What did Abraham have to do after he sinned as a believer?
After Abraham sinned as a believer by calling Sarai his sister, God did not cast him out. Abraham had to come to the place of recognizing his sin as a believer. The pattern shows that a believer is not rejected but must acknowledge the sin, as Peter did when he wept bitterly and was reconciled upon confession.
Les explains that Abraham, though a believer, failed when he went to Egypt and told Sarai to say she was his sister. That was sin. But God did not kick Abraham out. Instead, Abraham had to come to the place of recognizing his sin as a believer. Les connects this to Peter in the New Testament. Jesus had prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail when Satan sifted him. Peter later denied Jesus before a servant girl, cursed and swore, and then the cock crowed. Peter wept bitterly because he was convicted of his sin. Did that throw Peter out? No. He was reconciled immediately when he confessed his sin. Les says this is how it is with a believer under Paul's doctrines of grace. Paul never gives license to sin. John's little epistle says, 'My little children, I write unto you that you sin not, but if we sin...' The point is that a believer must recognize and confess sin and is reconciled, not cast out.