Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
The idea of a “begging believer” may sound strange, but, oh, how it needs to be revived in the body of Christ today, for we are all likely to lean toward self-sufficiency. An independent spirit is an ungodly spirit, because the self longs to sit upon the throne of life. But God, in His grace, will at once strip away all the resources that we cling to in order to cause us to cry out to Him for the help we so desperately need.
I learned this remarkable truth a long time ago: You will never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have! This is the truth that Peter expressed in our verse for today.
I think that one of the best ways to fully grasp this biblical concept of the begging believer is to contrast its antithesis—the proud believer. One of the best pictures of self-sufficient Christians comes from the words of our Lord to the church at Laodicea.
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:14-17)
In the eyes of the watching world, the church at Laodicea was the place to be. These Christians were the picture of self-sufficiency. A beggar’s spirit was as far from them as the east is from the west, but, from God’s perspective, there was no church in a worse condition than the one the Laodiceans were in. They received His sharp indictment: far from being wealthy, they were poor, blind, and naked. They acknowledged the name of Jesus (they were not “cold” toward Him), but because of their self-sufficiency they were about to be spit out of our Lord’s mouth.
So . . . where in your life right now are you leaning more toward self-sufficiency? What do you need to change in order to assume the posture of a “begging believer?” What will it cost you if you don’t? Remember, Jesus has promised never to leave you nor forsake you, and He has promised to meet your every need . . . not every want. And He will meet your needs in His way and in His timing. And so, as our Lord said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
May we all echo the apostle Peter and say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 