The Road To Revival

(I wrote this a little over a year ago. I thought it would be encouraging today. - OKpreacher)

Romans 6:11-“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”


In many conversations that I have had recently have rested on the issue of revival. Why do we have so little of the glory and life of Christ in the Church? I wish I could say that I’m above the church, but I can’t. After talking about revival, I am convicted about how far I am from it. In reading my quiet time yesterday, I realized my struggle and how to overcome it. Paul tells the Christian to count themselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Here is the secret to success. Here is the road to revival. First, count yourselves dead to sin. One major road block to revival is living for sin. I was wondering the other day why the world doesn’t look to the church for help anymore. I realized the reason is because the world is already in the church and therefore is powerless to have a voice. We have held on to our sin. Sin doesn’t stop our programs or our labors, but it does stop our power and revival. Repentance is what is needed. What is repentance? It is counting yourself dead to sin. What sin are you holding on to? Do you realize that Christ died for that sin so that you may be free? Put sin where God put it, on the cross. Surrender it and consider it dead. Now one more issue here. Paul says to consider yourself dead to the sin. Don’t think that just because you repent of sin that you still won’t struggle with sin. You alone can't put sin to death, only Christ can do that, but you are to consider yourself dead to the sin. The idea is sin may tempt and try you, but you don’t go back to it.

From repentance comes commitment. The second truth is that you must count yourself alive to God. There are two sides to this coin. Count yourselves dead to sin and count yourself alive to God. While it is true that the problem for many Christians is counting themselves alive to God without counting themselves dead to sin, some have the problem of counting themselves dead to sin without commiting themselves to God. They are two sides of the same coin. We can’t have one without the other. This is why there is so little revival. We try to have commitment without repentance and repentance without commitment. Once you realize that you are to count yourself dead to sin and alive to God you are on the road to revival.


There is one last truth that I must address. Paul writes that this counting is done “in Christ Jesus.” You can’t do either until you are trusting in Christ fully. Why do I count myself dead to sin? The reason is when Christ dead, I died through Him. My old life of living for sin was crucified through Christ. So why do I consider myself dead to sin, because I am in Christ and Christ died for me. Why do I count myself alive to God? The reason is when Christ resurrected; I received a new life in Him. In Christ, I died to sin, but that wasn’t the end of me. Through His resurrection, I have received a new life that is to be committed to God alone. The secret to success is realizing that I am in Christ by faith, therefore I truly can count myself dead to sin because of the death of Christ and alive to God through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Repentance from sin and commitment to God in and through Christ brings true revival.