The Futility of Good Intensions: Mark 14:27-31
“27) And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ 28) But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29) But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” 30) And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” 31) But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.” Mark 14:27-31
Jesus warned that they were all going to fall away from Him. The shepherd was about to be struck down and the sheep were going to be scattered.
Peter meant well. He was even sincere. But good intentions in the flesh cannot please God. There is futility in good intensions. The flesh lacks what the Bible calls “power.”
How do we know Peter was operating out of the flesh? This was before Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was not yet given. The flesh cannot be trusted.
This is the thrust behind Romans 6-8. Until a man or woman is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be plagued by fleshly weakness and failure. They can be legalistic and sincere, but like the testimony of Paul in Romans 7:14-25, they will loose the inner battles to sin.
Peter was a radically different man after Pentecost. Repeatedly in the book of Acts he stood strong and steadfast in the face of harsh opposition.
The difference was the indwelling Holy Spirit. He was no longer living according to the flesh. He began living and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:29-31 is a prime example. They were continually filled with the Holy Spirit. They walked in divine power and holy boldness. God changed them from within.
Good intentions in the flesh cannot please God. In Galatians 5:16-26, Paul contrasted the deeds of the flesh with the walk in the Spirit. They produce radically different results.
It took me years to get over my theological inhibitions against the Holy Spirit. The Bible School I attended was biased against the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It set us up for failure.
Yet in Acts 1:4-8, Jesus focused on the Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father. He promised that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was going to fill them with inner power.
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul stressed the importance of being “continually filled” with the Spirit. I believe in one baptism but many fillings.
This text in Mark 14:27-21 is the greatest example of being religious, committed, sincere and legalistic apart from the inner power of the Holy Spirit. Peter was all of those things, but he lacked the inner power of the Holy Spirit. He was destined for failure.
Peter was sincere and religious, but he was missing the inner flow of rivers of living water. (See John 7:37-39) Radical changes were about to take place in his life.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“27) And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ 28) But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29) But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” 30) And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” 31) But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.” Mark 14:27-31
Jesus warned that they were all going to fall away from Him. The shepherd was about to be struck down and the sheep were going to be scattered.
Peter meant well. He was even sincere. But good intentions in the flesh cannot please God. There is futility in good intensions. The flesh lacks what the Bible calls “power.”
How do we know Peter was operating out of the flesh? This was before Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was not yet given. The flesh cannot be trusted.
This is the thrust behind Romans 6-8. Until a man or woman is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be plagued by fleshly weakness and failure. They can be legalistic and sincere, but like the testimony of Paul in Romans 7:14-25, they will loose the inner battles to sin.
Peter was a radically different man after Pentecost. Repeatedly in the book of Acts he stood strong and steadfast in the face of harsh opposition.
The difference was the indwelling Holy Spirit. He was no longer living according to the flesh. He began living and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:29-31 is a prime example. They were continually filled with the Holy Spirit. They walked in divine power and holy boldness. God changed them from within.
Good intentions in the flesh cannot please God. In Galatians 5:16-26, Paul contrasted the deeds of the flesh with the walk in the Spirit. They produce radically different results.
It took me years to get over my theological inhibitions against the Holy Spirit. The Bible School I attended was biased against the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It set us up for failure.
Yet in Acts 1:4-8, Jesus focused on the Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father. He promised that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was going to fill them with inner power.
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul stressed the importance of being “continually filled” with the Spirit. I believe in one baptism but many fillings.
This text in Mark 14:27-21 is the greatest example of being religious, committed, sincere and legalistic apart from the inner power of the Holy Spirit. Peter was all of those things, but he lacked the inner power of the Holy Spirit. He was destined for failure.
Peter was sincere and religious, but he was missing the inner flow of rivers of living water. (See John 7:37-39) Radical changes were about to take place in his life.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
