Biblical Examples Of Influence In Revival And Reformation
Biblical narratives frequently illustrate how influential figures and divine intervention can catalyze periods of spiritual revival and reformation. These accounts often highlight the interplay between human leadership, the operation of the Holy Spirit, and the response of the people.
One prominent example of influence in reformation is King Hezekiah of Judah. His reign is depicted as a time of significant religious renewal. The biblical account notes that Hezekiah and the people rejoiced because God had "prepared their hearts to bring about so great a reformation in so short a time; for, it is added, the thing was done suddenly" [1]. The Methodist commentator Adam Clarke emphasizes that Hezekiah's "example and influence were here, under God, the grand spring of all those mighty and effectual movements" [1]. Clarke further suggests that when kings or leaders declare themselves in favor of religion, they often find the people on their side, underscoring the powerful role of leadership in national spiritual shifts [1].
Similarly, King Asa initiated a reformation in Judah, particularly after a military victory. Matthew Henry observes that Asa, returning from battle, recognized that the work of reformation in his kingdom was incomplete. While foreign enemies were subdued, "more dangerous enemies at home that were yet unconquered - idols in Judah and Benjamin" remained [11]. His victory emboldened him to "vigorously to renew his attack upon the latter," indicating that external successes could fuel internal spiritual cleansing [11].
The New Testament also presents examples of spiritual renewal, often linked to the preaching of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost, for instance, led to thousands repenting and being baptized (Acts 2:37-41). Later, Peter urged his audience to "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19) [10]. John Gill interprets this as a call to repent of crucifying Christ, to acknowledge Him as Messiah, receive His doctrines, submit to ordinances, and externally reform their lives [10]. This demonstrates how a clear proclamation of truth can lead to a collective turning towards God.
The concept of spiritual renewal, whether individual or corporate, is consistently attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, explains that the Holy Spirit's "common operations" can lead to "reformation, and to an externally religious life" [2]. These operations can induce a "sense of the truth and importance of divine things," which may result in a temporary faith or outward change [2]. However, Hodge distinguishes this from a deeper, saving work of the Spirit, noting that temporary faith can disappear, as illustrated by Jesus' parable of the sower [2].
The Bible frequently portrays humanity in a fallen state, characterized by "entire helplessness and inability," being "utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good" [4]. This condition necessitates divine intervention for true spiritual change. Therefore, prayers for the Holy Spirit's work are common in Scripture. David prays, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11), and the Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians that God would give them the Holy Spirit for deeper knowledge of Him [3]. These prayers highlight the understanding that spiritual illumination and transformation are not solely human endeavors but require divine enablement [3].
The efficacy of spiritual means, such as the sacraments, is also tied to the Spirit's operation. Reformed confessions, as noted by Hodge, affirm that the sacraments are "real means of grace" but deny that their efficacy comes from their inherent virtue or the administrator. Instead, their power is "due to the attending operation of the Spirit, and is conditioned on the presence of faith in the recipient" [6]. This perspective underscores that even established religious practices rely on the Spirit for genuine spiritual impact.
The work of the Spirit in revival and reformation is not typically understood as a revelation of new truths, but rather an "illumination of the mind, so that it apprehends the truth, excellence, and glory of things already revealed" in God's Word [8]. The Bible records the "legitimate effects of those truths on the minds of believers," providing a standard against which to measure spiritual experience [8].
While human free agency and the adaptation of truth to convince the understanding are acknowledged, Scripture nevertheless teaches that "these secondary causes" are insufficient on their own for spiritual transformation [7]. The supernatural work of regeneration, in its limited sense, is distinct from sanctification, which is carried out by the Spirit through the means of grace [9]. This distinction implies that while reformation involves human effort and the use of means, the initial and ongoing spiritual quickening is a divine act.
The possibility of falling away from a state of spiritual renewal is also addressed in Scripture. The author of Hebrews warns against "an entire and wilful apostasy," contrasting it with a less extreme "declension" [5]. This warning suggests that while periods of revival can bring significant change, the maintenance of that change requires ongoing faithfulness and perseverance, lest individuals or communities "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:6) [5].
Sources
- 2 Chronicles (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Chronicles 29:36: And Hezekiah rejoiced - Both he and the people rejoiced that God had prepared their hearts to bring about so great a reformation in so short a time; for, it is added, the thing was done suddenly. The king's example and influence were here, under God, the grand spring of all those mighty and effectual movements. What amazing power and influence has God lodged with kings! They can sway a whole empire nearly as they please; and when they declare themselves in behalf of religion, they have the people uniformly on their side. Kings, on this very ground, are no ind”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 138: and the sinner relapses into his wonted state of insensibility, his faith disappears. To this class of persons our Saviour refers when He speaks of those who receive the Word in stony places or among thorns. Of such examples of temporary faith there are numerous instances given in the Scriptures, and they are constantly occurring within our daily observation. In the third place, the state of mind induced by these common operations of the Spirit, often leads to reformation, and to an externally religious life. The sense of the truth and i”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 138: of the truth either in the Lutheran or Remonstrant view, is that those who have the knowledge of the Word as read or heard, are directed to pray for the gift of the Spirit to render that Word effectual. Of such prayers we have many examples in the Sacred Scriptures. David, in Psalm li. 11 , prays,” Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” The Apostle prays in behalf of the Ephesians to whom for more than two years he had been preaching the Gospel, that God would give them the Holy Spirit, that they might have the knowledge of Him, that their e”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 52: in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” ( Rom. vii. 4-6 .) This view of the matter necessarily implies that the natural state of fallen men is one of entire helplessness and inability. They are “utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good.” The Bible, therefore, as we have already seen, uniformly represents men in their natural state since the fall as blind,”
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 6:6: If--Greek, "And (yet) have fallen away"; compare a less extreme falling or declension, Gal 5:4, "Ye are fallen from grace." Here an entire and wilful apostasy is meant; the Hebrews had not yet so fallen away; but he warns them that such would be the final result of retrogression, if, instead of "going on to perfection," they should need to learn again the first principles of Christianity (Heb 6:1). to renew them again--They have been "once" (Heb 6:4) already renewed, or made anew, and now they need to be "renewed" over "again." crucify to themselve”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 57: sunt, ant vacua: nec ad nos decipiendos aut frustrandos instituta. ” These symbols of the Reformed Churches on the continent of Europe agree with those of our own Church, not only in representing the sacraments as real means of grace, but also in denying that their efficacy is due to their inherent virtue, or to him who administers them, and in affirming that it is due to the attending operation of the Spirit, and is conditioned on the presence of faith in the recipient. This is plain from the quotations already made, which might be multi”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 30: production of vegetable and animal life, are referred to his universal providential agency. The reference is special. The effect is one which the Scriptures recognize as not within the sphere of second causes, and therefore ascribe to God. They recognize the free agency of man; they acknowledge and treat him as a moral and rational being; they admit the adaptation of of truth to convince the understanding, and of the motives presented to determine the will and to control the affections, and nevertheless they teach that these secondary cau”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 9: by God in His Word ( 1 Cor. ii. 10-16 ). It is not, therefore, a revelation of new truths, but an illumination of the mind, so that it apprehends the truth, excellence, and glory of things already revealed. And second, 16 This experience is depicted in the Word of God. The Bible gives us not only the facts concerning God, and Christ, ourselves, and our relations to our Maker and Redeemer, but also records the legitimate effects of those truths on the minds of believers. So that we cannot appeal to our own feelings or inward experience, as ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 42: agency or volition of God without the intervention of any second cause. In this limited sense, creation, miracles, immediate revelation, regeneration (in the limited sense of that word), are supernatural. As the sanctification of men is carried on by the Spirit by the use of the means of grace, it is not a supernatural work, in the restricted sense of the term. There are many theologians who do not adopt either of the philosophical theories of the nature of man and of his relation to God, above mentioned; and who receive the Scriptural do”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "and be baptized"; see Gill on Act 2:38, and be converted. The apostle's sense is, repent of the sin of crucifying Christ, which is what he had been charging them with, and turn unto him, and acknowledge him as the Messiah; receive his doctrines, and submit to his ordinances; externally reform in life and conversation, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, such as will show it to be true and genuine: that your sins may be blotted out; or forgiven, see Psa 51:9. Not that repentance and reformation procure the ”
- 2 Chronicles (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 15 (introduction): Asa and his army were now returning in triumph from the battle, laden with spoils and adorned with the trophies of victory, the pious prince, we may now suppose, studying what he should render to God for this great favour. He knew that the work of reformation, which he had begun in his kingdom, was not perfected; his enemies abroad were subdued, but there were more dangerous enemies at home that were yet unconquered - idols in Judah and Benjamin: his victory over the former emboldened him vigorously to renew his attack upon the latter. Now here ”