Empowered Christians: Jonathan Goforth
Conditions of Revival
Jonathan Goforth was the seventh child in a family of ten boys and one girl. He was born in Western Ontario, Canada, where he grew up on his family’s farm. His mother taught her children to read and memorize scripture. As a young man working on the farm, Jonathan’s dream was to study law and become a politician. However, after accepting Christ through the influence of a Presbyterian minister who taught bible studies for students, he immediately sensed a call to serve the Lord in the church and the community.
Later on, he responded to a message from a foreign missionary and after a time of home mission work, he and his young wife left for China in 1888. They evangelized thousands throughout China while training hundreds of Chinese pastors and evangelists.
He described revival as “the Spirit of God controlling surrendered lives. Revival must always be possible when man yields. The one sin of unyieldedness can keep us from revival.”
True Christianity isn’t simply praying a simple prayer and going on about your business. True Christianity is surrounding one’s life completely to the Spirit of God. We don’t repeat words, while withholding our heart, and become new creations in Christ. We must surrender our self, die to our flesh, and come alive in Christ through the empowerment of God’s Spirit.
Goforth often taught on revival and was convinced of the necessity of God’s Spirit to bring revival transformation,
“If revival is being withheld from us it is because some idol remains enthroned; because we still insist on placing our reliance in human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchangeable truth that it is not by might, but by My Spirit.”
The simplest condition of revival is prayer. Goforth saw this principle in the history of God moving in revival, “In latter days the same principle of prayer holds - revivals under Wesley, Finney, Spurgeon, Moody, Torrey, and the Welsh revival - all resulted from prayer.”
Another condition for revival is trust in the Word of God,
“We can never hope for a mighty globe-encircling Holy Spirit revival without a back-to-the Bible movement. We dare not cast doubts upon His Word. We cannot lightly esteem it. Unless it is to us in very truth the Word of God, our prayers will be sheer mockery.”
We will not see authentic revival in so-called churches that compromise the Word of God. Far too many modern churches teach that the Bible is a fallible book of moralistic stories and teachings that are to be doubted and dissected rather than trusted and obeyed. Those churches will not see revival.
Finally, Goforth taught that every revival is ultimately a call to Jesus. We will not see revival without meeting the condition of absolute unconditional surrender to Jesus Christ,
“…the call to revival must be a call to exalt Jesus Christ in our hearts as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is like an Everest peak, rising from the level plain. We must have room only for Him if we want Him to dwell with us at all. We must smash every idol, deny every urge of self.”
Our churches will only see revival as we meet these same conditions: prayer, trusting God’s Word, and exalting the Lord Jesus Christ.