Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-18

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:16)

These are the words, not of a righteous man, but of a sinful man who only moments afterward would be sharply rebuked by the Lord for being an instrument of Satan (see Matthew 16:23); a man who would run like a coward and deny the Lord Jesus Christ to a young servant girl out of fear for his own life (see Matthew 26:69-75). That man was Simon Peter. A man like all of us.

Yet — even though Peter committed such gross sins as denial, abandonment and Satanic interference against our Lord — Peter’s words remain one of the greatest confessions of Christ in the Scriptures. In fact, Peter’s words are not just recorded here, but in two other gospels as well (see Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20).

You might be inclined to think that such a man as this would be disqualified for ever being quoted in Scripture — perhaps even disqualified for salvation. Yet, Peter's confession remains a pillar of truth and has for all of church history.

What more can this mean but that there is eternal, unbreakable power in our salvation when we confess our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord? Though great sins may stumble us along our path in being conformed to the image of Christ, it does not change that we have confessed Him and been redeemed by His grace. Just as surely as Peter was reconciled to the Lord in all matters concerning his sin, so, too, can we be reconciled to the Lord in all matters of our sin.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Where sin abounded, [His] grace abounded much more...” (Romans 5:20)

Whatever weight of sin there may be in your life today, cast it at the feet of Jesus and continue confessing Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Don't let the devil lie to you that Christ has forgotten your confession of Him. The devil does this to trip you up and get you to run from the Lord. Don't listen to the father of lies. Instead, whenever sin dominates you, immediately confess it to the Lord and then follow it up by confessing Jesus as your Lord again.

In this way, our faith in Christ is what gives us the ability to move forward and have dominion over sin. Sin doesn't define us anymore. It never will again because our Lord removed it at the cross. Only Christ defines us, and our confession of Him reminds us of that.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

“Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11)

“And [the saints] overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...” (Revelation 12:11)