About Face

“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)

One thing that causes revival to tarry is a lack of genuine repentance in the lives of believers and churches. Repentance, metanoia, refers to a change of mind. In the case of believers, it means a change of mind from sin and self to a focus on God and His will. It is something that happens at saving faith as demonstrated by Peter and the other’s words after Cornelius and his household came to faith. They “glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18, ESV)

Believers and churches need to maintain a repentant attitude. There are both overt and covert things from which they must repent. Overt things are easily seen and understood. These are obvious sins. The church is to deal with these when observed.

Yet there are covert sins. These are those which are often overlooked. They include self-glorification, that happens when believers and churches take the glory from God for what He has done. Self-sufficiency is another issue that occurs when believers and churches trust in human ingenuity and effort to accomplish the great and might things that only God can do.

Another issue is that of failing to hold to the truth of Scripture as written. Many churches are undermining the infallibility, sufficiency, and authority of Scriptures. They do so by denying certain teachings of the word based on changing cultural views on morality and contemporary teachings.

Often believers and churches also fail to pursue holiness. Leonard Ravenhill in his book “Why Revival Tarries” wrote, “This is the hour when we are asked over and over again, ‘Is everybody happy?’ God’s purpose for us is not happiness, but holiness!”

Revival tarries when we do not identify and turn from our wicked ways, which is the way of true repentance.