I am seeking God intensely to send TRUE REVIVAL, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that gets ‘out of man’s control.’ I am weary of ‘church as usual’ and more than ever, I am ready for a new level of the supernatural. I have discovered that there are keys to revival revealed in the Scripture. This is the second in a series of articles on this vital subject.
KEY SCRIPTURE:
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to REVIVE the heart of THE CONTRITE ONES.” (Isaiah 57:15 NKJV)
KEY DEFINITION:
The word contrite basically means a grief-stricken or penitent state of heart over sins or shortcomings. It is so translated from the Hebrew dakkah, which means to bruise and nakkeh which means smitten. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia it describes a heart in which “natural pride and self-sufficiency have been completely humbled by the consciousness of guilt.”
As human beings we are prone to having “stony hearts,” justifying our compromise and making excuses for our sin. But God’s Word is like a “hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.” (Jer. 23:29) Furthermore, when the Holy Spirit moves upon our hearts (the Helper, the Comforter) His first work is to “reprove [convict] the world of sin.” (Jn. 16:8) So the Word and the Spirit work together to smite us with conviction until we are ‘bleeding inwardly’ over the errors of our past. This holy anguish leads to repentance, which then leads to salvation, restoration and life. (See 2 Cor. 7:10.) So contrition and repentance are inseparably connected.
Repentance is a change of mind that results from godly sorrow.
Contrition is that godly sorrow that produces a change of mind.
KEY QUOTES:
Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologiae (quoting Gregory) explained—“Contrition is humility of the soul, crushing sin between hope and fear.”
W. Graham Scroggie observed—“There never has been a spiritual revival which did not begin with an acute sense of sin.”
KEY BIBLICAL EXAMPLES:
There are a number of key biblical examples of individuals being gripped with contrition:
The patriarch Job: Throughout his great trial, he protested his righteousness and innocence. But when God finally manifested himself, Job responded, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Jb. 42:5-6)
The prophet Isaiah—When Isaiah saw the LORD high and lifted up, he cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone. For I am a man of unclean lips…” (Is. 6:5)
The prophet Daniel—When Daniel had his great vision of the LORD of glory, he admitted, “My comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.” (Dan. 10:8)
The apostle John—In the beginning of the book of Revelation, John saw the resurrected Christ and said, “I fell at His feet as dead.”
These were great men and good men, but when confronted with the august holiness of God, they were overwhelmed with a deep, heart-rending sense of their own sinfulness in the sight of heaven. BUT GOD REVIVES THE CONTRITE! Job was doubly blessed in his latter days! Isaiah’s lips were touched with a coal of fire from heaven’s altar! Daniel overcame the prince of Persia (most likely, the demon spirit that ruled that region)! And John the Revelator saw the amazing unveiling of latter day prophecies!
KEY PROMISES:
There are powerful promises in the Bible given to those who are of a “contrite heart.”
Acceptance—“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Ps. 51:17)
Intimacy and Salvation—“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Ps. 34:18)
Becoming God’s Temple—“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Is. 66:1-2)
Dwelling in the holy place—“Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Is. 57:15)
Comfort—“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Mt. 5:4)
KEY CHALLENGES:
Joel prophesied of the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, yet his preparatory statements cut deep—“Rend your heart, and not your garment and turn unto the LORD your God…Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar.” (Jl. 2:13, 17) Only after these signs of contrition will God be moved to POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT upon all flesh and show GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS in the earth. Yes, God desires and demands so much more than just an outward show of piety and religiosity. He has promised if we “fall on the rock,” we will be broken. (Mt. 21:44) But out of this brokenness will flow power and authority to advance His Kingdom in significant ways. Yes, God still marks those who “sigh and cry” for the abominations done among His people and determines to use them for His purposes. (Ezk. 9:4)
SO LET US COME TO OUR CHURCH MEETINGS WITH THIS ATTITUDE OF HEART (BROKEN WITH CONTRITION) THAT WE MIGHT BE LIFTED UP INTO HEAVENLY PLACES, THAT WE MIGHT BE REVIVED…AND THAT WE MIGHT BE A SOURCE OF REVIVAL IN OUR WORLD!