Pentecost XVI Bottom Line Spirituality:Worldly and Godly Thinking

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Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Mark 8:27-38. "Who do you say that I am?" There is a very fine line between how you think "up and in" or "down and out".

What you think about this parable is irrelevant.

How you think, either abiding or not abiding, is what is relevant.

In one dimensional rational thinking the event creates the thought that creates the feeling. Event + Thought = Feeling

E + T = F

In two dimensional spiritual thinking the feeling in the Presence creates the thought in the event. Feeling + Thought = Event.

F + T = E

Jesus went with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, "Who do people say that I am?"  Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." In Matthew 16:17 Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."

Peter was consciously responding to who Jesus was by being in His Presence. His feeling of being in the Presence created his rational thought about who Jesus was.

Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Him. Turning and looking at His disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

Peter was out of the Presence. The thought of Jesus being crucified created His rational thoughts which created his feelings of fear and anger.

We cannot get too sentimental over Peter's Confession. He confessed that Jesus was God because God revealed Himself to Peter as He has revealed Himself to us. Remember our theory is that most, if not all, of the apostles were Zealots. They are the ones who would give up all and follow Jesus.

They were looking for the Messiah, but not the one we know.  This was the Messiah, the Son of David. He would drive out the hated Romans, restore David's Kingdom and only the faithful would then live in Peace and Prosperity forever. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Him to get Him to start thinking right.

Jesus must rebuke Peter in front of His disciples. He tells them and us how to follow Him. When out of the Presence, our thoughts of events create our feelings that create our old life. To follow Jesus we need to lose our old life. We deny the old self and crucify it by opening our conscious heart to abide in His Presence.  These feelings create our thoughts for our real life. In trying to save the old life, we will lose the new life in Christ. We lose the old life when we open ourselves to His Presence and the Gospel of grace.

I call this the "Peter Principle." What we think is irrelevant. How we think, either in or out of the Presence, is relevant. We think differently when we set our mind on divine things rather than on human things. Spiritual understanding discovers the difference being in or out of abiding with Jesus makes, in our thoughts and feelings.

Here is a chance to try the Peter Principle.

What is the difference in understanding of what Jesus is saying when you rationally think out of the Presence or spiritually become conscious of abiding in His Presence?