This is how we often think of Peter. He is cowering and afraid. He is overcome with the fear of man. He's so overcome that he denies the man that he correctly identified (via the revelation of the Father) as the Christ. We condemn Peter for his cowardice, but we do so with fear in our hearts because we can certainly identify with him. In fact, if we are honest with ourselves, we far too often keep our mouths shut when we out to open them and speak truth to the lost. Far too often we forget the warning of Matthew 10:32-33.
But just as flesh and blood did not reveal to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, flesh and blood does not empower us to speak the truth of the Gospel in difficult times. Back up a few verses from Matthew 10:32 to verse 19: When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
The Father has a track record of giving his followers the words to say when they are faithful in their attempts to represent him accurately. He is our power. His Spirit is our helper. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes and that this power will enable us to be His witnesses.
Look at how the Spirit empowered Peter in Acts 2:14-41.
We are faithful in evangelism in the same way we strive for holiness or worship rightly or love our brothers and sisters sacrificially...through the power of the Spirit.
May we faithfully rest in the power of the Spirit for the strength to live as those who've been crucified with Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria
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