I know I haven't posted much on here lately and I want to get back to writing more often. Lately, the subject of renewal or revival has interested me. Mainly because I feel the need in my own life for renewal of my faith and reviving of a stronger spiritual life in me. I want to experience again as i did when I was a much younger christian the victories over sin and the insight and growth that I saw. For quite a while now, it seems my spiritual life has been on auto pilot, if we can even call it that. It might be better described as going backwards and not forwards. I don't think it is really possible to stay still much like trying stand still on a moving escalator or conveyor belt.
So, I was looking at some passages on renewal and revival to see what the Bible has to say about it. From the very beginning, the verses I read made it clear that the whole possibility of being renewed is based on the mercy and greatness of God and not because we deserve it. The first passage I turned to was in Romans 12:2
"Do not be conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."
And I noticed as I looked at this that the ability to test and approve what God's will is is based on first renewing your mind. Renewal is a condition that allows us to see things from God's perspective rather than our own. It is the Spirit which gives insight as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12.
I looked at a number of other passages on renewal and revival such as Psalm 119:50; Psalm 103:5, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Psalm 80:18, Psalm 85:6, Isaiah 57:15 and Psalm 19:7 and Colossians 3:10. All of these are good passages that attempt to add to our understanding of what it means to be renewed. Again, the emphasis is on what God is doing by his mercy and not due to our goodness or deeds.
The verses that stood out to me tonight are in Titus 3:5-7 which says
"he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
Here we see again, that the work of regeneration and renewal is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who is grieved when we sin and walk away from God or allow sin to go unconfessed and undealt with (Ephesians 4:30). He is also the one who works to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment. This is the work of the Holy Spirit our sanctification and regeneration. Regeneration is the act at the time of salvation. But sanctification is also a process as well as an event. It has a past, present and future tense. He is in the act today of renewing and regenerating our minds and hearts just as he was the day you were saved. Our role in all of this is to trust Him and to surrender our will to His. We acknowledge that we are depending on his mercy and grace and that His will is best.
So, I was looking at some passages on renewal and revival to see what the Bible has to say about it. From the very beginning, the verses I read made it clear that the whole possibility of being renewed is based on the mercy and greatness of God and not because we deserve it. The first passage I turned to was in Romans 12:2
"Do not be conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."
And I noticed as I looked at this that the ability to test and approve what God's will is is based on first renewing your mind. Renewal is a condition that allows us to see things from God's perspective rather than our own. It is the Spirit which gives insight as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12.
I looked at a number of other passages on renewal and revival such as Psalm 119:50; Psalm 103:5, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Psalm 80:18, Psalm 85:6, Isaiah 57:15 and Psalm 19:7 and Colossians 3:10. All of these are good passages that attempt to add to our understanding of what it means to be renewed. Again, the emphasis is on what God is doing by his mercy and not due to our goodness or deeds.
The verses that stood out to me tonight are in Titus 3:5-7 which says
"he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
Here we see again, that the work of regeneration and renewal is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who is grieved when we sin and walk away from God or allow sin to go unconfessed and undealt with (Ephesians 4:30). He is also the one who works to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment. This is the work of the Holy Spirit our sanctification and regeneration. Regeneration is the act at the time of salvation. But sanctification is also a process as well as an event. It has a past, present and future tense. He is in the act today of renewing and regenerating our minds and hearts just as he was the day you were saved. Our role in all of this is to trust Him and to surrender our will to His. We acknowledge that we are depending on his mercy and grace and that His will is best.
