RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-06-15	Jesus Is Praying For You (Lk.22:31-32)
		Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." Here Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial. Jesus looks at Peter and says, Satan has demanded to have you that he would sift you like wheat. Picture a sifter going back and forth. Satan wants to squish Peter onto the sifter and pressure is applied. The picture is that of Peter coming through the sifter but his faith is gone. It stays at the top. The faith did not come through with Peter. Peter and his faith have been separated. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1Pe 5:9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1Pe 5:10 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. 1Pe 5:11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. What does the devil want to devour? It is not your flesh, or muscles, or bones. This is spiritual. The devil hates it when we spend time in God's Word. He has all kinds of weapons to cause us to deny our faith. If he can consume your faith, he does not care what else you do. Jesus is looking right at Peter and says I am going to let him have you tonight, up to a point, and no further. I have prayed for you that your faith does not fail. Peter did deny the Lord three times that night. Did his faith fail? Peter said, “I do not know him” three times. Peter's faith did not fail utterly. We will fail from time to time. But our faith will not fail utterly. Jesus is praying for you (Rm.8). He is interceding for you at the right hand of God. Rom 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. What is Jesus asking him to do? Paul closes his teaching about the believer's security in Christ with a crescendo of questions and answers (Rm.8:31-34). The result is an expression of praise for God's grace in bringing salvation to completion for all who believe. This is a prayer of security in Christ. And Jesus' prayer is always answered! We may fail for a time, but ultimately our faith will not fail. Nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rm.8:39). Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Independent and Evangelical Church

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