IT is a precious moment in the history of a sinner when he is brought as a convicted one to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, then, not to find himself repulsed, as he expected, but to his joy to find all his deep and varied need met in the One to whose feet he is brought.
It was so in the case of Peter in Luke 5 It is a simply-told story, but how deep and precious the lessons contained there: lessons which every unconvicted sinner has to learn ere he can be saved. Conversion is a real work in the soul, and it means turning to God.
Jesus stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and the people pressed upon Him to hear the word.
There were two ships standing by the lake, and He entered one of them, which was Simon', and He prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people out of the ship.
We now lose sight of the crowd on the shore, for Peter is the chief subject of the narrative.
Conversion is always individual. We have sinned individually, and we must be converted to God individually. In conversion we have to do with God about our whole course as sinners. When the prodigal of Luke 15 was converted, the very first utterance of his soul was, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee." He took the ground of being an unworthy sinner. Surely it was the only ground that suited his condition, and that was proper in the presence of his loving father, whom he had treated with such base ingratitude.
It was a wonderful moment when Peter the sinner in his own ship heard the blessed Lord preach the Gospel to the people on the shore.
The word fell upon his own heart, and wrought in his own conscience, and did a blessed work there for eternity. “Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it" (Eccl. 3:1414I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14).); and this is blessedly true, whether we speak of the work of Christ on the cross for the sinner; or the work of the Spirit in the sinner. It is divine, and therefore it is forever.
After the Lord Jesus had finished His discourse to the people He said unto Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draft. And Simon, answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake, and they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both their ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
What else can an unsaved soul do but toil all the night and take nothing. It is night in his soul and his efforts are unavailing; in fact his efforts and struggles but increase the distress and weariness. It is not thus that a weary soul gets rest; it is not thus that his need is met. “Cast the net on the right side of the ship," but proves that there is a divine way; and Peter's saying, “Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net," but expressed his simple faith in that divine way. There is man's way which ends in "taking nothing,” and "the ways of death;" for "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)).
There is also God's way which is blessed for time and eternity. Jesus said, " I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
What a contrast! The one ending in death, the other in life; the one trodden by the sinner in unbelief, and the other by the child of faith, and therefore a child of God, and an heir of eternal glory. Which of the two are you, my reader?
The discourse that Peter had listened to had wrought wonders in his soul. It had plowed up the ground; it had made his conscience respond to the word of God and own its claims, for he is ready now to say, " At thy word " like the centurion of Luke 7, who said, " But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. "Beautiful faith!" Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God "(Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)). The" word of faith, which we preach, "says the Apostle Paul.
Stich is simple faith. It believes God, and reposes unquestioningly on His blessed word.
But if the word of Christ had wrought in Peter's conscience thus, there was to be also a revelation of the person of Christ to his heart.
For the Gospel not only brings me conviction of what I am, and, what I need, but it also leads use to One who is infinitely sufficient to meet that need.
So, as Peter beheld Jesus working the miracle, and at His word gathering together a multitude of fishes, the truth as to His Person entered his soul, and he fell at Jesus' knees, and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Blessed place to occupy, surely, and blessed utterance, coming as it did from the depths off Peter's moral being. He was a sinner, but a confessed sinner, at the knees of the Lord and Judge of heaven and earth. He owned himself a sinner, but in the same breath asserted the Lordship of the One at whose knees he had fallen.
What must be the result of all this? Had not Jesus said, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out?" Had. He not declared that He had come to “call sinners to repentance "? And had He not said," Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest "? And did He not come from heaven to earth “to seek and to save that which was lost"? Blessed be His holy name, yes. And a great deal more He had said that encourages sinners in their sins to seek His blessed face and presence. Thus it was with Peter, therefore he shall be blessed forever.
And Jesus said unto Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”
Had the word of Jesus reached Peter's conscience, giving him to feel that he was a sinner? It had. Well then, words from the same gracious lips shall speak peace to his soul, and give him rest in his troubled conscience, and clothed with divine authority send him forth to preach the word of God.
“Fear not." What blessedness there is in those words, "Fear not," when spoken to a convicted, confessed sinner, at the feet of the Saviour. "Fear not," and “Peace be unto you," are words that are ever dropping from the lips of the Saviour into hearts weary because of sin and guilt. And what a relief and peace they bring!
Peter is now the converted sinner, and one in whose soul dwells a depth of peace that no human line can fathom; but more, he stands on God's earth a vessel of rich eternal blessing to others. “Out of him shall flow rivers of living water." And to a greater or less degree this is what every saved sinner is.
Beloved reader, I close with one question.
Have you, as a convicted, confessed, converted sinner, been at the feet of Christ and received pardon and peace for your soul? Eternity is involved in the answer to this question.
E. A.