On Enemy Ground

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12.
When Christ on the eve of His betrayal forewarned His disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night,” Peter confidently declared, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:27, 29). Peter did not know his own danger. Self-confidence misled him. He thought himself able to withstand temptation; but in a few short hours the test came, and with cursing and swearing he denied his Lord.
Peter had not designed that his real character should be known. In assuming an air of indifference he had placed himself on the enemy’s ground, and he became an easy prey to temptation. If he had been called to fight for his Master, he would have been a courageous soldier; but when the finger of scorn was pointed at him, he proved himself a coward. Many who do not shrink from active warfare for their Lord are driven by ridicule to deny their faith. By associating with those whom they should avoid, they place themselves in the way of temptation. They invite the enemy to tempt them, and are led to say and do that of which under other circumstances they would never have been guilty. The disciple of Christ who in our day disguises his faith through dread of suffering or reproach denies his Lord as really as did Peter in the judgment hall.
When the crowing of the cock reminded him of the words of Christ, surprised and shocked at what he had just done he turned and looked at his Master. At that moment Christ looked at Peter, and beneath that grieved look, in which compassion and love for him were blended, Peter understood himself. He went out and wept bitterly. That look of Christ’s broke his heart. Peter had come to the turning point, and bitterly did he repent his sin…. Now his self-confidence was gone. Never again were the old boastful assertions repeated….
It was through self-sufficiency that Peter fell; and it was through repentance and humiliation that his feet were again established. In the record of his experience every repenting sinner may find encouragement.
Conflict and Courage p. 321
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for the family whose one year old has died in a very, very tragic accident. Rose
—– I am in a lot of pain. My stomach is getting extremely sharp pains, that shoot up from my belly button to my upper torso. I am asking for a prayer please. Katherin
—–Urgent prayer request! A very dear friend, is on his way to hospital from a slit to his throat! Indy
—–Terrible tooth pain. please pray for me. Jennifer
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Dear Friends,
Just before partaking of communion, our denomination practices the foot washing service as instituted by Jesus the evening before His crucifixion. “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:1-17
One time a few years ago, a church member and I were washing one another’s feet, when we noticed one of the younger ladies had brought her little boy, who looked to be about four. He was a busy little boy and darted here and there around the room. He suddenly noticed what his mother and grandmother were doing and stopped for a moment to watch. Loudly he proclaimed, “I want to wash my own feet.” At that statement, his grandmother sat him down beside her and told him the story of the first footwashing service.
How often we are like that little boy. How many times we think that we can “wash our own feet” so to speak, attempting to earn our salvation by penance and pilgrimages, good works and outward obedience. How impossible! Salvation is a free gift given to us by our Loving Redeemer if we will only reach out and take it. We can do nothing to earn it. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17 Paul tells us, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom 6:23 “Every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Eph 4:7
In answer to the jailer’s question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Act 16:31 Is this a mere assent that Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins, or is there something deeper involved? Jesus declares, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 “He says to us as He did to the woman caught in adultry, “go, and sin no more.” John 8:11 Paul explains, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” 2:8-10 In Hebrews 11:6 he declares, “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Then he gives examples of various believers and how their lives were an outworking of their faith.
James also agrees. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 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. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:14-26 John adds, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 2:1-6 ; 3:1-3; 5:1-4
May we keep before our eyes our Dear Saviour’s sacrifice for our sins. May we exclaim as did Paul, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Cor 9:15 May we always “keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” because of our love and gratitude to Him. 1 John 3:22
Rose