Matthew 26:31-34
“Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered,’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away. Jesus said to him, “truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
Today on Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but do we really understand what that means? Do we understand the scope of what Christ’s sacrifice covers?
Sometimes, those of us who have made the decision to follow Christ feel like Peter. We feel confident in our own strength and we think we can overcome any test or trial. Though, what happens though when we don’t? What happens when we fall? What happens when we stumble? Though the Bible is clear that we can overcome the power of sin when we live by the spirit, the truth is that sometimes believers struggle to live consistently by the spirit. Why does that happen? Why is it that Peter was so bold when he was with Jesus, but as soon as he was tested, he failed?
Matthew 13:20 The parable of the sower
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Like Peter, many of us have heard the good news of Jesus Christ and have received it with gladness. However, it hasn’t yet taken root deep enough. Because of that, when we stumble, it’s hard to resist going back to the way we used to be. Guilt makes us feel unworthy and we feel such shame. In that moment we are tempted to revert back to the life we used to know. It’s so familiar, it’s so comfortable; it’s so easy. Besides, we might think, “God couldn’t possibly want us anyway.” We end up distancing ourselves from the only one that could possibly save us.
God Knew You Would Stumble.
A few months back I had a motion due in court. I had submitted the draft of the motion on time for my boss to review. I made the changes he suggested and then served a copy to the opposing attorney. However, when it came time to submit the papers in court, I missed the date. I was crushed. I felt so bad; “how could I have let this happen? I’m better than that.” I didn’t know what to do. I avoided my boss for the whole day. I made sure that I walked the long way so that I didn’t pass his office. I tried to call the court to see if they would make an exception, but the clerk literally hung up the phone on me. Eventually I went crawling back to my boss and admitted what had happened. Thankfully, he was gracious. He told me that I wasn’t the first person this had happened to. He told me that he wished I could have come to him first because he would have told me that I should not have tried calling the court, and that instead, I should have written a letter explaining what had happened with the motion attached to it. He told me that a number of judges have accepted late submissions that way in the past. So, much to my surprise, my supervisor had a contingency plan, but my guilt and fear kept me from taking advantage of it.
Likewise, God has a contingency plan for us. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He paid the cost for all of our sins forever. He knew there might be times that we stumble, but His sacrifice on the cross covered those sins too. Don’t let your mind trick you. You can always come back to the cross of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we are fooled into thinking that we can’t come back. After a stumble, we can’t bear to face God. We believe the lie of the enemy. We think we can only be in God’s presence if we’ve been good, if we’ve earned it. Nothing can be further from the truth.
God’s relationship with us is not like our relationship with each other. God is crazy about His church. He loves you, even after you have sinned. Don’t let guilt turn you away from the only one that can save you and make it right again. Don’t fall back into your old way of living, just because you’ve stumbled.
So, when you cursed out your coworker because she won’t turn down her music,
DON’T GO BACK!
When you messed around and got drunk at your friend’s birthday party,
DON’T GO BACK!
When you fell into lust while looking at that “fitness model” on Instagram,
DON’T GO BACK!
When you lied to your job and told them you were sick,
DON’T GO BACK!
When you told your mother that you hate her and that you’d never forgive her,
DON’T GO BACK!
When you told your girlfriend to leave her boyfriend because you’re jealous that you’re not in a relationship,
DON’T GO BACK!
No matter what the sin is,
DON’T GO BACK!