"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.'" - Matthew 16:37-17
That is the same Peter who would later deny that he was ever associated with Jesus. How could that be? At one moment speaking a timeless truth revealed to him by none other than the Creator of the Universe and the next - denying that same Christ - the Son of the Living God. Have you ever been guilty of duplicity? Duplicity means to be deceptive, by the way. Do you praise the Lord on Sunday and hide your faith from others so as not to be offensive or to be accepted and not thought to be a religious fanatic? Or worse - a right wing extremist because you believe the Bible to be the Truth from God?
Have you ever felt the compulsion to share the Good News, but then you thought better of it. You would wait for a better time? When it comes to the prompting of the Spirit - there is not better time then that moment. Do you think it pretentious to believe that we know better than God? When the right time will be. Or perhaps it is fear. Maybe the thought that you might fail or worse, offend someone. What if the person you are prompted to speak to will not respond and be saved. Will that mean that you are a spiritual failure? Did you forget that it is the Spirit that draws the hearts of people to God? That it is not the messenger that people reject but the message. I was saved when the time was right. When I was ready to yield my heart in faith. My folks shared the Gospel with me, and I resisted it for 7 years. They were 325 miles away when Martie and I knelt next to our bed and confessed the Jesus was Lord and God, the Father, raised Him from the dead.
If someone merely agrees with you that the Christian life is a good way to live but there is no confession - profession of faith - then the resurrection was to no avail for them. They are still dead in their sins. So back to duplicity. We are so like Peter. We are but jars of clay. Given to fear and doubt. Trusting in ourselves, more than we trust in God. Seeking acceptance of others over acceptance by the Father. But like Peter, God is faithful to restore us.
Why share this with you? Because I believe that every Christian has struggled or is struggling with it. Perhaps the next time that you are faced with responding to the nudging of the Spirit of God you will remember that it is not about you. You cannot save anyone. That ...
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [and us] : ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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