Revival

Most devout Christians today call for revival in the nation, and it really doesn’t seem like revival is going to happen. I have heard many people talk about revival, saying “to start a revival in the world around you, you need to have one in your own heart first.” Things like this are a good point, but many people who hear and believe these things often miss the point. So I’d like to take a moment and examine the purpose of revival.

Revival is a renewal of life. The purpose of revival is to bring more people to God, to search out His lost sheep. This is the part that everybody gets; we’re not to the “hard” part yet, but I’m getting there. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death…” So the obvious conclusion here is that if we rid the world of sin, we are reviving the earth, right? WRONG! Sin is something that has existed since Eve ate the fruit in the garden. As I just proved with Romans 3:23, every human that has ever lived (except Jesus Himself) has known sin. Until Jesus returns, it is impossible to completely rid the world of sin.

If we are looking for revival, should we be preaching condemnation or preaching God’s forgiveness and the eternal life we can get as a result of that? Some of the problems we face with bringing people to Christ are not caused by sin. They exist because the Christian mindset can sometimes be repulsive. Condemnation only turns people away from the church because they feel unloved and judged. I recently heard an interesting illustration where salvation was compared to a door that we each must walk through; when walking through this door, we are leaving the threatening fire of Hell, and entering into joy, family, and life. But so often, we get stuck thinking about what we are running from rather than what we are running to. When we do this, we are looking back through the door and therefore, blocking others from coming in. You may say that “they deserve to be judged,” but the truth is, we all do. We can be very thankful that we aren’t judged according to the Law, but according to the grace of Jesus Christ. It’s not our place to judge. We are called to spread the message, not to enforce it.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:56 that “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” In Romans 8:1-2, he says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” The law leads to death. Jesus leads to life. The key to revival is not to rid the world of sin, but to lead people to Christ. Yes, there is a big difference between the two! Revival does start within. As I have just shown, it starts with changing our mindset to one of life, rather than one of death. This topic is one that I have had to face and learn for the last several years. I have judged people because of their “sin,” yet Jesus tells us that “he who is without sin” should be the first to throw a stone. Let’s see, Jesus is the only one who fits that description. I don’t see Him throwing stones yet, so we shouldn’t be either. If we do so anyway, we could be the target when He does.

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” John 12:47-50