Can Genuine Believers Lose Their Way?

The simple and possibly unexpected answer is: Yes.  Now understand here what I am and am not saying.  I am not saying that believers can lose their "salvation", I am saying that believers can lose their way, wind up wandering in darkness, straying from the Lord for a season.  There is a subtle distinction between those who go "out from us, because they were not of us" as John says in 1 John 2:19 and those who are truly saved but have lost their way.  I will talk about that distinction a bit later on in this blog.

First off we need to know about this process of losing our way so that we can recognize and guard against it.  We are given a great picture of this process in Scripture.  Our main text we will look at is going to be Matthew 26, with a few references here or there outside that chapter.  Our model for what "not" to do will be the apostle Peter.

Peter was the real deal.  He was not a false convert but was the very apostle upon whose confession of faith Jesus said He would build His church.  Not Peter himself, but his confession of who Jesus was.  Jesus would not choose the confession of a false believer as a foundation for the church, so we can rest assured that Jesus did not doubt the genuineness of Peter's faith.  That is critical to remember.  This is reiterated by Jesus in Luke 22:32 where Jesus basically tells Peter he will fall away for a season, but that Jesus has prayed for him and instructs him that when he returns he must strengthen his brothers.

Peter's faith, like many of us, started strong.  We see at the Last Supper, when Jesus is saying that there is a traitor in their midst, Peter boldly confesses that even if everyone else leaves he will stand strong (Matthew 26:33), to which Jesus answers that before the rooster crows the following morning Peter will have denied Him three times (Matthew 26:34).

Despite Jesus' prophesied betrayal, we see when the going gets tough, Peter is bold and fiery about defending his Lord.  He even draws a sword and is willing to oppose those coming to seize Jesus (Matthew 26:51; while not identified in Matthew, we see in John 18:10 that this is indeed Peter).

However, once Jesus is taken, the true test begins and we see the genesis of the trouble in Matthew 26:58.  Notice now, when the true test of faith has begun, how Peter begins following Jesus.  "...Peter was following Him at a distance..."  Have you ever noticed that before?  Peter, instead of walking closely beside Jesus in troubled times, began to draw away from him.  His eyes were still watching what Jesus did, but Peter's presence was withdrawn.  On top of that, we see he sits down with the very officers of those who arrested Jesus, the enemies of the Lord.  John 18:18 clarifies even further showing that the officers had made a fire and Peter was right there fellowshipping and warming himself by the fire of the enemies of Christ.  Scripture warns us in Psalm 1:1 that "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers", yet that is exactly where we find Peter.  He was not spiritually pursuing unrighteousness, but by choosing the company he did rather than either staying with the Lord or seeking out other disciples to rally together in this time of crisis, he made his way into the company of the very scoffers who had arrested Jesus.

How often could we look closely and find ourselves there around the campfire as well?  Things get tough, real-life distractions wander in, and soon we find ourselves trailing along at a distance behind Jesus.  Soon we lose sight of Him altogether and feeling alone out in the cold, we spot a comfy fire surrounded by people and we sidle up to take comfort.  We have taken our eyes off Him and locked them on the comforts of the world and soon we can't find Jesus anywhere and are so consumed with the comforts and fellowship of the world around us that we stop even looking for Him.

I mentioned at the beginning that there is a telltale difference, however, between true believers, like Peter, who have lost their way for a season and those who were never truly of the faith.  That difference can be seen when our actions are pointed out to us.  Unbelievers who have wandered away continue to scoff at the faith, lamenting their own period of "delusion" where they went through the motions of belief. 

Believers, on the other hand, have a very different reaction which we see played out in Peter's story.  At the end of the chapter (Matthew 26:69-75) we see Peter's denial played out just as Jesus had foretold.  When Peter realizes this, what is his reaction?  Verse 75 tells us Peter "wept bitterly".  There was recognition of the wrongdoing and there was repentance.  That recognition and repentance are the earmarks of a believer who has gone astray when they realize their error.  They immediately seek to find Him again.  John tells us in his gospel that even though Peter was older and presumably less fit than the younger John, he nonetheless ran with the younger man to the tomb looking for their master (John 20:4).  Peter couldn't wait for the chance to seek and reconnect with Jesus again.

Examine yourselves.  Where are you spiritually right now?  Are you walking beside Him and following closely wherever He leads?  Do you still have your eyes on Him but have begun falling back a bit, "following from a distance"?  Have you lost sight of Him completely and have made yourself comfortable around the fire of His enemies?  Or have you realized your error, wept bitterly, and are now running as fast as you can to draw close to Him again?  Wherever you find yourself, know that He is still there, that He has not drawn away from you.  Run back to Him and focus your efforts and energy on staying at His side.  All of us wander from time to time, but what is most important is what we do when we realize we have done so?