5 Marks of True Revival
Scott Maze
Romans 4:5, Hebrews 4:12
A revival is a time when sleepy Christians wake up, when nominal Christians convert to Christ, and when non-Christians come to faith in Christ. This is accompanied by an increase in the conviction of sin, an increase in the consciousness of God's mercy and our unworthiness. You see, a revival is when the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit (I'm not speaking of signs and wonders) but when the Spirit convicts of sin, brings assurance of salvation, and makes the sense of Jesus Christ intensely real. We want revival for so many reasons but one reason is this: revival always makes an impact on a society. There have always been social reforms in the wake of revivals - whether it is the repeal of child labor laws, the abolition of slavery, or even a decrease in crime - revival always leaves it mark on a people.
Now, the mention of the words revival or awakening will make some Christians light with excitement while others will roll their eyes with suspicion. I get this as so many of us have seen so much emotionalism, that we run from the phony stuff. No one can force a major revival to happen by pushing the right buttons. Yet, allow me to give you 5 marks that help distinguish a real awakening from the phony emotional stuff that passes for an awakening.
5 Marks of True Revival
Jonathan Edwards was the great pastor in Northampton, MS and experienced several revivals in his time there. You know him from his sermon, ''Sinners in the Hands of Angry God.'' But he's much bigger than this one sermon. In fact, nearly 300 years ago, during the First Great Awakening, he penned a book where he outlines 5 true marks of a revival. There are helpful for us to quickly review.
1. A Deeper Awareness of God's Presence
Usually a time of renewal is preceded by a crisis and during the crisis, God's people really seek His presence. The people of God had a thirst for the living God. There's a hunger for God's pr ...
Scott Maze
Romans 4:5, Hebrews 4:12
A revival is a time when sleepy Christians wake up, when nominal Christians convert to Christ, and when non-Christians come to faith in Christ. This is accompanied by an increase in the conviction of sin, an increase in the consciousness of God's mercy and our unworthiness. You see, a revival is when the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit (I'm not speaking of signs and wonders) but when the Spirit convicts of sin, brings assurance of salvation, and makes the sense of Jesus Christ intensely real. We want revival for so many reasons but one reason is this: revival always makes an impact on a society. There have always been social reforms in the wake of revivals - whether it is the repeal of child labor laws, the abolition of slavery, or even a decrease in crime - revival always leaves it mark on a people.
Now, the mention of the words revival or awakening will make some Christians light with excitement while others will roll their eyes with suspicion. I get this as so many of us have seen so much emotionalism, that we run from the phony stuff. No one can force a major revival to happen by pushing the right buttons. Yet, allow me to give you 5 marks that help distinguish a real awakening from the phony emotional stuff that passes for an awakening.
5 Marks of True Revival
Jonathan Edwards was the great pastor in Northampton, MS and experienced several revivals in his time there. You know him from his sermon, ''Sinners in the Hands of Angry God.'' But he's much bigger than this one sermon. In fact, nearly 300 years ago, during the First Great Awakening, he penned a book where he outlines 5 true marks of a revival. There are helpful for us to quickly review.
1. A Deeper Awareness of God's Presence
Usually a time of renewal is preceded by a crisis and during the crisis, God's people really seek His presence. The people of God had a thirst for the living God. There's a hunger for God's pr ...
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