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Why did Jesus say to Peter:
"Simon,Simon, behold satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat"
Since Peter was a godly man who was very confident in his faith, He had just made a bold declaration to the disciples and to Jesus
that his faith would endure all tests and trials and temptations, and that others may leave you Lord" "But no not me"
And why do you think that satan is making the same demands and has intensified the same sifting the Lord's elect today?
and why did Jesus say to Peter " that he have prayed for him that his faith faith fail not?" Do you think that there are believers that will do this in these last and evil days?
Last edited by yhwhshalomjr; 11-08-2008 at 07:22 PM..
Luke 22 :31-32 "Simon, Simon, satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen and build up your brothers".
Satan wanted to crush Peter and the other disciples like grains of wheat, but Jesus assured Peter that his faith although would falter, would not be destroyed. It would be renewed and Peter would become a powerful leader.
Why did Jesus say to Peter:
"Simon,Simon, behold satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat"
Since Peter was a godly man who was very confident in his faith, He had just made a bold declaration to the disciples and to Jesus
that his faith would endure all tests and trials and temptations, and that others may leave you Lord" "But no not me"
And why do you think that satan is making the same demands and has intensified the same sifting the Lord's elect today?
and why did Jesus say to Peter " that he have prayed for him that his faith faith fail not?" Do you think that there are believers that will do this in these last and evil days?
Peter's faith was in measure to that which the Lord had given him. What was missing from what Peter would become was the infilling of the Holy Spirit. One of the names used of the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. This is just one of the blessings of the Spirit. After the events recounted in Acts chapter 2, we find a Peter who was now unshakable in his faith. This same man who once denied Christ, now strove with Him until he was finally crucified himself (as recounted by Eusebius).
Will some falter in these last days? Undoubtedly. Those who try and tread the line between the Lord and the world will be separated by the first signs of adversity. Their faith is based on a loveless acknowledgment of the Lord. Without a love of the Lord, there is no ingress for the Holy Spirit. As the Word warns, "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways".
It is by the empowerment of the Comforter that the martyrs persevered, and it is by that same power that we shall stand for Christ.
Further, I see ample testament in the Scriptures that we shall receive a double portion of the Spirit during those times. We should not fear to tread on the paths which our Father has laid for us. We should rejoice that our day of redemption and reunion draws near.
I notice I answered the second part of your question, but failed to address the main topic.
The Lord allowed satan to attack Peter for the same reasons He allowed him in other instances in the Bible. To humiliate satan. While satan was sure that he could find the weakness within Peter, he was unaware of what was to come with Acts chapter 2.
Satan is well acquainted with our weaknesses. Jesus being made man was enough to encourage him to try and pull the same tired tricks from his bag that he used on other men. When he failed, he saw Peter as a vulnerable target to engender despondency, regret and ultimately, defeat. But with the sacrifice of Christ, satan never saw the satisfying of God's law and that it would enable a new communion between God and man, that the Lord could now create within frail flesh a temple to Himself. Your poll doesn't include this option, but I feel it the correct one.
In the story of the Bible, I see the unfolding revelation of the righteousness of the Lord over the sinfulness of satan. Each step along the way uncovers another instance of proving categorically the lies of satan. Through it all, a new creation is being forged in us. Frail, fallen flesh is proved righteous before the Lord through the love of Christ and the ultimate sacrifice He made for us. Our love for Him allows for the bond where He might work through us. And all the while His light shines only dimly through the vast cloud of sin which engulfs this world. That is how righteous He is. That is how perfect love is. That is how wrong satan is.
It's dramatic foreshadowing for the story in Luke 22:54-62 where Peter "disowns Jesus" three times before the rooster crows. Once he hears the rooster, he knows the Lord was right. It's one of those stories that makes people say "well if Peter was reassured that the Lord was right in that story, why should I think different?" Although this argument only has pseudo-credibility.
It is refiners fire, allowing the dross to come to the top.Where there are character flaws, weakness, pride, self dependece, self pity , or sin. It is a breaking down to be built up. What was meant for evil......When we reach out to Jesus he is our strength. our salvation. and we will be overcomers in him.
It is refiners fire, allowing the dross to come to the top.Where there are character flaws, weakness, pride, self dependece, self pity , or sin. It is a breaking down to be built up. What was meant for evil......When we reach out to Jesus he is our strength. our salvation. and we will be overcomers in him.
I also wanted to add That Jesus believed in Peter, he knew Peter, Even when Peter himself, did know how he would respond untill push came to shove. Often character is built under fire......
Satan the father of lies, had the opportunity to plant seeds of doubt and confusion into the mind of Peter just as he had done Job, Peter had been a bold disciple for Christ, even going so far as to cut the ear of a man off when confronted for Jesus" , He had all of this zeal now Peter finds his faith in a total eclipse.
Just maybe if satan could get Peter to doubt that Jesus was really God in the flesh,
Even through all of the sifting(violently shaking back and forth and up and down) , God's love and his patience superceded all of the plots of satan to destroy him, and i could not imagine all of what Peter went through
emotionally as well as physical, feeling that God really didn't hear him and that He just might not answer his prayer this time, after all Jesus was killed, so what could he have possibly been thinking?
The part that speaks volumes is that Jesus "prayed for him, that his "Faith" did not fail him, so everyone including Peter would benefit from this victory.. the key point here is Faith in the face of adversities, tests and trials, when we would otherwise have given up and threw in the towel, just like satan would want us to; the accuser of the brethren,
The same applies to us, we can have all of the superficial, exterior acts of worship.
But when we have been sifted as wheat, anad when we come to ourselves and are restored in right standing with the Father only then can we can go and stengthen someone else weaker than we are.
You have a testimony, that not only the lost can hear, but can see as well...
It takes trust in God to survive these last and evil day.. Faith, will ours stand the test of these times?
unlike Peter. we have the Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf, so it may be a lot easier, even though the adversary is relentless in destruction of the church in this final hour.., but will our faith stand?
God Bless
thanks for your replies
Last edited by yhwhshalomjr; 11-10-2008 at 06:57 PM..
It is refiners fire, allowing the dross to come to the top.Where there are character flaws, weakness, pride, self dependece, self pity , or sin. It is a breaking down to be built up. What was meant for evil......When we reach out to Jesus he is our strength. our salvation. and we will be overcomers in him.
Truth.
Satan only can come against that which is flesh, as we're reminded when Jesus said, "The prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me". (Jn 14:30)
Christians don't receive it (because they don't see God as having all authority), but He uses the power of darkness to refine us.
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