The Peter Principle : The Change

Luke 22.31-34: At the last supper Jesus had a conversation with Peter in which he used the phrase "when you are converted." Peter thought that he was ready to walk with Jesus, even unto death. Yet, in a very short period of time, it was revealed to him, by the reaction of his own nature to adverse circumstances, that he could not even speak His name.
Here was a man who had walked, travelled, eaten---literally lived with Jesus. He had witnessed the multiple healings and numerous miracles performed by the Lord as well as sat at Jesus' feet to hear His wisdom and teachings. He had, with James and John, been an inner circle of men closest to Jesus. Peter was well aware that by Jesus' name he, himself, could preach the kingdom, heal the sick, and cast out devils. Simply casting out devils was not the prime desire of Jesus for Peter(Luke 10.17-20). After all this time together, Jesus says to Peter, "when you are converted." Jesus knew that Peter had a greater need---Peter must be converted! Peter had to be changed. Even after all those years, Peter still had need for change. Why?

Luke 22.54-62: Only after Peter has sinned and stands before the Lord eye to eye in his sin does he come face to face with himself and realize his own unworthy nature. He was exposed, naked before the Lord with nowhere to hide and nothing to do but admit the truth. The man was made honest by the truth. He was made sober by the exposure of his own shortcoming and the revelation of his own spiritual poverty. Probably for the first time in his life, he wept for his sins and from that point on he is converted. After all these years with Jesus, they finally see eye to eye because Peter has realized the truth. Up until this point, Peter, himself, has not fully understood---in his heart---what the Lord is all about, except that he did great things and was good to listen to--He was different. He knew that Jesus was someone special but he did not really understand.

The importance of Peter's conversion to us is that we are the same. We must look into the face of Jesus and admit our own spiritual poverty. God desires us to be honest. We must tell the truth concerning ourselves. We must be of a broken and contrite heart before God because of our need of Him (Psalm 34.18). This is our starting point. Many people cannot get to or past that real starting gate. They enter in but go no further. They have some truth, some understanding, some commitment but not commitment unto death on the cross. Many people are simply entertained and soulishly appeased by the 'modern day Gospel'. Maybe they love to hear the truth, the things about and to do with God, but are not in love with God. In recent years, it has been popular practice to pay homage to God, but not to give God a home. Multitudes have come on board the boat, but have not set sail into the deeper waters of God's fulness by the direction of the wind of the Spirit; but, instead, are yet anchored in the harbor of this present day carnally-comfortable world. It is contrary to the present day move of the Spirit to continue to wear a religious cloak, to be a spiritual fake or farce who endeavors in his own strength to present himself with an outer facade of false spiritual health and happiness. Paul exhorted Timothy regarding the importance of a pure heart and unfeigned faith (I Tim. 1.15). It is not enough to walk the walk and talk the talk just because that is what the letter of the law demands. We must not cover our real selves with garments of good conduct and a righteousness by the law. It is good that God has delivered us from the carnal to the spiritual. However, God does not desire for us to live in Him mechanically, but naturally---by His Spirit. God wants to deliver us from spirituality and into the Spirit. The Word of God has been errantly presented to imply that we must devote our energy to rid ourselves of unrighteousness and then we are acceptable to God. For so long we have endeavored to be good by overcoming the bad. But, good is not the absence of bad. Good is a real fruit. It stands by itself. You do not try to light a room by catching the darkness and throwing it out. The very presence of light dispels darkness (John 1.5). How then does this become fluent in our lives?

As with Peter, we must come face to face before God as we really are---to the point that it causes us to become honest and broken. We must be broken of our own will and our own righteousness. Jacob wrestled with God and would not let go. He came face to face with the Lord and was left broken. He was also left with a new name and identity (Genesis 32.24-30). "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel"(Face of God) "for I have seen God face to face..."
Jacob was converted---changed. This brokeness (honesty and humility) will cause us to yield ourselves to the Lord as a sacrifice for service and fellowship. As we continually yield to the Lord, we cease from our own works, will, selfish ambition and desires, etc. This will produce a rest which will allow fruit to develop. This is a process. It is in effect a weaning process (Psalm 131.1-2). Thank you Lord for not snatching our spiritual rubber duckies from us all at once. But, God is saying in this hour to put up the old toys and wait on Him---He will give us something new. He is weaning us from our old way of life. He is destroying the walls and foundation of the things of this world, renewing and reprogramming our thinking and transforming our lives
to something that is better, more stable and sure---particularly, with regard to the move of the Spirit in this hour. It is necessary for us to transfer our lives from being based on the law of the spirit of death to the law of the Spirit of life. This life we live requires energy day to day. The law of sin and death (natural, carnal life) consumes that energy, but the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus refuels that energy---a hidden source of life in the Spirit accessed by the unveilling of our heart before God and then the renewing of our heart by God (Psalm 51.6-10). We must be still and allow God to operate (Psalm 46.10). We must be weaned of the old things that fill up our daily lives and cost us the fellowship of God. You cannot wake up one morning and expect this to happen. You can only be willing and yield and Jeremiah 29.13.

...All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.-Job 14.14

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