Of course Peter’s issues are not his alone but mankind in general exhibits some if not all of his issues in varying degrees. I think we get to know so much about Peter from scripture as he can be an example of fallen man whereas Jesus can be seen as an example of what man was created to be.
We gather from scripture that Lucifer was the shinning one, the brightest and most magnificent of all the angels but he became so intoxicated with his own beauty he thought he could become like God. However he was cast down from his favoured position and in the garden of Eden took the form of a serpent to drag mankind down to his now lowly estate. He lied to Eve, and Adam through Eve, promising them what he had failed to do “become like God”.
Since that fateful day the effects of man’s sin has dominated the world and it is only when we look to Jesus we understand how far we all have fallen.
In our text today we will be looking at Peter’s idea that he can be self sufficient but I put it to you Almighty God is the only self sufficient One. Indeed by His creative power he alone is also the sustaining power of the whole of what we know. Nothing continues to exist without His sustaining power. What a thought.
I think you may agree this is totally opposite to current worldly thinking where many are self obsessed, and encouraged to be so. But when questioned on which is the greatest commandment Jesus gave a two part answer, the second part being to “love your neighbour as you love yourself”. This is to live a correctly balanced life.
One side of self-sufficiency is not praying at all because we have this false peace that everything is okay without going to Him in prayer—we unconsciously believe that we don’t need Him. A Christian life devoid of prayer is pure presumption (John 15:5). Anyone who walks with God goes before Him constantly in prayer, abandons all thought of his own worth, and ascribes all glory completely to God. Self-sufficiency is the enemy of prayer.
So in our text today can we see in what way is Peter an example of how not to think?
Let us read but let us also remember that Peter was redeemed and so can we be.
My plea for us today is to let God be God and get rid of self-sufficiency.
Do not try to domesticate Him;
do not try to manage Him,
do not reduce Him,
do not confine Him,
do not bring Him down to your level,
but acknowledge Him in all His glory, majesty, and splendor.
Surrender to Him and submit to Him.
There is nothing like reading Isaiah 40 to bring us back to reality, where we find Him to be the incomparable One, the independent One, the invincible One, and the indispensable One. Is that the God you worship?