Peter’s denial of Christ is something all believers are
familiar with. Jesus spoke it, and it happened(which is fodder for another time
– The spoken Word) three times.
And then what?
I’m sure Peter was consumed by guilt.
Probably every step he took afterwards in the company of the
Lord was plagued by condemning thoughts. ‘What was I thinking??’, ‘How could
I???’, ‘I blew it.’, etc. (Somehow I think we’ve all been there.
But the threes in Peter’s life do not stop there. Take a
look:
In the Gospel of John, Peter and Jesus were walking along
having some male bonding time while fishing. I don’t know about you, but I
think Peter was a bit uncomfortable on the heels of the 3 denials. I think he
was especially uncomfortable when Jesus asked, “So…Peter, do you love me?”
I think he probably physically flinched when asked that
question. Ouch!
Three times, the Lord asked. Three times Peter said yes, and
three times Jesus said, “feed my sheep.”
Sometime later, Peter was seeking the Lord in prayer on a
rooftop. He was given a vision that became the prompting for Peter’s life song.
Three times.
Yep, three times the sheet came down, the animals walked
around on it and Jesus told Peter, “Nothing I have created it unclean.”
Immediately following this, three men came to Peter to take
him the house where he was to truly begin his life purpose: Declaring salvation
for all men – because no one God created is exempt (unclean) from the
transforming power of the gospel.
My point: There were lots of threes in Peter’s life. The
denial first, of course, and from there it appears that Peter needed to hear
some things three times. Why?
Our more legalistic brethren and sisteren (a word made up by
a friend of mine) might say that this was God’s way of reminding Peter of the
denial so that he (Peter) would not “think more highly of himself than he
ought.
I don’t think so.
I am a grace loving, mercy giving child of The Most High God
and I submit to you that the threes in Peter’s life were never to remind him of
what he had done, but confirmation and affirmation of where God was taking him.
A reminder of God’s love. An affirmation and confirmation of God’s purpose in
Peter’s life. A way of saying, “You, Peter, yes you, are worthy.”
Jesus spoke very clearly when He said that He did not come
to condemn the world, but to save the world. The nagging voice in your head
that speaks to you of your past failure, is never the voice of God. It is the
ENEMY of God that tries to lay the “guilt trip” trap. Don’t fall for that. Don’t
ever think that you, as His child, are anything less than 100% righteous, and
100% worthy.
Sometime later in life, In his 2nd book, the 3
chapter (another 3), Peter said this: “The
Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead
he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance.” (vs 9). This was Peters reflection of his own ministry, and his
encouragement to others who have “denied.”
Remember: Guilt trips are never from God’s travel agency.
They come straight from the “other side.” And lest the legalist yell, “CONVICTION!
God convicts us!” you can be sure that “conviction”
is never GUILT.
I thank Him today and evermore for His grace, love and
mercy. I thank Him for the freedom that comes with knowing that He created
nothing ‘common or unclean’. I thank Him for the three’s in Peters life that
mapped out Peter’s lifesong.
Grace, not guilt. That is HIS way.
Amen.
