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NASB | Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man." |
Bible Question:
He said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" Do you think you know why Jesus spoke to Peter in that way? Have you ever spoken to someone in that way? Have you ever been tempted to turn to someone and say, "Do that, Satan!"? It is evident that we are influenced by both God and Satan in what we think and say and do. You are thinking of David, and Judas Iscariot, and Ananias and Sapphira, and now, Peter. And isn't it sad? Jesus had recently said to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah" (Mat 16:17). And now he seems to be identifying him with Satan. I have asked several questions here, but the essential pair is this: Do you recognize the influence Satan in our lives, and how do you confront it when you see it in a brother or a sister? |
Bible Answer: Greetings! I have thought much about your questions - how do we lovingly confront another? Scripture not only encourages us in this area, but also tells us how to do it. Obviously recognizing the influence of Satan is necessary (1 Peter 5:8; 2 Cor 2:11)but "the devil made me do it is NOT an excuse for sin! We were given the freedom of choice and must bear the consequences of those choices. We do not HAVE to give in to the influence of the devil as God has provided all we need to stand firm against his schemes (Eph 6:11). He has also given us a community of believers to encourage and confront one another when necessary. Yet, in all things that we do, God's Word admonishes us to seek edification (Ro 14:19) and restoration(Gal 6:1) - we also have been given a ministry of reconciliation (2Cor 5:18). Here are some references to consider as we seek to be obedient to our Lord's command to "Love one another . . ." "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death." 1 John 5:16-17 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Gal 6:1-2 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak . . . So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." 1 Cor 8:9,11-12 "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:42 Satan, the father of lies is the source of all evil. His kingdom is this world in which we live so we are constantly surrounded by his influence. As believers, we have a choice to be conformed to this world (listen to the lies) or transformed by the renewing of our mind (listen to the Truth) Romans 12:1-2. As a man thinks, so is he (Pr 23:7) . . . it is no wonder that we must address our thinking first. What do we believe, and WHO is the author of what we believe. Robert McGee states in his excellent text "The Search for Significance" that there are 4 lies that we tend to fall prey to in our relationships. He also presents the Scriptural antidotes to counter these false beliefs. I encourage you to take a look at this book! But the bottom line is this: we have a choice in WHO and WHAT to believe. If we align ourselves with the lies of the devil, we will act (respond) in an ungodly manner in our relationship with God as well as with our sisters and brothers even in "our" efforts to lovingly confront! Therefore, knowing God's Word and searching for the TRUTH about ourselves FIRST, will enable us to respond in a God-honoring, edifying and restorative fashion. The cross of Christ, his propitiation and forgiveness are keys to fully understanding how we are to respond to God and others. Knowing that God does not excuse sin, but demands a payment, and that payment was made in full ("It is finished!"), causes me to ask: how dare I condemn or not forgive when Christ has already paid the price "For all sinners, of whom I am chief" 1 Tim 1:15. Personally, I don't think that the Apostle Paul has a corner on THAT market! Being mindful of this fact is not only humbling, but frees us to love as unconditionally as humanly possible in the Lord. How do we confront? We are to speak the Truth in love (Eph 4:15,25); we are not to whitewash! We do not condemn (Romans 8:1)but seek the best for the one who is caught in a sin - we endeavor to restore, edify and encourage because we are all members of one body and when one member is suffering, we all partake of that in some way or another! (1Cor 12:26) Is it any wonder that the Lord prayed for our unity?! (John 17:20-26) I trust the the Lord will use this reply for His glory in your life and others! mommapbs |