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Christian Chronicles, January 2004 - Volume 7, Issue 97

| The Editor's Pen | Perspectives | Mid-East Update | Fruit of the Vine |  Simon, Peter, & Simon Peter |
| The Kingdom Age | The Rock & the Keys | Grace in the Face of Sin | A Note to Our Subscribers |

The Editor's Pen

Perhaps none of the Apostles so clearly demonstrated the characteristics of the average Christian (if there is such a thing) as Peter. He was both selfish and selfless, impulsive, tender-hearted, ambitious, presumptuous, courageous, and yet fearful on the night of Jesus’ trial. He had deep spiritual insights, but sometimes he appeared to be less than the brightest of the apostolate. He would sometimes display striking personality polarity, as on the night when Jesus was arrested. He cut off Malchus’ ear, and then a couple of hours later denied Jesus three times. In the end, Peter stood on that Rock upon whom we all stand, and he could not be moved from it, knowing that what he believed and whom he believed, was completely true.

Peter was a simple man, and yet, his multi-faceted character made him complicated. He is often depicted as uneducated, but this does not mean that he had no education at all. He was surely educated in the Hebrew school in Bethsaida, although he did not attend the higher schools of Jewish education in Jerusalem. He was obviously literate, since he penned two letters that bear his name.

I suppose that, if anything can be said of the person with any real conviction, it would be that Peter was a genuinely human individual. Occasionally objective, he was mostly subjective, just like the rest of us. In this issue, we will explore this intriguing apostle and, in doing so, will probably find that we are also exploring ourselves. Whereas Paul’s writings present a single-minded man who eschewed diversions, Peter was one who would act on impulse, though the impulses were subject to change from moment to moment. It may be that we will find that we especially appreciate Peter for his foibles and contradictions, for the fact that he seems so much like us, and because his was a simple faith held in a complex personality.

Perspectives

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.

But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Perhaps no other passage of Scripture so clearly describes the experience of the Christian this side of the rapture. There are those of the self-righteous crowd who persuade themselves that they are not sinners, but if a Christian will level with himself, he will at first cringe at the sinfulness this passage reveals in him, and then rejoice at the deliverance Paul describes at the end.

Of all Jesus’ disciples, and certainly among the apostles, no one more perfectly illustrated the verity of this portion of Paul’s writings than the Apostle Peter. A man of great passion and impetuosity, Peter was driven by both his flesh and his spirit, and he must have endured greater struggles than any of us have known or can know. Most of us live our lives in varying shades of gray, but poor Peter was all black and white. This is how we see ourselves, anyway, too complex to be either wholly black or wholly white, but good mixed with bad, so that we are just Ok. But that is not what Paul saw, nor what Peter lived, nor what is true of us.

When we walk spiritually, we are the light of the world. When we are in the spirit, we do not sin (1 Jn 3:9), but when we are in the flesh, we do no good at all (Rom 7:18). Make no mistake about it; when we walk in the flesh, we do not partly serve God and partly serve self; we serve only self. Conversely, when we are in the spirit, we deny self in favor of serving Him who saved us. Living the spiritual life is not continuously possible, else Paul would never have written those verses.

For Paul, living the Christian life was a paradox, a real conundrum. It is for us as well. No Christian wants to sin. At the same time, no flesh wants to serve God. When we are in the Spirit, it is always a time of rejoicing, even when we suffer the tribulations of a rebellious and wicked world. And when we are in the flesh, there is absolutely no accounting for what any Christian might find himself doing. There are those who say, “Oh, I’m a sinner, but I’d never _________ (fill in the blank).” Christian, understand this if you understand nothing else about the flesh: There is no sin that any and every Christian would not commit, given the right circumstances. Those who deny that they would do this or that have simply never been exposed to the right environment or circumstances. No Christian is above any particular sin. We may not have committed a particular sin, but every Christian has within the flesh the potential for mass murder, addictions, perversions, whatever. It is an uncomfortable truth. If a Christian has never been placed in circumstances where such might be possible, then he should rejoice in God’s mercy, and not in his own righteousness. It was Paul’s utter awareness of his inclination to every sin that caused him to proclaim himself the chief of sinners. What Paul described in himself, Peter displayed in himself. Let us not be self-righteous, but let us proclaim God’s merciful love for sinners!

Somewhere along the line of the last two centuries, an elemental truth was lost or misplaced intentionally. This writer believes that it was done in the church by the devil. We have lost sight of our own individual utter depravity, ascribing it to humanity in general, but not to self specifically. A world of self-righteousness was spawned in that loss, and the grace of our God was reprehensibly diminished. Let us rejoice in our Savior’s mercy and His grace!

Mid-East Update

It is entirely possible that the Palestinian/Israeli treaty under negotiation now is the one spoken of by Daniel in 9:27, but Daniel’s treaty may also be a broader treaty (confirm the covenant with "many") than one with just those two parties. That is, Israel's contiguous neighbors may be a part of a NAFTA-like treaty - MEFTA or something like that. Such a treaty would probably follow very closely on the heels of an agreement to establish a Palestinian state, so that such a scenario would not "put off" or delay any sense of imminence where the rapture is concerned.

The devil is very subtle, and if he can make a big hoopla in the Church concerning the Israeli/Palestinian treaty, and then, if that treaty does not produce the rapture, many, many Christians will become downhearted and lose a great deal of their evangelistic enthusiasm. This treaty may be merely a diversionary tactic to keep us off the scent of the devil’s real agenda so that we ignore other possibilities.

In any event, the Middle East is the focus of the entire world right now, and things are swirling like the water at the bottom of a toilet when you flush it. These are very exciting days, but let’s not hang our hats on any single scenario. The Antichrist is very likely already active on the political stage. But we must maintain a spiritual equilibrium rather than getting all excited either way over the day to day ups and downs along the way. Nevertheless, this pursuit of a treaty is a pretty significant step unless Arafat is only paying lip service to the world, attempting to look and sound conciliatory while what he says does not reflect his true intentions at all.

The rapture could happen at any moment, and every minute that passes is a minute that takes us that much closer to it. It is exhilarating to watch prophecies unfold right before our eyes. There are so many strains of prophecy in action right now, concerning the various Gentile nations and alliances, and concerning Israel and her relationships with the Gentiles, and also concerning the Church. So many of the geo-political interactions between the Gentile nations among themselves are described in the prophets that it is chilling to see them unfolding. At the same time, the world’s dim view of national Israel is in perfect accord with all of the end-time prophets.

Does it not seem strange that such a tiny country in such a remote part of the world should be the focus of so much of the world’s attention? The scrutiny that Israel’s actions and policies receive is completely out of proportion to her significance on the world stage. She is not a huge importer or exporter of manufactured goods or raw materials. She is non-aggressive toward those nations that threaten her, unless, of course, the threats turn into action. There are precious few natural resources there that would cause the world to analyze her every word and action with such a critical eye. Let’s face it, there is no practical reason why all the world should be so narrowly focused on tiny Israel. There are many regimes on the planet that are engaged in terror, genocide, and other horrors, yet Israel is seen as the bane of the world. This is not because she is a threat to anyone, but because she is the chosen people of her God, and the God of Israel is sovereign in all the universe. This ugly attitude toward Israel is not about Israel at all. Not really. It is, rather, about rebellion against God. It is about old Lucifer’s original rebellion which continues even these eons later. It is about the approaching cataclysm that will shake the foundations of the earth and bring about the ruination of Gentile world dominion. It is about resistance to the will of God, and the attempt to thwart forever His purposes for Israel and for mankind. This rebellion is about Lucifer attempting to destroy God’s chosen people, so that He has no nation over which to sit as King upon His return. If that were the case, He would have no reason to return. The devil tried repeatedly to prevent the First Advent of the Messiah, and he is now trying equally hard to prevent the Second Advent. The trouble that Israel faces in a hostile world today is but the final manifestation of both Pharaoh and Herod killing babies to prevent the advent of the Deliverer. He came once and He will come again!

Fruit of the Vine

Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). And so they became, and so have we. And how does the fisherman entice the fish to swallow the hook? He uses bait. But sometimes, he does not use a hook. Sometimes he uses a net. How do these concepts apply to us in our ministries? It is simple, really.

Preachers use a net. They speak to large crowds, preaching the gospel of the grace of God. In the crowds standing before them are lost souls, some of whom are elect and some of whom are not. The preacher casts the net into that small “sea,” and gathers from it what God gives him. Some are moved by emotion, and not by any rebirth, and some are reborn on the spot. It is not the preacher’s job to allot the ratios in the congregation, but the Holy Spirit’s.

On the other hand, the Christian witness usually works one on one. He does not have a net, but he fishes a larger sea with a hook, designed to bring in one “fish” at a time. His “bait” is ever and always the same, the gospel of God’s grace. A fisherman does not look into the dark waters, spy a single fish, and attempt to hook it. He puts his hook in the water and hopes to land a fish. In the same way, the Christian witness does not go about indiscriminately preaching on the street corner, but he prayerfully waits for the Holy Spirit to guide his “hook” to those to whom he should minister. Salvation is always the work of God, but He has many fishermen of men. Preachers cast their nets and witnesses lower their hooks, but God provides the catch. Let us be fishers of men!

Simon, Peter, & Simon Peter

“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (Which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “Where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone)” (John 1:35-42 NKJV)

Thus we are introduced to one of the most controversial, one of the most exciting and colorful characters in the entire Bible. As a matter of fact, of all the people of the Bible we will not find a more perfect picture of the Grace of God and its working with the Adamic nature. One moment he was so bold, so courageous; the next, he was a literal coward. One moment he boldly confessed Jesus as the Christ; the next, he bitterly denied Him. Sometimes he was so brave that he never considered his own safety, drawing his sword and cutting the ear off a solder who came to take Jesus captive. Yes, one moment he would take on a whole army; yet, just a few hours later, this same man, who so boldly confessed that “ thou art Christ, the son of the living God,” bitterly cursed, swearing, and declaring that he never knew Him.

Yet, with all his ups and downs, his professions and his denials, he became a great leader among the disciples. God used him to preach that great Pentecostal message. Jesus gave to him the “keys to the kingdom.” And in the end, Peter was proud to die for his Lord ,and was crucified upside down because he considered that he was unworthy to die like his Lord.

As we plunge deeper and deeper into the life of Simon Peter, we will see practically every great doctrine of the Bible. We will see the battle of the flesh and the spirit (probably one of the most misunderstood doctrines in the Bible), the battle that rages in all of us. One can see in the life of Simon Peter the two possibilities of the Christian life: salvation, and discipleship. Or, as someone said, “The carnal and the spiritual life, eternal life and the abundant life.

As we look at Simon Peter, not just as Simon, the son of Jonah, or as Peter, the son of God, but as Simon Peter, both saint and sinner, then and only then can we explain the inconsistency of Peter’s life. The worldly-minded person could hardly understand Simon, or perhaps Peter, but never could an unregenerated mind explain Simon Peter, the saint and the sinner. There are so many wonderful lessons we can learn from the life of this man called Simon Peter. Many wonderful studies have been done on his life; books have been written. You will understand why we can only touch a small portion of the life of this man Simon Peter in this article.

The Scripture says in John 1:41-42 that Andrew, after he found Jesus, “first findeth his own brother.” This sets the pattern for the Gospel to be preached. It must first begin at home. So many times today when a person comes to know the Lord, he is ashamed to tell anyone, especially those at home, for fear someone will make fun of him. So many churches today claim to be so mission-minded that they support missions overseas; yet, they neglect all those around them. Many times “those” are members of their own church. Jesus said: “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem (home) and in Judea (reach out a little farther) and in Samaria (a little farther) and unto the uttermost parts of the earth (worldwide).” You see, it is easy to sit down and write a check and drop it in the mail, but to actually feed the hungry and cloth the naked is a different story.

Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, and Simon got a new name. “Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone”. In Hebrew, the word Cephas means stone. The Greek word is Petros, translated Peter also, means a small stone. Many believe that Jesus was reminding Simon that he was Simon, son of Jonah by natural birth. He received his father’s nature, which was sinful, corrupt, and condemned. As John 3:18 states: “Whosoever believes in Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed on the only begotten Son of God.” This man, Simon, would be with Peter the rest of his life, as our old nature is with us all our lives. The apostle Paul wrote fifteen years after he was struck down on the road to Damascus in Romans 7:15-20 (KJV): “For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I do not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but as to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. We must constantly be reminded that our old nature is still with us and will be as long as we are in this natural body. We need to be reminded because, when we forget, or when we forget that when we have completely overcome it, that is when it gets us one way or another. But thank God for the new birth! Let us emphasize, the NEW BIRTH. This old nature is so sinful that even God can’t do anything with it. So he made provision, through the cross of Jesus, that we could be partakers of the new birth with the Seed of God..

Jesus said to Simon: “Thou shall be called Cephas.” It is not until Matthew chapter 16, that he is called Cephas/Peter. It is important to note that Simon did not become Peter, but God put that new birth in him as John described in 1^st John 3:8-9 (KJV): He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Simon Peter is a great testimony of the battle that rages in each of us who have been saved. He, like Paul, epitomizes Romans 7:15-25.

The new birth, then, is a completely new creation, holy and apart and distinct from the old. When a person comes to know the Lord as his personal Savior, he is born anew. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (Jn 3:3). He said that which is flesh is flesh and that which is spirit is spirit. So, He said “You must be born again.” God places this new nature within us alongside the old. The new nature is not a change, reform, or regeneration of the old nature; nor does it take the place of the old nature, but it is placed alongside the old, so that every new man becomes two men. Paul says in 2^nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Only a few weeks ago I heard a dear, misguided brother preaching this particular verse and he was confusing the issue of the old and the new. He said, “Behold all things are passed away, all things become new.” Then he went to great lengths to attempt to prove by this passage of Scripture that the old man is passed away and that once a person is saved, he no longer sins. This verse has nothing to do with the old man being passed away. This verse applies only to the new man. It certainly does not mean that the things of the old man are passed away and all things about a saved person become new. He still has his temptations, faults, weaknesses (physical and spiritual), and is prone to sin. Life itself teaches that assuredly. All too frequently we do sin. One of the saddest things in life is to see those who claim that the old man is gone and completely eradicated, falling by the wayside. In their false self-confidence, they slip into the very sins of the flesh that they claim were gone. Yes, the believer is a new creation, but the old man is still there. That is why Paul wrote Romans 7:15-25.

The second time we meet Simon Peter, he is Simon only. He has come to recognize Jesus as his Savior but, as so many do, he just went on his way and did the things he did before meeting the Savior. Luke 5:1-6 says, “And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.” Notice, as Jesus came by, He saw the two ships and the men on the shore washing their nets, indicating that they were through, and were cleaning up after a night of fishing. Verse three says that Jesus entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s. We quickly see that this time Jesus does not say Simon Peter’s ship or Peter’s ship, but Simon’s ship. The Scripture says that Jesus asked that the ship be moved a little way from land and he taught the people out of the ship. When he finished speaking or teaching, he asked Simon, again not Simon Peter, not Peter, but Simon, to move the ship out into the deep and to let down their nets. Simon again, not Simon Peter or Peter, just Simon said, “Master,” indicating that he knew who Jesus was. One can only imagine what thought must have raced through Simon’s mind: “Man, what’s wrong with you? We fished all night and didn’t catch a thing. Now you want us to go back out there and put our nets back in the water, the nets that we have just cleaned? Nevertheless, if you insist, we’ll do it.” There is no doubt that Simon did not believe they would catch any fish. All he could see was the trouble and work it was going to be to put the nets out and then to wash them again before he could go and rest. How many times today do we feel the way Simon did? How many times do we need to witness to someone when our old nature tells us “What’s the use, they probably won’t listen anyway?” Or maybe, when it comes to supporting our church or program, the old man says: “It’s too much trouble.” Again, the old nature is always warring against the new. One can almost hear the aggravation in Simon’s voice: “Nevertheless, if you say so, I will do it, but just remember I told you we’re not going to catch anything.” Could this possibly be the same person who confessed, “You are Christ, the son of the living God” (Mt 16)? Could this be the same man who, when he saw Jesus walking on the water in Mt 14:28, said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water?” In verse 29 Jesus said: “Come.” And he stepped down out of the boat and walked on the water. Could this be the same man who, when they came to take Jesus, after Judas had betrayed Him, took out his sword and was ready to take on the whole mob? Yes, it was the same person. Only in the Lucan passage do we find the old man in control. Here, in verse 6, Jesus taught Simon and all a great lesson. When God wants something done, He will always bless it, even if we doubt and if we go about it half-heartedly. But think how much greater the blessing is for us when we simply trust Him in the first place.

(Permit an illustration: I was told some years ago that in the early 1900s an American Indian had accepted Christ as his Savior and received the call from God to preach to his people. After many years of study and preparation and preaching, someone came to him one night after he had preached on the battles of the flesh and the spirit. In his message he had said, so that some could understand, that the Christian life was like having a big white dog and a big black dog in you and they were continually warring with each other. The person asked the preacher which dog won. The preacher replied: “The one that is fed the most.” Which dog are you feeding?)

Nevertheless, Simon let down the net, and verse 6 says they caught a great number of fish and the net was about to break. In verse 7, they called for help; they had caught so many fish that both ships were running low in the water. Then, in verse 8, not Simon, but Simon Peter saw it and fell down at Jesus’ knees and realized that he, Simon, had been filled with doubt. How ashamed he must have been. For he said to Jesus: ”Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Surely, on that day Simon Peter realized that Simon would always be with him. Like Peter, we will every day have the battle of the natures within us. Remember, the one we feed the most will always win. In verse 10, Jesus said to Simon: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” Now notice the cost of discipleship. Salvation is free but discipleship will cost us something, and may cost us very much. Verse 11 says, “And when they had brought the ship to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”

We move now to Mt 16:13-18(NKJV) “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. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” In these few verses we find so many wonderful blessings. Yet they’ve caused so much confusion in the world of theology. In all the Scriptures you’ll not find a place where Simon Peter is closer to the Lord. This is one of the few times where Jesus refers to him as just Peter.

Jesus asked a question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Of course, many were the answers in verse 14. Then Jesus changed the question: “But who do you say that I am?” Look who jumps to the front to answer this question, the same stumbling, bumbling, faithless Simon whom we have spent so much time talking about. He says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replies: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” The day you and I realized that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, that flesh and blood (the old nature) did not reveal it to us, is the day our greatest blessings begin. It was the Spirit of God. Jesus said: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” Here we find the first mention of the Church in the Scriptures. The nation had rejected the Kingdom message: “Repent ye, and be baptized for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now the gospel turns to something in the future, the Church. The word Church means those called out from the world, belonging to God, holy, separate, blameless and beloved. The Church is the body of Christ, the entire assembly of the saints.

Christian, do you recognize yourself in this essay? Are you too having a struggle? Do you too long to live the life of victory over the flesh, and yearn for true holiness? Then continue to study the life of Simon Peter, honestly recognizing the presence of the old man within you, instead of denying it. Never forget, he is there. Never ignore his presence. If you are not aware of his presence, he is only “playing possum.” He has just gone underground. You can only overcome him by being constantly vigilant, conscious of his presence. Press the battle, even unto the end. This victory only comes by a sincere and careful study of the Word, a life of prayer, honest confession of our sin, daily witnessing for Him, and keeping the flesh always on the defensive, until that day when He shall present us with all the saints, “…a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but ... holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27 NKJV).      

The Kingdom Age

The Apostle Peter didn’t write a great deal in the Bible, and that makes what he did write all the more interesting and important. His first epistle is devoted to the theme of suffering and glory, ending with instructions concerning the Christian’s service in light of the approaching end of the Age. His second epistle deals with the last days as well, which of course culminate in the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on Earth.

Peter was not a poet, but he would probably appreciate the sentiments expressed in the following verses:

Peter was certainly mindful of his place in the Kingdom Age (Mk 10:35-40). Like Paul, it is certain that his every day began with thoughts of how to serve God that day in order to enlarge his place in the Kingdom. He surely set his minds on things above, and not on things on the earth, also like Paul (Col 3:2).

Every Christian would do well to emulate the apostles in this respect, for a mind that is fixed on heavenly things will not be distracted by earthly diversions. Our hope is a great one, one to which no earthly goal or hope can compare. Thy Kingdom Come!

The Rock & the Keys

Matthew 16:18-19 (KJV): And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. After Peter’s great profession “in the Christ,” Jesus said to him “...upon this rock I will build my church...” There is much confusion over the interpretation of this passage. I have found that there are three major views among professing Christians. First, there are those who say the confession is the rock. Second, there are those who teach that Peter is the rock. That would mean that Peter is the rock upon which the church is built. Third are the ones who teach that the rock is the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many scriptures that teach us that the rock is none other than Jesus Christ. 1^st Cor. 3:9-11: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (KJV). 1^st Cor. 10:4 speaking of the rock in the wilderness plainly says that rock was Jesus. Ephesians chapter 2 speaks of Jesus being the chief cornerstone. 1^st Peter 2:1-6 tells us what Peter thought about the rock. Then to close the thought we turn to Mr. Vine’s. The word Peter used here is Petros, which, in the Greek, means a small stone. The word rock is the word Petra and means a large rock. In other words, the verse might read, “You are a small stone, Peter, but upon this big Rock I will build my church.”

Then Jesus said: “and I will give to you (Peter) the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Note, he does not say the keys to the church. It is the keys to the kingdom of heaven. (See Matthew chapter 13 for a better understanding of the kingdom of heaven.) Again, we have a portion of the Scripture that has caused much confusion. But when we think about a key, we understand that it is used to lock or unlock something. So, with this in mind, let us look at some different views. First, many say that Jesus gave to Peter the full authority as the head of the church, to open and shut heaven and to forgive sins. Second, there are some who teach that the keys of the kingdom were given to Peter, which Peter subsequently handed downs to elders, bishops, and pastors, so that, when they excommunicate someone from the local assembly, he is shut out of heaven and can only be admitted again by the ones who shut him out. Third, there are those that believe this to refer to the preaching of the gospel. While accepting the gospel does open heaven and rejection does close heaven, there is yet another answer. To find it, we must follow the trail of the gospel. Acts 1:8b says, “…Ye shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The first use of the keys was on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the gospel to the Jews in Jerusalem (order #1). Then in Acts 8:14 we see the second use of the keys. Now, when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Verses 15-17 tell us that none were saved till Peter used the second key in Samaria (order #2). That still leaves the uttermost parts of the earth. In Acts chapter 10 (please read) Peter sees a vision of a great sheet descending down from heaven. The sheet contains all matter of unclean beasts (representing Gentiles). The next day Peter meets Cornelius, the Gentile. Thus we see the final use of the keys to the uttermost parts of the world. Peter opened the Gospel to the Jews, the Gentiles, and to all the world.

Grace in the Face of Sin

(Rom. 5:20b - 6:2, NKJV)

In writing these words, Paul uses emphatic language (me genoito in the Greek) to categorically reject the ridiculous notion that believers should deliberately continue sinning in order to provide God an opportunity to reveal more of His grace. Paul’s injunction is of course spot-on – the notion is the absurd product of minds infected by Adam’s fall. Certainly not, indeed! On the contrary, we are commanded to be holy, just “as He who called you is holy” (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Yet the wrong-headedness of the proposition does not overturn the truth embedded in the injunction. When believers sin, God’s grace pours forth in great abundance (Rom. 5:20-21).

Self-righteous arrogance harms the believer’s willingness to contend with the regularity and profanity of personal sin. Yet in private moments of candor, when one’s own frailty is secretly and plainly acknowledged before God, the proper backdrop is in place to view most clearly the astounding magnificence of God’s gentle favor. Truly, the heights and breadth of grace abound far beyond human comprehension. It is almost terrifying to contemplate the expanse of grace purchased at such great expense by humanity’s Hero, Jesus Christ.

Astonishingly, even where the sinner in the darkest corners of the soul clutches repetitive failures dear, Jesus Christ’s magnificent work at Calvary continues to justify, making fully kosher God’s tender mercies and forbearance. Paul uses a Greek verb translated “may abound” in Rom. 6:1, pleonadzo -- literally to super-abound in a thoroughly searching and filling way, ever expanding, increasing continually. The word picture is gushing favor, an overwhelming kindness that flows from a perfectly holy and just God whose righteous wrath has been once and for all totally satisfied at Calvary. Here is astounding truth: even at the filthiest, most disgusting point in a believer’s convulsion of temporary rebellion, in the darkest moments in which he stabs and defies the holiness to which he is called, God looks steadily at His Son’s work at Calvary, and His justice-spawned anger is thoroughly and rightly assuaged. Think of it! God is free to publicly parade His grace in man before elect and fallen angels, His integrity fully upheld by Christ’s magnificent work. This is the startling truth of grace.

In the turbulent wake of personal rebellion, as the believer recovers spiritual sanity, waves of dismay, remorse and great embarrassment may crash over the bow and spill cold dampness in the innermost chambers of one’s being. Even there, God’s grace prevails. The Adversary may crouch close astride, quick to encourage redundant guilt. Even there, God’s grace abounds.

As Paul teaches, believers have died positionally to sin and its sovereignty. In its place, redeemed people are privileged to be identified with the life of the truly Sovereign Jesus Christ. His is a brilliant life of abundant grace, in which sin and guilt are fully eclipsed. Grace reigns by virtue of the righteousness of Christ, so that all who are united to Him by faith may truly live His eternal life.

Thank you, Savior-King. 

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