We Have to Discard the Faith of Our Own Wills
| Where does true faith come from? |
| It comes from the love of the Lord,
who has already washed away all our future sins. |
The faith or love borne of one's own will is neither true love nor true faith. There are many in this world who first believe in Jesus with good wills, then later give up their faiths altogether because of the agony of sin in their hearts.
But we must realize that Jesus washed away all the sins of the world: not only the insignificant iniquities, but also the great sins that are committed through ignorance.
In John 13, in order to teach His disciples how all embracive and perpetually effective His salvation was, Jesus gathered His disciples together before He was crucified.
While having dinner with His disciples, He rose and washed their feet to engrave the truth of His abundant salvation into their hearts. We should all know and believe in the gospel of remission, which Jesus taught the disciples by washing their feet.
But Peter firmly refused to let Jesus wash his feet at first. "You shall never wash my feet!" And this was the expression of the faith borne of his own will. But Jesus told him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."
Now, with the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we can understand the words of the Bible that were beyond our comprehension. It is the Word of truth; the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the remission of sins, which lets the sinner become righteous by believing with all his/her heart.
Peter went fishing with the other disciples, just as they had done before they met Jesus. Then, Jesus appeared before them and called out to them. Jesus had prepared breakfast for them, and while eating breakfast, Peter realized the meaning of the words that Jesus had spoken before.
"What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." He had finally realized what Jesus really meant by washing his feet before.
"The Lord washed away all my sins. All the sins I commit because of my weaknesses, including all the sins I will commit in the future as well."
Peter gave up the faith borne of his own will and resolution, and began to stand firm on the baptism and blood of Jesus, the gospel of the remission of sins.
After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?" Now, fortified with faith in the love of Jesus, Peter confessed. "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
Peter could reply because he had realized what Jesus had meant when He said, "You will know after this." He was able to confess his true faith, the faith in the baptism and blood of Jesus, the gospel of the remission of sins.