Characteristics of the 1971 Revival
by Erwin W. Lutzer
First of all, we learned that revival is intensely personal – God takes His best people and begins His work with them. Often we think that God will strike the unconverted with conviction while they walk along the streets, or God will shut down houses of prostitution and pornography. Yet in Canada, God began with His own people and made them right in His presence. This explains why some people who prayed for revival rejected it when it came. They thought it would affect someone else; they did not realize it would affect themselves.
Second, revival demands humility; it is God breaking His people. One pastor did not want to respond to the invitation because he was concerned about his reputation. Yet later he said, "God didn't seem to care about my reputation… I had to go to humble myself and get fully right with Him." Many denominational barriers were broken down as people began to realize that the pride was in their own hearts. Said one participant, "We are walking knee-deep in love."
Third, revival promotes the healing of personal relationships. Yes, parents had to go to their children to ask forgiveness. Those who had been dishonest needed to be restored and make reconciliation. One man who angrily said, "God, you'll never get me! Spoke to 500 people telling how God had "got him." He had to make restitution because of what he had stolen from his employer, and to ask his children to forgive him for his temper.
Fourth, revival takes seriously the scriptural teaching regarding sin. Some of the lesser known sins such as self-pity, anxiety, and bitterness were revealed and God helped people face all of these honestly. This conviction of sin was so overwhelming that a pastor said, "For the first time the people of my congregation are willing to pay any price to be fully right with God." Even small sins were seen to be "exceedingly sinful."
Fifth, revival includes an appreciation for the body of Christ. Individualism, the idea that I can live the Christian life on my own, is unscriptural. God showed the people that He could use lay ministers in a mighty way. In f act, they often communicated the truths of revival much better than the preachers. God opened the mouths of those who had never witnessed for Him before, proving that any tongue wholly yielded to Him can be used to declare His mighty acts.
Sixth, revival means that we say no to self. There is a death to self whereby we finally come to the end of our own resources and depend wholly upon God. It is true that we "died in Christ" when w e received Him as Savior, but it is also necessary to apply that truth to our hearts through repentance and faith. Only then can God do in us what He fully desires.
Seventh, revival involves excellent leadership. Since this revival happened in the early 70s we can answer the question, "Does it last? The answer, of course, is yes and no. Some churches involved in the revival are still changed toady, with many people testifying that it was in those days that they finally began a serious relationship with God.
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