Can God Actually Forgive Me? Recalling When Peter Denied Jesus.

Have you ever had a spiritual fall and wondered if God can forgive you? You’re sort of like that lady in that Life Alert commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” 

But nobody backslides overnight. It’s neglect here, a missed prayer there, a compromise in another area—and before you know it, you’re sinking.

That’s exactly what happened to Simon Peter. But while he was fallen, he wasn’t finished.

And your failure doesn’t have to be the end of your story either.

Peter’s Reaction to Jesus’ Revelation at the Last Supper

Jesus and His disciples had gathered in the Upper Room for what would become known as the Last Supper. Jesus had revealed that one of His own disciples would betray Him.

 Peter sees this as a great opportunity to boast of his faith.  He says that even though others might betray Jesus, he won’t.

Turning to Peter, He said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32 NIV).

Imagine Jesus telling you that Satan has specifically requested permission to attack you! Still, in that alarming statement was an encouragement… 

Peter would stumble, but he was not abandoned.

Through our own failures, trials, temptations, and spiritual attacks, we are also not abandoned. As Scripture reminds us, Jesus is at the Father’s right hand interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Satan Targeted Peter Because He Understood the Threat He Posed

 Why, we might ask, was the devil targeting Peter in particular?

Because Peter was a threat.

The devil saw Peter as a threat against the kingdom of darkness, and he wanted to take him out. Satan can spot a spiritual leader. He knows who effective people are, and he will attack them. 

So if you find yourself coming under spiritual attack, that can actually be a good sign, not necessarily a bad one. Sometimes believers assume spiritual attacks mean they’re doing something wrong. In reality, opposition can be evidence that you’re making a difference for God’s kingdom.

For instance, Job experienced suffering not because he was godless, but because he was godly.  

Why are you going through hardship? Why are you getting tempted more than ever? Why are you facing these difficulties? Why is this happening to you? Possibly because you’re a threat to the kingdom of darkness. 

The Six Steps That Led to Peter’s Fall

There are six steps that led to Peter’s fall, and you’ll probably look at your own life and find that you have fallen in one of these areas.

Self-Confidence

 Step number one: Self-confidence. 

After Jesus announced He would be betrayed, Peter said, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matthew 26:33 NKJV). 

The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV).

 And by the way, Jesus said he would fall. So he’s directly contradicting what Jesus has already said. And also in the Gospel of Mark, we read that he said this repeatedly. He kept insisting: “I will never let you down. I will never fail.”

Prayerlessness

Peter’s second step down:  Prayerlessness.

After leaving the Upper Room, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane. There, facing the unimaginable weight of the cross, He asked Peter, James, and John to stay awake and pray.

Instead, they fell asleep.  They were guilty of the sin of prayerlessness.

 We all need to pray more. Not praying can be a sin too because there are sins of commission and omission.

Self-Reliance

 Step number three that led to Peter’s fall: Self-reliance.

When the temple guards arrived to arrest Jesus, Peter immediately reached for a sword.  He took a wild swing, and off came the ear of Malchus, who was a servant to the high priest.

But what did Jesus do? He reached down on the ground, picked up Malchus’ ear, held it up to his face, and reattached it.

Following at a Distance

 Peter’s fourth step down: Following at a distance.

After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed Him—but from a distance.

We also can follow at a distance, but we miss out on so much when we’re half-in, half-out in our faith.

Wrong Associations

 Now we come to the fifth step down: Wrong associations. 

Peter eventually found himself sitting at the enemy’s fire. He was in the wrong place with the wrong crowd at the wrong time—and he ended up doing the wrong thing.

And this can happen to us too. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself doing godless things if you hang around with godless people and go to godless places.

As the saying goes, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

Denial

Peter’s final step down: His denial.

He eventually denied Jesus three times, as Jesus predicted.

Failure Wasn’t the End of Peter’s Story—and It Doesn’t Have to Be for Anyone Else

Peter’s story could have ended there. But it didn’t.

In John 21, Jesus restores Peter. 

 Jesus gave Peter a second chance, and He will do the same to anyone else who comes to their senses and goes to Him.

The Lord says in Jeremiah 3:22, “Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” (NKJV). The Bible also says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (NKJV).