SERIES ON PETER
by D, Stuart Briscoe
TRUE LOVE
T here are so many practical illus trations for our personal appli cation as we study the life of the Apostle Peter from which we can benefit greatly. It is one thing to be come a Christian; however, it is quite another thing to live a consis tent Christian life of victory day by day. Conversion isn’t the end; it is just the beginning. A baby must grow and mature physically and mentally in order to become a real man or woman. I t is exactly the same with one who is bom again of the Spirit of God. We are to become mature men and wom en in Christ (II Peter 3:18). I t took Peter a long time to discover these things as experienced in his life. Things seemed to go wrong re peatedly for him. I wonder if this is ever true in your life. Discourage ment and frustration are bound to follow. When Peter denied the Lord and remembered the Master’s prophecy that he would fail, he finally realized that in him was no good thing and that he himself could never live the Christian life. The Lord Jesus had been trying to get this across to him for three years. He tried to show Peter that the Spirit is willing, self is weak, and Satan is ever near. On the eve of Calvary, Peter admits the truth about himself. He ran away in tears. Before any person can sta rt to live the Christian life, he must come to an end of himself, admit that the Christian life is not easy or difficult but really a sheer im possibility. There was something more Peter needed to learn. When Christ died and rose again, immediately the Sav iour wanted to have a word with him. He went to see him. Our Lord asked, “Simon Peter, lovest thou me 23
more than these?” In the King James Version, we don’t have the full depth of meaning as it is in the original. There are two Greek words found in the New Testament, both translated “love.” One of them, agape, is the word always used for God’s love. This is what the Lord Jesus used first. He wanted to know, “Peter, do you love me with the same kind of love God loves you?” Peter uses the other word, philos, in his answer, “Lord, I ’m very fond of You.” Christ asked Peter the question again. This time He left out the reference to all “these.” There were now no people or things for compari son. It was just, “Do you love me with the same kind of love that God loved you?” Peter gave Him the same answer. For the third time, the question came but this time the Master used Peter’s word for love which was merely “fondness.” Here was one more vital and practical les son. He now saw he couldn't love the way the Lord wanted him to. Have you learned this, too? The next time we see Peter he is almost unrecognizable. It is the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God fell upon the people who were assem bled. People accused those early Christians of being drunk. Peter preached a mighty sermon in the power of the Spirit, from an ob scure passage of the Old Testament. He had no notes or a prepared mes sage. He recognized an opportunity and the Lord used him with power and conviction. Peter had a grasp of the Scriptures. He could present them fearlessly, clearly, and distinct ly. What a difference from the Peter who couldn’t even explain his posi tion to a little girl a few weeks earlier in the same town!
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