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Lectures on Revivals of Religion.

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These are powerful lectures on what constitutes a religious revival, how to encourage or promote a religious revival, and what can be done to maintain a revival experience in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church.

Charles Finney understands a religious revival to be the work of man, when we renew our first love with Christ. A religious revival is a new beginning of obedience to God. It results in the backslidden person or church returning to its first love (Jesus), and in the conversion of sinners. God is involved in the revival process insofar as he providentially arranges for men and women to be encountered with the truth of the gospel. Yet a revival cannot take place without the cooperation of the penitent sinner, he or she must repent of their sins and seek the Lord with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). This understanding of a revival shows that Finney emphasizes the work of man right alongside the work of God, which would be anathema for Calvinists.

Finney also stresses that people need many revivals. If our love grows cold, or our hearts become crusty, it is because we need to remember the height from which we have fallen and repent and do the things we did that led to our first revival. Finney contends that we need to be reconverted, or a person who was once a revived believer could end up in hell.

He points out that a revival can be expected when God reveals to His people that the time is right for one. Also, when the Christian community and the clergy are united in their intense desire to see a revival that will bring about the salvation of the wicked, an awakening can be expected. Finney would also point out that the church would need to be open to God doing it any way He wants.

He goes on to mention that in order to promote a revival, Christians should confess their sins one by one. Finney regards this as absolutely essential, since we committed them one by one, they need to be confessed and forsaken one by one. Moreover, it will do no good to merely confess them or to trust that over time, God will grant repentance unto life. God has mandated that we all repent of our sins of omission (things that we neglected to do, such as prayer, Bible reading, giving, self denial, etc) and our sins of commission (slander, lying, cheating, hypocrisy, and envy, among others).

Beginning with page 342 of Lectures on Revival of Religion, Finney gives advice to Christians on how to respond when someone asks "What must I do to be saved?"

His advice is to tell the sinner to change his mind about sin, to confess his sins and vow to forsake them, and to believe the gospel of Christ, that He died for us and rose again, and to submit to God completely.

Unfortunately, it seems that Finney believes that a person may need to be reconverted again and again. It is hard to know if Finney is suggesting that a Christian may backslide to an unsaved condition and may need salvation again, or if the expression "reconvert" is merely an expression of being reconverted to a totally sold out lifestyle for Christ. Probably both, since Finney shows contempt for the idea that a person can be "once saved, always saved." If this assessment is true, it would put Finney's understanding of the security of the believer in sharp contrast with Edwards, who would only assume the integrity of a revival experience if the person is faithful to the end.

I should also say that Finney has a plain way of speaking (these lectures were delivered extemporaneously and transcribed), and he is also quite funny, especially in the lecture about the wrong things to say to a sinner on the verge of accpeting Christ.

I recommend not only reading this book, but following Finney's steps in promoting revival in your own life (pages 31-44). But watch out for his erratic theological pronouncements (the need for Christian people to be reconverted again and again, his radical emphasis on man's role in salvation, and in his denial that revival is a supernatural work of God. Get past the theology and take his advice on the practical side of living an awakened life for Jesus Christ.

As a trained lawyer Finney's is very organised writer and the Title says Lectures. This is a clearly written and a very powerful book. Finney sees revival the way a farmer sees crops. You prepare the ground (heart), you plow (pray), plant seed(Word of God), you water (repent of sin) Trust God to give the growth. Not a book on over night jack in the bean stalk growth. But a timely book now as when first written. Read Finney auto Biography to more clearly understand the Second Great Awakening in America. The first being 1740-1750's Johnathan Edwards and George Whitefield's ministry. This book when read with Bible in Hand will do no harm and possibly much good. It is one of a dozen or more great books on religion that has had a great impact on my Christian life. You will be stirred if you read it. It is not perfect but written by a man trying to be perfect even a s God is perfect. A great Book on Sowing and Reaping. Note: Finney was not a get salvation lose salvation preacher. He did begin to believe it was possible for a man to chose to forsake Christ after having been converted. This required a active choice of unbelief not an accidental falling away or by sinning to much. This doctrine was a result of his seeing fruit that he thought was once gathered seeming to fall away back into unbelief. This Book will be a great blessing to who read and to all who read it like the Bereans searching the scriptures to see if it is true. W.A. Criswell wrote of one of his books "Reading this book is like eating fish, if you come to a bone you can't swallow, just chew around it." So take advantage of this reprint Buy, Borrow it from some one who has it. It will stir your soul and provoke you to good works for Christ.