The Verdict Is In: The Pardon of God — Thursday
Matthew 6:24
”You can’t worship two gods at once.” (MSG)
Over the last two days, we’ve looked at Peter’s denial of Jesus, followed by Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter, restoring him to his true identity. We can only guess how Peter could have so quickly denied Jesus in the first place, considering how closely he had walked with Him. Could it be that Peter, while doing good things and saying the right things, wasn’t completely accepting Jesus’ message? Deep down, was he convinced that he was still partially responsible for his own salvation? We’re not unlike Peter. We hear repeatedly that we are pardoned, forgiven, and free, but we often live as if that may not be entirely true.
When we decide to humbly repent, we’re pardoned by God—no strings attached. But then, we must also purposefully walk in that identity, choosing intentionally to live in our spiritual nature versus our sinful nature. The sinful nature is characterized by selfishness. Our spiritual nature is characterized by selflessness. We can’t have it both ways. Jon shared a great quote in his message Sunday from Dr. Henry Cloud: “Part of maturity is when you can let go of one wish in order to have another. The immature mind wants it all, but the most valuable things (great marriage, great career, financial independence, vibrant faith) come with a cost, and you have to make hard choices.” Peter might have been trying to live in the middle leading up to his denial of Jesus. Living in the spiritual nature will not come passively, but purposefully.
The first time Peter jumped out of a boat was because Jesus invited him to walk on water. Peter then took his eyes off Jesus and sank. The second time Peter jumped out of a boat was when he ran to Jesus, who was waiting for Peter on the shore. And there, Peter was forgiven. There’s no question Peter knew Who to run to—and He didn’t take his eyes off Jesus again. Peter would later write, “Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole” (1 Peter 1:4-5 MSG).
Thursday’s Reflection
Which identity will you embrace today: Satan’s lie that your behavior reveals who you are? Or God’s truth that who you are in Him determines your behavior?
