The Returning Backslider (1)

"Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he ... cast himself into the sea." (John 21:7)

Peter could not wait for the ship or for his fellow-disciples, so eager was he to get to the feet of his risen Lord. He flings himself boldly into the sea, as much as to say, “I must be the very first to get to my risen Savior; none has such a claim on Him as poor, stumbling, failing Peter.” 

Now, here was a perfectly restored conscience, a conscience basking in the sunlight of unchanging love; and is not this the true, original terms for every Christian? Peter’s confidence in Christ was unclouded, and this, we may boldly affirm, was grateful to the heart of Jesus. Love likes to be trusted. Let us ever remember this. No one need imagine that he is honoring Jesus by standing afar off on the plea of unworthiness; and yet it is very hard for one who has fallen, or backslidden, to recover his confidence in the love of Christ. Such a one can see clearly that a sinner is welcome to Jesus, no matter how great or manifold his sins may have been; but then, he thinks, the case of a backsliding, or stumbling, Christian is entirely different.

Should these lines be scanned by one who has backslidden, or fallen, we would press upon him most earnestly the importance of immediate return to Jesus. “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” ( Jer. 3:22). The love of the heart of Jesus knows no change. We change; but He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever”; and He delights to be trusted. The confidence of Peter’s heart was precious to the heart of Christ. No doubt it is sad to fall, to err, to backslide; but it is sadder still, when we have done so, to distrust the love of Jesus, or His gracious readiness to take us to His bosom again.

C.H.M.