"Godly repentance"
Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he went away, weeping bitterly. (Matthew 26:75 NLT)
Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5 NLT)
On the surface, Peter & Judas seem very similar. They both betray Jesus in similar ways. They both flee from him in his deepest time of need. But there is a big difference in their response to their sin & failure. Peter weeps bitterly & Judas hangs himself. One is godly repentance & the other is not.
Both Peter & Judas show remorse for what they have done to Jesus. Judas tries to give the money back to the religious leaders while Peter weeps from brokenheartedness. So what is the underlying issue? Why did Peter go on to be a leader in the early church & spreading of the gospel & why did Judas kill himself?
Repentance.
Judas was sorry, Peter repented.
Judas was remorseful, Peter repented.
Judas took matters into his own hands, Peter repented.
Judas looked to himself to make things right, Peter looked to God.
Judas may have been sad & regretful but he did not repent. And Peter was sad & regretful but also repented.
Which one are we?
For us, it's not enough that we be sorry or remorseful for sin. Many lost people are sorry for sins they commit but none of them repent. The repentance of Peter is marked by some characteristics.
First, he wept. He was deeply moved by his sin. He wasn't hardened but deeply distressed. And although weeping doesn't always mean repentance, almost all real repentance includes some weeping.
Second, he went to God for his remedy. We know this because of the result. Jesus encouraged him at the end of John's gospel & God used him mightily at Pentecost. Judas does things himself. He tries to fix it on his own. He hangs himself.
When we think about our repentance, which one are we? Peter or Judas?
Whichever repentance we have experienced greatly reveals if we really know Jesus.
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