Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

In Mark 14, Jesus shares one last meal with His disciples before one of them betrays Him. Peter fervently assures Jesus that he will never fall away, that he will never deny Him—even if it means death. But the Lord tells him in verse 30, “‘This very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.’” Later in the chapter, Jesus is arrested. Peter is recognized three different times as a follower of Christ, but each time, he denies it with increasing anger. At the end of the chapter, we read, “Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, ‘Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ And he began to weep” (verse 72). Peter really messed up that night. He, the disciple whose passionate (though often reckless) efforts to please his Master had marked everything we know of him, declared that he did not even know Jesus.

There’s an element of this story that’s not often discussed: though he might deny it, Peter’s choices led others to recognize him as a follower of Jesus Christ. The world had seen where Peter spent his time and his resources. It seemed obvious that he must be one of Jesus’ disciples. Even after Christ’s ascension, this man who was called the rock of the church was still known by his Master. Acts 4:13 says, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” The crowd was not in awe of Peter and John; they were in awe of the God who was able to use these “uneducated and untrained men” for His glory. They knew that only time with Jesus could have transformed them so powerfully.

It makes me wonder, does the world think the same thing about us? Does the way we speak tell them we have spent time with Jesus? Does the way we treat them make them realize we are different? Do our actions encourage them to believe our testimony?

It’s easy to make excuses for ourselves by saying “I don’t care what people think.” And yes, we know that the world will hate us if we live for Jesus, so we certainly shouldn’t be chasing a positive public image. But we need to ask ourselves, is the reputation we are building a result of a selfish heart or a heart sold out for Christ? Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16, “‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’” When we set a bad example of who a Christian truly is, we are denying Jesus just as much as Peter ever did.

If the world should be able to see Jesus in us, other Christians certainly should. Have you ever met a person, and something (or really, Someone) told you that they too were a sinner saved by grace? The way they talked, the way they acted, the way they loved others spoke volumes about Who had control over their life. I don’t want to pretend that any of us have the power or right to determine who is saved. But each of us who belong to Christ have His Spirit living within us. Romans 8:9 says, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” I believe the Holy Spirit often reveals to us others who have received Him. We have a bond with our brothers and sisters in Christ that supersedes any other differences. How could we not recognize the Spirit of the Lord in the character of the believers we meet?

The work of God in our life should make us guarded about the reputation we create, not because we care what people think of us, but because we care what people think of Jesus. We have been rescued from sin and given a new heart, and our lives should prove that. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Maybe it’s time for a heart check. Ask yourself, if I wasn’t saved, if I didn’t belong to Christ, if I was still living in darkness, would my life really look any different from a distance than it does now?

Associating ourselves with Jesus doesn’t lead to a struggle-free life. As Peter found, following Jesus isn’t always waving palm branches and cries of hosanna. Sometimes it’s nights of agony in Gethsemane and witnessing a traitor’s kiss. Sometimes it’s a crown of thorns and shouts of crucify. Sometimes it’s darkness at the sixth hour and agony over the Father forsaking His Son. Associating with Jesus may cost you. Are you willing to pay the price?