[CS-FSLUG] The God of restoration.

[Aaron Lehmann]

On Mon, Jan 10, 2005 at 03:25:49PM -0700, Warren Sanders wrote:
> Fred A. Miller wrote:
> >The God of restoration.  One of the most encouraging things the Bible
> >teaches us, is that God is a God of restoration.  The Bible tells us that 
> >we
> >all sin and fall short of God's glory, but what happens to us after we sin
> >is what I want to focus on today.  One of the most visible sins in the 
> >Bible
> >has to be Peter's denial of Christ.  After following the Lord, living with
> >Him, seeing the miracles, hearing the teachings, even being so bold to
> >proclaim Jesus to be "the Son of the living God"...this same Peter in fear
> >of his life denies even knowing who Jesus is.
> >
> >If the story of Peter ended there, it would indeed be tragic.  However, we
> >see that same Peter, just days later in John chapter 21 being restored to
> >fellowship by Jesus.  
> 
> I wasn't quite sure what to make of this "tragic" mistake statement.  I 
> believe that when you accept Christ as your Savior you are accepting His 
> payment for all your sins past present and future.  Also I believe that 
> once you are saved, you cannot be unsaved so to speak.  I am not to worry 
> about sins I have forgotten. The Lord has also forgotten my sin as well.  
> So... I'm confused!  Why would it be "tragic"?  I am not Saved by my lack 
> of sin!  Only One thing saves me and that is not an act of a sinless life 
> it's accepting The Gift that saves me.

Salvation is not the entirety of what Peter had, and so not was the only
thing he had to lose.  Would an apostate Peter have the self-respect and
dignity that Peter restored did?  Where would the church be without him?

Aaron Lehmann