Until one has a clear understanding of what the significant of Christ dying and suffering really represents and how it has in effect to do with us and our salvation, it is very difficult for any (I for one) that have been under the influence of the Revivalist dogma, to see and comprehend the significance of Luke’s writings as well as the rest of the Gospel.

I was asked; “If the Revivalist version of the Gospel is wrong, what can someone tell and show a new person, what the true gospel is and how to be saved?”

Those who have left Revival behind and genuinely desire to go on “witnessing” in the Lord’s work may only have a minimum understanding of the Gospel which is not sufficient enough to be clear and penetrating in how they present it to someone else.

I found myself wanting to this question and would like to share some of the things I have “gleaned” from listening to various lectures and sermons as well as Ian’s postings on these forums, in the hope it will help give clarity and understanding so that one may proclaim the true Gospel. Also to any that may be considering getting away from that awful situation of false teaching and abuse which has held them in bondage for far too long, but are still a bit fearful of letting go.

Sin

All are sinners by nature and by actions, sinners by birth, born alienated from the Holy God and in no way can mankind cure or deliver himself from this “disease” which results in death.

God has a cure; a complete forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is the divine provision by which God’s holy displeasure can be appeased, the hostility removed and sinners restored to Him.

Be reconciled to God

(2 Cor. 5:18-21)

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV)

God is the source. He alone is the one that decided to stop holding our sins against us. Reconciliation is not something we accomplish when we stop deciding to reject him, but something he accomplished when he stopped deciding to reject us. It is not what we do, it is what we embrace.

We have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

As Christians, our duty is to tell people that they can be reconciled to God. Our mission is to proclaim the fact that God will forgive all some one’s sins forever. That the relationship of hostility and hatred and enmity and bitterness and alienation from God can be totally changed, that enemies can become friends, aliens can become sons; that is the “Good News.”

Justification

To be reconciled we needed to be justified (to be made righteous). How does God justify us when we are the ‘epitome” of everything God isn’t and he said we would die in our sins?

God simply declares us righteous because our sins have been paid for by Christ and the cross.

Act of justification

God did it by not counting our sins against us. It is by His son Jesus who new no sin and became sin for us, suffering and dying on the cross on our behalf.

We may ask; “Why is the bible silent on the thirty years Jesus was here on the earth?” One would wonder, wouldn’t it have been just the same if God had sent Jesus on the Friday, got him killed that night and rose him from the dead and that’s all that would be needed. No, it was so that Jesus could live a righteous life as credit for us to live. He was sent to fulfill all righteousness, and had to live a life with out sin in which he has now accomplished.

Christ went to the cross without sin, but God treated him as if it was Christ that was guilty, but he isn’t, we are. He treated Christ as if he committed all of our sins and lived our life, and now he (God) treats us as if we had lived Christ like.

Jesus became our substitute and now we don’t have to die because our sins were imputed to him.

It is not that you have to have conditions put on you (i.e. speaking in tongues etc) to become a Christian. God wants us to be saved, he wants to justify you.

It is having a correct understanding of the Word of God and his will for us and living "in" that.

Believe that Christ came to the world God in human flesh, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a death on the cross, rose from the grave, extended to the right hand of the Father. Having accomplished our redemption is our Priest and coming king. Acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior.

This barely scratches the surface of what we need to know, but if we continue "in" the faith God has given to us, then we cannot fail to do his will and to spread the word that others maybe saved.

Reflecting back on the time as a Revivalist, I always questioned myself about my attitude and behavior as a so-called Christian. The more I tried to be a good “testimony” and do the right thing the more I found my behavior as unacceptable. This of course is scriptural, as Paul himself touched on a similar condition in Romans 7.  We can accept this as a part of our fallen nature. What I couldn’t fathom out is how does one deal with this type of situation. E.g. At times I tried to be a better father and husband but I just got worse or when I made up my mind that I was going to be patient whilst out on the road and not get angry, I found it wasn’t long before I was yelling down somebody else’s neck for doing something stupid, cutting me off or other. “Sweet water and bitter……..” how could that be?

Listening to a talk by a Dr John Coe, all one needs is an understanding from scripture.

We are told that the heart of man [innermost being] is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), maybe one could call it our “hidden” heart [subconscious]. We also can have a “good” heart [conscience] and with this we can decide what our objective may be.

When we sin, we tend to cover up the bad by doing something good, as attending church or meetings more often than usual or praying more, [or as with Revivalists, long sessions speaking in “tongues”] or deciding one is going to be good etc so that we might appease our Lord some way and we become a better person. Well, soon one is out committing sins again. So when we sin and doing something “good” only covers and doesn’t really deal with the situation and put an end to it, what can WE do?

The answer, nothing, don’t become self righteous, like as Revivalists, a “holy Joe,” get down on your knees and just ask God to deal with the situation. We are sinners by nature and all the “good works” in the world won’t fix it. Acknowledge you are bad and ask God to deal with it in the name of Jesus and thank him for his grace.

I realize now how the mindset of Revivalist false doctrine and teaching can have such an adverse effect on a person. Not being shown the grace which is from God because of their legalistic and moralistic works, how could one behave other than having a rebellious heart? 

When we attend a good church where we are fed with the “good food” of a TRUE Gospel we grow spiritually in God’s grace and this stony heart becomes soft and more pliable for God’s Holy Spirit to work our lives and to know and do that which is acceptable in all things.