Trustworthy

Please enjoy the following blog written by Elder Allison Carlos:

Basic explanations of what trustworthiness means can be found from various sources, in books, articles, or online. A number of interesting points are made, such as the description of it as a moral value, considered to be a virtue. Intrigue seems to surface as explanations reflect upon trustworthiness in terms of how well actions meet expectations or beliefs. Yikes … that can be a little hard to think about!

Maybe it is not so hard for more obvious matters of trust, such as when we are asked to keep a confidence of another person. That seems fairly straightforward. However, trustworthiness is a more difficult concept when considered in terms of how one acts in a manner that is in conflict with stated beliefs and expectations. Now that is truly painful to think about, yet is such a challenge in so many areas of life. And,… the challenge doesn’t evaporate as one becomes a believer in Christ.

A well quoted example of this is the apostle Peter in his denial of Christ. In Matthew 26:34-35, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of Him. “I tell you the truth”, Jesus answered, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times”. But Peter, declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” In subsequent verses, 26:69-75, Matthew recounts the three times Peter denies Christ in fear for his safety, the crowing of the rooster, and Peter’s despair at recalling Christ’s words to him. Well, by most measures of trustworthy behavior one would typically consider, this would seem to rank pretty high on the “gee whiz” scale.

In the book Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray reflects upon this event in Peter’s life. He provides a description of the progression of Peter’s transformation through his failings as he denied Christ out of concern for himself. He suggests that although Peter believed in and was devoted to Christ, Peter was not ready to fully follow Christ. He had not been brought to an end of himself; he did not know himself (the shadows and fears of his own heart), and he therefore could not fully follow Christ. Remember, as much as Peter loved the Lord, he was often quick tempered and had great confidence in what he thought he knew of the Way of Jesus.

A.W. Tozer comments in The Pursuit of God that self (self-love, self-righteousness, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, etc.) is an “opaque veil that hides the face of God from us”. That the whole work of God in redemption is to undo the tragic effect of sin and bring us back into right and eternal relationship with Himself. Thankfully, God is faithful and trustworthy in his plan that restores that which is broken in us when we cooperate with Him.

After the betrayal, Peter had choices. He could have continued to focus and trust in himself and his understanding about life in Christ, never experiencing fullness as he ultimately did. Or perhaps, still focusing on himself, he may have deemed himself unworthy and become weak and imprisoned in that failure. He chose neither of those paths, but instead a path walked by one who has put their worth and trust only in Christ. Peter was humbled. His love for God’s truth in Christ allowed him to stand in the pain of his betrayal. He wept bitterly, allowed Christ to pierce him to reveal his true heart and mind, repented, accepted mercy and grace, took his place within the community of disciples with greater vision and wisdom, and surrendered his life to be kept by the power of the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-2 provides a wonderful reminder that as we are surrendered in Christ we can live without condemnation because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death.

When confronted with a spiritual formation challenge in his walk with Christ, his self-sin, in faith and love Peter acted in a manner worthy of trust. He accepted that his hope is only found in the power of Christ and not within the confines of self and human understanding.