One man sinned against the Lord, later repented, and then gave all he had for Jesus. The other man sinned against the Lord, did not repent (as far as we know), then gave up. We could spend years trying to discern why each of these followers of Jesus chose the path that they walked.
We could debate whose sin was the worst or which one of these two disciples brought more pain to the heart of Jesus. We could discuss the gravity of their failure. We may never come to a consensus on some of these questions.
But, here’s what we do know for certain. We all sin (you know the passages to insert here), we all fall short, we all need to repent, and we all should reengage ourselves in the service of the Lord.
We also know that God leaves it up to us. He will not force us, He will not make us, and He will not cause us to do what is right. He has given us the blessing of free will. We get to choose what we will do.
The question is, which one will we be? Will we follow the path of Judas to destruction that leads to going up. Or, will we follow the path of Peter that leads to repentance, renewal, and salvation?
The Lord desired for Peter and Judas to return to Him. He wanted them to be involved in Kingdom work. If you are teetering on the edge of making a decision to reengage or walk away, you should also know that the Lord wants You to return. He desires for you to be involved in the work of His Kingdom. The Church needs you as a strong servant of the Lord. If we can help you, please feel free to reach out to us at any time. We love you all for your work for the Lord.
