The return

“Return, rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold, we come to you, because you are Jehovah our God.” Jeremiah 3:22

I find it interesting that when Peter meets the risen Christ, Jesus asks him the same question three times. How many times did Peter deny Jesus? Three. And three times Jesus asks him, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me...?" (John 21:15-17). The earlier Peter would have said, "What if I love you? No one loves you like I do, Jesus."
But the new and improved, repentant Peter said, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you" (verses 15-17).

Jesus used the Greek word agape to express love the first two times, while Peter used a different word, phileo. Agape refers to intense, complete, devoted, sacrificial love, while phileo refers to the love of a friend. So Peter was really saying, "Well, Lord, all I can say right now is that I love you as a friend."

He would not judge Peter for it. It was an honest expression of the position he was in. Let us never boast of the love we have for Jesus; but how much Jesus loves us. Our love is unstable. It heats up and cools down. But God's love for us never changes. He is always there. That is why John the apostle said of himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved." That was not an arrogant expression, John was saying that he knew that Jesus loved him. And we need to know that Jesus loves us, even when we have turned away from Him.

Perhaps we have made mistakes. Perhaps we are apart. The way we can get right with God is by getting close to Him. He says in Jeremiah 3:22 "Repent, you rebellious children, and I will heal your transgressions." So remember where he was he. He come back and repent of his sin. And then start living the way God wants you to live.