[b][Matthew 16:13‭-‬19 BSB] — When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

[1 John 4:13‭-‬15 ICB] — We know that we live in God and God lives in us. We know this because God gave us His Spirit. We have seen that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. That is what we teach. If someone says, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God,” then God lives in him. And he lives in God.

[1 Corinthians 12:3 ICB] — So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.

[Luke 10:22 BSB] — All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
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Knowing who Jesus is, confessing Jesus is the Son of God, or saying Jesus is the Lord — is by the Father or by the Spirit of God. That's a basic summary of all the Bible References above.

How was Simon Peter able to both know and confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? Surely, flesh and blood couldn't have revealed that to him as flesh and blood could not have revealed to the Muslims or to Muhammad their leader. At best flesh and blood only say Jesus is a Prophet like John the Baptist, like Elijah, like Jeremiah or like one of the Prophets of God, as Muslims or Muhammad their leader.

Again how could Peter know and say that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the Living God? It was not yet the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon all flesh and all felt Him like a mighty rushing Wind that touched all flesh, but only the disciples of the Lord Jesus had cloven tongues of fire on their heads and utterances of different tongues or languages proceeding from their lips.

Demons or unclean spirits knew Jesus and they confessed with the mouths of those people they possessed, calling Jesus the Son of God:

[Mark 3:11-12] — "And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” But He ordered them sternly not to make Him known."

So if no man can say Jesus is the Lord without the Holy Spirit or if any man that says Jesus is the Son of God has God living in him/her, what about these unclean spirits speaking from the men/women they possessed, and calling Jesus the Son of God without the Holy Spirit in those people?

This means, it is not only the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) that inspires the faith and ability of men to confess Jesus Christ as Lord or Son of God, other spirits could possess and inspire people to make those confessions also. Infact, Demons or Devils have some degree of faith also to believe in "One God" just as Muslims too have some faith to believe God is one: As it is written, "You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him! [James 2:19].

Infact, in the last days, many will come in the name of the Lord, saying Jesus is the Christ, and yet deceive many people while still confessing Jesus as Christ or Son of God. You heard saying, "Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," but did you also hear that "Not all who call Me (Jesus) Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the Will of the Father of Jesus in heaven?"

So what are the differences between the true calling/confessing Jesus as the Lord or as Son of God and the deceitful calling/confessing Jesus as the Lord or as Son of God?

The differences are "With the heart" and "In Truth." Deceitful calling or confessing Jesus as the Lord or Son of God is not with the heart but with the mouth only and therefore it is not in truth. When demons, evil spirits or deception, inspire people to confess or call upon the name of the Lord, usually the heart of those people are far from the Lord whom they call or mention. They only believe with their mind and mouth but not with their heart, and not in Spirit and in Truth.

But when the Lord's Spirit or the nearness of the Word/Spirit of faith inspires people to confess or call upon the Lord, usually their heart is near the Lord whom they call or mention, and therefore they call upon the Lord in truth. As it is written,

[Psalms 145:18-19] — "The LORD is near to all them that call on Him, to all that call on Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them."


But Simon Peter was not the first man to whom the Father or Spirit of God in heaven revealed this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, in the days of the Lord Jesus. Before this was revealed to Simon Peter by the Father in heaven, this was first revealed to John the Baptist even before Peter knew: As it is written,

[John 1:32‭-‬34 BSB] — Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

So if John the Baptist by the revelation of the Father first testified or confessed Jesus is the Son of God before Peter later did, why was Peter promoted by the Son of God because of his interpretation of who Jesus is they way Joseph was promoted by Pharaoh or Daniel promoted by king Nebuchadnezzar because of their interpretation (revelations) which others there could not tell? Why was John the Baptist not given the promotion Peter received, such as Peter promoted into being a Rock or Foundation on which the Lord Jesus Christ built part of His Church, and the Gates of Hell will never prevail against any Church built on Peter's Foundation unlike how much the Gates of Hell have infiltrated and prevailed in other parts of the church built in other foundations beside Peter's Foundation. And in addition, the Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven so that no one would loose what Peter binds heaven and no Gates of Hell can bind what Peter loose.

The reason includes: In the gospel of John chapter one, two different men confessed Jesus as the Son of God: "John the Baptist" and "Nathaniel." Their confession pleased the Son of God (Jesus), but did not move Him. Their confession was basically related to Thomas's confession after the Lord's resurrection from the dead, confessing Jesus as, "My Lord and my God." But the Lord Jesus said to Thomas, it's because you have seen Me that is the reason you believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." So Jesus Christ was pleased but was not moved, which was the reason He explained why Thomas believed and confessed, just as He also explained why Nathaniel believed and confessed, which was because Jesus told him He saw him under a tree. John the Baptist too saw the signs from above which was why he believed, because God showed him in a vision the Spirit of God descending as dove on Jesus. If Jesus would say:

[John 4:48] — "Then Jesus said to him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

Then that means your believing and confessing Him would please Him, but would not move Him.

But when Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ the Son of the Living God, it was the Father or Spirit of God who revealed this to Peter without signs, wonders or miracles. The way Pharaoh was amazed at Joseph interpreting his dreams, the way Nebuchadnezzar was amazed at Daniel interpreting his dreams so was the Lord Jesus amazed at Peter answering the Lord's question very correctly and excellently. Hardly was any man able to answer the riddling questions the Lord Jesus Christ asked correctly, but Peter answered that riddling question pertaining the hidden identification of who that Son of man is.

The Lord Jesus Christ shocked and amazed many people, but only few persons shocked and amazed the Lord Jesus Christ. The Centurion's faith by love, the woman with the Alabaster box of precious ointment, the woman with the issue of blood, the widow that gave all her living by giving two coins in offering, Peter in declaring who the Father says Jesus is, rather than declaring who his flesh and blood say Jesus is, even though the question Jesus asked them was who do you (as men, flesh and blood) say that I am. He bypassed whom his flesh and blood was saying Jesus is, and went straight to whom the Father in heaven is saying Jesus is, and declared what God is saying concerning His Son.

[1 John 5:9‭-‬12 BSB] — Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son. And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Peter declared the decree (of the Father in heaven) to the Son, Jesus:

[Psalms 2:7] — "I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, You are My Son; this day have I begotten You."

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Yes

So who do YOU say He is?

God bless you Sir. This is a good piece.


I am blessed