THE STEPS OF PETER'S DOWNFALL
Mark 14:29-31
Morning Meditation 3/6/2014
"But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all."
This meditation will be spread out over the rest of this chapter.
Backsliding is a process. Eve first saw, then desired, then took, then ate before she gave to Adam. Falling away out of the company and fellowship of Christ is the result of an inward disease preying upon the vitals of our spiritual being. That disease is self will. Let's follow Peter in his downward march step by step.
SELF CONFIDENCE
Mark 14:29, "But Peter said unto him, although all shall be offended, yet will not I." I imagine that Peter often caused offense by his outbursts of loyalty to Jesus especially when he compared himself with the others: "They might but I won't. I will die first." Peter just plainly believed he was more trustworthy than the others. Proverbs 28:26, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." According to this Proverb Peter was a fool.
Peter's foolishness was due to an oversized ego and not knowing or admitting his own weaknesses. 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." This is a warning that all Christians should take to heart. None of us want to fail the Lord. The unregenerated part of a believer remains in him to cause failure and so disappoint the believer that he will quit.
Paul deals with this in Romans 7:17-20, "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 how 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."
One of the best ways of overcoming sin in the life is recognize it is there. Then recognize that Christ in us is greater than any temptation to sin that we will ever be confronted with. The next step in Peter's downfall is,
PROUD BOASTING
Peter says, "If I should die with Thee, I will not deny thee in any wise" (vs 31). Peter was unbelieving and ignorant of his own weakness. Peter was an unbelieving believer. He had the faith to be saved but not faith to live by. Israel is a good example of this. They had enough faith to get them out of Egypt (a type of salvation) but not enough faith to get them in to Canaan (Canaan a type of the victorious Christian life). There is no place for boasting in the Christian faith. Jesus has done it all. We are to praise Him for His grace to save. The next step in Peter's down fall is,
ASHAMEDNESS
Mark 14:54, "And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire."
Luke 23:49, "And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things."
Luke 22:60-62, "And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."
Peter's first words in these verses is an outright denial that he knew Jesus. But while he spoke the cock crew. When this happened, Peter remembered what Jesus had said. Then in verse 61 we are told that "the Lord turned and looked on Peter." I imagine that this was one of the most humiliating times in Peter's life. Jesus didn't say a word. He didn't need to. So Peter went out and wept bitterly. The next step in Peter's downfall was,
WORLDLINESS
"And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire." It is amazing how strong the pull of the world is when you do not separate yourself from it. We call it peer pressure. When you mingle with the wrong crowd it will drag you down. The next step in Peter's downfall was his,
DENIAL
It is amazing that this Apostle who had been with Jesus for approximately three years would outright deny Him. But that is exactly what happened. Some have thought if they mixed with the world they could win them by identifying with them. This is self deception. It just does not work that way. The next step is one of restoration,
REPENTANCE
We need to keep an open line to the throne of intercession. We will need to use it on a regular basis.
Mark 14:72, "And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept."
The Lord specializes in forgiving saved sinners when they become transparent and admit their wrong doing. The Lord Jesus restored Peter and used him mightily. If you have failed miserably, and Satan is getting an advantage of you, fly to the cross, Jesus will meet you there and forgive and restore you.
In Christ
Bro. White
