Faith Series #3: Precious faith
When we talk about faith, we all remember the amazing story of Peter walking on the water. We think such faith can only be given to Peter as he was special because he was the first to claim Jesus is the Mesiah among the disciples. But the Bible says we can have the same faith as him.
ENGLISH - BASICS
YTM
9/20/20264 min read
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained (received) like precious faith with us (faith of the same value) by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:1: NKJV)
When we reflect on Simon Peter's life, most of us will remember the story of his three times of denial of the Lord at the night when Jesus was arrested. When I read the story, I always wondered: is Peter a man of faith or a man of cowardice?
I believe as a natural man, Peter is a brave and bold man. When he saw Lord Jesus was walking on the water, he is the only disciple who is willing to put this life in danger by trusting in the Lord. When the temple guards came to arrest Jesus, he is the only one who dare to draw his sword to fight for Jesus. I have no doubt of Peter's heart at that moment and I believe his confession was sincere. Like many warriors who are willing to fight to death for their king and Peter was willing to fight for King Jesus to take back the kingdom. But when he saw Jesus did not resist but willingly give himself into the hands of the temple guards, his faith completely melt down. The Bible mentioned that Satan asked a permission to put all the disciples in test. And our Lord Jesus had prayed for Peter that his faith may not fail. In my mind Peter is a hero as a natural man. Yet, when it's coming to the spiritual battle, he lost it.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
(Luke 22, 31-33; NIV)
There are many other examples in the Bible. When Elijah won the battle on the Mount Carmel, He stood fearlessly against the 450 prophets of Baal. Yet he was afraid and ran for his life because of Jezebel's message. I believe that's the demonic power of fear that defeated him. Similarly, Peter also lost in the battle of facing the demonic power.
What do we have when we battle the demonic power as natural man? We have nothing to against the devil as our authority had lost to the devil during the time of Adam and Eve. God give Adam and Eve the authority to take dominion on the earth, but we lost it to the devil because we choose to believe the devil's lie but not God's command.
But when Jesus came as the second Adam, he turn the table back on the devil. When he was tempted as a man in the wildness, Jesus stood firm on God's words. And later, through the cross he completely disarmed the powers and authorities. When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. Jesus Christ was given all the authority in heaven and on earth through his cross, death, burial, and resurrection.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
(Colossians 2:13-15; NLT)
This is why it says:“When he ascended on high,he took many captivesand gave gifts to his people.”
(Ephesians 4:8; NIV)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20; NIV)
I believe the enemy has two main advantages against us when we fight as the natural man. (1) He uses God's law to accuse us and because of our sins, we will subject to the punishment of God under the law. Thus, the enemy can come to kill, steal, and destroy in people's life. (2) He has authority over our life because we had lost it to him in Adam.
But once we are in Christ and born again in the Spirit, we do not battle in flesh and blood but in the spirit. We are now covered by His blood, when we confess our sins to God, because God is faithful and just, he will forgive all our sins because of Jesus. And since Jesus had disarmed the enemy and he had all the authorizes in heaven and on earth, as His body on earth, we now have the authorities to over the enemy.
Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.
(Luke 10:19; NLT)
This is why Peter says we have the same "precious faith" as him "by" the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the only reason why we have faith to cast out the demons and heal the sick .
When Peter walks along the street, his shadows heals people. When Peter was facing the crucifixion, he was not afraid. A natural brave man had became a mighty man of faith in spiritual battles.
Maybe, the SECRET of this man's faith in God was not from himself or by his characters but in the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God and Christ. What do you think?