We have been looking a lot lately at the Word of God and the importance of studying the Word with the help of Holy Spirit, Who lives IN us, as born again believers, and is our Teacher. Today I want to look at something that will help us to maintain the correct attitude as Wisdom, knowledge and understanding come! In today's reading in Matthew 16 we see JESUS asking His disciples Who people were saying that HE was. Verse 13:
13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
They reported to JESUS that some people thought that He was John the Baptist, some thought that He was Elijah and others thought that He was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets who had come before. Then JESUS asked the disciples Who THEY thought that He was! The first and only reply that is recorded here in Matthew came from Peter and he said this:
16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Peter had the correct answer! This was the wonderful response that Peter received from JESUS! Verse 17:
17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.
JESUS revealed to Peter that it was God Himself (revelation knowledge) Who revealed to Peter this Truth! It did NOT come from Peter's own intellect, but was supernaturally revealed. This is what we are called to do as born again believers! Study and meditate the Word of God until Holy Spirit causes the revelation of the TRUTH of the Word to rise up within us! It is NOT because WE are so smart, but that we are TEACHABLE! The proof that this is not something that originates from us and causes us to supernaturally 'smart' is found in verses 21-23:
21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death. 22 Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You! 23 But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
Just six verses after JESUS commended Peter for being blessed to have revealed knowledge, He was rebuking him for operating in natural, human knowledge. We do not OWN revelation knowledge! We must continue to feed on the Word of God to have the Wisdom continually revealed to us! This is a continuing, progressive 'work' in us and WE control the outcome! We can have just as much as we are willing to go after! Philippians 3:13-14:
13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
OUR admonition comes from the first part of verse 15!
15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions;
Let's keep growing up in the things of God and in the Wisdom, knowledge and understanding that comes from our intimate fellowship with Him and continuous feeding on His Word! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":
Shalom in Him!
