Courage for the Future

Matthew 16:13-20; II Peter 3:14-18; I John 3:1-3

GOLDEN TEXT: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”—I Corinthians 15:58

THE question of whether or not Jesus was the promised Messiah was a vitally important one for the disciples to have settled in their minds. His Messiahship was to be the foundation of all their future activities and it was important that they should have no misgivings on this score. It was probably for this reason that Jesus questioned them concerning their understanding of who He was.

First the Master asked them concerning the opinion of the people generally with whom they came in contact. They reported to Him that the people viewed Him with considerable favor. It was generally believed, it appears, that Jesus was an outstanding prophet of God. There was a difference of opinion as to which prophet He might be, but there was a general agreement that He was a man sent of God. Even more outstanding than this was the people’s belief that Jesus was one of the former prophets whom God had raised from the dead. Surely the Jewish public of that day must have been greatly impressed with Jesus’ ministry and miracles.

But Jesus was not so much concerned about the public’s opinion of Him as He was to find out what His own disciples, particularly His chosen apostles, thought. In relating what the people thought, the apostles had not committed themselves as to whether or not they agreed with, the popular opinion. So He asked them directly, “But whom say ye that I am?” It was then that Peter replied, saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

This called forth Jesus’ words, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” Peter had expressed a profound truth, a fundamentally important truth—a, truth so inseparably connected with the plan of God as its very foundation, that without it there would be no plan. It meant that Peter had identified Jesus as the One whom God had sent to fulfill all His wonderful promises to bless mankind with peace and joy and life.

Like the Jewish public of Jesus’ day, millions since have considered Him to be a great prophet sent of God, but how few have seen Him as the promised Messiah! Even the millions who have called Him Christ have done so with little or no knowledge of the plan of God as it is centered in Him. For this reason the word Christ has been used by the masses of nominal Christians merely as a name, but without a definite meaning of hope for a sin-cursed and dying race.

It is upon “this rock”—this great fundamental of the divine plan—that the church of Christ has been built. Failing to recognize that the building of the church of Christ is but a preparation for the future blessing of the world through the promised “seed” class, an unsuccessful effort has been made throughout the centuries to induce the whole world to join the church, with the thought that this would entitle such to go to heaven. And many have supposed that in some way Peter has held the keys of heaven.

Peter was given the keys of the “kingdom of heaven.” He used these keys to open up Kingdom opportunities, first to the Jews at Pentecost, and later to the Gentiles at the conversion of Cornelius. The use of these keys was associated with the building of the church of Christ. Later, through the church, the world of mankind will have an opportunity to believe and receive life on the human plane. Those who will constitute the church, through faithfulness in sacrificing earthly interests, lay up treasure in heaven; but those who will be blessed through Christ and the church during the next age will participate in the blessings of restitution in a restored earthly paradise.

In Peter’s admonition to faithfulness he speaks of a “new heavens and a new earth.” He also observes that in Paul’s writings there are some things “hard to be understood.” Perhaps one of these hard things pertained to the “new heavens” and the “new earth.” Today we can see that this expression describes the two phases of the Kingdom of Christ, the spiritual and the earthly. Few during the whole Gospel age have known that there were to be two phases of the Kingdom, and that the spiritual phase, the church, must first be developed before the blessings of the earthly phase could be realized.

But now we know this, and the knowledge explains the apparent delay in the outworking of God’s plan. This knowledge gives us courage to press forward in the narrow way of sacrifice. It helps us to realize that our labor is not in vain in the Lord even though few are willing to listen to our testimony. We know that God’s work cannot fail, and for this reason we will abound in that work, even as our Golden Text admonishes us to do. We will abound in God’s work because He has asked us to be co-laborers with Him, and the results we will leave in His hands.

The reward of those who are called to be sons of God and joint-heirs with Jesus, defies description. John declares, “It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Surely this should give us courage for the future!

QUESTIONS:

Why was it important for the disciples to know that Jesus was the Christ?

What is the rock upon which the church is built?

What are the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and how did Peter use them?

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