Why did Jesus keep Peter at the head of the Church even after he had betrayed him three times when Jesus needed him most?

 To show us that the best person to shepherd His sheep is the one who has been through a similar experience as Peter whose thoughts did the “exalts itself against the knowledge of God” thing that we often ascribe only to demons or evil spirits on the matter of his then- upcoming denials. Only the one who sees the utter weakness of human effort to produce even an atom of good (be like God) and trusts utterly in Christ as his Righteousness, Strength and Saviour from sins, only that one can feed Christ’s lambs and shepherd His flock, yet not him but Christ in Him.

Remember what Christ told Peter before Peter’s denials-

"31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”"

Talk about telling your Maker that He must be confused about what He is telling you. Peter basically told Jesus that He was wrong about the matter of his then denials. We often think of demons or evil spirits or even atheists and such when we are defining “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” but there was religious and self-righteous Peter, claiming to have higher knowledge than his Maker; claiming to be able to become and produce good when Christ says—

“There is none good but God.”

—just as many among us do today. Matthew’s account says of his response to Christ—

“Peter replied to Him, “Though they all fall away because of You [and doubt and disown You], I will never fall away!””Matthew 26:33.

All of the disciples were right there when Peter made this grandiose and self-righteous (righteousness from self) proclamation which, I imagine, he did with a sweeping wave of his arm across the other disciples— as if he was better than they were and loved Jesus more than they did!

How many times have we looked at others and just knew that we could “never do that kind of thing,” even written posts to condemn people who do horrid things that we feel are beneath us? Even made demands of others who are undergoing their own trials or are being sifted like wheat by Satan — all because we are not aware that the only reason why we are not wallowing in hideous sins is because God in His mercy is shielding us from experiencing the vagaries of Time and Chance and Satan’s sifting? This is pretty loooong. Remember James 2:10:

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

Also Deuteronomy 28:15 aka Keep every single one of the Law or face the entire curse. in essence, apart from God’s gift of righteousness to us in Christ, the one with Nicodemus-level righteousnesses and a multitude of good works is no different from the one who kills people for a living.

Not fair to those who are “doing their best” to not sin and live godly lives aka “be like God”? Typical of man to justify himself and imply that God is unjust in His dealings with man, until we realise that the only reason why we, even believers and no matter our years in ministry, are not wallowing in horrid sins and Job-type calamities right now is written for us in 1 Corinthians 10–

12 "So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously." 1 Corinthians 10.

If God were not filtering and screening… well, let us remember Peter who thought that he was good by himself until his testing opened his eyes to understand Christ’s word—

“There is none good but God.”

The potential to commit horrid sins is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances make some religious folk think that they are doing good all by themselves or that some sins are beneath them. Peter was not wallowing in sins when he made his self-righteous proclamation that He would follow Christ to prison and to death— and then his testing came and he lied with swearing and cursing. So let he that is standing take heed lest he falls. No one is good but God. Man of himself is flesh. No good. We would all be shocked at ourselves but for God’s restraining hand that is the “skeleton” which is propping man up from expressing the baseness of his “no good” humanity in the form of horrific sins and Job-type calamities. Like a helpless infant on his father’s shoulders in a parade boasting about how he can see further and better than his peers— attributing the Father’s mercy to his own smarts and strength. So much to say here. Paul addressed this truth in Romans 1 where a group who “suppress the truth” of righteousness by faith (verses 16-19) devolved into sin after “God lifted off His restraining hand…” —

“24 This is why God lifted off His restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires…”

If God lifted off His restraining hand that restrains us from devolving into committing heinous sins and let us rely on our human effort and will-power at keeping the law or doing good works to prove our faith or for whatever reason, like Peter who trusted himself before falling flat on his face three times, we would all devolve into sin and see how utterly lacking in good we are of ourselves.

But we think we did good all by ourselves! Beloved, let he that is standing take heed lest he fall. Never trust yourself. Trust Christ. How confident of his love for Christ and his strength to not sin such a big sin of denying Christ Peter must have been! But he denied that He ever knew Jesus – three times! The first time to a simple servant girl! Beloved, there is a particular word that is used in legalese— Perverse. In legal terms, it means:

“(of a verdict) against the weight of evidence or the direction of the judge on a point of law.”

There is no other way to look at it— Peter’s self-righteous speech after Christ’s verdict concerning his then upcoming denials was perverse and driven by pompous pride in self aka human effort or the arm of flesh. Christ our Wisdom from God who suffered and died to make us godly (good like God) and in whose Strength we stand is missing from that equation: hence Proverbs 8:13--

"Wisdom pours into you when you begin to hate every form of evil in your life, for that’s what worship and fearing God is all about. Then you will discover that your pompous pride and perverse speech are the very ways of wickedness that I hate!”

That Peter’s attitude of “I can obey the law and be good all by myself” when Christ says “There is none good but God” and died to be our Good, they are the very ways of wickedness that God hates. And that is what is being passed off as Christianity in many places of worship today— dependence on human effort for the attainment of godliness through obeying the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil like the tree of the same name. Reminds one of a doctrine that was sold by a certain serpent to a certain pair in Eden. That abominable doctrine of Satan is what is being passed off as Christianity in many places of worship— trying to be godly by keeping the law. The law gives the same knowledge as the tree; and the letter kills, just like the tree. See the forbidden fruit as a typology for the law which many churchgoers are trying to obey in order to be godly (be like God) in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG)—

8-12 "Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me."

Satan’s strategy has not changed since Eden. The thing is, Adam and Eve did not have to try to be like God. They were created in God’s likeness. See Genesis 1:27-

"26 "Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us..... 27 So God created human beings in His own likeness. He created them to be like Himself. He created them as male and female." Genesis 1:26-27.

Adam and Eve were already godly aka "like God," and not because they had anything to do with attaining this status. They were created godly. It was a gift from God. But Satan deceived Eve and consequently Adam into striving for godliness by human effort and through dependence on the knowledge of good and evil; striving with useless human effort/the arm of flesh to become what God already made them to be. The law gives the same knowledge and the letter kills, just like the tree.

And that is what Satan is still doing through his seemingly religious pulpit-manning mouthpieces today.

Beloved, in Christ, we are a new creation— another version says “new species”: created to “be like God,” but with better covenant promises than Adam and Eve: we are joint heirs with Christ. Christ suffered and died to make us godly like God. See the result of His suffering which He accomplished for us in Isaiah 53:11–

"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."

The spirit of the antichrist is not necessarily anti-God. The word “antichrist” is translated from two Greek words—

Anti — meaning “replace” or “in place of” and

Christos — meaning “Christ” = “Anointed”

“Antichrist” refers to anyone who tries to REPLACE what CHRIST has done to make us “be like God” — godly, good, righteous — free us from the imputation, guilt, condemnation and penalty of sin (death plus its symptoms of earthly ills) and to grant us eternal life in Himself with what MAN must do by his useless human effort aka the arm of flesh. For instance, Christ hung on the cross to redeem us from generational and every other curse (Galatians 3:13.) But pulpit-manning antichrists whose lives SEEM to be the epitome of godliness attained by human striving disagree by promoting things like fasting for 79 days and doing righteous deeds in order to escape the curse and God’s wrath. Understand that Satan did not goad Eve into trying to kill Adam or anything like that. He simply nudged her into relying on herself for the attainment of godliness.

Beware of preachers who peddle such “leaven of the Pharisees”

The spirit of the antichrist is not necessarily anti-God. No one preached holiness and godly living as much as the Pharisees but they hated and even sought to kill Christ who is Grace-personified. The same thing is happening with people who think they can keep as much as a smidgen of the law in their own strength. You cannot serve God and Mannon (anything that one places confidence in, even good works, as why God should bless, save or deliver.)

As it was with the Christ-rejecting Pharisees whose doctrine was all about trying to be godly (be like God) by human striving, Satan’s ministers in the church will never preach the attainment of godliness through what Christ has done. Their focus is pointing out ungodliness in people for whom Christ died to make godly. Their focus is what man must do in his own strength to overcome his ungodliness. Little wonder Christ referred to them (religious Jews) as “Brood of vipers” and “Satan is your father.” Theirs was the same doctrine that Satan used to deceive Eve in Eden. Jesus Christ the Tree of Life was right there with them to save them and grant them eternal life as a free gift of God’s grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour,) but they wanted to and felt that they could earn all or some of the glory, so that they could maintain their high esteem in society— just like many church leaders who follow their doctrine and preach that you should strive to be sins-free or godly (be like God) in your own useless strength (arm of flesh) while rejecting Grace. Understand that God’s Grace is not a thing or subject in a theological school curriculum. God’s Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

“God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Anyone who claims to be able to accomplish as much as a tittle of the above job description of Christ is deceiving himself according to the order of Peter who thought he could keep the two greatest commandments under law as well as the Eighth Commandment— “You shall not bear false witness.” That one is only setting himself up for a trial and giving Satan room to bring charges against him. The law condemns the best of us but Grace saves the worst of us.

Our sins are not the issue here. The issue is man’s pride in himself for the attainment of righteousness— to be righteous like God. Romans 5:9 tells us how our Heavenly Father sees all who put their trust, even for Godliness/Righteousness and Strength in Jesus Christ, no longer trusting in human strength for the attainment of same—

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Only the blood of Jesus suffices for God the Righteous Judge to declare anyone godly/righteous. No human/arm of flesh additives of trying to curb sins in order to be godly required. That trust in self for the attainment of good is what opens the door for Satan our adversary to put one on trial or to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ who died to make us godly (like God) as a gift of Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) is saying—

“There is none good but God.”

That trying to be godly by human effort is why the world keeps on wondering why bad things happen to “good” churchgoers. No one is good but God. Of ourselves, what we all deserved in this legal battle that is spiritual warfare is death, even Sanhedrin member Nicodemus when John 3:16 was happening to him. None of us can keep the law like Nicodemus but without forsaking his useless efforts at trying to be godly and trusting wholly in Christ as the sole reason for his righteousness and godliness (being like God) before God, even Nicodemus was destined to perish in hell.

Often we think that our sins are the big issue and what separates from Christ, but Galatians 5:4 perishes such foolish human reasoning—

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut of from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s Grace.”

God’s wisdom is not human logic. This is the message of the cross, beloved. Religious types who deceive themselves by thinking that they can keep even a bit of the law as Peter did before Satan sifted him for the good that he claimed to possess cannot but see this truth of Grace (unmerited favour) in the light of—

“So you mean I can just go out and murder someone and God will still see me as righteous?”

Little wonder,

“For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.

Humility before God is utterly distrusting ourselves and utterly putting our trust in Christ alone, as the Israelites did the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness. Christ Himself gives us this typology for our salvation from the sin nature (fiery serpents sting) and its symptoms of acts of sin that lead to death (deadly snakebite symptoms.) But we just want to treat our symptoms by ourselves

Pride in self at being good (be like God) aka trying to be godly (be like God) by human striving or by keeping the law which kills and gives the knowledge of good and evil— that has been the issue that separates man from Jesus Christ the Tree of Life since Eve and consequently Adam fell for Satan’s religious deceit in Eden. That trust in self for the attainment of good (be like God) is what opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to possess when Christ is saying—

“There is none good but God.”

Peter meant well. He knew 100% that he could never deny Jesus. He seemed to be making good on his resolve to stand as he slashed off the ear of Malchus the high priest's servant in Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus- a work that Christ didn't want. A dead work which man can boast in. Peter had no idea that he was not wallowing in horrid sins sins was standing only because Christ was with him. The arm of flesh (will-power/human effort at obedience) will fail.

When Christ his Strength was taken away and Satan came a-sifting, Peter lied three times. See what God's word says about the non-existent good in man and that useless will-power and “at least a person should be able to xyz” which some churchgoers depend on to obey the law in their quest to live godly lives (be like God) as was Peter's and Paul's experience in Romans 7:18-

“For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Satan appeals to Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail and causes man to think:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law, read the Bible, starve myself to get God (your own Father o!) to help me and resist temptation to commit sin by my will-power. I can and I must do works to be godly or (as it was with Judas) do some kind of restitution to prove to God that I am truly sorry for my sins. Others should too. Those that don't are just plain lazy.”

Peter pridefully trusted in his own strength. He thought that the sin of denying Christ (bearing false witness) was beneath him. No HUMILITY there. He thought God was wrong, as do some in the church today who still depend on their will-power/human effort to keep the Ten Commandments, curb sins or obtain godly characteristics (be like God.) This is the very same false and deathly doctrine that Satan preached to Eve in Eden.

Point to note here: our adversary the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking sheep who pridefully boast in their own human strength to obey the law and be godly (be like God) so he can sift them like wheat and unto destruction/being devoured.

Plus, have you ever seen a lion making plenty noise before it pounces on and devours up its prey? They are usually silent and sneak up to their prey! There is only one Lion— the Lion of Judah. Proverbs 19:12 says of His wrath—

“The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But His favor is like dew on the grass.”

And this is His word concerning you and I who believe in Jesus—

“And there is still much more to say of his unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in my sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God.” Romans‬ 5:9‬

In essence, 1 Peter 5:8–

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

— it is simply Satan, through his pulpit-manning mouthpieces, going about peddling messages that make you feel that God’s wrath, which His word says believers in Christ will NEVER experience, will fall on you for whatever reason. E.g. Galatians 3 tells us that—

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law…”

— but such false teachers hang the threat of generational and other curses over the head of the flock unless of course the flock “approach the bench” to meet God the Righteous Judge with their useless obediences, useless 70 days fasting or other works of the law. Doing so —trusting in one’s works or ability to obey the law for righteousness or acquittal — it translates into one becoming his own advocate when he is going through a trial like that of Judas who, unlike Peter, tried to right himself with God by his own human effort. It is tantamount to turning one’s back on our God-given Advocate and Bearer of sins whose name is Jesus Christ. HaSatan is literally “Prosecutor at law” in Hebrew. Even today, prosecuting attorneys in Israel are called HaSatan. Notice the judicial terms? Our warfare is a legal battle. Recall what we war against — “…casting down imaginations and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” The battleground where we bring down thoughts and imaginations is the mind. It is where a “guilty” or “not guilty” verdict is determined based on where our complete trust for righteousness, strength and acquittal from judgment lies: either our own obedience (guilty) or the obedience of Christ by which we are made righteous —

“By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.

Isaiah 64:6 describes human obedience or those righteous acts which many are doing in order to get God to bless, save or deliver thus—

“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight." Isaiah 64:6.

Notice not our sins but those works of righteousness or human effort at obedience which many bandy about as why God should bless, save or deliver. They are unacceptable and abominable to God. Only in Christ the Beloved are we accepted. Only Christ’s obedience suffices for victory in the legal battle that is our warfare.

In the parlance of our legal warfare as believers, “the condemned” is the churchgoer that is always afraid that “Satan will catch him” or that evil will befall him if he does not do certain things to forestall such evil. HaSatan is literally “Prosecutor at law” in Hebrew— as if a lawyer/prosecutor can pass a verdict or sentence over an accused. Passing a sentence is the work of the Judge and is based on the legal standing of the accused— “guilty” or “not guilty.” This is God’s verdict God’s verdict over all who WHOLLY put their trust in Christ as their Advocate and Bearer of sins and not in their own non-existent ability to obey the law or menstrual rag works—

“Who then would dare to accuse those whom God has chosen in love to be His? God Himself is the Judge who has issued His final verdict over them—“Not guilty!””Romans‬ 8:33‬

No admixture of human effort at obedience for that would be as foolish as an accused person who is standing trial in an earthly court expecting the judge to declare him “not guilty” because he also has some good points like saving a whole orphanage from hunger. Everybody has good points, but in court, nobody cares about them. What matters is the place where one has gone against the law— and all have sinned. God’s law condemns everybody who tries to “approach the bench” with their useless obedience, 70 days fasting and other good works in order to get a favourable judgment. One has to literally turn his back on our God-appointed Advocate/Lawyer and Bearer of sins to do that.

Trying to keep the law in order to get right with God is smack where Satan the “prosecutor at law” wants everyone to be because he knows that all who do so get cut off from the saving power and benefits of Jesus Christ our Advocate and bearer of sins—

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by obeying the law you have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s Grace.” Galatians 5:4

Recall that Peter and Judas committed similar sins of betraying Jesus but unlike Peter, Judas did not hang around for Christ to be his Saviour? Beloved of God, no matter how fallen or broken in pieces you may be because of your sins and imperfections, by God's Grace, never go the way of Judas— trying to mend yourself in order to become acceptable to God. What do we think is the major cause of depression and suicide among churchgoers and the world alike? It is guilt for sins, fear, anxiety, hopelessness and sorrow in the heart for imperfections aka not measuring up to particular standards - no different from what happened to Judas who was full of remorse and blamed himself for his sin—

The word "sin" is translated from the Greek word Hamartia- literally "miss the mark." All have “missed the mark” of perfection be it in the area of being too fat/thin or committing hideous sins. And as it is in any earthly court, the law demands that the sinner (imperfect) must be punished. And the wages of sin is death— preceded by time on death-row of lack, sickness, depression and every earthly ill. Bible “death” is not just falling down and breathing one’s last. It is translated from the Greek word “Thanatos” which includes every earthly ill such as lack and depression, physical death and culminates in eternal death in hell.

Even non-Christians are not immune to the effects/death sentence of trusting in oneself in order to be acquitted or deemed “good.” Like the Law of Gravity which does not require one to believe in its existence before one splats on the concrete below should he leap from a high-rise building, the Law of Sin and Death which governs all who depend on themselves (and not Christ) to be called “good” (be like God,) it does not require belief in God the Righteous Judge to impact the lives of those who are under it. This is why the world keeps on wondering why bad things happen to people who seem to be checking all the boxes of their definition of “a good person.” Even pastors. Christ says—

“There is none good but God.”

But for God’s mercy that is still propping many up like self-righteous Job before his calamities began, all whose trust for developing godly traits (be like God) is in their willpower/arm of flesh to do good works or obey the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil are like sitting ducks waiting for Satan to bring charges against them and put them on trial using the same law that they presume to be able to obey, even a partial obedience. Law and Grace cannot mix—

“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Romans‬ 11:6‬ ‬‬

it is either wholly Christ who is Grace Himself according to Titus 2:11, or nothing at all. And before God the Righteous Judge, trying to obey the law or doing what it commands can justify no one—

Romans 3:19-20- "Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Also Romans 5:20- "The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more."

Plodding on in human might at getting right with God is what produces the Judas-mode of depression and suicidal thoughts. Those who, like Judas, fail and still look to the law (human effort at obedience) to restore themselves or get back into God's good graces are devourable. Because the arm of flesh (human effort at being godly) will fail, more accusation followed by guilt, condemnation, depression and even suicide (like Judas) is the result. What do we think is the major cause of depression and suicide today, even among unbelievers? It is guilt for sins, fear, anxiety, hopelessness and sorrow in the heart for sins aka not being able to measure up to particular standards - no different from what happened to Judas who was full of remorse for his sin.

Thank God that, as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 and just as He did using Peter’s denials, those temptations or trials which Satan means to use to bruise/crush/batter us with accusations for our destruction, God measures their severity, nature and timing and uses them to make us see the futility of trusting in human effort (the flesh) for the attainment of godliness; He uses them to cause us to let go of PRIDE IN SELF and to cause us to put our trust in Christ our Wisdom from God alone—

“When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.” Proverbs‬ 11:2‬

That “swelling and pride” is to think as Peter did before his denials— that one can, by human effort, keep as much as an atom of the law or resist temptation to sin in order to be anything with God or produce any good deed. Having that kind of mindset only opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to possess or be able to do when Christ says “There is none good but God.” Plodding on in human might leads to Judas-mode of depression. And failure is the result for human effort aka the arm of flesh will fail. Only in Christ do we stand. Only on Him do we stand acquitted in the legal battle that is spiritual warfare, escape the death sentence and have eternal life— no additives of “menstrual rag” human effort.

The law is not of faith. Recall what is written of how we resist the devil: that we “Resist him, steadfast in the faith,” Faith simply means believing that what God’s Word says is true, and in Romans 3 He gives us a snapshot or summary of the Good News—

26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law." Romans 3.

Dependence on human effort or will-power in the quest to live right or attain godliness (trying to keep the Law) is being faithless and the definition of Pride. Satan our adversary or prosecutor at law can only devour the faithless— those who still trust their obedience to make them righteous and not Christ’s obedience: like Judas. None can stand by human might here because the arm of flesh will fail. Only through God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ are we overcomers. Acquitted.

So Peter boasted in his own strength to not deny Jesus and fell flat on his face three times. Thank God that, for we who trust Christ, those trials or “siftings like wheat” which Satan means to use for our destruction and where we also fall flat on our face, God measures and uses them to help us see the futility of trusting in human effort (the flesh) for the attainment of godliness, to let go of PRIDE IN SELF and to cause us to put our trust in Christ our Wisdom from God more and more:—

“When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.” Proverbs‬ 11:2‬.

Man of himself is flesh, beloved— can flesh move without a skeleton? Can it produce anything without Life blood flowing through it? Even as Christians, whether we are “50 years as a pastor”, five minutes into being born-again or a pew warmer, we are utterly weak of ourselves.

And this brings us to why Christ gave charge of His sheep to Peter-- the disciple whom many of us see as "failed the most.” It is because Peter experienced his utter weakness of himself with his denials. He realised that it was by God’s mercy that he had been standing and not wallowing in sins all his life: he saw his utter need for Christ’s strength to stand.

Only such who have been humbled to see man’s utter weakness of himself like Peter can properly pastor or do the pastoral work of feeding and shepherding Christ’s flock. All of the disciples but John went into hiding during Christ’s Passion. But it was Peter who denied Him three times. Chances are that some of the disciples would have thought that they would not do what Peter did if it had been them in his shoes of testing. That is a big joke, beloved. The arm of flesh will fail. Peter saw this first-hand, how he denied his Lord when he knew 100% that he could never do something like that. He was humbled hence his writing the oft misinterpreted 1 Peter 5 where we are told to “resist the devil”—

5 “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

“6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever.”

These verses have been given a lot of false interpretations, including-

“Do your best to live a godly life, be sinless by obeying the law and be right with God so that the devil won’t catch you napping in sins and devour you.”

We can see how well following that self-trust-laden advice worked out for Judas who tried to be good by his human effort after he sinned. And Peter who ended up denying Christ despite all of his boasting and self-determination. Beloved, those verses, were written by Peter who basically called his Maker “wrong” on the matter of his then upcoming denials aka pride.

“Adversary” in 1 Peter 5 above is translated from the Greek word antidikos meaning “opponent in a lawsuit.”

For his efforts at making himself right with God by himself, Judas got cut off from Christ so no Shepherd or Advocate to save him when Satan our adversary (in Greek, antidikos— meaning opponent in a lawsuit) put him on trial to defend his action. Judas became depressed and suicidal, just like many in the church today who follow the same path of trying to be good or righteous (be like God) by their attempts to obey the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil and kills like a certain tree in Eden. That is how Satan (HaSatan is prosecutor at law in Hebrew) devours— he brings charges of ungodliness against us. All who jettison Jesus Christ and Him crucified for trust in their ability to keep even an atom of the law in order to be declared godly (be like God) or escape the wrath of God the Righteous Judge are liable to face the judgment of death aka being devoured. The arm of flesh (human effort at being godly) will fail.

The law is not of faith. We need to be steadfast in the faith in order to resist the devil. Trying to obey the law in order to be righteous and escape wrath/judgment is being faithless. This is smack where Satan wants everyone to be because the law condemns all who try to obey it in order to deserve God's blessing and protection. But somehow, "Resist him, steadfast in the faith," is being interpreted as "do your best to obey the law so that you will not be devoured"! Judas did that and since the law condemns everyone

We resist the devil by being "steadfast in the faith" - by confessing our righteousness in Christ that we believe in our heart whenever Satan the Accuser tries to accuse us of our failings using the law as he did with self-trusting Judas; or attempts to make us take up the guilt and punishment for sins that Christ died to free us from.

Beloved, this is why it was to Peter — the disciple whom many see as “failed the most” — and not some other disciple who did not experience Satan’s sifting as Peter did, that Christ gave the charge of feeding or pastoring His sheep. Should any of the sheep under his care mess up big time, Peter would think twice before descending on such with the following which is common to many pastors today—

“But how could you have done something like that?!!!! God will punish you for your sins if you don’t obey and stop sinning!!!”

Peter was in that fallen state once and knew that human effort at not sinning is 100% useless. In fact, proclaiming your own ability to stand is what opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ is saying—

“There is none good but God.”

By Grace, Peter saw that one who is standing, it is by God’s mercy alone in propping him up and in preventing Satan from sifting that one like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ says “There is none good but God.” And he would point and keep on pointing the errant sheep to Christ who saves from sins and restores the fallen as it is written of Him in Titus 2:14—

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

—even restoration to ministry as was the case with Peter. This is why a “pastor” who is demanding obedience or godly living from the sheep in exchange for God’s goodness instead of pointing all to Christ as salvation from sin and death, that one is leading the flock on the path of death. So let us watch what we are hearing in our local church. Antichrist is not necessarily anti-God.

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So instead of demanding obedience, making demands of righteousness of and whacking the flock with the Ten Commandments and threats of punishment for sins, such a one who has experienced the utter weakness of his humanity and sees the utter futility of trusting in human effort to stand, a true shepherd of Christ’s flock continually points the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.” That is Christ’s word in John 3 concerning how we are saved from the sin nature inherited from Adam (fiery serpents sting) and its deathly symptoms of acts of sin that lead to death—

““And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John‬ 3:14-17‬

The above is Christ Himself giving us a typology for how we are saved from sin and death, but man in his pride in the flesh/human effort just wants to add treating your snakebite symptoms (acts of sin that lead to death) by yourself to the equation.

The bronze serpent is a typology for Christ. Look to Him alone and expectantly and stop your silly efforts to curb those snakebite symptoms called acts of sin that lead to death, and you will be made whole/holy. But some preachers keep the flock focused on treating their snakebite symptoms (acts of sin that lead to death) with their own hands (human effort) or trying to appease God with useless fasts in order to escape lack, disease and other symptoms of death. That is as foolish as the Israelites doing same in order to be made whole after being bitten by the fiery serpents. No salvation from sins that lead to death for such— this is why the proliferation of churches on every street corner has not resulted in wholeness or godliness for many.

As believers, Christ as our Righteousness is the “Skeleton” who upholds us. He is the Vine Life flowing through us giving us life in abundance. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.