"Do you love me"

[Bradley D]

"The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep" (John 21:17).
Do we really love the Lord? I asked myself that three times. I still need some spiritual growth!

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Bradley D,

Do we really love the Lord? I asked myself that three times. I still need some spiritual growth!

Yes, we need to grow, and it is a lifetime pursuit that we do not fully arrive at. You may be interested in the use of the two different words for "love" in this passage, and it helps to understand what Jesus is saying and seeking to achieve here better.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[marke]

"The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep" (John 21:17).
Do we really love the Lord? I asked myself that three times. I still need some spiritual growth!

Interestingly, Peter had told the Lord 3 times that he would never deny Him, even if everyone else in the world did. But Peter did deny the Lord and now the Lord restores Peter by asking him 3 times if he really did love the Lord even if nobody else in the world did. The lesson Peter likely learned is that we are not such great lovers and obedient servants of God as we may sometimes think. We must ask the Lord to help us remain close to Him in our walk or we will find we are prone to falling just like Peter did in the courtyard right before the cock crew.

 

[OZOS]

"The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep" (John 21:17).
Do we really love the Lord? I asked myself that three times. I still need some spiritual growth!

Peter was not born of God when he denied Him. No such thing as "spiritual growth". You are either "in the Spirit" or you are "in the flesh". Renewing your mind with the truth is growing in your understanding of who you are in Christ, holy, blameless, righteous, perfect, and complete in Him. Seems you are still in that process, if indeed you are in the Spirit.

 

[marke]

Peter was not born of God when he denied Him. No such thing as "spiritual growth". You are either "in the Spirit" or you are "in the flesh". Renewing your mind with the truth is growing in your understanding of who you are in Christ, holy, blameless, righteous, perfect, and complete in Him. Seems you are still in that process, if indeed you are in the Spirit.

I suppose it is debatable when exactly Peter got saved. Nevertheless, Calvinists are forced to believe Peter was saved long before he denied the Lord in the courtyard, because earlier in the ministry Peter saw things that only believers could have seen (Matthew 16:17), according to 5 pointers with exaggerated interpretations of total depravity.

 

[OZOS]

I suppose it is debatable when exactly Peter got saved.

No, it's not. This is why I have asked you to define what salvation is, which you have yet to do correctly.

Nevertheless, Calvinists are forced to believe Peter was saved long before he denied the Lord in the courtyard, because earlier in the ministry Peter saw things that only believers could have seen (Matthew 16:17), according to 5 pointers with exaggerated interpretations of total depravity.

Calvinists are not saved.

 

[marke]

No, it's not. This is why I have asked you to define what salvation is, which you have yet to do correctly.

Calvinists are not saved.

When do you think Peter got saved, before or after Jesus washed his feet? (John 13.)

 

[OZOS]

When do you think Peter got saved, before or after Jesus washed his feet? (John 13.)

I will answer that when you can define salvation, which you have yet to do.

 

[Bradley D]

Peter was not born of God when he denied Him. No such thing as "spiritual growth". You are either "in the Spirit" or you are "in the flesh". Renewing your mind with the truth is growing in your understanding of who you are in Christ, holy, blameless, righteous, perfect, and complete in Him. Seems you are still in that process, if indeed you are in the Spirit.

I do not believe in spiritual perfection. I believe it is a life long process. Which is why I need the Lord everyday and say the Lord's Prayer everyday!

"And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel" (Luke 1:80).

 

[OZOS]

I do not believe in spiritual perfection.

Then you don't believe the gospel, or God's word, and you have no hope.

 

[Bradley D]

Then you don't believe the gospel, or God's word, and you have no hope.

Do you say the Lord's Prayer everyday?

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).

 

[OZOS]

Do you say the Lord's Prayer everyday?

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).

Absolutely not. Jesus was not creating a rote prayer. Believers (you're not) are to pray without ceasing.

Paul is talking about growing in his understanding, not about his identity. You don't know the difference, because you have yet to be born of God.

All believers (you're not), have been sanctified (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 2;11; Heb 10:10), and are the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21) holy and blameless (Col 1:22; Eph 1:4) complete (Col 2:10) and perfected forever (Heb 10:14).

 

[Right Divider]

I do not believe in spiritual perfection. I believe it is a life long process. Which is why I need the Lord everyday and say the Lord's Prayer everyday!

"And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel" (Luke 1:80).

If you are "saying the Lord's prayer", you are not part of the body of Christ.

I guess that you believe in conditional forgiveness? Matthew 6:14-15

Paul tells US (i.e., the body of Christ) that ALL trespasses are already forgiven:

Col 2:10-15 KJV And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; (15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

You suffer from the lack of right division.