Being Sifted Just Like Wheat

[Christsfreeservant]

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34 ESV)​

If we are the Lord’s disciples, our faith is going to be tested, not just once, but regularly, and throughout our lives. There will be times when indeed Satan will demand to have us, that he might sift us like wheat. These are those very severe trials which we will face periodically that really try our faith. And it can feel at times as though death is right at our door or as though we cannot endure even one more minute before we utterly collapse.

Now Jesus prayed for Simon Peter that his faith might not fail, but his faith did fail, but not beyond repair. For just as Jesus had said, Peter did deny Jesus three times, and the third time vehemently, out of fear of death should he admit that he knew Jesus and that he was one of his followers. But the Lord turned Peter back to the Lord, and Peter did become one of our New Testament apostles who strengthened the believers in their walks of faith.

And this should encourage our hearts that, no matter where we are presently, or where we have been, we are not beyond repair if we have drifted away from our pure devotion to our Lord and if we have fallen back into sin, and so we are in need of repentance and renewal in the Spirit of God and in our walks of faith. But this in no way serves as an encouragement that you can continue in deliberate sin without consequence.

Yes, it is possible for genuine believers in Christ to fail at some point in our lives. It is possible for us to still sin against the Lord Jesus. What is not possible is for a genuine follower of Jesus Christ to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord without conscience and without true remorse. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God (Galatians 5:16-21).

So, please don’t get the idea that since Peter failed the Lord and that the Lord still used him for his glory that you can keep on in habitual sin and that God will still be pleased with you and that you can still be used of him. Peter had to repent of his sin. He had to turn back to the Lord in faithfulness to the Lord and in obedience to his commands, and the Lord had him affirm his love for the Lord three times (John 21:15-17), equal to the number of times he denied him. Then the Lord used him for his glory.

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. (Matthew 26:33-35 ESV)​

So, Peter also serves as an example to us that we should not get cocky and overconfident, thinking that there is no way that we would ever fall away from the Lord, thinking that we would never deny him. For when we get cocky (arrogant) and overconfident, that is when we are in danger of falling back into sin. “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We need to take this seriously.

So, what’s the bottom line here? If we are following Jesus with our lives, Satan is going to come after us, and we need to be prepared for that. We must guard against being overconfident, thinking that we will never fail. But we must pray to the Lord, asking for his strength to not fail. But then we need to have our minds stayed on the Lord and not on what is of the flesh, for whatever our minds are set on is where we are going to head.

Therefore, we need to have our lives committed to the Lord Jesus to walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, in his power and strength. We should be filling up our minds with what is holy and righteous and morally pure and honest, and not with the things of this sinful world. And one day and one step at a time we must say “No!” to Satan and to the flesh, and “Yes!” to God and to obedience to his commands.

And we can’t let up. The moment we yield to the flesh and not to God is the moment that we reopen that door to our past lives. And I am not saying that we will be absolutely perfect from this moment forward, but we cannot be those who are like on a see-saw (teeter-totter) continually going back and forth, for the Scriptures teach that those are the double-minded who will not receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-8).

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!