The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-11-12

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A few weeks ago we saw in the
story of Jesus Christ and Judas Iscari-
OF, God and the devil face to face; now
we have the same Lord Jesus in the
hands of His enemies and the strange
conduct. or. rather, misconduct, of one
of His most favored disciples. All who
are not saved are lost. but He came
to seek and to save the lost. When
any lost one is convinced of sin and
truly receives the Lord Jesus Christ
they become saved ones. and all such
are equally saved; no one is more saved
than another, for all have the same
Saviour and the same salvation. But
the experience of such as are saved is
very varied. and the rewards will be
according to service.
Some follow fully as did Caleb and
Joshua, while some follow afar off like
Peter in this lesson. Some utterly re-
nOunce the world, the flesh and the
devil, while some are more or less con-
formed to this present evil age.
Some have no confidence in self and
lean wholly upon the Lord, but others
are too often self confident as Peter
was when he said. 81 will lay down my
life for Thy sake" John xiii, 80.
When the band of soldiers took Jesus
and led Him away Peter followed Him
afar off, even unto the palace of the
high priest, and sat with the servants
and warmed himself at the fire oversees
SO, 54. The record in John xviii, 10.
16, is that Peter and John both follow
ed Jesus, but John being known to the
high priest went into the palace, but
Peter stood at the door without until
John spoke unto her that kept the door
and brought in Peter
There is growth in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, a blessed experience, of
which Peter speaks in the last verse
of his second epistle OH Pet. iii, 49,.
There is also possibility of growing
departure from the Lord, even in the
case of a saved person, and that the
saved one enter the kingdom saved as
by fire q Cor iii, Is: V, 81, but accord
ing to the words of the Lord Jesus Him
self it is impossible that saved one
should ever perish John x. 2S).
Peters downward steps as disciple
seem to have been his self confidence
and consequent laundering. his follow
ing afar instead Of fully. his sitting in
the company of the servants and warm
ing himself at their fire. followed by
his profanity and base denial Earlier
in the record we hear Peter advising
the Lord not to speak Of suffering. but
rather to pity Himself; on which Occa-
sion he was told that 1t was Satan
speaking through him and that he sa-
vored of men rather than of God Matt
xvi. 90. 23). On this occasion he was
again in the hands of Satan to be sft-
ed, but our Lord had prayed for him
duke xii. 31-34l. Peter learned by
bitter experience something of the wiles
Of the devil and therefore could write
all the more forcefully "Be sober. he
vigilant, because your adversary. the
devil, as Il roaring lion. walketh about
seeking whom he may devour. whom
resist stendfast in the faith Il Pet. V.
8. 81.
The true Christian life is the Not |.
but Christ" mot |. but the grace OF
God" attitude No confidence in the
flesh. but rejoicing in Christ Jesus (Gal
I n. DhiI frha
company Of the ungodly is no place for
a child of God. and it is not for us TO
walk or stand or sit with them. We
do not need the warmth of their fire
but by meditation on the word Of God
may have such a fire in us as the dis
ciples had with whom the Lord walked
to Emmaus Ops. l. 1. 2: xxx. 3; Luke
xiv. 32). Unbelievers have a great
many warming up places, such as the
theater, the dance. the card table. and
too often those who profess to he
Christians, and perhaps are. may be
found in such company and yet do NOT
hesitate to sing. Thou. o Christ. arr
all | want. more than all in Thee
find"
We should be careful to sing the truth
as well as speak the truth. for only rs
we do this is it real worship.
That Peter should be ashamed OIL
afraid to confess Christ before these
servants seems pitiful indeed. judge
from his cursing and swearing that be
was probably given to profanity before
he began TO follow Jesus. and this was
a sudden outbreak of the old nature
which remains in us as long as we stay
in these mortal bodies and concerning
which we are said to be always deliv
Rom. vi, III. What n look Of love and
pity and sorrow ii must have been thai
Jesus gave to Peter and which sent him
out to weep bitterly, for he was evi
IDENTIFY where Jesus could see him Luke
xii. 81. GU.
1t would be well for us If We would
always remember that those same eyes
are ever upon us. searching us through
and through. and live by the well Of
Him that liveth and seeth me I'll Cor
xvi. 9: Gen. xvi. IL. IA. margin,. Con
trast this same Peter. spirit filled. IL
the presence Of the high priest and
the council. bold as lion (Acts iv. 5-13
10. 20,. and let us he so filed.
Any fear Of man is an indication that
the Spirit is not for the time being
controlling us. The fear Of man bring
eth 81 snare. but in the fear of the Lord
is strong confidence.