Peter or Judas Take Your Pick!

“Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.” This is a cliché that borders on bumper sticker levels of mediocrity but something we as Christians soon forget when the shine of our salvation grows dim, our hearts yearn for more and condemnation of fellow brethren falls out of lips more so than the praises of the Lord. Welcome to the Functioning Dysfunction Series!

Maybe I’m still in the honeymoon after-glow of the Lord’s salvation, maybe I’m pointing out the speck in my neighbor’s eye while the log languishes in mine, blinding me to my iniquity. Here’s hoping your spirit man is strong enough to discern between the two.

I cannot speak for others but I can surely testify today. Let the records show I’m a saint with a past. A very dark past, one I thought would surely end me. I remember feeling so condemned in my former life that I thought, “Oh well, I’m going to hell, here’s hoping there are one or two familiar friends there so I have company.” Don’t get it twisted, I didn’t wish my friends ill, I just felt so trapped I could not see a way out of the darkness.

This is the gist of this series, “Functioning Dysfunction.” The enemy keeps us buried in sin by creating an ecosystem of lies we consolidate as truth. ‘Everyone has premarital sex, mjolo is the new courting’ ‘Numbing your pain is the only way to survive, be it drugs, alcohol, etc.’ ‘Love potion number nine is the way to go, times are tough so it’s ok to steal, I need to survive.’ I could go on. When you have an ecosphere that reiterates the shame and corruption of the enemy, it becomes normal. Once it becomes normal, even though all that is within you initially screams in righteous indignation, you eventually accept these fallacies as truth, and actively live in murky depths. The first challenge I set before you today is to find the lie; one of these things doesn’t belong here. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and give a revelation.

This is just the beginning of the series so don’t worry, we’re covering everything in our Functioning Dysfunction. Let the record show, I am a saint with a past. In the book of Romans it states;

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2

I’m not speaking to you from a pulpit or from a high horse. No, I’m speaking as a survivor. If God could save me, He can surely save you. I love the verse from the book of John;

 For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

I know we’ve all heard this verse or it sounds familiar. Now I could follow the usual doctrine and discuss how mind-blowing this verse is in the depth of God’s sacrifice. Think of someone you love with all of your heart. Listen, I said this before, I’m not judging, I’ve been where you are. My most beloved person is a dog. Remember I said no judgment. I found a pup on the side of the road and he was injured, had a hernia and was bleeding out. Additionally, he was cold, shivering and malnourished. I’m not a fan of pets, in any way but watching this little pup fight for his life, I was compelled to help him. Even as I drove him to SPCA I screamed, “Don’t you dare die on me, you’ve survived this long, keep going.” He went in for surgery, had his first shot and home we went, him safely in my arms and me in distress because I had never had anyone depend on me so completely. Long story short, I nursed him back to health and he became my best friend. He knew when I was distressed he’d comfort me. My day was scheduled around his meals and ensuring he was safe and catered for.

I have family, really I do, and I love them with all I am, but this dog taught me what love is; caring for someone even when they give you nothing back, wishing them the best and working to provide for them. I know you have someone like this in mind. This is how God sees you. Yes you! He knows your struggle, where your hernias and pains are, and all He wants to do is protect you, nourish you and help you walk in the good works He predestined for you.

I did say I wouldn’t follow the above line of thought right? Fair enough, so to flip the script, imagine the person you love most in the world, someone who tugs at your heartstrings and imagine having to kill them in the most brutal way possible for the sake of your enemies. (Here I clarify, an enemy is anyone who wishes you ill will and hates us, we are enemies of God when we despise His word, His Son and walk in the ways of a fallen world.) That’s what God did for you. You were still dead in sin, cursed and doomed, yet He gave the one person He loved more than Himself who was blameless…FOR YOU!

I think of the song, “Stupid Deep/Sinking Deep,” by Jon Bellion. Give it a spin. In essence it states, all we are looking for in the world is “stupid” cheap because Jesus already made the ultimate sacrifice for our sake. When I came to Christ, I felt condemned, I felt church heart, I was sure I was doomed. I was skeptical because surely God couldn’t care about someone as insignificant as me. But I testify that I was wrong. I saw God work wonders in my life and shift the Functioning Dysfunction, until the facade fell away and I saw the shadows in their true form. Praise God through the mighty name of Jesus Christ for this revelation, not for my sake but for the glory of His kingdom.

So having laid this testimony at your feet, however brief, (keep in mind we will be digging deeper as the weeks go by and like I said, no judgment) I ask you a simple question; are you Peter or Judas? Acts 1:12-23, recounts how Peter and the Apostles returned to Jerusalem, awaiting the Holy Spirit. As you read on, we find Peter stating Judas had to betray Jesus in order for our redemption to be won; it was only in his betrayal that Jesus was crucified and resurrected by God three days later. When I read this in my Bible Study recently, I was struck by the very chord of judgment this series aims to nullify; how could Peter even begin to talk about Judas, when he had also betrayed Jesus by denying Him?

And yet Peter and Judas were the same; both of them had walked with Jesus from the time He began His ministry and up to the time of His death. They both betrayed Jesus and yet their fates were different. What made the difference? Their choices. When Judas realized his sin, he chose to remain in it leading to his demise. Peter chose to repent and seek the face of the Lord. Listen, these men walked in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ! That’s as close as we can get in our lifetime, and yet even they failed Jesus. I sure know I’ve done worse and I’m a sinner, but God is redeeming me, as He redeemed Peter. Just as God wants to redeem you today. Deuteronomy 30:15 speaks of this very choice God sets before us:

Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. – Deuteronomy 30:15

Today, I pray that you will choose life in Christ. If you’re troubled, heavy-laden and fatigued, say a simple prayer. Your words don’t have to be eloquent or wise, just from your heart. Ask God to take control, acknowledge and repent of your sin, ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and proclaim that He died for your sins. Then watch God work in your heart, mind and life! Choose life, choose love, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ!

God bless you and let’s edify each other in the Lord!

#The Saint Who Was A Sinner