Peter thought that he could do a spiritual thing through the
strength of his own will. You know how
that worked for him. It’s easy to sit in
judgement over Peter. Shaking our
knowing heads. No way Peter! Who do you
think you are? And yet, we are guilty of
the same thing. Trying to be Christians
… do the right thing … in the power of our flesh. Letting our emotions be a poor substitute for
the Spirit of God. Thinking that our own
plans are equal with the plans and will of God.
Essentially denying the sovereignty of God .. trying to be our own
god. What! No way you say. Yes way!
Everything we do .. everything we say .. what we think .. what we want
.. should be .. must be … in the context of whose we are and who God is. Look … our life after our rebirth is a
struggle. Our old nature wants to rule
and guide, but our new nature has another ruler and another guide. In all fairness to Peter, he had not received
the Holy Spirit so he lacked the power to be and do in a way that would
overcome. Read this account of Peter
being confronted after he received the Spirit of God.
“The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of
the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were
Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had
Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power
or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to
them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today
for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he
was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the
dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the
cornerstone.’” – Acts 4:5-11
Is that the same guy that denied Jesus before people around
a fire? Yes and no. It was Peter, but the new Peter not the old
one. Now Peter could have stood before
those religious leaders, even with the Spirit in him and responded with his
flesh. If he had, he would have failed
just like before. The first time, Peter
did not glorify God, he protected himself.
The second time, he did glorify God at the peril of prison or
worse. The difference was who he was
trusting in.
“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his
right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name
of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up
and stand firm.” – Psalm 20:6-8
That can be you as you face life each day – the threat of
the COVID-19 virus pandemic. You will
always be tested to trust in yourself and not God. To respond to a situation with emotion and
not devotion. If you are wondering where
the victory in Jesus is in daily living .. that may be the root of your problem. You are trying to do what only God can do
through you. Examine your heart. Draw close to God through the Word and
prayer. Pick up your cross daily and
follow Jesus.
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the
Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For
His Glory Alone
No comments:
Post a Comment