Another Chance

From Regrets to Success

I often hear people say they have no regrets in life. As a result I challenge that statement. To say we have no regrets is to say we have made no mistakes. We have always been perfect. Or that the mistakes we have made were decision made based on knowledge and therefore a choice to purposefully do whatever was done. Regardless of the outcome of the decision, it was what I actually wanted. However, if I were to ask people here are they exactly where they want to be in life, many would say they are not. But where you are is a summation of the decisions you have made in the past. You did not get here over night. As a result, your decisions have landed you in a place in life that you really did not want to be. So to say that there are no regrets is simply untrue. The key is one do not live in their regrets. If I were to ask would you do somethings differently then in fact you are say I regret having done that thing in that manner. Yes, I may have learned from the mistake, but I would have rather learned without having to experience the consequence of that decision. Yet in spite of regret or not, we often find ourselves in positions where we are granted another opportunity to be who God purposed us to be in spite of our failure before. In spite of our poor decisions, God still use us to fulfill His will. The text teaches us a few things regarding another chance.

Pressure Often Causes Poor Decisions

I always say pressure will either make diamonds or burst pipes. Why? Pressure can be good or bad. Under pressure we either perform or conform to the thing that is pressuring us. The text reveals that Peter is under immense pressure by Satan which was allowed by God. Talk about tension in the text. The circumstance Peter was in was caused by God’s favor. Wow! What happens when favor doesn’t feel good? The text states that Satan “demanded”. This word in the original Greek means to ask and be granted permission. So Satan asked God could he sift Peter similar to him asking about Job. So this is twice in scripture where Satan has asked to test or pressure someone following God. Not all test are because you did something wrong, sometimes its because you did something right. But God’s favor of Peter now places Peter in the crosshairs of Satan.

Sifting As An Act of Separation

Satan wants to sift Peter as wheat. Sifting involved separating things accumulated after the harvest. There was really no need for sifting if the harvest had not been gathered. Which tells me this sifting had to have come after someone had been brought into the fold of believers. He is already saved and he is being sifted. Why? This is not a salvation issue, it is a purpose issue. But Satan wants to sift all of him like wheat. He wants to shake up every aspect of Peter’s life and existence. Satan is not just interested in your job, your career, your family, he wants all of your life sifted. The sifting is also designed to cause what is really valuable to remain and all the dust and dirt to fall away.

Please remember this, all things work together for the good. Even though Satan desires to to destroy Peter’s life, God is using this moment to perfect Peter for purpose. What the enemy doesn’t know, is he is creating a force to be reckoned with. Why? Because the sifting process is not just shaking up things in Peter, it is also separating Peter things in Peter from himself. All his pride, all his arrogance, all self-confidence, all his self-dependence, all the trying to do things in his own strength. Keep in mind, Peter was full of himself prior to this process. Although he was called, he wasn’t useful in the kingdom because Peter was in the way. Therefore, this sifting process was causing those thing to be separated from Peter.

Jesus Prayed for the Only Thing He Needed to Use

He prayed his faith does not fail! Jesus did not pray for his intellect, his degrees, his network, his financial status, his wealth, his mind, his abilities, etc. He prayed for his faith not to fail or fall through the sifting process. He prayed for his faith in who Jesus is not to fail, what God can and will do not to fail, who he is in God not to fail. Why? Two reasons

Remember Faith Produces Hope

Faith is the thing that will allow God to recover and restore. faith is the substance of things hoped for. One cannot hope without faith. And without hope one does not seek to try to change their current situation.

Jesus Needs Peter’s Faith to Marry His Grace

Whatever God has assigned for Peter will not be performed without there being an agreement with the two parties. God doesn’t need anything else from better but his faith in order to perform in Peter’s life what is needed. For it is impossible to please God without faith. Your faith enables God to move in your life, while God’s grace enables you to perform His purpose for your life! The reason Jesus did not need all the other stuff Peter was carrying is because He was going to provide it by His grace! For by the grace of God I am what I am. In other words,

I am what I am because of I am that I am!

Peter was Still Useful Even After the Failure

Jesus was never concerned with Peter’s usefulness, He was concerned Peter would no longer believe he was useful because of his failure. Jesus is telling Peter, I know what you will do, but I still have need of you. When you are converted, you may be saved Peter but you are not converted yet!

The word used here for convert or turn back in the Greek means “to turn, change directions, to change one’s beliefs, to cause to change one’s beliefs, repent, to change ones ways.” In other words, Peter was in the fold but he wasn’t heading in the right direction. The direction Peter was headed in was one full of himself not faith in God.

God’s Grace Does Not Function in Your Pride

Pride neutralizes God’s grace. Why? God’s grace is dependent on His abilities not yours. My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. Paul was asking God to remove the thorn from his flesh because Paul could not overcome it. He was still relying upon his own strength. Jesus was saying to Peter, I cannot use you when you are in your own strength and pride, but I can use you when your faith is trusting in my grace.

God’s Grace Makes You Able to do What You Cannot Do

Your ability only goes so far. When you stop is when God kicks in. The issue is God never assigns you a purpose that you can fulfill only within yourself. It requires God’s involvement! Therefore, the partnership must be such that it your ability is married to God’s power. Peter you cannot strengthen your brothers without me. You do not have enough in you to give to them. It requires me!