Peter is a good example of a
faithful messenger. His resolve to stand for truth
was forged in the fires of persecution, along with corrections and rebukes
at the hands of the other disciples. All of us are prone to err, and
Peter was no different. In the early days of his ministry,
he was guilty of hypocrisy as he sought to please the Jews.
The Lord used the Apostle Paul to rebuke him. Peter demonstrated
the fact that the root of the matter was in him as he, being
led by the Spirit and not the flesh, submitted himself to the
faithful rebuke of Paul and was corrected in his thinking. This
is not an attitude that one finds among many so-called preachers
today. Most of them are convinced that
their own line of thought, which they learned in some school of
men, is proper, and seldom have any desire to be corrected in
their doctrinal practice, most assuredly not by one who they
feel beneath them in natural education. Peter exhorted the
believers to whom he wrote to stand fast in those things that
they knew. When Paul admonished Peter, he
was not telling him something which Peter did not already know.
but he was putting him in remembrance of those things. The saints of
God are all taught of God. As a part of that teaching, he
often uses brethren to exhort, rebuke, and strengthen them.
It is impossible that a man could in any wise impart to another
man those things which only the Spirit of God can teach him.
The purpose of the exhortations, which are numerous in the New
Testament, is not to inform the ignorant, but is rather to encourage
and remind the sons of God of the great privilege and standing
that they have as priests and kings in the house of God. The
flesh and the devil do continually seek to cloud the view of the
sheep of the Lord's pasture, both as to their standing as
the chosen people of God, as well as those types of conduct
which are becoming to a people of such stature. When Paul said,
likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, he is not trying
to stir up the Romans to activity through the power of positive
thinking. Rather, he is bringing to their remembrance the very
fact that Christ has delivered them from the enslavement to
the flesh, which they already knew having been brought out
of darkness and into the light. Those who would seek to exhort
the sons of God through threats and conditional promises are
still under the law of sin and death and can only minister the
same. Those who are made alive in Christ
know that He alone is the source and substance of all of their
righteousness. They are built up in the most
holy faith by faithful exhortations which bring to their remembrance
those things that they are taught by the Spirit of God. The promises
of God are not some canned clichés which are ingrained in the carnal
mind by rote memorization. Rather, they are the very breath
of God to the souls of those who are awakened by His Spirit.
Thus, they are known by them. Present truth is that which is
engraved upon the heart, and not some doctrine which one has
picked up in a systematic theology course. This is the truth as
it has been made applicable to the soul and not simply the mind. We see an illustration of it
as Paul recounts his consideration of his religious past. But what
things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. While we would never
be opposed to sound theology as the basis of true faith, yet
we see clearly that a man can learn all sorts of sound doctrine
and yet not be established in the present truth. Present truth
is that which is applied to the conscience of the inner man and
is manifested in the life, outlook, and desire of the whole man.
Paul speaks of this when he says, For I through the law am dead
to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net.