No Sin

Have you ever felt like your sin disqualified you from service to God? I know for a long time I believed this, I have struggled for many years with lust and masturbation. All of those times I would fall and struggle with my sin, I always wondered what the people who knew me would think if they found out. I tried confessing my sin to a couple of friends one time, only to be told that it was ok, everyone did it. Not the most encouraging counsel to receive to be sure. But as I've been reading my daily devotional one consistent them has been emerging. God knew my sin before I was ever created, and not only did save me by his grace, but he has set me aside for a purpose. This does not mean that my sin is ok, and I keep doing it. But that when I stumble and fall he has already forgiven me and I move forward with a repentant heart.

One of the best examples of this is the life of Peter and his sin on the night Christ was betrayed. Christ prophesied that night and told all the disciples that they would scatter and leave him. Peter was outspoken as always in his claims that he would follow Jesus, even unto death. Jesus told Peter that Satan was after Peter, and that he had been praying for him. He also told him that he would deny him 3 times, but that after he was restored, he was to strengthen his brothers. We know what happened, the guards come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and all the disciples scatter. Later, Peter and another disciple (most likely John), follow to the Temple. They two disciples are separated, because John has entry into the inner courtyard, probably due to his Pharisee father. Eventually Peter's accent gives him away and he is recognized as one of the disciples. Peter vehemently denies this twice before the third time doing so with curses. After his third denial and the crow of the rooster.  The gospel of Luke tells us that after the third denial and the crow of rooster, that Jesus turned to look at Peter, then he remembers Jesus word in that upper room. He leaves where the trial is and goes away weeping bitterly at his betrayal of the one he loves. He is not there the next day, as Jesus suffers on a cross for his sins (Peter not Christ), and my sins, and your sins. Later on, after the resurrection, the empty tomb, his appearances to the disciples in the upper room. Jesus once again meets them on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and repeats his miracle of providing fish to to those who have worked all night and caught nothing. After the fish is caught, and the breakfast eaten, Jesus takes Peter aside and questions him about his love. Each time Peter confesses his love, and each time Christ commands him to care for his sheep, he has restored him.

Jesus knew all about who Peter was from the moment he chose him as a disciple. He told him the first time he met him that he was changing him from Simon to Peter, a reed to a rock. All of Peter's brash and outspoken ways, his sins, were known to Christ when he said "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." But even knowing all of this Jesus still chose Peter. Why did he choose a fisherman from Galilee? Why does he call any of us? For two reasons 1) Because of his amazing grace and love for us. 2) So that when people see God using sinners to proclaim his gospel, and our lives changed, they give all the glory to God, not to man.