We Live Here, but We are Going THERE!
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 2: 1 NASB)
During a study of the letters of the disciple Peter, I found myself pre-judging him, based solely upon his actions on the night of Jesus’ arrest & crucifixion. Just as with ‘Doubting Thomas,’ we hear the name Simon Peter, and we think, ‘Peter, the one who denied Jesus.’
Pretty Judgmental, don’t you think.
It would be terrible to go down in history and only be remembered for the one, single action that brought you such shame. We know from the Scriptures that he felt shameful for his actions.
“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard,
(The Gospel of Matthew 26: 69 & 74-75 NASB)
and a servant-girl came to him and said,
“You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
. . .
[then we read Peter’s denials of Jesus]
“Then he began to curse and swear,
[Peter did]
“I do not know the man!”
And immediately a rooster crowed.
And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said,
“Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
And he [Peter] went out and wept bitterly.”
- All four gospels record Peter’s denial of Jesus.
- All Christians know the account of Peter’s denial of the Lord.
- All Believers have probably asked themselves—
Would I ever deny the Lord Jesus Christ?
Consider this truth that we must never forget—
- We too are sinners, saved by the grace of God.
- We too have not spoken up, declaring that we knew Jesus, when we were asked.
- We too have denied Christ—just like Peter.
But Hallelujah, We Only Live Here Now, and One Day Soon, We are Going THERE (to heaven) when He comes for us!
The apostle Peter was called by Jesus to become a fisher of men, and he left his profitable business to go make disciples, as he was called to do. I find it amazing how on the morning when the women went to the tomb, after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the angel of the Lord told the women—
“But go, tell His disciples and Peter,
(The Gospel According to Mark 16: 7 NASB)
‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee;
there you will see Him,
just as He told you.’ “
By the way, be sure you also find Peter (you know, the sinner, the one who denied Jesus three times) and tell him too.
- Why would God send His angel to tell the women to find the denier Peter?
- Why would God command His angel to tell the women to find & tell Peter how Jesus was alive?
It is for the same reason God would tell us. See the truth found in God’s Word.
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 2: 1-3 NASB)
in which you formerly walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh,
indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath,
even as the rest.”
Just as Peter,
- We too were called by the Lord to be saved.
- We too “were dead” in our sins.
And like Peter,
- One of the most outspoken disciples, we too have failed to speak Jesus when given the opportunity.
- We too have been in remorse whenever we have allowed the devil to tempt us to deny Jesus Christ our Lord.
Maybe Peter thought,
- His opportunity to go home to heaven was over, was never going to happen, because of his worst moment. &
Maybe Peter thought in his heart,
- He had committed the most-vile sin against God.
Quite possibly, Peter had forgotten that God had saved his soul from his own self.
We are not saved once, but we are saved daily from our own sinful nature.
May We Never Forget—We Live Here, but We are Going THERE!
GOD’S Eternal Promise of Heaven is an Assurance Secured through HIS Salvation!
- May We NEVER Think—This Gives Us an Opportunity to Walk As We Wish.
We Live Here, but We are Going THERE!
- We Must Be On Mission for Jesus!
- We Must Seek Forgiveness for our Sins Each Day!
- We Must Strive to Follow our Savior!
&
Remember that you and I “were dead in your trespasses and sins, . . .”
“But God,
being rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved),
- and raised us up with Him,
- and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 2: 4-7 NASB)