Let's Go Back to the Bible

As a Follower of Christ, We Will Make Mistakes

Our spiritual lives are marked with highs and lows.  There are those mountaintop moments when you feel that there is nothing that could stand in your way.  Then, there are those moments when you seem to fall to every temptation, and you are left wondering how God could love you.

Among the characters of the Bible, we can find people that experienced similar events in their lives.  David stood seemingly alone against a giant but fell to the lust of the eyes.  Moses, a great leader and deliverer of the Hebrew people, disobeyed God and was not allowed into the Promised Land.  Perhaps the one that we can relate to most is Peter.

Peter, a fisherman by trade, was called by Jesus when he was by the Sea of Galilee with his brother Andrew (Matt. 4:18).  John records another event where both Andrew and Peter were called to follow Jesus again in John 1:44-51. In this event, both brothers acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and were told that they would see many other things in their time with Christ.

Peter was one that catches our attention because of the way that he is right on with his comments and actions, then, in the very next moment, he does something to undermine what he just affirmed. There are four major events like this recorded in the gospel accounts.

The first is in Matthew 14. Jesus is walking on the Sea of Galilee toward the disciples who are struggling in a boat during a storm. Peter calls out to go to Him and walks to Jesus but then falls when he nears Jesus. The second was Peter’s statement that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God in Matthew 16. It was then that Jesus mentions the keys of the Kingdom and His pending death. After which, Peter rebukes Jesus saying that he will not allow Jesus to die.  Jesus then tells him, “Get thee behind Me Satan!” Third, the Mount of Transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17.  Three disciples are led up on the mountain, and Jesus reveals His glory to them as well as seeing Him speak with Moses and Elijah. Peter then wants to raise tabernacles to honor all three, and God rebukes him from the cloud saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him!”  Lastly, Peter’s denial of Christ, recorded in all four gospels (Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 18). He was so adamant that this would never happen, and hours later he did the very thing he swore he would never do! Peter ran away ashamed and wept.

We have all been there at some point. How could we be loved again by our Lord?  It was a short time later that Jesus came to Peter and said, “Peter, do you love me?” He came back to work mightily for the Lord. So can you!