Jun P. Espina 2 min read
Updated on March 22nd, 2020
One strange thing about man’s life is its nature of complete dependence upon another. Self-sufficiency is never life’s architecture. From his mother’s womb down to his lonely grave, something buoyed up man somehow outside of himself. His Maker breathed life upon him.
Complete Dependence Upon God is Life’s Main Design
How can he run life outside of its source, who is God? He created Adam last in the records of creation—not until his existence became comfortably possible! Complete dependence upon God, therefore, is life’s major design.
It was Simon Peter, that so-called ignorant Galilean, who first brought to light man’s deep need of dependence upon Someone Bigger. “To whom shall we go,” he asked.
Although human nature insists on setting our hope and the genuine sense of stability with our friends, relatives, and other worldly connections (and possessions!), Peter, through God’s Spirit, sees the otherwise. He sees Christ as his Everything: “. . . you have words of eternal life”! How many of us have Peter’s faith in our Lord Jesus?
Complete Confidence Upon Christ Since He Has the Words of Life
In chapter 6 of John, we learned that over five thousand of Christ’s followers left Him. So He asked the twelve: “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”
The 5,000 pseudo-disciples of our Lord, however, did not have the spiritual wisdom of Peter. “Truly, truly,” Christ told them, “. . . you seek Me . . . because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.” Then Christ added: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” What a doctrine! “This is a difficult statement,” objected His followers, “who can listen to it.” “As a result” they “withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore.” (John 6:26; 54, 60, 66)
Complete Dependence Upon Christ as Food for Our Souls
Christ is the only Food for our souls. With Him in our heart as Lord and Savior, we will live in heaven forever. Hell-bound “Christians” however, are so earth-minded that life to them is anything outside of the soul. Said the Lord: They “were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage . . . and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:38-39).
Yes, Peter saw Christ beyond the confines of the flesh. He believed in Jesus as Giver of eternal life—the life which is more valuable than the total worth of the universe.
For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt. 16:26)
