Revival in Our Generation

Though I know very little about it, the subject of revival has been much on my mind of late.

It seems to me that revival only takes place in the hearts and minds of those who are already regenerated and converted. That is to say revival (as opposed to revivalism) is not the same thing as evangelism. It seems to my limited understanding that evangelism and revival are often conflated, yet they are very different things. Whereas evangelism is the act of making known the gospel to perishing sinners, revival is the activity of the Holy Spirit to renew believers’ power, understanding, zeal, conviction and faith; it is the ripening of the Fruit of the Spirit within the Church in any given generation. Revivalism is also often confused with evangelism by many because revivalism has been used as a means for evangelism—primarily by Arminians—since the time of the so-called Second Great Awakening in America, by such men as Charles Finney and his ilk.

So revival belongs to the Church. Yet I cannot think of any manifestation of revival in North American denominations in this generation. There have been plenty of revivalisms however, especially within the Southern Baptist tradition and its various unofficial branches as found in congregations like Saddleback Church. (In fact, Saddleback created, packaged and marketed a kind of in-house revivalism several years ago called the “40 Days of Purpose.” The church I attended at the time was one of 1500 churches around the world that took part in that program of contrived and worldly revivalism.) But I’m aware of no genuine revival in the Church, at least in North America, for more than forty years. Can this be? Can the Holy Spirit just remove Himself and His power from the Church when she seems to need Him so urgently? Is it entirely His doing? Is He being arbitrary in His absence?

Judging from the messages to the seven churches in Asia as found in the Revelation, it would seem that the need for revival has been an issue for the Church from before the end of the apostolic era. If this is the case and the Holy Spirit—who alone can bring revival—has not seen fit to bring it to the Church in this generation, then what are we to make of such a state of affairs? Why would He withhold it from His own Church? This is a question that we—those of us who are still here on earth at any rate—ultimately cannot answer. Nonetheless, it is my own belief that if the Holy Spirit has not seen fit to bless us with revival, it is most certainly not His fault. This leaves only two apparent possibilities: it is no one’s fault and we as the Church do not need revival or else the Church herself has somehow hindered the advent of revival in this generation, and perhaps in generations to come. Could it be that Christ’s Church is sufficiently holy and sanctified that there is no need for revival? Could it be that she is fulfilling her purposes to a degree and in ways that are pleasing to our triune God? It is my belief that the Church has actually hindered the outpouring of Holy Spirit by becoming worldly and luke-warm and to that degree has hindered the progress of the gospel.

There would seem to be two predominant forms of Christianity in North America today. One has reconciled itself to the world and its values. The other has set itself largely apart from the values of the world, yet it seems to have gotten there by cutting itself off from any intercourse with the world whatsoever, as if it might become infected with the same terminal disease. The former is characterized as having a kind of fascination with the world, while the latter is characterized as having only a cold indifference to the world and its concerns.

Both forms of Christianity are reactive, not proactive. Christianity is reactive in the sense that it has allowed the world and its values to set the Church’s agenda; to be the determiner of what she believes and how she demonstrates her belief. The Church only exists because of the world (and by world I mean not the whole created order so much as the sphere of influence of fallen man). Without the world of fallen, sinful man there would have been no need for the Church because there would have been no need for redemption and atonement. It is by the Church and the working of the Holy Spirit through her that the continuing application of Christ’s atonement is made for the elect. The Holy Spirit cannot be divorced from the Church because He is the Spirit of Christ and she is His bride. Therefore, the church must be faithful to her Bridegroom. If the church is not faithful to the Bridegroom, she is not faithful to His Holy Spirit either.

Can we hinder the work of the Holy Spirit by our unfaithfulness, by our refusal to take the gospel just as Christ and the apostles delivered it? I would have to say yes. We are called to walk in the Spirit and to exhibit His fruit in our lives on a continuing and deepening basis. We are called to make our lives in Christ a reasonable sacrifice of service to Him (and this not once but daily) and to let our minds be renewed in Him (Rom. 12:1-2).

I hear you asking, “What does this have to do with revival?”

Simply this: to the degree and extent we are not fulfilling God’s commandments (Luke 10:27) as His disciples, we are grieving His Holy Spirit. And if we grieve the Holy Spirit, can we expect true revival? Is it not arrogant in the extreme to even ask for revival, let alone to believe we deserve it? We pray for revival, but perhaps we really should be praying for softer hearts. Perhaps if we truly confessed our sins, as well as our sinful nature, recognizing that we have been saved by grace and not by works (of obedience), we might be blessed with revival as the fruit of truly submissive and gentle hearts. Why would the Holy Spirit withhold it from us, if we were truly repentant and totally dependant on God for all that we need? Let us not be like the church at Sardis that had a reputation for good works but in reality was dead. Let us do the good works that God has ordained us as His children to do (Eph 2:10). Let the light of the redeemed Church so shine before men that they will see our good works and glorify our father in Heaven (Matt 5:16). If we do this maybe then we can begin to pray for a revival in the larger Church. For revival will break out in a given place in a given time by those God chooses to use for this purpose. Let us then be worthy of such an honour.

Soli Deo Gloria.