Revival: The One Thing

Table of Contents

The One Thing

Sadly, many pass through all the valleys and travel along the winding roads that lead to the day of revival, only to turn back. They too have prayed, fasted, wept, rejoiced, waited, worked, sacrificed, accepted discipline, and trusted God, but now they cannot do the one thing that would seal revival in their lives. The cost seems too high and now they turn their backs on God—forever. What a waste to come to the end of revival and still remain dead in sin and self because they “opposed” the last and one thing God demanded of them. Think of it, they gave 99% to God but refused to give 100%. They failed at the greatest command God gave.

“…let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this. (Ezra 10:14–15)

What made Jesus a Christian while he walked with us? What was the one thing that made Jesus different from the rest of us? And what is the one thing, that if we had it in fullness would make us perfectly like Him?

That one thing is the cross. He carried His cross daily and was crucified to self perfectly every hour and second of every day. Suppose Jesus had done everything God wanted Him to do, except die on the cross. Where would we be? If Jesus had denied Himself in every way that God called Him to all those years, but refused to die on the cross, there would have been no salvation for us. In the same way, if we refuse to be crucified to self by the power of the Holy Spirit how can we be saved? To be sure, this is a salvation apart from works, for God works it in us. But if we refuse the cross, what hope is there? We must have the same attitude as Christ in order to put our flesh to death.

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. (1 Peter 4:1 NASB)

Only those willing to “hate” their very lives will permit God to deal with them so powerfully.

He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. (John 12:25 NASB)

An individual who does not have this God-inspired hatred living in them will refuse the justifying work of the Holy Spirit. For it is this godly hatred that makes one ready to be a disciple of Jesus. This is what Jesus told the “large crowds,” the religious crowds that followed Him. It is this word “hate” that Jesus turned and declared to them.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25–27)

If this godly hatred is present in a church, then everyone can “carry his own cross” and follow Jesus. For those who do not hate their own lives and permit the living God to crucify their sin and self, though they travel many miles with Jesus, will certainly die in Hell.

Now is the time to “wake up,” to revive what is about to die. Clean your soiled garments so that your name might remain in the book of life. Do you have ears that can hear the call to a whisper revival that God speaks to the churches today?

Remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:3–6 NASB

Revival: Everything Said

Revival: Endnotes

Disclaimer

The Consider Podcast attempts to express opinions through God’s holiness. Nothing concerning justice or injustice should be taken as legal advice or a call to action. There is no political agenda. There is no individual moral life advice. Indeed, each person is solely responsible before God and man for their actions or inactions. The Consider Podcast is narrowly focused on one thing, and only one thing – the need for all to surrender to a life of repentance according to the whole gospel.

The Consider Podcast
Examining today’s wisdom, folly and madness with the whole gospel.
www.consider.info

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