“AGAINST HIM”

23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Matthew 16:23

In the grand scheme of things, do our intentions ultimately justify sin?

Yesterday, we learned that because of our sinful nature, our struggle with sin will always be real. From this point on, we will learn how we drift from being Spirit-minded to fleshly-minded. What does it mean to live in the flesh?

I think of this: when our words and actions contradict God's will.

A fleshly person has a mind that focuses on the things that gratify his selfish, fleshly desires. The term “set their minds on” means “to seek, to strive for.” It describes a strong urge to satisfy one's cravings. Spiritual struggle starts with the mind. This doesn’t necessarily mean that such people are the scum of the earth or notorious sinners. On the contrary, they can be those who have good intentions.

In today’s verse, the Lord Jesus rebukes Peter, who wants the Lord Jesus to avoid the cross. However, this wasn’t God’s plan. God had previously decided that the only way for man to be saved is to have the precious blood of Christ spilled on the Cross.

Peter's statement opposes what God had laid out for Christ. So, Peter is rebuked as he is looking at things from an earthly perspective. His idea was incongruous with God’s will. Take note: he meant well, but he was working against God.

In the same way, we can be well-intentioned, but still find ourselves at odds with God’s will—especially when we disagree with God’s word. Consider the Apostle Paul. He received authorization from the Pharisees to pursue and arrest Christians and put them behind bars. He even agreed to have some of them murdered, e.g., Stephen. All the while, he thought that he was serving God; yet he was persecuting the very God he thought he was serving. As such, Jesus confronted him and blinded him for three days to help him realize his spiritual blindness.

Countless religious people of today believe that they are doing things for God, but are unaware that they are actually working against Him. In the last days, they will have to face God and try to argue with Him, but they will find themselves on the receiving end of God’s wrath. Jesus will deny them as they have ignored His word. 

My friend, I hope you aren’t one of them.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Sudo on Unsplash