"Sarge"
Director NCFP
33 posts
Jun 28, 2010
7:48 AM
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When you think of the Apostle Peter, what comes to mind? Impulsive? He certainly was that. He was the only disciple to climb over the edge of the boat and walk to Jesus on the sea. In the garden of Gethsemane he took out his sword and sliced off the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant, in an effort to defend Jesus. Yes, Peter was impulsive. Perhaps you think of Peter as the one who denied Christ three times. As much as Judas physically betrayed Jesus by selling Him out for 30 pieces of silver, leading a mob to arrest Him, and identifying Jesus with a kiss, so Peter verbally betrayed Jesus by denying He knew Him three times before the rooster crowed in the daybreak.
How did Jesus rebuild trust with Peter after such an enormous breach? Here are the three steps needed to rebuild trust in a relationship:
1. Remember. In Luke 22:61-62, Luke writes, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ Before trust can be rebuilt in a relationship, the betrayer must remember the betrayal. No denying it. No blaming someone else. No minimizing it. No rationalizing it. Remember it!
2. Repent. In Luke 22:62, it says of Peter that “he went outside and wept bitterly.” Repentance is to recognize your betrayal, weep bitterly over your sin, and change your thinking and behavior. Before trust can be rebuilt, repentance must have occurred. The betrayer must recognize the depth of his sin and the wound he has inflicted on his victim, weep bitterly over his sin, and change his life.
3. Reaffirm. In John 21:15 Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you.” Three times Peter denied Jesus and three times Peter must reaffirm his love for Jesus. His denial was public thus his reaffirmation must also be public. To not reaffirm his love for Jesus would mean that Jesus would have to deny Peter before the angels in heaven (Luke 12:8, 9). Also, remember that “in the mouth of 2-3 witnesses every fact is confirmed.” The same applies to reaffirmation. Love for the betrayed must be reaffirmed at least 2-3 times publicly to be confirmed as a fact.
Once Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus, Jesus began to trust him again and let him “feed his sheep.” Sexual sinners are betrayers who have betrayed their loved ones and the Lord. They are unfit to feed Christ’s sheep. They need to remember and own what they have done, repent with deep remorse for their sin, and publicly reaffirm their love for those they have betrayed. Only then can trust be slowly rebuilt.
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