Peter’s Journey from Faith in Jesus to Faith of Jesus: Peter Preaches and Heals

In these recent posts about Peter I am exploring faith. I am learning that we can have what I call a false faith, that we need to receive and accept the faith that Jesus offers each of us, and that Jesus makes this offer to every person because He wants every person to be saved – although not everyone will accept His offer and be saved. I am trying to do my best to glorify God with the words that I believe He has called me to write. My hope is that those who read these words will take them to the Lord in prayer and ask Him what He thinks.

 But this morning, for some reason, I have a sense of urgency. I need to post these thoughts.

 After meeting Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee the disciples spent 40 days with Jesus in Jerusalem, where he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1: 3) and instructed them not to leave Jerusalem. During those days in Jerusalem we see Peter for the first time since he was restored by Jesus on the beach in Galilee.

In Acts 1: 15 we read, “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples. Peter had assumed formal leadership of the group.

I can’t think of a more amazing, radical transformation in the life of a person in the Bible than that of Peter – Peter before the resurrection compared to Peter after the resurrection — with the exception of Saul/Paul.

What happened to Peter and the other disciples? Two things:

First, they came face to face with the resurrected Jesus! What a shock that must have been. It is impossible to know what they were thinking apart from amazement and joy. But if it were me, I would remember these promises of Jesus – “I must die but be raised on the third day”, “where I am going you cannot come, but I will return”, “now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice.” And now, because these promises of resurrection life came true, if I were in their shoes, I would believe, without any doubt, all the other promises of Jesus – they could rely and depend on them. This would be a source of great strength and confidence.

Second, the disciples received the Holy Spirit, fulfilling another promise: “Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” Wow!! There would be one more filling.

At Pentecost, the fire of the Holy Spirit fell on them. It was as if the container was implanted in their hearts when Jesus breathed on them in the Upper Room. Now the container is filled with the power of God. Jesus crucified, Jesus resurrected, now the indwelling Jesus and His power in them (and us, the Church) for the purpose of releasing the love and power of God into the world to heal the sick, cast out demons, and defeat the power of evil, all for His glory.

On Pentecost, Peter, the uneducated fisherman, preached one of the great sermons of the New Testament in the power of the Spirit. Toward the end, he said:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God had made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ . . . Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children who are far off . . . and about 3,000 were added to their number that day” (Acts 2: 36 – 41 NIV).

A few days later, when Peter and John were going up to the temple, they passed a man, crippled from birth, at the Beautiful gate. He asked them for money. Instead Peter told him, “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk.” Instantly he jumped to his feet and began to walk. The crowd was amazed and filled with wonder. They began to stare and point at Peter and John. And then Peter told them:

“Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? . . .  It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see” (Acts 3; 12, 16 NIV).

And then Peter repeats his instructions:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus” (Acts 3: 19, 20 NIV).

Peter, the man who had a difficult time understanding and believing the promises of God before the resurrection and receiving the Holy Spirit, now proclaims the promise to the Jews and Gentiles – “if you repent, you too will receive the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Jesus, Christ in you”.

Repentance and faith are gifts from the Father. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God on our own merit, but faith and repentance must be received. They are conditions for the Kingdom life. And as Scripture tells us, we can reject these gifts leading to salvation (e.g. see John 3: 36). Without them, we will continue to live in the kingdom of the world – perhaps loving Jesus and desiring to serve him, but serving Him in our own way and without His power. That is the definition of the spirit of religion – God’s work, man’s way; or worse, man’s work, man’s way with a passing reference to Jesus and His name.

Peter began his relationship with Jesus in Capernaum. Jesus was a friend of Peter’s family. Peter’s first major ‘jump’ on his journey of faith was when he confessed his sin and need for a savior. Then he was called by Jesus – and Peter followed. At some point, under the influence of the Spirit, Peter acknowledged the supernatural significance of Jesus – “You are the Messiah.” We can never have true faith apart from this belief. Why would I give up my false faith (which is faith in self) in an ultimate thing in the world for another man, even though he is good? No, I must believe in the supernatural, powerful Jesus. But for too many years I believed this with my mind, and not my heart. And as I have pointed out before, even the demons believed Jesus was the Messiah.

I think it is likely that many people stop here and say, “Good enough” and call themselves Christians. But Jesus, with His great love for Peter, took Peter farther. Peter’s outward man was broken when he denied Jesus three times. And in that brokenness, I believe, Peter repented. Now the Holy Spirit could flow into the inward man of Peter, where true faith is formed. In this condition, Peter’s outward man is now under the influence of his inward man, instead of the reverse. When we next see Peter in the Book of Acts He is a Kingdom man – preaching a Kingdom message with power, filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter is performing miracles, just like Jesus.

Peter describes for the crowd how the beggar at the Beautiful Gate was healed. He was healed “in Jesus’ name and through the faith that comes from Him.” This faith that Peter refers to is not the faith that Peter had at Caesarea Philippi; it is something more. Peter was no longer operating in his false faith rooted in his outward man – his personality, will, experience, and emotion. Peter was operating in a new faith – a true faith. Peter had faith in Jesus as Caesarea Philippi – necessary, but not sufficient. In Jerusalem, next to the Beautiful Gate, Peter had the faith that comes from Jesus – the faith of Jesus. It was no longer Peter operating in his own power, or what little temporary power Jesus had imbued him with when he and the other disciples healed the sick in Matthew 10, or when Peter walked briefly on water. Peter healed the lame man in the power and Name of Jesus, who now lived permanently in Peter’s heart.

I have learned this from Peter: No matter how much I pray, read books about Jesus and the Holy Spirit, study the Bible, memorize Scripture; no matter how many times I tell Jesus I love Him, no matter how many times I weep in worship, am moved by a good sermon or teaching, or have a heart for the least and the lost, if I am doing these things in my own power, my own way, for my own purposes (even if I tell myself I am doing these things for Jesus) – if I do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men — I am a stumbling block to Jesus.

This brings me back to the first word of the Gospel – repent. And keep on repenting. Without solemn, serious repentance the one who inhabits the throne room of my heart will always be me, not Jesus in me. And without repentance, the Holy Spirit can not dwell in my heart.

Apart from Holy Spirit fire in my heart I will never have real faith. I can have a type or form of faith, but not true faith. Without this faith – which is the faith of Jesus in me – I cannot please God; real hope, peace and joy will elude me, I cannot love as Jesus called me to love – love God, my neighbors, my enemies, and love myself. And without the faith of Jesus I will have no power or authority to heal people in a broken and bleeding world. The faith of Jesus in me – really, Christ in me, the hope of glory. The really Good News.