Tuesday, May 14, 2024

PT-4 "The Disciples' Ignorance" (Matt. 26:33-35)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/14/2024 8:39 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-4 “The Disciples’ Ignorance”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 26:33-35

 

            Message of the verses:  33 But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." 34 Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." All the disciples said the same thing too.”

 

            I want to continue to quote from MacArthur’s commentary on this SD, which will be the last one in this section and this chapter.

 

            “The presence of the now-indwelling Holy Spirit within them doubtless was the source of the power in the apostles’ new-found courage and dedication.  But even the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ is no guarantee of faithfulness.  Long after he had been indwelt by the Spirit, Peter discovered again ho spiritually unreliable and impotent he was when he acted in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.  Having been intimidated by the Judaizers, he refused for a while to have fellowship with Gentile believers and was severely rebuked face to face and publicly by Paul for his hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11-14).

 

            “It therefore seems certain that another factor besides the indwelling Spirit contributed to the apostles’ later faithfulness—namely, the lesson they learned so bitterly at the end of the Lord’s ministry about their own ignorance and foolish self-sufficiency and about Christ’s divine omniscience and gracious sufficiency.  They remembered His patient love and mercy in pulling them back to Himself, despite their cowardly and despicable defection. They had experienced His mercy so intimately and so profoundly that they were determined never to forsake Him again.  But they knew that, in themselves, they were as weak as ever and that their only prospect for faithfulness was total obedience to the dependence on Him.

 

            “Could they have known it, the restored disciples would joyously have sung the beloved hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” two of the stanzas of which are:

 

“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,

            For I am they God, and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

            Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

 

The soul that on Jesus hath learned for repose,

            I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, through all hell should endeavor to shake,

            I’ll never, no, never no, never forsake!”

 

            A very precious hymn, for sure.  5/14/2024 8:55 AM  

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