FIRE IN THE BONES

A PLEA, FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, FOR TRUE CHRISTIANITY TODAY

We hear a lot of talk about revival these days and the need to pray for it.
I thought the following made common sense when I read it:

"A revival, like a genuine conversion, is wrought by God by means of the Word - the Word applied by the Holy Spirit of course. Therefore, there is something more needed (on our part) than prayer. The Word of God must have a place, a prominent place, the prominent place. Without the word there will be no revival, whatever excitement and activities of the emotions there may be. What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the character of God - His absolute sovereignty, His ineffable holiness, His inflexible justice, His unchanging veracity.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the condition of natural man - his total depravity, his spiritual insensitivity, his inveterate hostility to God, the fact that he is a condemned sinner already and that the wrath of a sin-hating God is even now upon him.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the alarming danger in which sinners are, the
indescribably awful judgement which awaits them, the fact that if they follow only a little further their present course they shall most certainly suffer the due reward of their iniquities. What is needed today is the scriptural setting forth of the nature of that punishment which awaits those who are lost - the awfulness of it, the hopelessness of it, the endlessness of it." (Arthur W. Pink.)

We live in an age when the people will not come to hear these things. The once high regard that
many had for the word of the Lord is almost gone! There are many factors to explain this, but the
sad truth is that most people will no longer come to hear the preached word. The only other way in
which they can hear it is for Christians to make the message clear and plain by their lives and
words, wherever people meet day by day. Where grace no longer causes sinners to come and hear,
then grace may only compel us to go and tell. If the word will not be heard from the pulpit, then
should we not make sure we take it to them where they are?

There are several things that conspire to capture even the Christian mind today and either turn it away from or dilute the truths of these great spiritual realities:

The present evil world, with its entertainment, amusements. art and even sport. All can crowd out eternal realities.
The flesh, stimulated through films, videos, books, plays and above all T.V.
Personal experiences and imaginations which motivate so many Christian lives to the blurring of truth, or mixing it with error.
The continuing multiplication of modern Bible versions which are clearly lowering the Christian's attitude toward God’s Word and destroying the uniqueness of the Holy Bible.
Ecumenical progress, which is building a temple of ‘unity’ upon the grave of God’s truth.

It was General William Booth who with amazing foresight spoke of the ‘religion of the future’.
He said it would consist of pardon without repentance, of forgiveness without the blood atonement, salvation without holiness and heaven without hell.

There is a great need today — especially for younger Christians — to grasp clearly these great
foundations of the Christian faith. They need to study them well from the Scriptures until they
become like ‘fire in the bones’. Only then will they preach them if given the opportunity, write
about them frequently and talk about them to those who are lost. Perhaps then, the Lord would be
gracious, and some would come to a knowledge of salvation through faith in Christ. The Lord may
even be pleased to revive us in some of our local Churches and assemblies again. Is anything too hard for the Lord?