As you can see that sort of mindfulness is all about self: One’s own thoughts, feelings, etc. Focus on self is not what the Christian is called to – to be aware of oneself, certainly, but our focus is to be on Christ and His Word! This is where we need to be mindful: apostle Peter said so!
2 PETER 3:1-2
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
The apostle here endeavors to remind us to be mindful of… what? How we feel? What we think? Our personal beliefs and perspectives? No: “of the words” spoken by those inspired by the Holy Spirit – the prophets of old, the apostles and the LORD Himself, Who is the Word Incarnate.
Peter wrote this reminder, and his epistles (and gospel titled as “Mark” and all of GOD’s amanuenses of the Bible) under the inspiration of the Spirit (2 PET 1:20-21; 2 TIM 3:16) and we have all of these writings as the authoritative, complete, plenary, inerrant Word of GOD in the original, extant manuscripts.
What was it that Peter wanted us to be mindful of? Well, as we’ve focused on the Word of GOD – that’s his intention!
The Bible is our spiritual sustenance: our bread, our meat, our water, our milk. It’s our counsel, comfort and compass; it’s our armor, accoutrements and access to the exclusive truth found in the Mind of GOD Himself, brought to us through the Holy Bible!
Peter then launches into the next few points that he wants us mindful of:
2 PETER 3:3-7
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
As we draw closer to the LORD’s Second Advent and more and more prophecy is either fulfilled or positioned to be fulfilled, validating that the Bible is in fact (as the late Dr. Chuck Missler has said) “an integrated message system sent to us from outside our space/time continuum”. That is, a message that ably foretells the future history of Earth by declaring it from outside of time itself.
Yet for all the certainty a person may acquire by a careful study of Scripture with an honest heart that inquires of GOD and His truth, we live in a time with cynicism, unbelief and even mockery is greater than at any other time.
People have seen something similar to the bearded, barefoot prophet/preacher with the placard hanging from his shoulders that says, “Repent, for the End Is Near!”.
“They’ve been saying that for thousands of years! So where is Jesus? Did He get a flat?”
Christ came 2,000 years ago and declared truth. Nothing He ever said has proven false (though many detractors often twist His words and intentionally misinterpret His meaning). He said that He would die and rise again the third day. And He indeed has risen – not in a day, or two days, or four: three days, exactly as He said.
He also said that He would send the Holy Spirit right before His ascension into heaven, and it happened. He said that He would come back – and we are awaiting His arrival, expecting Him just as He arrived in Bethlehem on that original Christmas morning – though the second time, He won’t be arriving as a cradled babe, but as the Beloved King!
Peter also wants us to be mindful of the fact that just as this world was destroyed by the Flood of Noah’s time (something that geological evidence points to quite clearly!), that it will be destroyed again – but this time by fire of a particular sort:
Nuclear fusion! But not the Earth only, but all of creation (minus souls):
2 PETER 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Just as certainly as the Earth suffered the global deluge, just as Christ certainly came to us 2,000 years ago, born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, lived under the authority of His earthly parents, began His ministry at thirty years of age, performed the prophesied Messianic miracles, preached the Gospel for three years, was then betrayed, crucified, died, buried and rose again the third day… and just so, we can be assured that this creation will have a terminus but then we His saints shall behold the work of His new creation (REV 21:1-3; 22:1-5; ISA 65:17; 66:22)!
Let us be mindful of these things saints, and be encouraged, and keep laboring in GOD’s Kingdom and not give up – eternal reward for fruitfulness is on its way (GAL 6:9)!
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