The apostle Peter was loyal; he did not let anything cause him to give up permanently. He demonstrated his loyalty on one occasion when Jesus said something that his disciples did not understand. (John 6:68) Without waiting for an explanation, many stopped following Jesus. But not Peter. He recognized that only Jesus had “sayings of everlasting life.” Jesus knew that Peter and the other apostles would abandon him. Nevertheless, Jesus expressed confidence that Peter would recover and remain faithful. (Luke 22:31, 32) Jesus understood that “the spirit . . . is eager, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38) Accordingly, even after Peter denied knowing him, Jesus did not give up on his apostle. The resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter​—evidently when Peter was alone. (Mark 16:7; Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5) How that must have encouraged the downcast apostle! w23.09 22 ¶9-10

God pardons or covers over the sins of those who put faith in him. He forgives them completely and no longer takes their sins into account. (Ps. 32:1, 2) He views such individuals as guiltless and righteous on the basis of their faith. Although they were declared righteous, Abraham, David, and other faithful worshippers of God were still imperfect sinners. But because of their faith, God viewed them as blameless, especially when compared with those who had no standing with him. (Eph. 2:12) As the apostle Paul makes clear in his letter, faith is central to having a personal relationship with God. That was true in the case of both Abraham and David, and it is true of us as well. w23.12 3 ¶6-7

Today all Christians have the privilege of offering sacrifices to Jehovah by using their time, energy, and resources to further the interests of God’s Kingdom. We can show that we cherish our privilege to worship Jehovah by offering him our very best sacrifices. The apostle Paul outlines various aspects of our worship that we should never neglect. (Heb. 10:22-25) These include approaching Jehovah in prayer, making public declaration of our hope, meeting together as a congregation, and encouraging one another “all the more so as [we] see [Jehovah’s] day drawing near.” Toward the end of the Revelation account, Jehovah’s angel states the following twice for emphasis: “Worship God!” (Rev. 19:10; 22:9) May we never forget this deep spiritual truth regarding Jehovah’s great spiritual temple and the cherished privilege we have to worship our great God! w23.10 29 ¶17-18