Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Being active in our faith, can help us to remember where we were and where we are going! Many times, we forget as Christ Followers that we were not always walking with God. We look around and see professed Christians but know that somehow, they are just not quite on the same path.

Peter took a while to get himself together. (Now remember his name was Simon and then later changed to Peter.) As we look at the Word, the culture of his time shows us: Simon was a fisherman, probably lacked social skills because he stayed on a boat and fished. He was uneducated, disrespectful, talked like a sailor and considered lower class-which would make him undesirable. But then, Jesus came along, and he began to follow Christ, or did he?

It is true that he was there and witnessed many wonders that Jesus performed, but even as a part of Jesus’ group, it took him time. In Mark 8:33, Peter calls Jesus a liar and demonstrates he was unteachable. John 13:8-10 Peter wanted to be number one. Luke 22:24, Peter talked a big game, but his conviction was shallow. And we all remember he denied Christ three times! His testimony was not stellar. He still had a lot of his old self showing up. Peter had not really surrendered himself to truly being a Christ Follower. It was faux!

But then in Acts we see a radical change in Peter: Acts 2 Peter preached, and three thousand souls got saved. Acts 3 He healed a cripple and preached the gospel in public. Acts 4 Peter rejoiced when they drug him to court for preaching about Jesus. Acts 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 all demonstrate that now Peter was sold out and being an active Christ Follower.

Just like Peter some people make a profession, but do not really possess the eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. They are what I heard a preacher call “Alka-Seltzer Christians”. They fizz, fizz in the beginning (talk a good game) but then nothing. The world is looking for true Christ Followers. They need to see that Jesus is truly the answer. As we evaluate our lives and as we minister to others, may we be mindful!

Look at the new Peter, “…Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12). May we be bold in our faith this week: active and unwavering! So that others may come to Jesus!

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.