Does the emphasis on revival in the church imply that the church is spiritually dead?
Published on: 08-15-2024
Q: Does the emphasis on revival in the church imply that the church is spiritually dead?
A: No, the church is not dead. The church experienced the coming of the Spirit during Pentecost, and since then the Spirit has remained with the church and will continue to be with it until the very end. A strong and vibrant spiritual life should be a constant goal for all believers and needs to be constantly nurtured. I will suggest that, in a very precise way, spiritual revival (from Latin revivere, “to live again”) is initiated at conversion, is threatened during our Christian life, and needs to be constantly strengthened.
Spiritual Death as a Human Condition
The condition of humanity after the Fall is described in the Bible as a state of emotional, spiritual, social, and moral death, leading to eternal physical death (Rom. 1:21, 22; 5:12; 6:23). We are by nature dead in our trespasses and sins under the enslaving lordship of sin (Eph. 2:1, 2). Our greatest need is spiritual revival, that is to say, the restoration of the spiritual life we lost. The psalmist knew that only God could “revive me again” (Ps. 71:20, NASB),* and Jesus came announcing the free gift of an abundance of life (John 10:10). The restoration of life is possible only and exclusively through the sacrificial death of the Son of God. Any discussion of revival in the church should begin with the realization that we are by nature spiritually dead and that we are revived by faith in the saving power of Christ. This restoration of life is described as a new birth from above (John 3:5) by which we become part of God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Once revived, believers do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4, 5), in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). The new life is modeled and shaped according to the life of Christ (Matt. 11:28-30).
The Threat of Spiritual Death
The believer is not exempted from temptations and from the pressure of the sinful attraction of a spiritually dead world. Aware of this constant threat, we are admonished to live the new life in a state of watchfulness or alertness (Matt. 24:42; 1 Cor. 10:12; 1 Peter 5:8). The vital connection with the risen Lord established at conversion should be constantly maintained and nurtured (Col. 1:21-23). Otherwise the new life begins to lose its vitality and to languish as the virus of sin gains ascendancy in our life and we become spiritually ailing Christians. In practical terms this means that our connection with Christ is damaged by the absence of daily communion with Him through prayer, meditation, and the study of His Word, and by the absence of fellowship with other believers and involvement in the mission of church. When this happens, we need spiritual revival.
Revive Us Again
One of the most important things in the Christian life is the realization of our constant need of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Revival means that we need to refix our eyes on Christ, remembering with gratitude and meditating on the magnitude of His sacrifice (2 Peter 1:9; Heb. 12:1, 2). Then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees and “make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb. 12:13, NASB). Perseverance in our dependence on, fellowship with, and submission to the crucified Savior is the antidote for an ailing spiritual life (Phil. 2:12, 13; Gal. 5:22-24; Rev. 14:12).
* Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
