Was Peter saved?

[salamacum]

Actually the question is was Peter saved when he denied Christ?
Did he lose his salvation until Jesus restored him?
(Dan Corner uses the example of people who grossly sinned - Peter, David, Solomon to test our belief about assurance and eternal security)

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

You cannot lose your salvation.

 

[Johnnz]

Salvation is not something we fall in and out of.

John
NZ

 

[Michaeles]

I do not believe in eternal security. However, I do not think he lost his salvation because God is merciful and forgave Peter his mistake. When Peter remembered Christ's words he was very ashamed and sorry.

 

[PloverWing]

Salvation rests on the work of Christ, not on our own sinfulness or lack thereof. Peter's fearful denial was one of the many sins for which Christ died.

 

[lismore]

Salvation rests on the work of Christ, not on our own sinfulness or lack thereof. Peter's fearful denial was one of the many sins for which Christ died.

Amen PolverWing!

 

[Johnnz]

Also, I love the end of John's gospel. There we see Peter and others fishing. When we compare that account with Peter's oroginal call to follow Jesus into discipleship we see:

Same lake (two different names used in Luke and John)
Same scenario - fishing all night and no fish
Jesus instructs them to try again
They do and their catch is huge

That tells us about Jesus reaffirming to Peter his original call to discipleship, that he was not rejected in spite of his previous abandonment and denials.

What wonderful grace.

John
NZ

 

[daddave]

I do not believe in eternal security. However, I do not think he lost his salvation because God is merciful and forgave Peter his mistake. When Peter remembered Christ's words he was very ashamed and sorry.

Salvation isn't a one time event -- St Paul calls it a race that we must keep striving towards the end.

We were "saved" when Christ died for our sins on the cross 2000 years ago.
We were "saved" when we were baptised. Christ saves us everyday when we ask for his forgiveness and strive towards holiness.

Salvation is just about going to heaven when we die -- it's about as Jesus said to live life more abundantly.

By grace we are saved but are responsible for responding to that call of grace.

 

[daddave]

Also, I love the end of John's gospel. There we see Peter and others fishing. When we compare that account with Peter's oroginal call to follow Jesus into discipleship we see:

Same lake (two different names used in Luke and John)
Same scenario - fishing all night and no fish
Jesus instructs them to try again
They do and their catch is huge

That tells us about Jesus reaffirming to Peter his original call to discipleship, that he was not rejected in spite of his previous abandonment and denials.

What wonderful grace.

John
NZ

I would say the re-affirming comes when Christ asks Peter 3 times to feed his sheep -- the same number of times Peter denied Christ.

 

[Michaeles]

Salvation isn't a one time event -- St Paul calls it a race that we must keep striving towards the end.

We were "saved" when Christ died for our sins on the cross 2000 years ago.
We were "saved" when we were baptised. Christ saves us everyday when we ask for his forgiveness and strive towards holiness.

Salvation is just about going to heaven when we die -- it's about as Jesus said to live life more abundantly.

By grace we are saved but are responsible for responding to that call of grace.

I wholeheartedly agree!

It takes far more than a single mistake (as in Peter's case) to lose your salvation, I think you'd agree.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I don't think Peter ever lost his salvation, but I think he felt guilty and a failure as a disciple, until Jesus came to him after the Resurrection on the shore where he was fishing, and made him breakfast, and had Peter affirm Him three times, once for each time that he denied Him. That restored Peter's morale and his ministry.

 

[Andres88]

To me, salvation is not a "game" in which a person can play, stop playing, and then play again, and then maybe if he hits the wrong ball, then he stops playing, only to play again.

Some do say that salvation can be lost. In case that this hipothesis is right, it could be lost as a final thing. That is: you were saved, and at one point you fall definitely; you are lost and there's no chance for you to be saved again. There's no further atonement.

Others say that salvation cannot be lost, under the arguments that Lord Jesus gives "eternal life," and as it is eternal, it's not something one can go on and off from.

But the little game... I don't think that can find enough Biblical support. Either he was not saved by that time (which I don't believe), or he was already saved and it was but a temporary fall in his race.

 

[Albion]

We were "saved" when Christ died for our sins on the cross 2000 years ago.
We were "saved" when we were baptised. Christ saves us everyday when we ask for his forgiveness and strive towards holiness.

Salvation is just about going to heaven when we die

In a sense, that's quite correct. When we say that we or someone else was 'saved,' we don't mean that they were, at that moment, transported to heaven. But we mean that at that point in time we received the assurance of our eventual salvation.

 

[babychrist]

Even supposing that one can fall from grace (which I believe), I don't think Peter did, given what Christ said to Him beforehand, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

BC

 

[Rubiks]

A true christian cannot lose his/her salvation. God will hold onto you until the very end.

Everyone makes mistakes.

 

[If Not For Grace]

the way this question was worded skewed the results

 

[Timyone]

The whole being saved, Old Testament Vs New Testament thing is interesting, and the disciples were all right on the cusp of a bit of a transition, if there was a transition to make. I once did an essay on 'when did the disciples become "saved"'. It really isn't a simple topic, what makes you saved, faith that jesus died for you and is the Christ? etc etc when did it happen for them?

I think they are all in their own basket a bit really, I wonder what the deal was for Judis.

 

[shabbo148]

You cannot lose your salvation.

But like,
what if someone is saved.. then denies christ for the rest of their life, becomes a serial killer, rapes children etc.

Or what about someone that decides to become a satanist instead.

I doubt we always keep our salvation.

 

[Maldoren]

My understanding is that Peter's salvation will actually be fulfilled at the Second Coming, as according to Acts 3:19. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." This goes in accordance with enduring to the end for salvation (Mat. 24:13, etc).

But denying Christ prior to the events of Acts 2 was a forgivable offense, as Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who had denied him to the point of crucifying him. But once Peter and the other apostles received the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, then denying Christ would be blasphemy and would have been unforgivable.

 

[trulyconverted]

But like,
what if someone is saved.. then denies christ for the rest of their life, becomes a serial killer, rapes children etc.

Or what about someone that decides to become a satanist instead.

I doubt we always keep our salvation.

This someone, in this case, clearly shows that he/she was never realy saved in the first place. Tares and wheats in the church (tares = false christians, wheats = true christians ).