By Grace Sincere Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: By Grace Sincere ----------------------- Date: 05/27/1999 Keywords: "commitment" "grace" "sincerity" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: John 13:36-38* 36. Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." 37. Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." 38. Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! Questions In this passage Jesus was letting his disciples know that he'd soon be leaving them (to by glorified by dying on the cross for their sins) and that they couldn't follow him just yet. 1. How sincere do you think the apostle Peter was when he told Jesus he would lay down his life for him?   2. Scripture doesn't tell us, but how do you think Peter reacted to Jesus' prophecy that he would actually disown Jesus three times in the near future?   Practical help Do you ever get discouraged when you have genuinely righteous intentions and then don't follow through? Do you let those failures convince you that you're not really sincere or that you haven't got what it takes to follow through? Jesus used his main man, Peter, to let you know that — on this side of heaven — it's going to be tough to follow through all the time. Sincerity is an admirable virtue, but it cannot guarantee actions. Conviction (or commitment) is a strong character trait, but it can let you down at the height of temptation. The Bible is full of faithful, righteous people who failed to follow through (read the stories of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the book of Genesis). Whatever you try to do based solely on your own virtue and character will ultimately fail you. So what's the point here, that you'll never have what it takes? No! The point is that every step you take has to be taken by the grace of Jesus. Jesus took the punishment for every time you fail to follow through. Those failures have been forgotten, so there's no need for discouragement. There's only room for courage to be sincere and committed again! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1999 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version, © copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.