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I Sinned—Now What?

From time to time, we sin. Not the ordinary small sins but something big, unexpected, shameful. Something that makes us think, "How can God forgive me?" Let's look at that.

Peter Denies Jesus

The following passages are from Luke 22 in the CSB. The words in italics are mine.

31“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33“Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

34“I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

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54They seized Jesus, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. 55They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. 56When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”

57But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”

58After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter said.

59About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

60But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Imagine how Peter felt. He wanted to be brave and loyal; he even followed Jesus into the Chief Priest's house. However, he gave in to fear and acted cowardly and disloyal; Jesus looked right at him as he was doing it. This was the last time Peter saw him before Jesus died.

Most likely, Peter hid for the rest of day as Jesus hung on the cross. He spent the next two days with the disciples, keeping his dark secret. On the day Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to Peter alone—Luke 24:34. Imagine how awkward that meeting was! Peter continued to struggle for weeks—John 21:15–22.

What Can We Learn from This?

First, let's look at what Jesus said the night before Peter's failure.

32But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus knew what Peter was about to do; in response, he prayed for him and told him that he still believed in him.

God is never surprised at what we do; in fact, he knows about every one of our failures in advance. He counted the cost before he called us, and nothing we do will cause him to suddenly change his mind.

Peter's response to his failure shows that he didn't understand God's grace—of course, Jesus hadn't died and raised from the dead yet. Peter wallowed in guilt and misery for weeks even as Jesus spoke to him multiple times.

Peter did one thing right: he did not quit.

Here are some respondes that are more appropriate.

More than anything, do not quit.