Who do you say that I am?

Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" They answered and said some say John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered Him and said, "You are the Christ".  I think that most of you reading this blog would easily respond the same if asked who Jesus is.

However, as we read on from the scripture above we see the heart of man. Jesus tells his disciples what He will suffer and that He will rise again. Peter immediately rebukes the Lord because of what Jesus has revealed. Then Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful (or setting your mind) of the things of God, but the things of men." He goes on to say to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

In light of His Words we understand that stating that Jesus is the Christ is useless without the deeds that demonstrate that we believe Jesus is the Christ. The demonstration of our faith is in our daily actions. Every day throughout our day we reveal the truth of what we believe. When we refuse to turn the other cheek, forgive and forget, when we render evil for evil, when we compromise His Word to save our image or reputation. Or when we fail to walk in the light of His Word and accept and relish in the knowledge that the world will hate us just as it hated our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we outwardly live righteously but inwardly we are full of resentment and self-indulgence. The Lord knows those that are His and they walk in His Word and believe, "the Lord is my helper, whom shall I fear, what can man do to me?

Yet I believe and know because it is written that there are a people, who will pick up their cross today and everyday while they deny their own desires and follow after the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ. They seek Him with their whole heart. They search for Him as for hidden treasure. They draw near to Him and He draws near to them. Their heart is to do the will of their Father in heaven and to honor the name of the one that gave His life for them, Christ Jesus.

These understand that the path is narrow and the way is difficult. Yet, they know that they don't walk alone. They are misunderstood and wrongly accused but continue to walk in truth. They are misfits in the world because their mind is set on above. For their hope is salvation and Christ Jesus is their love. They acknowledge in deed that Jesus is the Christ.

I want to be counted in that number among His saints. Therefore each day I strive to be mindful of the things of God and not of man so that my Lord does not rebuke me, saying, 'get thee behind me Satan". Referring to me as one that opposes Him.  

I hear the Spirit of God continually asking that same question of Jesus disciples today. "Who do you say that I am?"