Simon Says: What the Life of Simon Peter Teaches Us About Faith, Obedience, and Holiness


Simon Peter is one of the most well-known figures in the New Testament, and for good reason. His life is a raw, honest picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus. From his first recorded words to his bold preaching on the day of Pentecost, Peter's story carries lessons that are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.


Who Was Simon Peter?
Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade who worked alongside his brother Andrew and fellow fishermen James and John. All four of them answered the call of Jesus and became His disciples. Peter quickly became one of the closest to Jesus, often pulled aside with James and John for special moments of ministry and prayer.


He was present at the healing of Jairus's daughter, the Mount of Transfiguration, and the Garden of Gethsemane. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter became the leader and spokesman for the apostles. Miracles flowed through him so powerfully that people brought the sick into the streets hoping his shadow would fall on them as he passed by.


He was not a deity or a saint to be prayed to. He was simply a man who allowed God to use Him.


What Can We Learn From Simon Peter?
Trust and Obey the Word of God, Even When It Does Not Make Sense
The first recorded words of Simon Peter are found in Luke 5:5. Jesus had been teaching the crowds and asked Peter to push out from shore. When He finished, He told Peter to go into deeper water and let down his nets for a catch.


Peter was a professional fisherman. He had worked all night and caught nothing. He knew his trade better than anyone. But his response is remarkable.


"But Simon answered and said to Him, 'Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.'" - Luke 5:5 New King James Version (NKJV)


That word "nevertheless" carries everything. It means: I don't understand this, it doesn't make sense to me, and I've already tried it. But because You said so, I will obey.


Peter recognized the authority of Jesus from the very beginning. He didn't argue, he didn't walk away, and he didn't demand an explanation. He obeyed.


As we approach the return of the Lord, that same "nevertheless, at Your word" Spirit is what God is looking for in His people. When He places something on your heart that seems inconvenient or even foolish, the question is whether you will trust Him enough to obey anyway.


Jesus Is the Only Lord and Savior
By the time we reach Matthew 16, Peter had spent significant time with Jesus. He had watched Him teach with authority unlike any rabbi he had ever known. He had seen the dead raised, the sick healed, and had even walked on water himself.


When Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was, the answers varied. But Peter did not hesitate.


"Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'" - Matthew 16:16 New King James Version (NKJV)


He was not guessing. He was not being diplomatic. He was declaring what he knew to be true with full conviction.


Later, in Acts 4, when Peter and John were questioned by the high priest about healing a lame man, Peter made it even clearer.


"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 New King James Version (NKJV)


There is no other way. Not through good works, not through another religion, not through a good upbringing. Salvation is found only in the name of Jesus Christ.


Many people want Jesus as Savior but resist Him as Lord. They want the rescue without the surrender. But Peter's life shows us that true faith means embracing both. He is not just the One who saves us from our sins. He is the One who calls the shots.


There Is Life After Failure
Peter made bold promises to Jesus. In Matthew 26:33, he declared that even if everyone else stumbled, he would not. He said he would go to prison and even die with Jesus before He would deny Him.


He meant every word. And then he denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.


The shame of that failure could have destroyed him. His contemporary Judas, who also failed, let the shame consume him completely. But Peter did not take that road.


When the women came to the tomb and found it empty, the angel gave them a specific instruction in Mark 16:7.


"But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." - Mark 16:7 New King James Version (NKJV)


Peter was singled out by name. God was making it clear: do not count Him out. There is still life after failure.


Peter owned his sin, repented, and moved forward with more determination than before. When the women reported that Jesus had risen, Peter ran to the tomb. The man who had said "I don't know Him" was now running toward Jesus.


If you are carrying the weight of a failure right now, Peter's story is for you. You have seen too much of God's faithfulness to let one failure be the end of your story. Stones can be rolled away. Dead things can live again.


You Must Be Born Again: Repent, Be Baptized, and Be Filled With the Holy Spirit
On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell and the crowd demanded to know what was happening, Peter stood up and preached the first sermon of the church age.


"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'" - Acts 2:38-39 New King James Version (NKJV)


These are the keys to the kingdom that Jesus promised Peter in Matthew 16. Repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. This is not a tradition or a preference. It is the new birth that Jesus described to Nicodemus in John 3.


The Holy Spirit is a gift. You do not have to beg or earn it. God wants to give it to you. Your part is simply to receive it.


Be Holy, Because God Is Holy
In His letter to the early church, Peter echoed the words of the Old Testament with a direct challenge.


"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" - 1 Peter 1:15-16 New King James Version (NKJV)


Holiness is not about doing the bare minimum to avoid hell. It is about going all in. Jesus gave everything on the cross. The least we can do is give everything back to Him.


Peter also wrote that believers are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9 New King James Version (NKJV))


Living holy is not about pride or looking down on others. It is about belonging to the Lord and letting that show in how you speak, what you watch, and how you carry yourself in the world.


Jesus Is Coming Back, So Be Ready
Peter warned that in the last days, scoffers would arise and mock the idea of Christ's return. They would say that nothing has changed and nothing ever will. But Peter's response is clear.


"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." - 2 Peter 3:8 New King James Version (NKJV)


God is not slow. He is patient, not willing that any should perish. But the day is coming. And Peter's question in verse 11 is one every believer should sit with.


"Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" - 2 Peter 3:11 New King James Version (NKJV)


Now is not the time to become comfortable or apathetic. Now is the time to grow in grace, stay in the Word, keep pursuing a deeper relationship with the Lord, and be found ready when He returns.


Life Application
This week, choose one area of your life where you have been holding back from full obedience to God. Maybe it is something He has been nudging you toward that seems inconvenient or uncomfortable. Maybe it is a relationship you need to make right, a habit you need to surrender, or a step of faith you have been putting off. Approach it with Peter's Spirit: "Nevertheless, at Your word, I will."


Ask yourself these questions as you reflect on this message:

  • Is there an area of my life where I want Jesus as Savior but have not fully surrendered to Him as Lord?
  • Am I carrying the weight of a past failure that is keeping me from moving forward in my faith?
  • Have I experienced the new birth through repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit?
  • Am I living in a way that reflects holiness, or am I trying to see how close to the world I can get and still feel okay?
  • If Jesus returned today, would He find me hungry, growing, and ready?

The life of Simon Peter is proof that God can use ordinary, flawed, passionate people to do extraordinary things. Trust and obey His word. Declare that Jesus is the only Lord and Savior. Know that there is life after failure. Be born again. Live holy. And stay ready, because He is coming back.

 

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