Inability without the Spirit...

I've been thinking recently about our total inability without the Holy Spirit, especially in light of Peter's denial in Mark 14. These are the two notes I made today in my journal from Mark 14:70-72...

Even Peter's ethnicity showed him to be with Jesus and when confronted by that kind of fact he "began to call down curses on himself..." Peter went to the most aggressive lengths he could to deny any connection to Jesus. This is tragic but yet seemingly inevitabledue to him having no connection. Jesus had been taken away and the Spirit had not yet come so Peter was left fending in his own strength, his own weakness, he did not have the ability to follow God on those terms. That is not a defence of Peter's denial but it is a picture of our state if we were to be devoid of the Spirit, alone, helpless, afraid, unable to do what is right in following and honouring God.

As soon as the rooster crowed and Peter was faced with the reality of what Jesus had told him would happen, he weeps, he cannot do it alone, he is weak. The big brash Peter standing next to Jesus is gone, his own strength is feeble, all that he put his faith in is gone, he cannot even stand up for Jesus without the Lord's help.

Peter can't stand up for Jesus in his own strength and nor can we, often I find myself trying to and it's totally futile, only in the power of the Spirit can we live for and honour Christ, Peter couldn't do it when he was without Jesus despite his assurances just an hour earlier.

When it will cost Him the most Jesus is totally open about who He is (14:61-63), when it will cost Peter he isn't. What about you?