Are You Too Big to Fail?

One of the greater mysteries of all of creation is the understanding that God is completely in control and yet at exactly the same time, mankind has free will.  I’ve mentioned this before and called your attention to Louie Giglio who has also referred to it as a great mystery.

The fact is, God cannot help but be God.  And God sustains everything.  Is there any part of creation, in all of Heaven or Earth, that can wrench itself away from God and stand on its own?  I would suggest that there is not.  Can any part of creation, either in Heaven or Earth, ever surprise God, change the course of God’s great plan, or circumvent the will of God?  Once again, I would come to the conclusion that there is not.  To do otherwise would be to rob God of being God.  Of course God is in control, one hundred percent and at all times.

And yet we have free will. at exactly the same time.  And how do I know that?  Well one reason might be because none of us is too big to fail.

Consider the Apostle Peter.  When Christ found Peter fishing on the sea of Galilee, his name was Simon (Matthew 4:18).  But Jesus Christ had great plans for Simon and changed his name to Peter (the Rock) and said he would build His Church upon this Rock and promised him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:15-20).  Jesus Christ called Simon The Rock (Peter), said he was going to build His Church upon him (and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it), and said that he would have the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  Obviously Jesus had great plans for Peter.  Obviously Jesus had great trust in Peter.  Has God ever entrusted you (or me) with the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven?  I don’t think so.  In the first place, I tend to believe they are still safely in the hands of Peter.  And no, I don’t think there are any copies.  And secondly, I think that God entrusts whom He will entrust.  And in this case, it was Peter.  Jesus Christ had great plans and great trust in Peter and he placed him in a position of great responsibility because of it.

So here we have Peter, a greater human than you or I by any spiritual standard, and one who has been entrusted with much.  One would be led to believe at this point that either God would have a close eye upon Peter, lest he stumble and fall, or else that God would closely guard his path, lest the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven fall into the wrong hands.  Consider the fact that we don’t want Satan coming along and duping Peter into handing over the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  You would think that God would have a pretty vested interest in Peter remaining loyal and true to Him at this point.

And yet consider just how far Peter’s loyalty actually went.  Jesus Christ had already placed great emphasis upon that loyalty.  He had stated that if anyone were to deny Him (Jesus Christ) before men, that person would be denied by Him (Jesus) before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-34).  Now consider the great consequences of that statement.  If you deny Jesus Christ before men, Jesus Christ will deny you before the Father in Heaven.  Probably not the best way to start eternity.  To be denied before the Father in Heaven is to not secure a place in the Kingdom of God for all of eternity.  Very, very serious consequences indeed.

But that is exactly what Peter did, AFTER Jesus Christ himself had told him that he would do it (Matthew 26:33-35).  Peter adamantly proclaims his loyalty to Jesus and even goes so far as to say that the whole world could be offended because of Him, yet he would remain loyal to the end (and beyond).  And Jesus said, No, Peter, not even you will remain loyal to me during this time.  Not only will you not remain loyal, you will deny me before men three times in one night.

And Peter does deny Jesus Christ three times that night (Matthew 26:69-75).  He even denies Jesus Christ with an oath.  And if you think about it carefully, Peter was in the palace of the High Priest, at a trial for Jesus, where witnesses were brought forth, for all intents and purpose, Peter was in a court of law (Matthew 26:58-66).  So you might consider that Peter was willing to take an oath in a court of law, and proclaim before the Judge that he never knew Jesus Christ.  He denied Jesus before men.

The thing that I would like us to consider here is the very compelling turn of events.  Jesus Christ had called Simon, Peter, The Rock.  Essentially the Firm Foundation upon which He would build His Church.  Jesus Christ had also stated with great certainty that Peter would deny him before men, a most serious charge since Jesus himself had stated that those that denied Him before Men would be denied by Him before the Father in Heaven.  Jesus Christ had placed great trust in Peter, promising him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  You would believe at this point that Jesus Christ had a great deal invested in Peter and would do anything to keep him from failing.

But he DID NOT.  Jesus Christ knew that Peter was going to fail, and yet he let him go ahead and fail.  Why?  Free Will.  You see I believe that for all of eternity Peter will remember that he failed (Luke 22:60-62).  And that will be a great lesson and testament to the Grace and the Mercy of God.

So, do you think you are too big to fail?  Because if one in whom so much trust and responsibility had been placed, was allowed to fail, don’t think that God won’t allow you or I to fail as well.  But the great lesson for all of us is, God is a God of Mercy and Grace.  And it is because he has given us Free Will and allows us to fail, that His Mercy and His Grace may be manifest in all the world.  Praise Him!  Oh the Love that drew Salvation’s plan, Oh the Grace that brought it down to man, Oh the mighty gulf that God did span, At Calvary.