What is revival?
I had a friend years ago that had drowned. But he was still alive, years later. He went on to live life pretty much as most other people do.
How could this be? After all he had drowned. He should have been dead and gone. However, he wasn’t dead because he had been revived. He was actually revived from a state which was leading him to total death.
I believe that many people in the Church today are also in a state which is leading them to total death.
Let’s look at the condition of my friend while he was in this state close to death.
First of all, before he was revived, he was lacking a consciousness of this world. The man or woman who are going to Church but yet are lacking a consciousness (continual awareness) of what Christ has accomplished for us at the Cross of Calvary.
Also, before my friend was revived, he was for a short time lacking of physical sensitivity. In other words, he would not have much noticed if he was lying on stony ground or if perhaps he was being poked with a pointy object. His mental awareness of what was happening to his body was somewhat dulled.
There are some in Churches today who’s senses are dulled to Spiritual things also. Why are they dulled is the question?
Let’s look at my old friend again to see what it really was that caused him to be in this near death condition; and perhaps we can shed some light on why some in Churches today are also in a near death condition.
Very simply put, the problem with my friend was that he tried to breathe water instead of air. This was certainly not intentional for he had all along been determined to only breathe air.
But due to circumstances, he found himself in a predicament which gave him no choice in the matter.
How about the believer who needs reviving? What did he do to cause himself to be in such a state?
We must now realize that we are now talking of Spiritual things.
Where my friend took in water instead of air, said believer took in or accepted if you will trust in something other than Christ. In other words instead of continuing in the faith which was given him at conversion, he begin little by little to try to do things which would add to what Christ had already done for him. When the believer does this he is walking in the flesh which the Holy Spirit will never honor. So the Holy Spirit will not reveal the wonderful things of God to the individual who is trusting in something other than what Christ did for us at the Cross.
Now I am pretty sure that those people who are going to Church but are also trying to prop up their salvation with works will seldom admit to doing such. In reality most of them believe they are just doing their best to serve God; which we aught to do.
The problem I believe is: just as my friend stopped breathing air and replaced it with water, so likewise this believer has stopped refreshing his faith in what Christ has done for us (our spiritual air) on a continual basis. If you think I’m wrong, ask some people in your church if they thank Jesus every day for shedding His blood for them. How many of them think of what God has done for them or of the sacrifice which Christ made on their behalf at all during the week. How many of these believers go to Church on Sundays and still do not, even then, think of how blessed they are of God, or of all that Jesus has accomplished for them?
So if we want revival, then just as my friend needed to again start breathing are; so likewise must the believer start breathing Spiritual air, i.e., start thanking Christ each day for all which He accomplished for us.
When the believer does this he is then breathing in the same air which he first took in at the time of his conversion. Thus he is being revived.
I do not know how interested you may be in revival, but for those who are interested in revival: revival will only come when the people who are God’s Children begin thanking Him and realizing DAILY what has been done to purchase our atonement, our righteousness, our justification, and our sanctification.
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