Replies

"Maybe he was no better or worse than you and I, but he was good enough to be chosen by our Lord. Maybe the Lord knew more than you do about +Peter."

Of course the Lord knew Peter better than you and I do, but he was chosen by the Lord to salvation in just the same way the Lord chose you and me, by His grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. There was nothing in Peter that merited God's mercy. It was all of God's sovereign grace.

[Peter] was chosen by the Lord to salvation in just the same way the Lord chose you and me, by His grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross

The issue is not the salvation of St. Peter but the commission of St. Peter, and on that score the scripture informs us of a significant difference between St. Peter and you or me.

There was nothing in Peter that merited God's mercy. It was all of God's sovereign grace

No, of course, it wasn't merited. Grace is something God offers to all, for He wants to save all (1 Tim 2:4), but not all will be saved; certanly not for lack of God's love! Not all will be saved, because not all will accept God's grace; certainly not for lack of the knowledge of God (Heb 8:10-11).

Perhaps +Peter was like you and I are, but he surely achieved his likenss to Christ before he died, which we can only desire at this point. If for no other reason, he deserves our owe and respect for that.

Also, your definition of "being saved "is somewhat odd. Salvation is what is at the end ouf our journey to God, not at its beginning: "but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Mat 10:22)

Don't flatter yourself that accepting God (in words) means life-ever-lasting, a sure ticket to heaven. That is where Luther erred, giving in to the master of deception, Dr Feelgood, the serpent, Lucifer, when he formulated his famous "pecca fortiter..." nonsense, accepting God but giving in to evil. The original "don't worry, be happy" theme.