Road To Revival

Opening illustration: A few years ago, a story in a National American Magazine described a couple who “adopted” two wolf puppies. They discovered the wolves, while making a movie about the caribou in Alaska. They took them to their home, raised them, gave them the kindest treatment, and for a while the wolves behaved just like friendly dogs. Finally, however, the wolves turned on their masters, who barely escaped with their lives, and then fled to join a wild wolf pack. No matter how kind their treatment, the nature of the wolves was such that eventually they were bound to behave like other wolves. The wolf nature could not be educated out of them.

Our sinful nature is the same. It always stays the same. No amount of education, refinement, culture, counseling, psychiatric treatment, self-help courses, New Year’s resolutions or anything else can take away its selfishness and proneness toward sin. All of us have fallen, and our fall is not something in the past. It is something very much present right now. It is personal for each one of us. All of us come to a point when we want that which will be harmful to us. We stop listening to God and let the world tell us what to do! We change our loyalty from the Creator to the world.

Introduction: Our identity changed completely when we became a follower of Jesus, it changed from sinner to saint. If we stumble from time to time, our identity still does not change. God will still look at us in the same way. He will look at us in heaven-in Christ. God has made us into something new. He has taken off our old life. In Christ we are changed into someone who didn’t exist before. What we receive isn’t the point. What we do as a Christian doesn’t determine who we are-it’s who we are that determines what we do. Understanding our identity in Christ is essential to successfully living the Christian life. No one can constantly behave in a way that’s inconsistent with the way he perceives himself. Becoming a Christian changes, a person completely. We are to look at others through caring eyes. We must make it a habit to put the best possible construction on any situation.

The New Garment with an Old Patch: (Luke 5:36-37)

Our Lord Jesus Christ compared the new life in Him to a new garment. Looking back to our old life and trying to retain some of it is exactly like trying to patch an old dress with a piece from a new garment. Such is a futile operation. Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined (Luke 5:36-37). The Church wants to tell us that if we want to start a new life with Jesus Christ, we must leave the old one completely because it is not possible otherwise old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Many people live their life in duality trying to blend the world with God. In the Old Testament when people tried to do so, God sent Elijah the prophet to warn them saying, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). The folks who think they can spend Saturday night in night clubs and bars with bad company and then turn around and come to church on Sunday are just fooling themselves. A new life in Christ is burial of the old one. That is what the Mystery of Baptism does, bury our old man and resurrect us with Christ buried with Him in baptism (Colossians 2:12).

What are the Obstacles on the Road to Renewal?

There are two main obstacles stare us in the face as we journey through the process of renewing our lives:

1. Adhering to the old A new life with Christ entails a fresh start and when we are about to start a new life in Him we should sever ourselves from all that can hinder the progress of that relationship. A prominent figure in the Holy Bible who had the courage to do that without regret nor return is St. Paul. According to worldly standards he was considered a successful prominent figure. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless (Philippians 3:4-6).