DISCERNMENT: THE SAFEGUARD OF REVIVAL Lesson 8 for August 24, 2013

“New and strange things will continually arise to lead God’s people into false excitement, religious revivals, and curious developments” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 2, cp. 1, pg. 17) The Bible warns us about some revival movements that Satan and his angels will generate. Ellen G. White wrote that those movements will take place even within the people of God. How can we distinguish between true and false revivals? We must study the connection between revival and the following topics: 1.The Bible. 2.Our communion with God. 3.The Commandments. 4.Religious balance. 5.Miracles. 6.The fruit of the Spirit.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13) Every true revival is inspired by the Holy Spirit. He drives us to the whole truth. That truth cannot contradict or ignore the truth the Holy Spirit already revealed through the Bible (2Ti. 3:16) The Bible has a revitalizing power (Psalm 119). Every revival not based in the Bible is a false one. Every true revival is inspired by the Holy Spirit. He drives us to the whole truth. That truth cannot contradict or ignore the truth the Holy Spirit already revealed through the Bible (2Ti. 3:16) The Bible has a revitalizing power (Psalm 119). Every revival not based in the Bible is a false one. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20)

REVIVAL AND OUR COMMUNION WITH GOD “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Every true revival must lead us to know Jesus more and more and to be transformed to be like Him. Jesus told us that we must abide in Him. The Greek word for “abide” means to continue being present, to stay. Constantly being in presence of Christ, knowing Him more and more. That transforms our lives and leads us to obedience. That is the heart of every true revival.

“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandment s, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4) “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandment s, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4)

Every true revival must lack the next two extremes: FORMALISM A faith based on religious rites, customs and external forms. A faith that does not gets to the heart and makes us “whitewashed tombs” (Mt. 23:27) “Shall we who have had so great light upon Bible truth let a dry, dead formalism take the place of zeal and faith?” (Review and Herald, January 21, 1980) FANATICISM We may become unbalanced Christians if we emphasize a point of the Truth above all other points, making it the center of our lives. “While reform must be advocated with firmness and resolution, all appearance of bigotry or an overbearing spirit should be carefully shunned” (Counsels on Health, pg. 385) The heart of any true revival is a deep faith. “It is that faith which makes Christ your own personal Saviour—that faith which, recognizing your helplessness, your utter inability to save yourself, takes hold of the Helper who is mighty to save, as your only hope” (Reflecting Christ, January 7)

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet…” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) The Bible clearly explains that miracles or the fulfillment of prophecies are not signs that proof the veracity of a revival or a reformation movement. Satan and the people he uses can use “all power, signs, and lying wonders… that they should believe the lie” (2Ts. 2:9, 11) and they “deceive those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast” (Rev. 13:14) Spectacular signs and marvelous wonders can never take the place of understanding and then following God’s Word. Obedience to God is primary; signs and wonders, if and when they come, are always only secondary.

Any revival that is not interested in the fruit of the Spirit but is obsessed by having the gifts of the Spirit is dangerous. We must be careful with those movements that stress the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit instead of stressing the obedience to God’s will and a transformed character that shows the fruit of the Spirit. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)

“If we work to create an excitement of feeling, we shall have all we want, and more than we can possibly know how to manage. Calmly and clearly “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). We must not regard it as our work to create an excitement. The Holy Spirit of God alone can create a healthy enthusiasm. Let God work, and let the human agent walk softly before Him, watching, waiting, praying, looking unto Jesus every moment, led and controlled by the precious Spirit which is light and life. The people want a sign, as in the days of Christ. Then the Lord told them that no sign should be given them. The sign that should be manifest now and always is the working of the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the teacher, to make the Word as impressive as possible. The Word of God is not a dead, dry theory, but spirit and life. Satan would like nothing better than to call minds away from the Word, to look for and expect something outside of the Word to make them feel. They should not have their attention called to dreams and visions. If they would have eternal life, they must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 2, pg. 95)