Simon Peter – His Life and Its Lessons
CONCLUSION
We could not close this brief study without glancing at the way our apostle discharged his various commissions. We see him “catching men”; opening the kingdom of Heaven to the Jew and Gentile; and, finally, feeding and shepherding the lambs and sheep of the flock of Christ.
Elevated services these, for any poor mortal to be called to, and more especially for one who had fallen as deeply as Simon Peter. But the remarkable power with which he was enabled to fulfill his blessed service proved beyond all question the reality and completeness of his restoration. At the close of the Gospels we see Peter restored in heart and conscience; in Acts and his Epistles we see him restored to his work.
There is something uncommonly fine in Peter's address in Acts 3. For instance: “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just.”
Peter could charge his audience with denying the Holy One, because his own soul had been fully restored, having denied his Lord; repenting and weeping bitterly. He had experienced being in the depths of self-judgment, and he wanted the same for his hearers. He had tasted the sweetness, freeness, and fullness of the pardoning love of God, proving the divine efficacy of the atonement and the prevalence of the advocacy of Christ. Because he was pardoned, healed, and restored he could stand in their presence – a living and striking monument of the sufficient grace that he now unfolded to them: “Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”
Who could more distinctly and emphatically speak such precious words than a restored and forgiven Peter? What if someone had reminded the preacher of his own history – his past? What could Peter have said in reply? No doubt, little about himself, but oh, how he could have spoken of the rich and precious grace that had triumphed over his sin and failure. Oh, how he could have spoken of that precious blood that had cancelled his guilt forever, giving perfect peace to his conscience. Oh, how he could have spoken of that all-prevailing advocacy to which he owed his full and perfect restoration.
Peter was the man to unfold those glorious themes, through which he had found strength, comfort, and joy, proving in no ordinary way the reality and stability of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. With Peter, it was no empty theory, no doctrine or opinion. It was intensely real to him – his life and salvation were bound up in it. He knew the heart of Christ – its infinite tenderness and compassion, its unswerving devotedness in the face of stumbling, shortcomings, and sins. Thus, to the whole house of Israel, he could bear the most distinct and powerful testimony to the power of the name of Jesus, the efficacy of His blood, and the deep and infinite love of His heart. “His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
Powerful words. A refreshing testimony to the peerless name of Jesus. It is eternally refreshing, but especially in this age so marked by the determined and persistent effort of the enemy to exclude the name of Jesus.
Almost everywhere – in bold and plain terms, whether in science, religion, philanthropy, moral reform, education, law, etc., we see the same sedulous and diligently pursued purpose to banish the name of Jesus. Men of science, politicians, university professors, lecturers, and writers talk and write in such a way as to practically exclude the Christ of God. Scripture tells us that by the Son of His love, “All things were created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” And again, speaking of the Son, the inspiring Spirit says, “Who being the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Col. 1; Heb. 1).
These splendid passages lead us to the divine root of the matter, speaking of “the forces of nature,” but of the glory of Christ, the power of His hand, the virtue of His Word. We are amazed at the ever-increasing efforts of systems, organizations, clubs, orders, and associations, to shut out the glorious name of Jesus. We solemnly declare that the name of Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. This may seem narrow-minded to some, but it is our deep and thorough conviction. In the presence of all the infidelity and superstition of our age, we utter it fearlessly and without reservation.
Having brought home a terrible sin to the consciences of his hearers, Peter proceeds to apply the healing, soothing balm of the Gospel, in words of marvelous power and sweetness: “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.”
Nothing exceeds this grace. It recalls the words of Joseph to his troubled brethren: “It was not you that sent me hither, but God.” Such is the exquisite grace of our Lord Jesus Christ – the infinite love and goodness of our God. “Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from (or by) the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (emphasis added).
In the power of the Holy Spirit, this dear and honored apostle opened wide the kingdom of Heaven to the Jews, in pursuance of his commission as recorded in Matthew 16.1
Regarding the keys of the kingdom of Heaven being committed to Peter: Christ is God’s only way to Heaven – not sinful mortals like ourselves who are debtors to the sovereign grace of God and the precious blood of Christ for entrance into the Church on earth and into Heaven above.2
Spiritually studious Christians understand that the apostle Peter was commissioned by the Lord to open the kingdom of Heaven to both Jew and Gentile; and we find him using them in Acts 3 and Acts 10.
But he was not as alert in taking up the latter as he was the former. Prejudice, a sad hindrance then, now, and always, stood in the way. Peter needed his mind enlarged regarding the Gentiles. Trained under the influence of the Jewish system, it seemed to Peter one thing to admit Jews into the kingdom, and quite another to admit Gentiles. Our apostle had to get further instruction in the school of Christ before his mind could take in the doctrine of “no difference.” “Ye know,” he said to Cornelius, “how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation.” It had been this way in days gone by; but now all was changed. The middle wall was broken down – the barriers were swept away; “God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” In a vessel that came from Heaven, Peter had seen all manner of “four footed beasts,” and a voice commanding him to slay and eat. This was something new – a wonderful lesson our apostle was called to learn on the housetop of Simon the tanner. For the first time, Peter was taught that “God is no respecter of persons” – what God hath cleansed let no man call common.
All this was good and healthful for the soul of our apostle. His heart took in the precious thoughts of God; old barriers were swept away; the question of “clean” or “unclean” was no longer decided by examining hoofs and habits (Lev. 11) – the same precious blood of Christ that could cleanse a Jew could also cleanse a Gentile.
This was valuable instruction for Simon Peter, as Acts 15 clearly demonstrates. The Church had reached a solemn crisis. Judaizing teachers had begun their work of trying to bring Gentile converts under the law. The occasion was interesting, important, and solemnly momentous – foundations were at stake. If the enemy succeeded in bringing the Gentile believers under the law, all was gone.
But, God did not abandon His Church to the power or wiles of the adversary. When the enemy came in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raised up a standard against him. A great meeting was convened at Jerusalem. The great question was not decided at Antioch by Paul and Barnabas, but at Jerusalem, by the unanimous voice of the apostles, elders, and the whole Church, governed, guided and taught by God the Holy Spirit.
At this great meeting our apostle presented himself in a style that stirs the deepest springs of our spiritual life. Hear his words: “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men, brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit even as He did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they.”
He does not say, “They shall be saved even as we.” No; but “We shall be saved even as they” – on the same ground, after the same model, in the same way. The Jew comes down from his lofty dispensational position, only too thankful to be saved, just like Gentiles – by the precious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How those words of the apostle of the circumcision must have refreshed and delighted the heart of Paul as he sat at this never-to-be-forgotten meeting. Not that Paul sought the countenance, support, or authority of man – having received his commission from Peter’s Lord, the risen and glorified Son of God in Heaven. How could Peter’s conduct at Antioch vary so much from his splendid testimony at Jerusalem? (See Gal. 2).
But such is the best of man, if left to himself. And the higher the man, the more hurt he is sure to do if he stumbles. However, we will not dwell on the sad scene at Antioch, between those two most excellent servants. They are both now in Heaven, in the presence of their beloved Lord, where the remembrance of past failure and sin only enhances the value of that blood which cleanseth from all sin, and of grace that reigns, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. The Holy Spirit has recorded the fact that our apostle failed in frankness and integrity at Antioch; and further, that the blessed apostle of the Gentiles had to withstand him to the face; but, though we would profit from its deep instruction and solemn warning, we shall not here expatiate on it. We offer only one thought: If the apostle Peter, after all his experience, his fall and restoration, his long course of service, his intimate acquaintance with the heart of Christ, all the instruction he had received, his gifts and knowledge, his powerful preaching and teaching, could dissemble through fear of man, or to hold a place in man’s esteem, what shall we say for ourselves? Simply this: “O Lamb of God, still keep me close to Thy pierced side; Tis only there in safety and peace I can abide. When foes and snares surround me, when lusts and fears within, The grace that sought and found me, alone can keep me clean.”
May we meditate on the history of Simon Peter. May his life and its lessons deepen the sense of our utter weakness and the matchless grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
