Jesus Restores Peter: “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.'” (John 21:15).
After Jesus’ arrest, Peter aggressively denied knowing Jesus three times, and then the rooster crowed.
“And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, ‘Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:59-62, ESV).
We may ask, How is it possible for Peter to deny Christ after being in His presence and following Him for 3 years? Peter’s heart was unconverted, he attempted to serve and follow Jesus with a divided heart.
Although Peter thought his overwhelming desires for earthly prominence and wealth were hidden secrets, Peter was unaware that God, the Father gave Jesus the Divine Power to discern the real [secret] thoughts in people’s minds.
“Would not God discover this? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21). Before God, who knows every human thought, habit, and behavior, we appear as naked babies.
Yes, God knows the dedicated believers who are striving to follow His Triumphant Son, Jesus Christ with daily surrender and faithful obedience; and God sees the unbelieving believers, who profess Christianity, but live to fulfill their personal agendas as wealth-builders, striving for elite social status, and the world’s wisdom [Artificial Intelligence].
The Reason It Is So Easy To Rebel Against God
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, ESV).
“Our natural will is cold, hard, stubborn, and rebellious; The hard heart does not love Jesus, the Redeemer; The hard heart is selfish and coldly asks, Why should I [feel remorse] for sin? Why should I love the Lord?”
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NLT).
God never coerces us to love Him. If we choose to live as we please then we choose to deny Christ as our Lord and Savior. Not only will our rewards consist of whatever we have gained in our earthly lives, denying Christ is to accept Malachi 4:1 as our destiny.
The Plan of Redemption Reveals God’s Love, Grace, and Mercies and Also Includes Unlimited Forgiveness and Restoration
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10, ESV). Regardless of our present self-seeking status; we can decide to renounce the world’s treasures and pleasures; repent and return to the Shepherd; we do not have to remain as a lost sheep!
Steps To Spiritual Restoration: Love God
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].” (Deuteronomy 6:5, Amplified Bible).
In Matthew 22, Jesus repeats the command given in the Old Testament that we must love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the literal meaning: To love God is to think and live with a “God First” mindset.
Embracing Jesus’ Sacrificial Gift of His Life
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17, ESV).
The Message of The Cross reveals Jesus’ overwhelming love and commitment to save humanity: Jesus fulfilled The Plan of Redemption, dying for our sins, so we do not have to die [the second and final death] for our sins.
Confess and Repent For Our Sins Against God
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
To be accepted back into our Shepherd’s flock of sheep, we repent [asking for forgiveness with the commitment to strive to live holy]; and immediately, we are justified and covered with Christ’s Righteousness; and Jesus Christ presents us as being cleansed from all sins to God, the Father.
Sanctification is the lifetime work of the Holy Spirit changing our mind, character, personality into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character.
Sanctification requires the human effort of daily participation. We pray for God’s Will to be revealed, and our responses are faithful obedience along with renouncing our heart’s desires and Satan’s temptations.
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.'” (1 Corinthians 15:33, CSB). Our commitment to God and lifestyle must reflect that our hearts have been cleansed and transformed.
Spiritual Restoration requires letting go of all worldly people, habits, behaviors, and lifestyles. Study Romans 12:1-2 on how to live appropriately as a follower of Jesus Christ.
We are Temporary Travelers living on a Temporary Earth preparing every day for Jesus’ Coming. Live as if it is your last day. This is not a morbid thought, God has not promised us tomorrow.
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14, NIV). We are living in the last days and we do not have the time that we think we have.
If we do not actively renounce sin, the Holy Spirit cannot change us; and the unrighteous character that we have today will be the same unrighteous character we have when Jesus comes.
Following Jesus Gives Us our Spiritual Identity
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).
Society’s system of valuing people should not matter to us. As the righteous Sons and Daughters of God, who will inherit our Eternal Crown of Life, at all times, we must stay spiritually alert and prepared. Jesus tells us to separate ourselves from lawlessness.
The True Believers Worship God in Spirit and Truth
Daily surrender, faithful obedience, praying continuously for guidance and protection, studying the Bible, and letting go of our internal desires invites the Holy Spirit to empower us with Jesus’ Wisdom and Strength to discern and overcome every temptation that we face.
Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”
Then “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s Will is.” (Ephesians 5:15 – 16, NIV).
Lord God, with humility and surrender, we approach your Throne of Grace, asking for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, we ask You to restore us and to anoint us with Your Presence through the Power of the Holy Spirit. As we navigate through this tumultuous spiritual journey of life, we ask for Your Divine Guidance. Teach us how to keep our focus and faith on our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus, we love You; and we bow before You, Triumphant King asking You to lead us from Earth to Heaven. Lord, we also request for You to be our strength. In faith and with joyful anticipation of receiving Your blessings, we ask this prayer in the Loving and Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
© 2026 STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry










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