S) "71 But he began to curse and swear, 'I do not know this man you are talking about!' 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, 'Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.' And he began to weep."
Mark 14:71-72 (NASB)
O) So, I listened to this passage while I read it, and I think I gained a new perspective because of that. I never quite saw Peter's mindset during this denial, but now I think it's clear. If you skip back to vv.27-31, Peter says he won't "fall away" and he won't "deny [Him]" and Jesus tells him the rooster will crow twice... If you then follow the sequence of his 3 denials, Peter is denying his association with Jesus. He isn't turning his back on Jesus' teachings, or "falling away." He isn't denying that Jesus is the Messiah, or "denying Him." I think, up until that rooster crowed that second, foretold time, I think Peter may have thought he was still in the clear. I think when the rooster crowed the second time, he remembered Jesus' remarks, and he realized that what he had be doing was, in fact, denying Christ and falling away.
A) I've done this before. I have convinced myself that something is close to being a sin, but not "really" a sin. If I'm being honest, then most of the time when I might tell myself, "that was close" what I'm actually thinking is, "that was sin, but it was almost bad sin." Like, somehow, there are degrees of sins. Most Christians know that God sees all sin as the same, in terms of how they all separate us from Him. This is why a repentant liar needs the same grace and mercy that a repentant murderer does. But I have been guilty of separating degrees of the same sin. Like, "Yeah, I was letting my eye linger, but at least she wasn't naked." or something like, "I'm only acknowledging that I'm a better drummer; I'm not bragging to anyone." Jesus made it clear that sin in my heart is still sin. With God, there are no semantic arguments that will get me off the hook.
P) Father, please forgive me for all of my "almost-bad" sins. Holy Spirit, continue to convict me and reveal to me when I am about to, or have actually sinned. Like a rooster's first crowing in my head, warn me before I have to hear the second crowing. Thank You for forgiving me and leading me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
A) I've done this before. I have convinced myself that something is close to being a sin, but not "really" a sin. If I'm being honest, then most of the time when I might tell myself, "that was close" what I'm actually thinking is, "that was sin, but it was almost bad sin." Like, somehow, there are degrees of sins. Most Christians know that God sees all sin as the same, in terms of how they all separate us from Him. This is why a repentant liar needs the same grace and mercy that a repentant murderer does. But I have been guilty of separating degrees of the same sin. Like, "Yeah, I was letting my eye linger, but at least she wasn't naked." or something like, "I'm only acknowledging that I'm a better drummer; I'm not bragging to anyone." Jesus made it clear that sin in my heart is still sin. With God, there are no semantic arguments that will get me off the hook.
P) Father, please forgive me for all of my "almost-bad" sins. Holy Spirit, continue to convict me and reveal to me when I am about to, or have actually sinned. Like a rooster's first crowing in my head, warn me before I have to hear the second crowing. Thank You for forgiving me and leading me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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