Each of Us Needs to Know Our Own Weakness

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Each of Us Needs to Know Our Own Weakness

Today's Text: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31, 32

The Message:      Satan is ever intruding himself between the human soul and God. He is ever seeking to make the human agent voice his suggestions rather than the words of God....      How little did Peter understand his own weakness. He could not discern but that his spirit was all right, even when he sought to make of none effect the solemn words of Christ that opened to them [the disciples] a future full of sorrow and of suffering, both to Him and to them. Christ saw that unless Peter was changed in spirit, he would not be able to endure the test and the trial of his Lord's rejection, humiliation, condemnation, and death. To his Master's warning words he responded, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me."      We see how human nature can be deceived, how human nature can be misled, because Satan is allowed to step in between the human soul and Jesus. The word of Christ needs to be spoken with authority, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Let Me come close to My servants, that they may not be overcome, that they may believe My words rather than the words of deceivers, for what I speak is truth and righteousness....      God's people, rescued from the fire by Jesus Christ, have a sense of their sin, and feel humbled and ashamed. God sees and recognizes their repentance and notes their sorrow for sin, which they cannot remove or cancel themselves; but as they pray, their prayers are heard, and this is the reason that Satan stands by to resist Christ.... He steps in between the repenting, believing soul and Christ. He seeks to cast his hellish shadow before that soul, to dampen faith, and to make of none effect the words of God....      If Satan stands between the soul and Jesus Christ, then the love and acceptance and pardon of Christ is eclipsed. Men and women will be constantly striving to prepare a robe of righteousness to cover their deformity and sin, whereas Christ wants them to come to Him just as they are, and believe in Him as their personal Saviour. In His tender love a forgiving Father brings forth His best robe in which to array His returning child.-Letter 65, 1894 (Manuscript Releases 7:201-203).

Commentary: My friend, we must know our own weakness that we may see how futile it is to trust in ourselves.  Peter was one of the most outspoken and self-confidant of all the disciples.  When Christ, who knew all of their weaknesses, revealed that all of them would be offended because of Him that evening, Peter boastfully claimed "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." (Matthew 14:29).  To this Jesus replied "Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." (Matthew 14:30). Satan had endeavored to shake Peter as wheat, but Jesus said unto Peter "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:32).  As he did with Peter, Satan endeavors to stand between us an Jesus, eclipsing His pardon and sanctification, that we may not be prepared to meet the trials of the last days.  He has done this most effectively by deceiving the people of God into believing that God is a trinity.  By making the Spirit of God a separate being unto itself, He has artfully insinuated himself as "God the Holy Spirit".  By this he has placed himself as another mediator between God and man, eclipsing the mediation of Christ in the hearts of His people. The Spirit of God is not a spirit unto itself, but is the omnipresent Spirit of the Father and the Son, for the Spirit of the Father lives within the Son.  Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).  By making the Holy Spirit a being unto itself, Satan has eclipsed us from Christ, our only connection with the Father. My friend, the trinity is a false representation of God, and by it Satan separates us from our Savior Jesus Christ.  It presents to us a false righteousness and unfits us from the kingdom of God.  The only righteousness that can save us is the righteousness of Christ.  Jesus said "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4).  Christ is to abide in us, and He does so by His Spirit, not the spirit of another, for the Scriptures says "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1;27). May the Spirit of Christ dwell in you today. God bless,

Video of the Week The Godhead by Pastor Bill Taitague Retired pastor Bill Taitague presents a important message for our time.  This message was presented in June to a group of people in California.