of “advancing.” We may not know how to read Greek, but this is the beauty of the Lord’s word—it is real in our experience. The Bible is not a book of dead knowledge; the Bible is the book of life. No other book interprets human life with such truth and precision, and we need an experiential process to understand and interpret it. Only in the Bible do we find that sense of existence, ownership, and satisfaction, and only in a condition of “advancing” do we find that sense realized in our daily living.
Today, the Lord Himself—through His word—has revealed to us the purpose of our existence. But are we living out that purpose? If we are, it is a privilege to be in the condition of “coming forward”—of existing according to who we were made to be. Only in this condition can we say “one day is a thousand years” (v. 8). The measurement of one day or a thousand years is not just the experience of literal time; it is only experienced by us when we have grasped this sense of existence. We have come forward, we have made room, and we have received this salvation. Because we are saved, we can be in His measurement—His space and His time. We are finite beings, but we live unto eternity, and time and space are simply the means by which we can live out the purpose of our existence—to realize divinity in our humanity. One moment that happens in our human life can carry eternity, and each moment is judged and counted on the eternal scale. Eternal life is not just something to come—it is something we can “advance to,” “come forward to,” “make room for,” and “receive” today.
(Above are notes of fellowship taken from gatherings on 2/5/2021 & 2/7/2021 not reviewed by the speaker.)