A Personal Answer
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16
When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of these other people think, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
We need to realize that the same confrontation that Jesus had with Simon Peter and the disciples is the same kind of confrontation that we will have to deal with, as well. We must give a personal answer for who we think Jesus is. We cannot give an answer for our spouse, our children, our brother, our sister, or any one of our relatives. We can't speak for our family when it comes to a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a very personal answer that we must give.
In our denomination, we have a doctrinal principle we believe that’s called the “priesthood of the believer.” In essence, it means that your relationship with God is between you and Him. Jesus is the only mediator to give you a relationship with the Father.
For you to have fellowship with the Father, you must come to Christ; you are personally responsible for your own relationship with Jesus. You don't ask a pastor to say a good word for you so that God will hear you. You don't go to a priest so that the priest will give you access to God the Father. You are responsible for your own spiritual connection with the Father through Jesus Christ.
Simon Peter was saying, personally, “As far as I'm concerned, I have no question or doubt that you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” It was a very personal answer, and I hope and pray that when you are asked to give a personal answer, you have one that you are confident in based on your personal relationship with Jesus.
When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of these other people think, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
We need to realize that the same confrontation that Jesus had with Simon Peter and the disciples is the same kind of confrontation that we will have to deal with, as well. We must give a personal answer for who we think Jesus is. We cannot give an answer for our spouse, our children, our brother, our sister, or any one of our relatives. We can't speak for our family when it comes to a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a very personal answer that we must give.
In our denomination, we have a doctrinal principle we believe that’s called the “priesthood of the believer.” In essence, it means that your relationship with God is between you and Him. Jesus is the only mediator to give you a relationship with the Father.
For you to have fellowship with the Father, you must come to Christ; you are personally responsible for your own relationship with Jesus. You don't ask a pastor to say a good word for you so that God will hear you. You don't go to a priest so that the priest will give you access to God the Father. You are responsible for your own spiritual connection with the Father through Jesus Christ.
Simon Peter was saying, personally, “As far as I'm concerned, I have no question or doubt that you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” It was a very personal answer, and I hope and pray that when you are asked to give a personal answer, you have one that you are confident in based on your personal relationship with Jesus.
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Yes, I have had a time when I asked Jesus to come into my heart and turned my life over to Him. I have been overjoyed ever since. My heart smiles now for ever
I thank the living God that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Son of God.