I’ve been reading a bit of church history lately, and I’ve noticed how the great gospel “revivals” never last more than a generation. You consider spiritual “high points” such as the English reformation, the Puritan era, or the Evangelical revival - all lost their steam within a few years. A little closer to home, many look back at the early nineties as a “golden age” for the diocese, and are wondering if the glory days are behind us.

I used to feel confused and discouraged by all this. After all, if a movement is from God, shouldn’t we expect it to last? But my thinking was wrong. A Christian revival consists of a multitude of individual souls, each born again into new life with Christ. When we realise this, we see it is impossible for a revival to last any longer than those involved in it. By definition it must end within a generation. And the next generation must then be evangelised and converted afresh.

The work never lasts because it cannot - every generation must discover and proclaim the gospel anew. Every generation must fight the same battles against error and unbelief. We need a new Luther, a new Calvin, a new Spurgeon - we need them for this generation, and for every generation. There is no need to wish that we had lived in days gone by. The time of God’s great work in the world is now, and it will ever be so. These are exciting days.