Love Me More Than These?

LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?

"15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17.

Three years earlier, the Lord Jesus had called Peter away from the fishing business to follow Him and be a fisher of men instead. "And he said to them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately, they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19. To follow Christ is to set aside our own ambition and pleasures in other to embrace the purposes for which He created us. For three years, Peter had been a faithful follower of Christ. He was there with Jesus through all the highs and lows. But, on the night before the crucifixion, Peter denied Him. He messed up! And with the death of Jesus, Peter went back to his former profession. Perhaps he had financial obligations he needed to meet. Or could it be that he thought God couldn’t use a failure like him. The Bible isn't categorical on the reason(s). But the fact is, Peter went back to what he felt safe, and comfortable doing. And that’s where Jesus found him! Jesus pursued the restoration of Peter.

Just like Peter, sometimes we fail God too. Even strong believers can often wander away from the Lord. But Jesus is reaching out to us today, to pick us up, clean us, and to restores us. No matter how many times you come to Him for forgiveness, the Lord will be waiting with open arms to welcome you. There’s grace in getting back up! "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity." Proverbs 24:16. Don’t stay down! God is a God of second chances and fresh starts. He is ready to forgive you when you come to Him. No matter how far you may have fallen, God can still rescue you. Your past is erased in God’s eyes. By Jesus’ death on the Cross, we can be justified! By His resurrection, we have abundant life.

THE PAIN OF BACKSLIDING:

The night before the crucifixion, the Lord predicted that the apostles would deny Him and fall away. Peter boasted, “Though they all fall away… I will never fall away” Matthew 26:33. But we all know he did. Another word for falling away is backsliding. Backsliding is moving out of divine positioning. It is to relapse into bad habits or errors. Backsliding is to turn from the things that pleases God to carnal desires. It is to lose a once-thriving fellowship with God. Backsliding is to grow cold or lack interest in spiritual things. It is to fail to move forward spiritually. A backslider is a person who made a decision to follow Christ but then fall back into old ways. To backslide is to fall away from the faith. It is moving away from Jesus after being near Him.

"Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?" Malachi 3:7. The cure to backsliding is to return to the Lord. Acknowledge your sin, turn from it, and trust in God for forgiveness. Revelation 2:5. Strive to end the Christian race well. Don't look back. Stand firm in your faith.

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1. Intercede for backsliders. Be faithful to pray and minister the love of God to them. Resist the temptation to be judgmental. Help them to embrace the love of God again. To get better result, care, caution, humility, patience and daily prayers will be required. "4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5. And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6.