| What I Can Learn From . . . , Part 17: Peter |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, January 02 2006 00:00 |
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Our first reaction is “Volumes!” Books have been written and movies produced about this man. There is one point that I should like us to notice, however, that keeps sticking in my mind. Peter believed in Christ; surely, he did. His recognition of the divinity and holiness of Christ and his own sinfulness is apparent in his words in Luke 5:8 when he told Jesus to get away from him for he was a sinful man. It was Peter to whom God gave faith that Jesus was the Christ, and Peter confessed that faith in Matt. 16:16. But remember that Peter also denied three times that he ever knew Jesus, and here we see the weakness of Peter in his sinful nature, and it is here that we can identify with him. The passage that is so vivid to me is in Luke 22:31-34 when Jesus informed Peter, calling him Simon in this instance, that he would deny him three times. It was known and it was ordained, and it was still Peter’s own will and choice. Here again we encounter that mysterious blending of divine foreknowledge and foreordination with human choice and responsibility. But Jesus told him more: that He had prayed for him a prayer of intercession that his faith would not fail. Then Jesus commanded Peter that when, not if, he was converted, he should strengthen his brothers. We are all aware of those three terrible times that Peter denied Jesus, the last time even emphasizing it with cursing and swearing. We remember Peter’s bitter tears of regret when Jesus looked at him and their eyes made contact. Yet Peter, repentant, was restored to his position of leadership and became the apostle that was commissioned to encourage Christians under similar pressures to remain steadfast in their confession of faith. The fact that Peter was restored was used by the early church as an example of how to treat those who lapsed under Roman persecution and then wanted to return to Christian service. Those who refused to forgive, the Donatists, were labeled heretics. This lesson is an important one that we should never forget. When Christians sin grievously under whatever pressure Satan exerts on them and give in to the flesh, and when they repent, they should be forgiven and restored. But the other lesson is quite simple. Jesus knows His own, and His sheep will never perish. Jesus prays in intercession for us just as He did for Peter. Such is our comfort that if we fall into grievous sin, we shall return, for God is not willing that any of His should perish but come to repentance. And you know who wrote, by the Spirit’s inspiration, those words! |
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