Peter Witkowski Discipleship

Don’t Speak; Listen: Instructions on How to Navigate Our Spiritual Highs

When the apostle Peter encounters the transfigured Christ whose “clothes became white as light,” the apostle (somewhat understandably) does the one thing he should not do…he speaks (Matt 17:4). Before he can fully explain why he wants to create three tent or hut like structures, the heavenly Father graciously interrupts the apostle’s meandering daydream. Matthew reports: “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matt 17:5).” In this brief rebuke, the Father reveals that the proper and best human response to divine glory consists not of human ingenuity but of human listening.  In other words, to make the most of our experiences of spiritual euphoria, we must not first speak but listen.

Does Jesus Still Speak?

Were it an option, I suspect all of us would happily purchase a ticket to the next transfiguration. But Jesus does not offer us or even the other disciples this opportunity. Jesus no longer invites us to climb mountains. Rather, Jesus instructs us to read the Scriptures. Speaking of his experience on the mountain and of the centrality of the Scriptures to all future Christian experience, Peter writes, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (1 Pt 1:19-20).” God’s glory does not abide permanently upon the mountain but in his revealed Word.

Least we think Peter has gone rogue and replaced the glorious revelations of Jesus with the boring binding of a book, we should recall Jesus’s words in John 14:26. The ideas found in 1 Peter have their genesis in Jesus who said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Jesus always intended for his earthly ministry teaching ministry to give way to the completion of the Scriptures. Thus, as John Piper often says, if we want to hear the voice of God, we need to read the Scriptures out loud. To commune with Jesus, we must listen to his Word.  

Today’s Mountain Tops

As we submit our lives to the Scriptures, we should expect to experience moments of joy, euphoria, and inspiration. Just as Jesus led the disciples atop the mountain, Jesus through his spirit continues to expose his children to the glories of his presence. We can experience such moments on walks while reciting scripture, at church while the service weaves its way through prayers, songs, and sermons, and at home while reading the Bible in the quiet of the early morning.

 And when they do occur, we like Peter can be tempted to think that our next idea (especially if it has a religious bent to it such as going on the mission field) is of the Lord. Why yes, I should start an orphanage, travel to the South pacific, marry that girl, preach that sermon, or give that donation. While we should praise the Lord for such impulses, we still must stop and listen to Jesus before we act. We must ensure that our newly discovered desires line up with Scripture and our spiritual gifts and competency. Perhaps you should start an orphanage but maybe you should not because you lack organizational skills. Perhaps you should go to the mission field in time, but if you leave college now, you will break your promise to finish school that you made with your parents whom you are to honor (Eph 6:2; Ex 20:12). Perhaps you should be a preacher or a missionary, but you first need to stop sleeping with your girl-friend and earn the support of your local church (1 Tim 3:1; 1 Thess 4:2-8). Yes, the desire for marriage is a good desire, but that boy is an avowed atheist and not someone a faithful Christian should marry (2 Cor 6:14; 1 Cor 15:33). And yes, God does love a cheerful giver, but he also calls you to pay your bills and would not be glorified by you defaulting on your rent so that you can meet that need (2 Cor 9:6-7; Jas. 5:4,10).

Before we act, we must check our desires and motives against the Scriptures. A profound spiritual experience does not guarantee that all that comes out of our mind has been sanctified or redeemed. Though God’s Word is always true, our hearts are not. We must take time to listen to the Son, trusting that he will provide us with the skills, resources, and opportunities to fulfill all that algins with the Scriptures.

What if We Spoke?

Though the Father calls us to listen to his Son, all of us at some point or other have inserted our foot into our mouth along with the apostle Peter. We have made a commitment, headed off to seminary, started a job, begun an adoption, or even entered a marriage without considering God’s revealed word. We have awoken to the disaster of a stressed schedule, a unhealthy work environment, a low GPA, a dysfunctional family, and an unbelieving spouse.

But even if we have acted foolishly and endured great hardship because we spoke before we listened, we should not lose hope. God will not cut us off from his grace.  When Jesus speaks to Peter at the end of the Transfiguration narrative, our Lord offers his impetuous and foolish disciple mercy. Matthew writes, “But Jesus came and touched them, saying “Rise, and have no fear (Mt. 17:7).”  Those who have trusted in Christ do not have to fear that their foolishness will forever separate them from the goodness of God. Jesus died for our sins and stands ready to help us. He came precisely because he knew that we have far more in common with the apostle Peter than we wish to admit. And the Jesus who lifted Peter from the ground will enable us to be more than conquerors through his Spirit who sanctifies us through his Word. Jesus will forgive us and walk with us. Hear the words of Jesus: “Rise and have not fear!”

Peter Witkowski Discipleship

How Serious Are Our Sin Problems?

doctorI once heard of a man who went to his doctor  because his side was hurting. After a brief examination, his doctor informed the man that he needed to have an appendectomy right then. The patient was not convinced. And politely told his doctor, “I think I’ll get a second opinion and let you know what I decide.”

To this, his doctor replied, “No you won’t. If you leave here today, you will die. You will be dead within 24 hrs. if you don’t have the surgery.”

Often when it comes to our sin, we take the same exact view as patient. When we are confronted about our gossip, or about your infidelity, or my greed, we tend to minimize the other person’s concerns. We blow off our spouse; we ignore the pleas from our kids; and, we discount the concerns of our small group leader. Our sin is not that big of a deal. Christ died for it. We are done here. Move on, please. I’m do not need surgery. I am fine.

Although this is often the approach we take when coming face to face with sin, this is not Jesus’ approach to sin. In Mark 9:43-50 Jesus says these shocking words,

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,[a] to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

Sin is not small matter to Jesus. He tells us to flee it at all cost. Even if we have to cut off a hand or a foot or pluck out an eye to be free from sin, the cost is worth it. Sin is death and all who love, minimize, and ignore their sin are on the path to death both physically and spiritually. Those who love Jesus will not coddle or ignore their anger, their porn addiction, or their frequently lies. They will confess them. They will seek out help from their pastor or from another mature man or women in the faith. They will do everything and anything they can to be free from sin.

Now a quick aside, I do not think Jesus is telling us to physically mane ourselves to achieve victory over our sins. Think about it for a minute. Jesus did not tell Peter to cut out his tongue because he denied Christ three times during the crucifixion narrative. And Jesus does not want us to cut off our hands because we steal, to cut off our feet because we speed through stop signs, or to pluck out our eyes because we look at porn. We do not sin because of our body. We sin because of our hearts. Our hearts and our thinking direct the actions of the body. Jesus clearly states this truth back in Mark 8:21-23,

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride,

We sin because our souls are corrupted and not because our bodies are fallen. Rather than encouraging us to hack apart our bodies, Jesus is calling us to sacrifice all for righteousness. He is calling the angry man to work fewer hours so that he can sleep more and spend more time with his family, creating a home of peace. He is calling the porn addict to give up his smart phone and to burn his computer. He is calling the drug addict to surrender his stash and to turn himself into the police. He is calling the liar to confess his sins to his wife, pastor, and friends. Jesus is saying we must being willing to lose all, including our good reputation, our friends, our family, our wealth, and every worldly thing to enter the kingdom of heaven. If we do not, we cannot reach heaven.

At some point, all of us will be tested. Everyone will face the pressure of divine inspection. The lies that masked our want of faith will be ripped away, revealing all the deeds that we have done in secret (both good and bad). The reality of whether or not we trust in ourselves or in the great physicians for salvation will be made known.

Those who refuse to flee from their sin will die. They will be cast into the fires of hell. Don’t mistake this. We may not take our sin seriously. We may not think, we have an illness leading to death. But God does. He is not fooled. He will judge us for our sins. All who love sin will die. And all who flee from sin will find eternal life.

And it is not enough for us to be around Christians. It is not enough for us to come from Christian families. It is not enough for us to flee secular friendships and to come to church. We must have true life within our very souls. Notice what Christ says in verse 50.

“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be a peace with one another.”

If we embrace sin, if we view sin as insignificant, and if we love lawlessness, we are not the children of God. I once heard an old-time preacher tell a family that they had good genes and that he expected a lot of them spiritually because they were descended from a godly lineage. It was a nice sentiment. But, it is not true. Grandma’s righteousness does not mean you will be righteous. Your parents faithful church attendance does not mean you are a going to heaven even though you are always mean. Walking the aisle, talking to your pastor, getting baptized, and memorizing Bible verses does not compensate for your constant lying. The man, woman, and child whose life is characterized by disobedience cannot be redeemed or fixed by his or her surroundings. Salt that has lost its saltiness is worthless. Faith that clings to sin is worthless. Do not be deceived.

But that is not the end of the story. If you love sin, you can stop today. You can repent of your sin. You can confess that your are evil and in need of God’s righteousness bought for you by Jesus’ death on the cross. And then you can confess Jesus as Lord. If you do, he will liberate you from your sin. He will make you salty again. He will save you. He will fix your broken relationships; he will give you peace on earth and in heaven.

Guys and gals, God is good loving and full of glory. Anything we give up including wealth, prestige, power, and earthly satisfaction will be more than made up for in Christ. As John Piper often says, “We are most satisfied when he is most glorified.”

Our patient from before had an option, surgery or death. He choose surgery. He cut out part of his body so that he might live. He listened to the doctor and found life.

Friends, lets listen to our heavenly doctor. Let’s take sin seriously and cut it out of our lives so that we too might live.