Let us turn to the chapter that
we read, Matthew chapter 14. I want to read again the passage
from verse 22 through to 33. You'll see how it's marked as
a paragraph. Matthew chapter 14 and reading
from verse 22 to verse 33. I want us really to consider
the whole passage but in particular this morning I'm going to center
your thoughts on verses 30 and 31. But let's read from verse
22. And straightway Jesus constrained
his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the
other side while he sent the multitudes away. And when he
had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart
to pray. And when the evening was come,
he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst
of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And
in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea. And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit,
and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto
them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. And Peter
answered him and said, Lord, if it be so, bid me come unto
thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter
was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go
to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous,
he was afraid, And beginning to think, he cried, saying, Lord,
save me. And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were
come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in
the ship came, and worshipped him, saying of a truth, Thou
art the Son of God. As I said, I really want us to
consider this prayer of Peter's that he's spoken of in verses
30 and 31. When he saw the wind boisterous,
he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, O thou of
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? In many ways it is
truly a remarkable prayer. It's one of those short prayers,
just three words, Lord save me. It's not unlike what follows
in the next chapter where we read of the Canaanite woman who
brings her daughter and the disciples initially want her sent away
and the Lord seems to ignore her pleas, but she's so
persistent and then she comes again with a very simple and
short prayer. In chapter 15, 25, then came
she and worshipped him saying, Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Lord, save me. Interestingly, these short prayers
I remember many years ago at a prayer meeting, a special prayer
meeting at Southampton, the late Mr. Broome saying that the best
prayers are short prayers. And I believe there is some good
measure of truth in that. Think of the language of the
psalmist in Psalm 6 where he says, But thou, O Lord, how long? Maybe when we've prayed about
a matter, we've committed something to the Lord, we want an answer
to our prayers, we're full of Uncertainty, we have doubts and
fears, and yet the Lord doesn't seem to be answering. Can we
not learn from the language of the Psalmist when he says, Lord,
how long, all we long that God would hear and answer, and at
times God does answer immediately. That was certainly the case here
with regards to the prayer of Simon Peter. He says, Lord, save
me, and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him. Well, as we come to consider
the prayer of Peter, I want us to consider something of the
man behind the prayer and also to look at the nature of the
faith of Simon Peter at this particular time. I've just two
headings that I want to divide the subject matter into first
of all to say something with regards to the fears and the
doubts of Peter and then in the second place to look more particularly
at the nature of his faith. Peter was certainly afraid and
the Lord Jesus asks that question at the end of verse 31 Wherefore
didst thou doubt? Wherefore didst thou doubt? What
lay behind the doubts and the fears of Peter at this particular
time? And again I mention some three
things that we can discern that causes the Lord to utter this
word of rebuke, O thou of little faith. The Lord doesn't say that
he has no faith, but he only has a little faith. O thou of
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And the first thing
I would say with regards to the cause of his doubting is the
fact that his views of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ were
not truly scriptural. They were not really right in
that he failed to understand something of the spiritual nature
of the kingdom of God that the Lord Jesus Christ had come to
establish. He was not alone in this. This
was certainly the case with regards to the Jews in general, but that
was also the case, it seems, with regards to these who are
the followers, the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
in the context we see how that previously the Lord Jesus Christ
desires to be alone in prayer with his Father. But at the same
time he is aware of the needs of his disciples is concerned
to protect them. Remember how the passage that
we are considering begins. It says, Straightway, Jesus constrained
his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the
other side, while he sent the multitudes away. When he had
sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart
to pray. And when the evening was come,
he was there alone. He wants his opportunity to be
alone. He wants to be engaged in prayers
with his father. He is living, of course, now
as the God-man. He's living the life of faith.
It's a life of dependence. And he understands himself the
importance of private prayers. But at the same time, he is concerned
for his disciples. It's interesting that we read
there at the beginning of verse 22, and straight away, Jesus
constrained his disciples to get into a ship. He wants his
disciples to be separated from the multitudes, the multitudes
that had gathered, And the Lord, remember in the context here,
had just previously ministered to them. He fed 5,000 men besides
the women and children. It must have been several thousand.
Maybe as many as 15,000 or more that he fed with five loaves
and two fishes. And now when all had partaken
and the disciples go to gather up those few crumbs that are
left. They gather 12 baskets full of
the crumbs. It's a miracle. But it's interesting
when we compare how John records the same events in his gospel
and tells us a little more concerning the reaction of the multitude
at that particular time. It's in It's in John chapter
6 that we have that evangelist accounts the
opening chapters there in John chapter 6 and at the end we're
told after the Lord has performed the miracle those men when they
had seen the miracle that Jesus did said this is of a truth that's
prophet that should come into the world When Jesus therefore
perceived that they would come and take him by force to make
him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. This is a reaction, you see,
of this great multitude. They're going to take him by
force, they're going to set him up as the king, as the Messiah. Why? Because their understanding
of the the kingdom of God is not a scriptural understanding. They're thinking in terms of
some great worldly leader. They're not thinking in spiritual
terms, they're thinking in political terms. This is how the Jews anticipated
the coming of the Messiah, that he would free them from all the
yoke of Rome. He would be established as a
great king in Israel. And the disciples also, their
understanding was somewhat tainted with that sort of carnal, that
worldly view of the kingdom of God. Even after Christ had died
and risen again on the third day, and shown himself by so
many infallible proofs that he was really alive, Remember how
at the beginning of Acts we're told of his ascension? But when
the Lord meets with them, what do they say there in Acts 1.6?
Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel? All the Jews are those who are
looking for a worldly kingdom, but so too were also the disciples. And I say this is one of the
reasons why Peter's faith is so little and why he is still
so beset with many doubts and fears. Together with the other disciples
he's not yet understood, not properly grasped the truth of
the nature of the kingdom that the Lord Jesus Christ has come
to establish. Remember what we're told in in
Luke 17 that the Lord Jesus there when the Pharisees come and demand
when the kingdom of God shall come he says he comes not with
observation he comes not without good show and so he turns to
his disciples and says to them look they'll say oh no it's here
no it's there and he says the kingdom of God is within you
But the disciples are slow to be learning these lessons, how
the Lord has to teach them, line upon line, line upon line, precept
upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little.
And is it not the same with us? So often we fear that we're dull
scholars in the school of the Lord Jesus Christ, but Christ
himself is such a patient and understanding teacher. But here
is a problem, you see. They... they have improper views
of the kingdom or when he comes to the end there at his trial
before Pontius Pilate again the Lord Jesus plainly declares my
kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world
then would my disciples fight no Peter here together with the
other disciples and certainly with the Jews does not have a
proper spiritual understanding of the kingdom. But then, also
in the second place, he's somewhat forgetful of the power that belongs
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we are told, concerning
the ship, that it's in the midst of a great storm. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
not with them. The ship is tossed with waves,
the wind was contrary, and then, verse 25, in the fourth watch
of the night, just before the dawning of the day, the darkest
hour of the night, they say, Jesus went unto them. He sees
them, He's aware of them, and He will go and minister to them.
He went unto them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw
him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it is a
spirit, and they cried out for fear. And how significant this
is, the Lord Jesus Christ walking on the sea. We go back to the
book of Job, there in Job 9, in the opening verses of that
chapter, Job is speaking of God, speaking of something of the
the glories of God, the attributes of God, His power, His wisdom,
His justice and how God has demonstrated these attributes and amongst
them what does Job say there in the 8th verse of that chapter? He speaks of God that treadeth
upon the waves of the sea God treadeth upon the waves of the
sea or there's nothing more impossible but God does that. And isn't
this then the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrating something of the
truth of his deity? When he sees them and he can
come to them walking upon the waves of the sea. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who has all power. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who is truly God, but he is God's manifest in the flesh. He's able to perform remarkable
miracles out in the midst of a storm, but that he not previously
stilled a storm. We only have to go back a few
chapters and see again something of the great power of the Lord
in chapter 8. And there, verse 23, when he
was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him, we're
told. Behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, and so much
that the ship was covered with the waves. But he was asleep. And his disciples came to him
and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us! Oh, they'd already made
this sort of prayer to him on a previous occasion. Lord, save
us! We perish! And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose
and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that
even the winds and the sea obey him? You see, something of Peter's
problem, like the others, is forgetful. Just a short while
previously the Lord had found him in a similar situation. Yes,
he was present with them then in the boat, but he was asleep.
But how forgetful they were. Doesn't Paul rebuke the Hebrews
when he says to them, and ye have forgotten? And ye have forgotten. How apt we are to forget. We forget the good, the gracious
ways of the Lord. How he has demonstrated something
of his majesty, something of his mercy in his dealings with
us in times past. How the children of Israel, when
they come to the very borders of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy
18, are told, they shall remember all the way that the Lord led
thee these 40 years in the wilderness. To prove them. To know what was
in thy heart. How the Lord does prove His people.
And alas, we're those who are so apt to forget, so slow to
learn. It's not just that Peter with
the others has this unspiritual concept of the kingdom that the
Lord Jesus Christ has come to establish, but he's forgetful. He forgets how the Lord previously
demonstrated so much of his great power. Oh, let us not be those
who forget, but let us rather remember. The Lord understands,
He knows how we're prone to be forgetful. He has instituted,
therefore, that Holy Supper that we observe, the Lord's Supper.
We're to do all in remembrance of Him, we're to remember. which
remember the Lord, which remember all that the Lord is, all that
the Lord has done, all that the Lord is able to do. He has delivered,
He does deliver, He will yet deliver. But alas, so often our
faith is but a little faith, and we're full of doubts and
of fears. But thinking of Peter, I said
we'd consider something of the man behind this this wonderful
prayer these three words Lord Simon thinking of this man in
particular we know what sort of man Peter was he was so impulsive
he's always the one who's who's first and we have it here in
this particular incident the Lord comes walking upon the waters
and what are we told? there at verse 27, verse 28 straightway
Jesus spake unto them saying be of good cheer it is I be not
afraid and Peter and Peter answered him and said Lord if it be thou
bid me come unto thee on the water poor Peter you see so ready
to act we see it time and again I say in the very Next but one
chapter, chapter 16, we have him making his great confession.
There at Caesarea Philippi, thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. And then the Lord, remember,
pronounces him to be one who is blessed. Flesh and blood hath
not revealed it unto thee, says the Lord, but my Father which
is in heaven. Oh, it's a great confession concerning
the person. Jesus of Nazareth. He is the
Messiah, the Christ. He is the Son of the Living God. And then, from that time forth,
the Lord begins to show unto his disciples how we must go
unto Jerusalem and suffer many things, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day. And Peter will have none of that.
Here he is again, you see. Peter took him and began to rebuke
him, saying, Be ye far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto
thee. But then the Lord has to turn and rebuke Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan. Thou savest not the things that
be of God, but those that be of men. He doesn't understand
the true nature of the kingdom of God. It's a spiritual kingdom.
The Lord Jesus Christ has come for that great purpose, to reconcile
sinners to God. That's the work that Christ is
about. not some political deliverance, but to deliver sinners from all
that dreadful consequence, the curse, the power of sin. He has made that great sacrifice
and yet Peter rebukes him, that be far from thee, Lord. So impulsive. We see it so many times. Remember
when the Lord's washing the disciples' feet, there in the 13th chapter
of John. And again we see this man so
quick, quick to respond as it were, and yet he speaks so often without thinking. Verse 8 of John 13, Peter said
unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet, Jesus answered him,
if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter
said unto him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my
head. Jesus said to him, he that is
washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean everywhere. All Peter doesn't understand.
And yet Peter so quick, so responsive, so impulsive. and now the Lord has to tell
him that he will he will have to be sifted or Satan you see,
Satan will come and will sift his religion and sift that religion
through and through Satan the great adversary of believers
remember the language that we have there in Luke 22 verse 31
the Lord says Simon Simon, behold, Satan hath desired
to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. And it's the plural,
he's speaking the Lord to Simon Peter, but he's speaking of them
all, it's the plural, pronoun. Satan hath desired to have you,
that is all of you. But I have prayed for thee, the
singular pronoun, as he addresses Peter. I have prayed for thee,
that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen
my brethren and he, that is Peter says to the Lord I am ready to
go forth with thee into prison and to death and the Lord says
I tell thee Peter the cock shall not crow this day before that
thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me or Peter you say so
sure, so certain of himself He would never deny the Lord and
yet he does. And he begins to fall through
that sieve of Satan. There when subsequently we see
them in the garden of Gethsemane, who is it that draws the sword?
Again, it's Simon Peter. Peter, you see, always
ready to act but so often acting in his own spirit. That's the
problem. He acts in his own spirit. He doesn't wait upon the Lord,
seeks to go forward as it were in his own strength. He's such
an impulsive man. And this all contributes to his
doubts and his fears. He looks too much to himself
rather than one who is ever looking to the Lord. We see then something
of his fear and the reason for those doubts but I really want
to say something more particularly with regards to the faith of
this man let us not misjudge this man he is a man of faith
and the Lord acknowledges that and the Lord owns the faith of
this man it might be a little faith but it is a real faith
The Lord doesn't say that he has no faith at all. O thou of little faith, says
the Lord, wherefore didst thou doubt? We're not to despise little
faith. We're not to despise little faith. What does Peter do here? He prays.
He is evidently a man of prayer. We see him and he's in great
trouble. And he has to cry out unto the
Lord. And what a prayer it is that
he makes. He cried saying, Lord, save me. And that is really the prayer
of faith. That little prayer is the prayer
of faith. We know without faith it is impossible
to please God. He that cometh to Him must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him, as we're told there in Hebrews 11. And this is the prayer of faith.
He addresses Christ as the Lord. that Christ is God, I can avouch,
and for his people cares, since I have prayed to him as such,
and he has heard my prayers, says the hymn writer. He is addressing
Christ as his Lord, as his God. This is the object of his faith,
it might be a little faith, but what a blessed object, what a
great object. He looks to the Lord, Well, concerning
his faith, let us observe at least three things. First of
all, here we see something of the boldness of this man's faith. When they see the Lord walking
on the waters, in verse 27, and they're afraid, and the Lord
addresses them, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. See the
boldness of Peter. We might say, oh yes, he's impulsive
here, he's quick. But let us not altogether condemn
the man. He says, Lord, if it be Thou,
bid me come unto Thee on the water. And Christ says, come. Oh, Christ responds to his request,
come! And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. It's not just the Lord walking
on the water, it's also the Lord's disciple. And why does he walk on the water?
Because he has faith, he is looking to Christ, he is trusting in
Christ. and while his eyes are fixed so firmly upon the Lord
Jesus, how they are walking near one to the other, and walking
each of them on the water." Peter you see, in many ways,
he might be an impulsive man, but he's also a leader amongst
men. He's very much a leader amongst
the disciples. It's Peter, of course, who makes
that great confession when the Lord asks the disciples whom
men say that I the Son of Man am and they begin to give their
answers. Some say they want John the Baptist,
some Elias, others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. When
the Lord says and asks whom say ye that I am, it's Peter who
says they want the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And that confession, here in
chapter 16, it's repeated, as I'm sure you're aware, at the
end of John chapter 6. And it does seem to be another
occasion that's being spoken of there in John 6, but it's
the same confession. "'To whom shall we go?' says
Peter. "'Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God.'" Oh, this is the faith of Peter. It's a small faith, and yet,
in a sense, it's a bold faith, because it's a real faith. It's
not the greatness of faith that saves. It's always the object. It's always the object. Doesn't
the Lord Himself even speak of faith as a grain of mustard seed,
and yet that small faith can do great things? In chapter 17, 20, if ye have
faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing
shall be impossible unto you. A grain of mustard seed. And elsewhere the Lord says that
the mustard seed is the least of all seeds, and yet it grows
into a great fruit. And that's not just the seed,
it's a grain of that very small seed. Such a small faith, and
yet if that faith is but a real faith. All that sort of faith
can do such remarkable things, such great things. And that's
what Peter does. Peter walks on the water. The Lord Jesus, as I said from
what we read there at the beginning of Job chapter 9, the Lord walking
on the water is demonstrating the truth that he is God the
one who walks on the waters but here is a man who as he trusts
in the Lord Jesus Christ he can do the same the boldness of this
man's faith but then also here with regards
to his faith and the reality of it we see the obedience of
that faith When the Lord says the word,
come, how Peter is obedient. Verse 29. He, that is Christ,
said, Come. And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. All come. Isn't that really a
great gospel words the words come the Lord Jesus says to the Jews
in the course of his ministry ye will not come unto me that
ye might have life ye will not come though many will not come
determined not to come the Lord says all that the Father giveth
me shall come unto me and he that cometh unto me I shall in
no wise cast out. Or the Spirit and the Bride say,
Come, and in civil will let him take of the water of life freely. Come is a great gospel word. And there is an obedience in
faith, you see. There is that venturing, that
coming. And this is what we see in Peter. He obeys. Faith is that that is obedience
to the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says himself, if a
man love me, he will keep my words. And are we those who desire
only to keep the words of the Lord Jesus, to keep the commandments
of the Lord Jesus? What is the evidence of faith?
Well, Paul says of faith, it is that which worketh by love.
Faith worketh by love. And again when Paul writes there
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, he speaks of the work of faith.
The work of faith, the labor of love, the patience, or literally
the endurance of hope. All these graces you see. faith,
hope, love. They are active by their fruitures. That's how they know. The work
of faith, the labour of love, the patience of hope. Isn't this what James is really
emphasizing? The importance of those works
that are the justification of faith. We are justified only
by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, that righteousness
imputed to us, that righteousness reckoned to our accounts. He
is the Lord, our righteousness. But how do we know if ours is
a real justifying faith? Well, this is the point that
James is making. When he writes there in chapter
2, verse 17, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works. Show me Thy faith without Thy
works, and I will show Thee my faith by my works. It is faith that works, it is
faith that is therefore obedient. Or do we desire to manifest that
evidence of a true faith in that we obey the commandments of Christ?
All those gospel precincts. those things that the Lord requires
of his people. And this is Peter, you see. Does
the Lord just utter the word, come? Peter immediately responds
and obeys. His faith is bold. His faith
is an obedient faith. And here in all of this we see
that it is a genuine faith it is praying faith it is saving
faith it is justifying faith though it be a small faith beginning
to sink he cried saying Lord save me and immediately Jesus
stretched forth his hand and caught him or doesn't the result
of his prayer indicate to us that this was a prayer that was
acceptable and pleasing. As soon as he prays, Lord save
me, immediately, the answer is given. Jesus stretched forth
his hand and caught him. James says the prayer of faith
shall save. The prayer of faith shall save. You shall seek me and find me.
When you shall search after me, with all your hearts here is
small faith it's a faith that we might say is full of
doubts full of doubts like that man who comes to the Lord that's
insurance and desires the Lord would only heal his sick son
but the Lord only needs to say the word and that will suffice
that man or how the Lord owns that man's faith. What does he
say to that man? Lord, I believe. Help thou mine
unbelief. We are not to dream of faith
so clear as shuts all doubtings out. We will know something of
the assaults of Satan upon our faith if we have faith. What are we to do? We are to
look to the Lord Jesus Christ, this is what Peter is doing,
he is looking to the Lord Jesus Christ when he makes that request
if thou Lord if it be thou bid me come down come unto thee on
the water and he said come Peter is looking to the Lord.
He's asking the Lord as he looks to the Lord to obey the Lord. He comes down out of the ship.
He walks on the water to go to Jesus. But then his eye is distracted. He saw the wind boisterous and
he was afraid. It says his circumstances, his
situation He's now taking up all his attention. He's aware
of all that's going on about him. So often are we not like
that? Our eye is deflected from Christ. We're to be those who are looking
on to Jesus. The author and finisher of our
faith. Looking away from every other
object. That's the force of the word,
remember there in Hebrews 12, 2. Looking away from every other
object. One object. looking only onto
Jesus, one object alone. It's the object of faith that
is all important. And it's when our eyes are taken
off the Lord Jesus that we begin to be afraid and then doubts
begin to creep in and the devil soon begins to take an advantage. Or think of Abraham and the faith
of Abraham. He is that one, of course, who
is said before us in Scripture as the father of all them that
believe. And there the Apostle speaks
of that faith, that justifying faith of Abraham in Romans 4. What said the Scripture? Abraham
believed God. And it was counted unto him for
righteousness. That's justifying faith. It wasn't
his faith that made him righteous, it was that object of the faith
as we see at the end of the chapter. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised He
was able also to perform and therefore it was imputed to him
for righteousness. What was the it that was imputed
for righteousness? It was what God had promised.
And what was the promise? It was Isaac, the promised seed,
but Isaac a type of the Lord Jesus. That's the fate of Abraham. It centers in him who is the
seed. the seed of the woman, the seed
of Abraham, the seed of David. Oh, it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it is Christ, of course, that we see in this passage.
And now the passage concludes the last verse of this paragraph.
Verse 33, Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped
him, saying of a truth. Thou art the Son of God." Ought
to be brought to that acknowledgement, to that confession. Wasn't that Peter's own confession,
as we have already seen in chapter 16? Simon says, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. It's the doctrine of Christ's
deity, His eternal Sonship, and yet it's a truth. that is really
so inscrutable to us. We can only really believe it
when the Lord reveals it. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah,
flesh and blood have not revealed it unto them, but my Father,
which is in heaven. Oh, the Father must reveal the
Son. The Son comes to reveal the Father,
the image of the invisible God. No man knoweth the Son but the
Father. neither knoweth any man the Father
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." Always
is our burden, our desire, that we might know such a revealing
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we might see Him in the midst
of all those things that trouble us and confuse us and fill us
with doubts and fears, to be brought to such a confession
as we have at the end of this passage. those in the ship they
came for they're coming to him just as Peter would come they
came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the Son of
God. May the Lord grant his blessing
upon his word. Amen. We conclude our worship this
morning as we sing the hymn 233, the tune Russell 763. The sinner that truly believes
and trusts in his crucified God, his justification receives redemption
in full through his blood. Though thousands and thousands
of foes against him in malice unite, their rage He through
Christ can oppose. Led forth by the Spirit to fight. 233.