Believers subject to spiritual disaster if not watchful

I grew up in the shadow of Mount Rainier.

Its glacial crown dominates the horizon in my hometown and turns any clear day into a living postcard.

As a kid, I learned that scientists have placed sensors all around that massive mountain, because its beauty belies a secret: Rainier is also a volcano whose eruption, however improbable, would destroy much of Western Washington!

Happily, a group of smart people work around the clock to monitor volcanoes and forecast an eruption before disaster occurs.

That mountain’s beauty, and its secret, remind me of the Christian life. It is an awesome, beautiful thing to have been saved from our sins by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

But within the heart of every Christian is the potential to stray from God and experience spiritual disaster.

We need not look at others to find this truth; our own past confirms it.

I’m thankful there are spiritual sensors that warn us of impending disaster. We find the keys to forecasting spiritual failure throughout Scripture.

Yet they come to life for us in the experience of the Apostle Peter.

You remember Peter. He will forever be etched in our memories as the disciple who denied knowing Jesus prior to the crucifixion.

A glance back at Peter’s life in the days before his inconceivable denial reveal a handful of warning signs that spiritual failure was just around the corner:

“ Pride and overconfidence. When Jesus sat down with his disciples for their last supper together, he announced some pretty grim news: “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me – one who is eating with Me” (Mark 14:18).

Most of the disciples knew their own potential for spiritual failure and wondered aloud whether they were the Savior’s betrayer. But we see Peter later boldly proclaiming his resolve: “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not” (Mark 14:29).

Pride and overconfidence are a deceptive first step toward spiritual failure. The Bible tells us that pride comes before destruction.

One of Peter’s main attributes – boldness – was also his downfall. He relied on himself and his own resolve, rather than the Lord.

Peter’s misstep reminds us continually that we can do nothing of value outside the power of Christ. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need” (Philippians 4:13 – NLT).

“ Prayerlessness. Through prayer, we tap into the strength Christ offers. It is our lifeline to the grace of God.

I remember when an ice storm crippled the region several years ago and the power was out for weeks in some places. We got a real clear reminder of how hard life is when we can’t plug things in.

Likewise, Christians need to be plugged into the power and grace of God through prayer.

Peter went with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his crucifixion. The Lord asked Peter to remain alert and pray.

Instead, Peter and two other disciples fell asleep. The power to overcome temptation through prayer wasn’t available when he needed it most, simply because Peter failed to pray.

It’s no wonder that the same Paul who could do all things through Christ also admonishes us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Continual prayer is the engine that drives Christian living. We neglect it at our peril.

“ Following from a distance. As Jesus was led away to the bogus trials that preceded his death sentence, the disciples were afraid. Most of them fled.

Not Peter. He followed Christ, but at a distance (Mark 14:54).

Can we blame him? After all, following Jesus closely would have been dangerous. He would have been exposed for who he really was: a man who loved Jesus.

So often we are tempted to follow the Lord, but not too closely, lest we stand out as “one of those people” who really love Jesus. And yet Christ himself reminds us that to follow him is to take up a cross – a cross that the world so often disregards, or even mocks.

Jesus said, “If a person is ashamed of me and my message … I will be ashamed of that person when I return in glory.…” (Mark 8:38 – NLT).

In the towns around Mount Rainier, volcano evacuation routes are clearly marked. But they’re a last resort – something to pay attention to after a disaster strikes.

How much better it is to heed the early warnings.

The same is true for Christians. Are we proud? Do we neglect prayer? Are we following our Savior too tentatively?

If so, it could well be that spiritual failure is just around the corner. And we’ll be far better off if we heed those early warning signs.