God’s Word points to holiness displayed in the mundane of everyday life. They point to living in Christlikeness in every facet of our lives. Admittedly, God’s people’s tough slogging through the muddy fields of life isn’t as glamorous as mountaintop experiences, but it’s at the heart of what true revival and reformation are all about. 

Recently, I found myself meditating on Luke 9, where three of the disciples—Peter, James, and John—were with Jesus when he was transfigured on the mountaintop. Peter wants to keep that moment forever by building three tabernacles so that Moses, Elijah, and Jesus can stay there. He is overwhelmed by the experience and wants this mountaintop experience to last.

But God corrects Peter when he says, “This is My beloved Son, Hear Him!” God wanted the disciples to base their lives on Christ’s Words, not simply a mountaintop experience.

Years later, Peter remembered that event in 2 Peter 1 and warned his readers that it is easy to be distracted by what is good from something that is best. Peter recognized that he had an incredible experience witnessing the transfiguration, he states, “And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (1:18). But he continues on to say, “We have a more sure word of prophecy, which you do well to heed” (1:19). 

Don’t miss what Peter is stating. The Apostle says that the Scriptures are infinitely more sure than any experience.

In a nutshell, this is God’s call to not pursue experiences but rather to be transformed by renewing our minds through the Scriptures (Rom. 12:2). Sadly, so many in evangelicalism can get caught up in experience. In contrast, real reformation in the church is always characterized by Christians going back to the Bible and living a life of holiness according to God’s Word.

One of the New Testament’s chief concerns is to declare the authority of the Word of God and the application of the principles found in them.

Consider how the Apostle Paul, in the book of Titus, points to preachers, elders, the older generation, the younger generation, men, women, and so on, and he says, “This is how you are to live according to the scriptures. This is how we impact the island of Crete and make the gospel attractive.” The Apostle’s Peter, James, and John do exactly the same – take the absolute truth of scripture, and apply them to everyday living.

There is a critical need for reformation in our day. However, if we are honest, the greatest enemy to reformation is not evil in the world outside of the church but experience-seekers inside the church. Especially in my context, the Deep South Bible Belt, one of the greatest enemies of real reformation is counterfeit emotionalism within the church. People in the evangelical church might call it “revival,” but Biblical revival brings individuals and churches back to the scriptures and calls them to obedience.

Sadly, what goes for “revival” today actually turns people against the real thing—holiness in living. Revivalism makes Christians long for things like emotional highs, intense worship, and flamboyant preaching that give them an adrenaline rush and chills. And many look to these things as evidence of God’s presence in their midst.

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