How was Peter reconciled after his denial, and how does that apply to believers?
After denying Christ, Peter wept bitterly in conviction of sin, but he was not cast off. He was reconciled immediately when he confessed his sin. The same applies to believers in Paul's doctrines of grace: sin does not throw them out, yet grace never gives license to sin; they must recognize and confess it.
Les explains that Scripture records believers failing miserably, including Abraham, yet God did not cast him off; he had to recognize his sin as a believer. Turning to Peter, Jesus had prayed that Peter's faith would not fail when Satan sifted him like wheat, knowing the denials were hours away. Peter cursed and swore to a girl, probably a teenage girl, that he did not know Jesus; when the cock crowed, he wept bitterly because he was convicted of sin. Les teaches that this did not throw Peter out. He was reconciled immediately when he confessed his sin, and the same pattern applies to a believer in Paul's doctrines of grace. Paul never gives license to sin, and John's epistle says, "My little children, I write unto you that you sin not, but if we sin..."