Luke 22:31-32 reads: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren
I must confess that when I first read this, I was a bit puzzled. What did Jesus mean when he said “When though art converted?” I mean, wasn’t he speaking to Peter? Simon Peter ? The man who was the very first to be called of the twelve disciples. The only one to ever walk on water . The first one to recognize Jesus as the son of God.
That Peter?
Jesus was indeed speaking to that very Peter.
You see, before Peter could ever preach that first sermon after the coming of the Holy Spirit in which three thousand souls were added to the church, or before he would become that rock to whom Jesus referred when He said, “Upon this rock, I will build my church.”
Before Peter could ever really be used by God, he had to be converted.
If we are really going to fulfill the will of God for our lives, and be
the anointed vessels he has created us to be, then, like Peter, we too, must have a conversion experience.
My sister Tracy is one of the most honest people I know. If you were to ask her if she has been converted, her answer to that question would be,
“Converted? Yeah I’m converted! What you mean have I been converted? Sure I have. Wait a minute. What does converted mean?”
The biblical word for conversion means “turning”. Think of a person who is going along a road and suddenly realizes that he or she is on the wrong track. They will never reach the destination if they continue in that direction. So the person 'turns," or 'is converted." He or she ceases to go in the wrong direction and begins going in the right one.
Conversion changes the direction of one's course of life from the wrong way to the right way, the way that God wants.
So then, conversion is not only that decisive act in which we as sinners turn away from sin in genuine repentance and accepts the salvation that Christ offers. But there is a deeper aspect to the conversion experience. The decision to turn only begins the process of true conversion.
I believe there are three very necessary elements required for a conversion experience. 1. True repentance, 2. A heart for the things of God, and 3. A consuming passion to seek and fulfill the will of God for your life.
The bible records many, many incidents of conversions, including the dramatic experience of the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road, but I believe the most compelling example is that of Simon Peter. Let us examine it more closely:
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33: And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34: And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. (Luke 22:31-34)
Within the context of the conversion experience, we can say that at this point, Peter was like the example of the person who is traveling on the wrong road. Only at this point he still has not realized that he is on the wrong road. He thinks that he is able to stand against the enemy under his own power instead of relying on the power of God to sustain him.
One of the first things that we as Christians need to understand is that Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. Often when we are new in the faith, we have a zeal but it is not according to knowledge. Because of this, God sometimes has to protect us from our own foolish impulses.
Most of us fondly remember how it was when we first came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I was all fired up, ready to save the world. I was just in love with the Lord. I had no idea that my flesh was not saved. I was like a lot of new Christians, who thought they were Super Saints. Its funny how we can’t recognize how foolish we are at this stage but when we get past it, we can sure see it in other people. And so can Jesus. It is as though he were saying “Yes Peter, I know you think you really mean you are ready to go all the way. but trust me, you are not. And you are going to find out that you are not in just a little while.
Our story continues :
54: Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55: And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56: But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57: And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58: And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59: And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60: And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61: And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62: And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
This may have been the darkest hour of Peter’s life. But it was also one of the most important when it comes to his conversion. The moment of true repentance. The moment when he felt the Holy Spirit prick his conscience and he began to feel godly sorrow in his heart. And he wept.
Few things can make you feel true Godly sorrow for your sins like the day your eyes become open to the fact that while you were yet in that sin, God had mercy on your soul.
I don’t know about you, but when I think about where I was and what I was doing when God’s grace found me; when I think about how many close calls I had while I was out there doing everything that I was big enough to do and how many horrible consequences I could have suffered; and when I think about how merciful God was to give me the time and space to come to repentance, And when I think about all those times even now when I miss the mark how he covers me and keeps me from coming to open shame. Like Peter, my heart breaks with sorrow sometimes when I realize that I have hurt and offended the God who has never done anything to me but love me completely, and unconditionally just as I am. This is true repentance.
But Jesus was not though until there was a complete and full restoration of Peter's soul.
14: This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15: So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16: He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17: He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
God’s grace is so amazing. Now that Peter was humbled and brought entirely under grace, he realized he had no strength to stand on his own, and he finally understood his complete and utter dependence on the Lord. Peter’s conversion caused him to turn away from prideful self- dependence and begin to truly follow Jesus with all his heart. A heart that was now fully converted; ready and willing to concern himself with the things and people of God.
Peter’s conversion was now complete. He spent the rest of his life in a passionate relentless pursuit to fulfill the commission that Jesus had given him to ‘strengthen his brethren’ and ‘feed his sheep’.
All those Sundays when I came to church, sang in the choir, and even showed up in Sunday school every now and then, sometimes with the scent of the world still on my breath and the sinful desires still in my heart, God had mercy. I was in Church and on my way to hell, but God had mercy. My name was written on the church roll, but my heart did not belong to the Lord, but God had mercy. I had never had a true conversion experience. I was traveling; but I was on the wrong road. The prideful self-dependent road that said I could make it in through church work and being a good person. I was an insufferable goody two shoes, and it had blinded me to my true spiritual condition.
In reality, I was rotten. I had done, thought , and said some terrible
things in my life, and if your are honest enough to admit it so have you.
I was sitting in church on my way to hell.
You see in order to experience true conversion, you have to understand
that there are immediate and dire consequences to sin. Heaven is real
but my friend, so is hell. Just as it was with Peter, true conversion
comes from understanding that hell is real and knowing that without
God, you are on your way there. It comes from knowing that in accepting
Christ as your Saviour, you have just escaped eternal torment and the
only reason your were blessed enough to do so before dying is because
of God’s grace and mercy.
You see that’s the beauty of grace. God gives us time and space to
repent and accept the salvation that he offers through Jesus Christ.
But some of us just continue in sin because his grace is so abundant.
Let me assure you, you don’t want to go to hell, and the blood of Jesus
Christ is your only escape. Without the shedding of blood there is no
remission [of sins]. Hebrews 9:22 Jesus has only pure and sinless blood
that is an acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Because he died, we don’t
have to. (John 3:16).
But if I were you I wouldn’t let another day pass just skating by on grace.
I wouldn’t play games of chance with my life. Today could be the day that
you know, that you know, that you know, that if you left this world
today, you would be safe in his arms.
The scriptures tell us that if we confess with our mouth and believe in
our hearts we shall be saved. If you know deep in your heart that you
are not saved, and you can feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart, I
implore you to lift your heart unto the Lord and receive the bread of
life. Pray this prayer with me.