Grace
Peter experienced God's grace in an extravagant way. After denying he even knew Jesus three times, Peter still experienced restoration to Jesus after the resurrection.
Jesus told Peter he would stumble in advance. He told Peter he would leave Him, but Peter had more faith in himself than in Jesus' fore knowledge:
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection, Peter's faith in himself...his confidence in his own ability to obey, was certainly shattered. Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to declare His love for Jesus. After each declaration of love, Jesus told Peter to do something: "feed my sheep." Jesus gave Peter a new opportunity to show his love for Jesus through obedience.
Jesus had earlier told his disciples that if they loved Him, they would obey Him. According to Jesus, obedience is the fruit of love.
Peter's story is a perfect picture of the nature of God's grace: Peter's obedience didn't earn love...in fact, love was given to Peter despite his complete denial of Jesus...forgiveness, love, restoration...these were given to Peter unmerited. But grace wasn't given to Peter so he could go back to his old life with a clear conscience! Grace was given to Peter so that he would obey...so that He would go and feed the sheep. Grace is supposed to empower me to obey, not make me comfortable with my disobedience! Jesus doesn't give grace to keep us lukewarm, He offers grace to make us on-fire!
Peter's heart was to obey Jesus even to the point of death. But, Peter's weakness... his flesh...his fear of the future...kept him from saying he even knew Jesus. Jesus' grace gave Peter the strength to act on the desire of his heart, to obey Jesus no matter the cost. Eventually, Peter did obey Jesus to the point of death.
Grace is highly misunderstood in the American church. Many in the church use grace as an excuse to do as little as possible to obey Jesus, to give Him less than everything. Grace is designed to have the opposite effect, when understood and appreciated, it empowers us to give God everything...not to earn love, but to respond to love with obedience. Weak love is still sincere love. Therefore, weak obedience is still sincere obedience. Grace opens up the possibility for weak obedience to qualify as sincere obedience. I don't want to use a false idea of grace to find reasons to not give God everything. I want to let an appreciation of grace drive me to the point of obedience...love...at any cost.
This is the best deal in the world, because giving God everything gains me everything I think I am tempted to try to gain by withholding obedience to Jesus:
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Jesus told Peter he would stumble in advance. He told Peter he would leave Him, but Peter had more faith in himself than in Jesus' fore knowledge:
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection, Peter's faith in himself...his confidence in his own ability to obey, was certainly shattered. Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to declare His love for Jesus. After each declaration of love, Jesus told Peter to do something: "feed my sheep." Jesus gave Peter a new opportunity to show his love for Jesus through obedience.
Jesus had earlier told his disciples that if they loved Him, they would obey Him. According to Jesus, obedience is the fruit of love.
Peter's story is a perfect picture of the nature of God's grace: Peter's obedience didn't earn love...in fact, love was given to Peter despite his complete denial of Jesus...forgiveness, love, restoration...these were given to Peter unmerited. But grace wasn't given to Peter so he could go back to his old life with a clear conscience! Grace was given to Peter so that he would obey...so that He would go and feed the sheep. Grace is supposed to empower me to obey, not make me comfortable with my disobedience! Jesus doesn't give grace to keep us lukewarm, He offers grace to make us on-fire!
Peter's heart was to obey Jesus even to the point of death. But, Peter's weakness... his flesh...his fear of the future...kept him from saying he even knew Jesus. Jesus' grace gave Peter the strength to act on the desire of his heart, to obey Jesus no matter the cost. Eventually, Peter did obey Jesus to the point of death.
Grace is highly misunderstood in the American church. Many in the church use grace as an excuse to do as little as possible to obey Jesus, to give Him less than everything. Grace is designed to have the opposite effect, when understood and appreciated, it empowers us to give God everything...not to earn love, but to respond to love with obedience. Weak love is still sincere love. Therefore, weak obedience is still sincere obedience. Grace opens up the possibility for weak obedience to qualify as sincere obedience. I don't want to use a false idea of grace to find reasons to not give God everything. I want to let an appreciation of grace drive me to the point of obedience...love...at any cost.
This is the best deal in the world, because giving God everything gains me everything I think I am tempted to try to gain by withholding obedience to Jesus:
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Comments
Post a Comment
I appreciate your comments.