Seven Times

"For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity." ( Prov. 24:16 NKJV) This is one of the best illustrations of the Christian life. One thinks of how many times that Peter the apostle sinned, fell, or failed. Jesus rebukes him, he denies the Lord three times, and even after being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he occasions rebuke by Paul because of hypocrisy. (Cf. Gal 2:11ff) Yet he keeps getting up and following Jesus. In the final verse of his second letter, Peter encourages the believers to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." ( 2 Peter 3:18 NKJV) The important thing is to continue in the right direction, balancing His love with His truth, both exhorting and extending mercy, not sloughing off but not emulating the Pharisees. Over time I have met a few "rigorists," people who believe that they are the arbiters of genuine Christian faith, that their interpretation and application of the Scripture is the only correct one, and that they have a God ordained mission to coerce others to their understanding. Probably I recognize these people because I used to be one... before I received God's love for me personally. Now I'm not so positive of my view of things; I am just trying to follow Jesus. I read His statement that apart from Him we can do nothing. ( John 15:5) I contemplate the verse that finally broke the back of my own hubris. "If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" ( 1 John 4:20 NKJV) May we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. ( 1 Peter 5:6 NKJV)