SERIES ON PETER
by D. Stuart Briscoe
VICTORY
H ave you ever noticed how many people find relatively little dif ficulty in becoming Christians but on the other hand encounter many problems and frustrations in living the victorious life? It doesn’t take very long to become a Christian. Recognize that you are a sinner and that the Lord Jesus Christ loves you and died for you. Understand that He has risen from the dead and wants to come and live within you. Then come to the point of deciding you need Him and by faith receive Him into your life. When you have done this, the Lord Jesus Christ re sponds and becomes your Saviour, forgiving your sin. He makes you ready for heaven, indwelling your life by the Holy Spirit. All of this need take only a moment of time. The pathway of spiritual growth and development, however, takes a life time. This is where the difficulty comes for so many people. There is nothing quite so frustrating as be coming a Christian and then being unable to be the Christian you know you should be. If ever there was a man who found it relatively simple to become a Christian and then extremely diffi cult to he a Christian, it was Peter. While Peter was full of enthusiasm, activity, and zeal, so much of the energy expended, as is true in our lives, was in the power of his frail flesh. One day the Lord Jesus had to tell him, “You don’t say things that are of God; you say the things that are of man.” Your best for God isn’t good enough when you live in independence of God. Self is a prin ciple of satanic origin. This must have been a bitter ex perience in Peter's life. I t took him, as well as us, a long time to learn it. We must understand it, however,
if we are to live the kind of Chris tianity God has in mind for us. When Christ spoke of those who professed to love Him and then turning aside, Peter jumped up in a characteristic fashion and vowed, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” No one can doubt his devotion, earnest ness, and sincerity. Notice, however, that Peter still seemed to be under the .impression that he was going to find the Christian life relatively easy. In essence, he promised, “Even if these others forsake You, and I quite agree they probably will, there’s one person You can believe on, and that’s me. Don’t worry, Master, I’m on your side.” Christ gave him a graphic illustration to cause him to remem ber. He said, “Before the cock crows this night, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Peter missed the message until it was too late and the Lord’s prophecy was brought to pass. This is one of the sad things so many Christians never seem to un derstand. The real Christian life isn’t easy. Unless we do it the Lord’s way, we will fall flat on our faces. We may pick ourselves up but we will be back on our faces again in no time. When the Lord Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked His disciples to wait and watch for Him. When He returned in a few moments, however, the th r e e of them were asleep. Peter, who thought it would be relatively simple to live the Christian life, in a few minutes was out of the battle. The spirit was willing, to be sure, but the flesh was weak. If only we could understand this today. Satan is ever near. This is what leads to so much misery and despair in the Christian life. Peter was no doubt rather em- 21
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