Peter knew, for a fact, that the fear of death that had caused him to deny Jesus was baseless. The resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ taught Peter that people actually do not die; rather, they simply go somewhere else to live.

It doesn’t matter what kind of sinner you were, or how great your disbelief was before your conversion. Jesus is willing to provide you with the experience that will convince you of His deity, and then He is also willing to forgive your disbelief, because the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

He that chooses the things of the world over the things of God will show his hatred for God once God denies him something that he wants, just as a spoiled child throws a temper tantrum when he does not get his way. But that is where discipline comes in. Just as Jesus chose to make the ultimate sacrifice for us, we can choose to serve God and not be spoiled children.