Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/94

Contributor - Harry Frielink

Title - The Renewal We Need

Topic - Renewal

We need renewal more than life itself. Solomon says, "A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear" (Prov. 18:14)? Isaiah begins his prophecies saying that, "Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish" (Is. 1:28). In a world full of hurt and sin we all need renewal. Where we turn for this renewal will make all difference.

It is our hope that this issue of the Pioneer will stir you to look to God alone for renewal. Two months ago, we saw the solid tradition of faith upon which our churches rest. This month we will seek to build on that foundation. As followers of Christ let us not just have a form of godliness, let us live by the very power of godliness (2 Titus 3:5).

When God's Word speaks of renewal, it speaks of returning to the Lord. This idea involves a change in direction. The Lord says to Israel "if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chr. 7:14). At the very core renewal means to "come to" our senses, to make a complete turn around in direction, and like the prodigal son, return to our Father.

Once our lives are turned to God, we see that renewal does not lie within us, but solely in God. An often heard refrain of disillusioned university students goes like this: "I'm going to Europe to find myself." Most would scoff at such a remark, yet how often do we think of spiritual renewal as something as dreamy as that? We want to be renewed without turning, to God. Instead of boarding the plane for Europe, we slide into our pews expecting to find our selves. We look for self- improvement. We look for ways to make our lives more comfortable. We focus so much on our selves and our worldly concerns that renewal means little more than a vague hope of finding some add -on features for our comfortable lives. We don't want to turn our lives to God, we expect Him to turn to us. At our lazy convenience, we shop for some sort of 'spiritual fulfilment'. We try on forms of godliness as quickly as our Sunday clothes. How shallow!

Let us never confuse the bankrupt 'spiritual fulfilment', with the real renewal God offers us in Christ. Those in the world seek to find themselves; those in Christ lose themselves for His sake that they might find Life. The renewal God demands goes to the very core of our being, changing who we are and how we live. This renewal kindles faith that embraces Christ. As the Belgic Confession says: "we no longer look for anything apart from Christ". When we realize how futile it is to look anywhere but to Christ, then we find renewal. This is where God's healing lies.

When renewal came to Israel, they submitted to the Lord and served Him (2 Chr. 3 0:8). For us, this means giving up our stiff-necked ways. It means humbling ourselves. It means praying. And, it means following the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. In this kind of renewal, God promises that His eyes and heart will always be with us. "He will not turn His face from you if you return to Him" (2 Chr. 30:9).

It is our hope that these articles will help us in living the renewed life. In Christ, our lives witness to greatest renewal ever: God bringing life to dead souls. Let us live giving glory to God for this.

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