THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR EVERY MAN

In 2 Peter 3:9, we read, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  I know, you thought I was going to say it is God's will that all men should be saved.  Well, in a round-about way, I did.  When a person "comes to repentance," in the sense it is used here, it means he "comes to understand the Gospel, and he turns to follow Jesus."  Notice the context for 2 Peter 3:9 is God patiently withholding judgment so that all who will come to Christ, have a chance to do so! 

The message His disciples were to preach, was given to them by Jesus just prior to His Ascension.  Matthew's Gospel focuses on spreading the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), baptizing those who believe the Gospel, and training new believers according to the doctrines of Christ (Mt. 28:19-20).  Mark's Gospel presents Christ's charge to them, but omits the element of discipleship; he wrote:  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..." (Mk. 16:15-16).  In John's Gospel, Jesus' instruction focuses upon Peter, telling him three times, to feed His sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).  Luke's Gospel literally focuses on the Gospel message itself.  He wrote: 

"And He said unto them, 'These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.'  Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things'" (Lk. 24:44-48).

The Gospel proclaims the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; that is "remission of sins" (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  "Repentance," the turning to follow Christ, is the natural response to those who believe the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-2)!  In other words, the Gospel not only tells us what Christ has done for us, but it shows what believing it does to us!  If one genuinely believes that God loved us that much, the only response possible, is to turn from a life focused on sin, and to a life focused on living in a way that brings honor to our Savior! 

We are not righteous because we have faith in Christ;

we are righteous because Christ replaced our sin with HIS righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)!