The depravation of human nature

The revival preachers of past ages were approved by God and the Holy Spirit could only confirm the Word of God in their mouths. They were not afraid to expose the realities of sin in the human heart. Here is the first reason Charles Finney gives on the weakening of modern revivals :

"Today we probe much less deeply the human heart. The depravity of human nature is not fully expounded. It is generally observed that unrepentant sinners have shown in recent years only very slight opposition to revivals. This has been confirmed to me by a brother who has long been ministering as an evangelist. I do not believe that the carnal thoughts of men are no longer in conflict with God. But I fear that the hearts and minds of this conflict have not been fully brought to light. I fear that the indescribable depravity of the human heart, as we did before, may not be completely exposed. A few sermons are preached in every revival on the theme of moral depravity. But I fear that this is by no means the great theme of preaching. It should be so, if one wants to deeply plow the fallow of the heart of the sinner as that of the Christian.

From my own experience and observations, as from the Word of God, I am fully convinced that the nature of revivals depends very much on the emphasis on the depravity of the human heart. His pride, his enmity against God, his crookedness, and all that God finds hateful, must be exposed to the light of His perfect law."

This text by Charles Finney came so well to confirm the thought that God was making shine in my heart lately, the fact that we dare not today to speak to the sinner of his sin and to expose it under his eyes. I encourage you to read Psalms 50: 16-23, and Ezekiel 43: 10-12.

Jeremy Sourdril