[AI translation] One of the greatest issues of the Christian life is faithfulness, perseverance, sticking to the truth as it is known, not straying from the narrow path, remaining with Christ. The most important word in what Jesus wants to say to his disciples as he bids them farewell is this: to persevere. I have read nine verses from John 15, and in these nine verses this word appears ten times, in different combinations. Sometimes it is 'abide in me', sometimes it is 'abide in me': "who abides in me", and then like this: "abide in my love", or like this: "my joy abide in you". The message that I would now like to bind on the souls of our confirmands is concentrated in this one word: abide. Yes, abide in Christ, in his Church, here among us, in this congregation, abide in the faith. The reason why I want to emphasise this so much is because I know from experience how a flock of confirmands tends to break up after a beautiful confirmation ceremony. A month or two or a year goes by, and some of them drift away as if they had never been here before the Lord's table. It also happens that when we meet in the street, he doesn't even say hello, ashamed to know me.I know very well that this distancing and separation is not intentional, but almost imperceptible. Peter did not want to deny his previous acquaintance with Jesus, his discipleship, but he did! In fact, if anyone had told him that there would come a time when even he would be unfaithful to his Master, he would not have believed it. He would have protested against it. Jesus had warned Peter beforehand, but he would not believe even Him. He thought Jesus did not know him well enough. Oh, with what great zeal and enthusiasm he promised and pledged allegiance: 'Lord, I am ready to go to prison and to death with you.' (Lk 22,33) Yes! That's a brave stand for Jesus! Well, this man cannot be intimidated by prison or death threats! Matthew the Evangelist records even more of Peter's solemn declaration. From him we know that he even said, "Though all men stumble at you, I will never stumble." (Mt 26:33) One of the greatest words that can leave a man's lips is never! I will never be unfaithful to you! And if we didn't know how the story of the apostle Peter would continue in a few hours, we would have to say that this Peter is a truly brave man! What a hero! What an impressive scene this is! I can imagine how Peter must have liked himself in this heroic pose! I will never be unfaithful to you! I'll go to prison and even to death for you! What a confident strength there is in those words!
The reason I have given so much detail is because something similar is happening here in our church: forty young boys and girls will pledge themselves to be true followers of Jesus Christ and to be faithful, obedient and sacrificial adherents of our Reformed Christian Church until death! This is a great, solemn moment for all of us, but especially for you, dear young brothers and sisters, who have been preparing for this occasion for more than six months! I have no doubt for a moment that when you stand before Jesus Christ in this devout, festive atmosphere, you will be taking your vows of fidelity in true good faith. You truly have the good will to be true followers of Jesus, and you may even imagine in your hearts that in the outside world, if someone attacks the church, you will stand by him. If someone mocks Christ, you will stand up for Him and defend Him! Yes, at such a time, in the atmosphere of such a memorable, moving celebration, one feels like Peter: he could make any sacrifice for his faith and for his Church, so that he would never be unfaithful to Jesus! What you are now promising and receiving is a terribly great revelation: that you will be true followers of Jesus Christ and faithful members of our Church until death!
It is a very beautiful and touching thing, but I ask you now - even if I am being a killjoy - what will happen later to this solemn vow? Peter also made the same vow. And do you know what happened to it? He denied Jesus that very night. Three times in a row he proved that it had nothing to do with Him! That he did not know the man of whom only a short time ago he had confessed with such joyful amazement, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16,16) There is no doubt that Peter's words of loyalty to the point of imprisonment, even death, were born of a total inner conviction, under the influence of the exalting moment of standing there with Jesus. But then the situation changed, and he was not standing with Jesus, but with mocking soldiers, laughing slave girls. There he was different. There he became the pragmatic man who doesn't like risk, who wants to get out of trouble, who is looking for a way out, for an easy solution, for an escape. He helps himself with a little lie: "he starts cursing and swearing... I do not know this man" (Mt 26,74).
What a stubborn man! How deceitful the human heart! How worthless are enthusiastic good intentions! How weak is the faithfulness of even the Apostle Peter to Christ! So is ours! It is enough to make circumstances such that it is not good business to belong to Jesus. He thinks he is suspect if he goes to church and thinks he is a believer. Somebody makes him think he is a reactionary if he believes in God, and loyalty is shattered! He'd rather deny his allegiance to Christ, just to avoid the disadvantage! And perhaps Peter would have had no disadvantage from it, but he was afraid of it! Oh, how vile a man can be!
Well, if we add to man's utter powerlessness what Jesus said of Satan in the Word, "Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan hath sought you out, that he may sift you as wheat." (Lk 22,31) In the invisible background of our lives, there is a mysterious person, an evil power, who has a great interest in us and who is doing everything in his power to make the disciples of Jesus grumble, to make them deny their Master! Yes, Satan is doing his utmost to compromise the Church of Christ, so that those who are confirmed here today will not be able to come to church next Sunday for some reason. And that those who have vowed to follow Jesus will have a bad report card at the end of the year. And that anyone who has taken communion here today should swear a lot or lie tomorrow. And that he who prays may fall into a foul confusion with the people around him, and bring shame on his faith, and that he who sits here devoutly today may fall into some ugly sin tomorrow. Yes, this is in Satan's interest, because then he can claim that, well, how hateful, lazy and useless believers are! So much for religion! So much for their word, their promise and their vow! I think we should take more seriously what Jesus said to Peter: "Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan hath sought you out, that he may sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31)
At the same time, we should take much more seriously what Jesus said immediately afterwards: "But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail." (Lk 22,32) So it is true that there is a dark, evil power working invisibly in the secret background of our lives, but there is also another power: Jesus Christ! If we weigh the unfaithful nature of our own hearts and the ambition of Satan on the one hand, against the power of Jesus Christ on the other, then - and only then - what is happening here is not hopeless! The vow is not hopeless, for even Satan is a servant of Jesus! Jesus can make good even of Satan's work. When the wheat is sifted, the tares fall out of it, the grain is cleaned by sifting. Even in the shaking of Satan's sieve, the faith of Christ's true disciples is purified. Polyva falls out of it: pride, vanity, selfishness, confidence in one's own strength, but humble faith remains. We realize how wretched, powerless, incapable of good we are, how dependent we are on grace, on the forgiveness of sins, on the saving power of Christ! Even the confident Peter learned humility in Satan's frying pan, which enabled him to accept God's grace.
"But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:32), says Jesus. Do you know what that means? It means that not only is Satan fighting for you, but someone else is standing up for you in heaven. Someone is watching over you, Someone is holding you accountable, Someone is strengthening you with heavenly help! The battle for our survival, our faithful endurance, is not only in the depths of our hearts, but is ultimately a cosmic battle that Jesus is waging with Satan, the outcome of which was decided when He rose from the dead! So do not trust that you will have the strength to hold on to Jesus, but that Jesus will always have the strength to hold on to you! Do not believe in your own faithfulness, for it will be shaken, but in Jesus' faithfulness, for it will remain! Look not to yourselves, but to Jesus! He said, "I have prayed for you".
All of us, young and old, who are truly serious in our desire to be true followers of Christ, faithful, obedient and sacrificial adherents of our Reformed Mother Church until death, trusting that Jesus will be good to us, that He will take up our cause, that we can count on the saving power of His love. You too will not escape Satan's grip, but when you are shaken to the core, remember that your name will be in heaven, Jesus is praying for you! And under the protection of His prayer, you can triumph, you can hold fast to the truth you have come to know! Even if you stray, you can return to the narrow way. You can remain with Christ in faithfulness, in steadfastness, through every battle, through every temptation, for all eternity!
Amen
Date: 1 June 1958 Confirmation.
Lesson
Jn 15,1-9