REVIVAL VS REPENTANCE

  “Revivals” have traditionally been times when people’s hearts turn to God.  Because churches today seldom have unbelievers attend, evangelists pretend that revivals are to spiritually revive Christians. Many of those same preachers say, “I know that I know that I know that I am saved.” If that’s the case, then why do they need revival? To be honest, all Christians doubt at times. “Doubt” is the difference between perfect faith that only God has and the faith of the Christian. No one has the faith of God because they are not gods!

  Abraham had great faith. Scripture uses him as the example and the epitome of human faith. However, even Abraham fell short at times. When people sin, it is for two reasons: (1) Either they doubt God, or (2) doubt the judgment of God. Either way, any sin precludes perfect faith. There is none without sin, and hence everyone doubts.

  What do imperfect Christians need, then? Repentance. Christians need to repent. That is individual revival. However, repentance should be ongoing, and revival not necessary. Backsliding should never occur. Christians should not be comfortable living in sin. “Revive” means to bring back to an original condition. Calvinists believe the original condition is “eternally secure.” For them, revival, if they truly believe that, would be entirely unnecessary for individuals.

If revival is for the general public, based on the Calvinistic doctrine of “election,” then revival is not needed for the nation either! The doctrine of “eternal security” would mean that revival is never necessary.

  It seems (a hypothesis) that “revival” is for weak Christians and weak nations. However, the Great Commission is to go unto the nations, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Mat 28:19). That was explained further in the passage, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Mat 24:14). That is not only the gospel message, but was always “gospel.” Revivals are the reverse of  that; rather than you going unto the nations to present the gospel, revivals are the nations coming to you! As they did to Judah and King Asa.

  In the case of King Asa of Judah, his people had been true to God, but he, through God, revived his nation. That was a period of corporate repentance led by him. It was a revival of a Godly nation. They put away idolatry for the most part, but kept their high places. Repeated revivals are needed because Christians need further revival to tear down their own “high places” (scripture calls them “strongholds”).

  Asa’s adversary, Israel, under King Jeroboam, became a heathen nation. They put aside God entirely and turned to Ashtoreth and her “husband” El. When Judah had a revival, many of those who God called came from Israel to live there under God as is written, “And he (Asa) gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him” (2 Chron 15:9).

  God had a revival with the people of Israel. Those who had worshipped Ashtoreth and El, worshiped Yahweh because God called them to Judah where the Spirit of God was.

Note that before Israel could be revived, Judah needed repentance and a new way of living. The nation of Judah was a witness to the nation of Israel. When in Israel, do not do as the Israelites do, but as the Jews (Judeans) do, and both are to do the things of God.

Changing allegiances is revival! It is serving the right “master” from the two (Mat 6:24). Those Christians who sin regularly endeavor to serve two masters. For them, revival is selecting which “master” to serve as the Israelites did. They dumped Jeroboam for Asa as King, and dumped Ashtoreth for Yahweh.

  Many Christians find it laughable that they would serve two gods. They are gullible! If Christians are not serving God (I AM) they are serving themselves (I want TO BE a god). The desires of people rule them, and their flesh must be appeased. In a sense, their “idols” are their own flesh! Those things which please the flesh are merely sacrifices to the “gods of self.” Individual “revival” is repentance and a turning away from oneself and toward God.

We make excuses why unbelievers are not in church during so called “revivals.” It’s because the Church has yet to be revived. They mourn little over loved ones who are destined for Hell. If they cared about them as they should, they would beg those they love to come to learn about how to be reborn!

  Why people don’t invite others to revival is explained between the lines in the Bible: For (your name here) am so apathetic to the lost, that I took God’s only begotten Son for granted, and that whosoever would have believeth in him and should not have perish, are not worth the trouble to tell them the way for everlasting life. (anti-John 3:16).

One atheist accused all Christians of hypocrisy by saying, “If Christians were as loving as they claim, they would not be able to sleep at night because those they love are going to Hell.” To atheists, WE seem like the unfaithful and uncaring!

  Agape-type love is essentially wanting that none should perish, even enemies. Standing idly by as they travel the way to perishing is apathy, or vain-type of “love,” and is just a mild form of hatred.

National revival is for the nation to revert to God. “The great revival” (The Great Awakening) lasted from about 1735 to 1737. Jonathan Edwards preached (read only) his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” and sinners cried in grief for their sins. The nation then fell into sin, and God revived the nation again with the Second Awakening about 1802. People “saw the light” – God’s truth, and repented en mass. Sinners were not only “revived,” but the nation was!

When the Jews were dispersed to Babylon, by God’s grace, after seventy years, many returned home. They had never heard the Word of God since it had been lost to them.

  Just as Jonathan Edwards merely read his sermon, the prophet Ezra stood on a box and did nothing but read Holy Scripture, and the nation was revived as new hearers heard and believed (Ezra 7-10; Neh 8). The point is that “revival” is mainly for unbelievers to instill belief!

Before the heathens can be revived, the Church must be strengthened. A failing Church must be revived. “Failure” is not numbers, but the teaching and practice of doctrine!

  The Church is not the building with walls of brick and stone, but the faith of those in accordance with both God and others (Acts 2). Solomon built the first Church building and God saw fit to fill it with His Presence. Before the Temple, there was no building for God. He didn’t need one for His “Church” is wherever people loved and trusted Him! The same holds true today.

What is the Church? The same as always:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. (Ephes 2:19-21)

  The Church are the citizens of the Kingdom of God, who live according to the precepts of His household, and then, in that passage, the structure of the Church is identified: Jesus is the Cornerstone, the prophets (including Abraham and Moses) built the foundation, then the apostles laid the “concrete” atop them.

  Then the Church was “framed together” in unity and according to God’s Plan. Those patriarchs like David and King Asa were part of the frame, and many others as well.

After Christ came to review his Church, pillars were required, and they will be: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God” (Rev 3:12). Glorified Christians will be the “pillars” because they have endured to the end. Until that time, the pillars are in the making. They are the “lively stones” of which Paul spoke (1 Pet 2:5).

  Atop that “building” sits the Holy Cross of Jesus which points the Way to Heaven. The Church has a destiny as well. It will have few who endure because they either didn’t hear the gospel or preferred their own vain philosophy. The former is represented by the Tree of Life and the latter, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

  Sinners cannot make choices unless they hear the choices and the consequences of right choice and wrong choice. Revival is for that reason. The Temple wasn’t built on the threshing floor for nothing; it’s where sinners are threshed and winnowed until the “good” grain alone exists. The royal priests (Christians) have a spiritual duty – to bring in the sheaves for the threshing. That is revival, and the harvesters have a duty to bring them in!

  Now, back to King Asa’s “revival:”

1.       And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: for he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves. (2 Chron 14:2-3)

2.       And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee. ( 2 Chron 14:11)

3.       Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. (2 Chron 15:3-4).

4.       And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. (2 Chron 15:5)

5.       And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord. (2 Chron 15:8)

6.       And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. (2 Chron 15:9)

7.       So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem… And they offered unto the Lord the same time. (2 Chron 1510b-11a).

8.       And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul. (2 Chron 15:12).

9.       And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about. (2 Cor 14-15)

10.   Because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (2 Chron 16:8b-9)

11.   Asa slept (rested) with his fathers (2 Chron 16:13)

  As Ezra long ago, sometimes the Word needs no explanation because the vocabulary (Word) of God is sufficient. God gave Asa the Word (Jesus), he wrote them down for posterity. That’s how God revived Judah, and that’s how He will revive our own nation. As it started first with Asa and his “chosen” (peculiar) Jews, as royal priests, it also starts with us “peculiar” Christians!

  What about the preacher and deacons? Note that neither are in the Foundation of the Church, were not called as the apostles were, but were appointed to superintend the building of the Church (bishops) and be foremen under the superintendents (deacons). Of course, they too are “lively stones” and superintend the building-up of the pillars of the Church.

  Everyone has a part in revival. Some call sinners to God’s “House”, others teach them how to build, but then others are made into lively stones to be pillars in the end. The purpose of everyone is to be a “structure” for the Cross and the Doctrine of the Tree of Life.

  The first Church building was built of cedar and stone. The cedars perished long ago, but the stones still remains. That’s the threshing as well. Some will be the “cedars” and others the “lively stones.” Revival is for miracles as well – to turn cedar into stone for an enduring Church!