Peter’s response to this piercing question is considerably
different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before
when he declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
(Matthew 26:35 ; also see Matthew 26:33-34).
Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and
declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self
can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of
Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good
person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. It may reach deeply into
our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person.
True love never simply declares itself. Jesus said, “Whoever confesses
Me before men [that is, confesses his love by everything he does, not
merely by his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the
angels of God” (Luke 12:8).
Unless we are experiencing the hurt of facing every deception about
ourselves, we have hindered the work of the Word of God in our lives.
The Word of God inflicts hurt on us more than sin ever could, because
sin dulls our senses. But this question of the Lord intensifies our
sensitivities to the point that this hurt produced by Jesus is the most
exquisite pain conceivable. It hurts not only on the natural level, but
also on the deeper spiritual level. “For the Word of God is living and
powerful . . . , piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . .
.”— to the point that no deception can remain (Hebrews 4:12). When the
Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond
properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too
intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life
which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain. There is never
any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s Word by His children, but the
moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals His
truth to us.
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