GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 27

Our  book this month  is a continuation of “Chiseled by the Master’s Hand ~ Lessons From the Life of Peter,” by Erwin  Lutzer.  Dr. Lutzer is  Canadian-born and served as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years, until his retirement in 2016.   He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church.  He’s written many books and has radio and internet teaching programs.

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FROM REGRET TO RESTORATION

(Read Luke 22:31-62)

Remember Jesus said to Peter, “the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”  (Luke 22:34).  Did He predict Peter’s failure simply to prove His omniscience?  No, Christ never used His divine attributes to impress anyone;  He used His power and knowledge for the benefit of His people.  He was making it easy for Peter to return to fellowship after his impending fall.  Jesus wanted Peter to remember that He knew in advance both the circumstances he would be in and the fear that would cause him to stumble.

 GRACE WAS ANNOUNCED BEFORE PETER FELL.    Christ trusted Peter with His heart of love.

Christ knew where Peter would be seated;  He knew that a servant girl would walk by and accuse Peter of belonging to Jesus.  The Savior knew there would be a rooster in the area who would be restrained until the right time to alert Peter of his sin.  The Bible report reveals that while Peter was STILL SPEAKING, the rooster began crowing – perfect timing.

A student came to me one day and said, “I can’t face God about this same sin again.  I can’t come into God’s presence with my guilt and shame.”  She thought that God might not be able to handle the disappointment.  But our Lord is never caught off guard.  He knows our weakness and the full extent of our propensity to sin.  Jesus knows things about us that we have not even admitted to ourselves.  When Jeremiah said that, “the heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” he followed it with the words, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind.”  (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Unlike an earthly father, Christ will never say to us, “I never expected that you would do such a thing!”

We could never stand for a moment without the glories of grace.  Our fall is known to a Savior who will restore us to fellowship and give us another assignment.  “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity”  (Proverbs 24:16).  Thankfully, the well of grace will never run dry.

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1 John 1:7-9

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.   But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.   If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

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Romans 4:7

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;

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Ephesians 1:7

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

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1 John 3:20

For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things

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Romans 5:20

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

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