Reformation & Revival

Here is a quote from Death in the City by Francis A. Schaeffer...

The church in our generation needs reformation, revival and constructive revolution. At times men think of the two words, reformation and revival as standing in contrast to one another, but this is a mistake. Both words are related to the word restore.

Reformation refers to a restoration to pure doctrine, revival refers to a restoration in the Christian life. Reformation refers to a return to the teachings of scripture; revival speaks of a life brought into it's proper relationship to the Holy Spirit.

The great moments of church history have come when these two restorations have simultaneously come into action so that the church has returned to pure doctrine and the lives of the Christians in the church have known the power of the Holy Spirit. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation and reformation is not complete without revival.

Such a combination of reformation and revival would be revolutionary in our day.

May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival so that this poor dark world may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned to both pure doctrine and Spirit filled life.