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.
RESTORATION:
Having genuinely repented, Peter restored to his spiritual place. To restore is to bring back, to return, and to recover. It is to put back in order, and to adjust. To restore is to bring back to the original condition.
"This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!" Jeremiah 15:19. God is able to give you another opportunity to turn your life around.
THE FIRST LOVE:
"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." Revelation 2:4.
Love is the mark of a true child of God. It is the symbol of discipleship. John 13:35. Love is the force that motivates us to serve God. It is lending a helping hand to those in need. Love is patient; it endures insults. Love is kind; it seeks out what it can do for others regardless of what it can get in return. Love does not envy; it does not treat others as if they're less important. Love is not easily angered; it keeps no record of offences. Love is forgiving. Love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Sadly love can grow cold. Matthew 24:12.
So has your love for God grown cold? He's calling you to return to your first love today. Loving God is putting Him first above all else. To love God is to obey and keep His commandments. It is to seek His kingdom and righteousness. To love God is to hate sins. It is to love one another. The first step to rekindle the first love is to remember where we have fallen. Think about where you used to be in your relationship with God and consider how far you have fallen. The second step is to repent. No matter how many steps you have taken away from God, it only takes one step to get back. Take that step of repentance! Repentance involves a change of mind, heart, and direction. Give up those things that have drawn your attention away from wholehearted love for God. Confess your sin to God. He stands ready to forgive and to restore. Hebrews 4:16. The third step is to return. God calls us to return to where we once fell. A call to turn around, change direction, and get back on course. Do the very things you once did. Rebuild your relationship with God. Serve the Lord genuinely.
FRESH START:
"20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry." Luke 15:20-24.
God is the Lord of second chances and new beginnings. There's nothing impossible or too hard for God to do. He takes an imperfect clay and transforms it into a vessel of honor. God brings glory out of shame and garbage. He brings diamonds out of debris; God transforms setback into comeback. He makes hero out of a reject. God's grace is sufficient for our mistakes. He'll have mercy on us, and fully forgive us of all of our sins if we'll just make the effort to come back to Him with a repentant heart. God won’t dismiss you as a lost cause and discard you as hopeless case. Its not over! You can have a fresh start. You can experience a new beginning.
If you want to begin a deeper relationship with God or you want to resume a broken relationship with the Lord, say this prayer now: O God, I come to You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to save me and resurrected on the third day. I repent of my sins and forsake them. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to Him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Father, I want to love You more than anything else and to have an undivided heart for You, in Jesus name.
2. O Lord, continue to uphold me! Do not allow me to fall away, in Jesus name.
3. Father, if I am already taking any steps that can lead to backsliding, bring me back, in Jesus name.
4. Holy Spirit, pour Your love afresh into my spirit, and breathe new life into me, in Jesus name.
5. Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayers.
