Since the tragic news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I’ve noticed that many Christian news outlets, blogs, and podcasts have been discussing signs of a growing spiritual awakening. On the one hand, I genuinely pray that this is indeed the work of God’s sovereign hand. On the other hand, my inner skeptic springs to life. Questions begin to buzz in my mind. Could this truly be God moving, or might there be satanic deception at play? Is what we’re seeing a genuine move of the Spirit, or perhaps simply flesh? And as we watch these events unfold, I wonder—are we nearing the final moments of the church before the rapture and Christ’s return?

When my mind hums like this, I find myself turning to the Word and the 2000 years of Spirit-led teachers that God has blessed the church with. When I did that, I came across Jonathan Edwards. Edwards knew something about revival. He was the catalyst for the First Great Awakening (1730-1743). Reflecting on his experience of revival, Edwards wrote the now classic book A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. In the book, Edwards ransacks 1 John 4 and identifies five key marks of genuine revival. Just what I was looking for!

Here is what Edwards came up with:

  1. heartfelt conviction that Jesus is the incarnate, virgin-born, crucified Son of God and our Savior; 
  2. renewed longing to turn away from worldly pursuits and to embrace divine things; 
  3. deepening love for the Scriptures; 
  4. an honest and humble understanding of God, sin, and ourselves; and 
  5. a deepening love for God and fellow humans. 

Edwards also recognized that times of widespread renewal and revival can be marked by emotional and even physical experiences and excesses. Pentecostal and charismatic outpourings are not limited to 21st-century televangelists! Yet, according to Edwards, these things don’t invalidate genuine, God-driven times of rebirth. At best, they are secondary. The key for Edwards was love. He saw the singular sign of true personal regeneration, and the indwelling of the Spirit was love for others.

So, my inner skeptic is now at rest; in its place is real discernment. May we long for and pray for renewal while watching for it with a discerning eye.

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Published by Dan Starcevich

Hi, I am Dan Starcevich. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. I live in Windsor Colorado, just north of Denver. Not only do I run TheoFaith but I also serve as a professor at Tyndale Theological Seminary and Bible Institute, and I serve as the academic dean and professor of applied faith at Agathon University. I wasn’t always a theologian. I was in the United States Army for almost 10 years, then spent 30 years in the Aerospace and Defense industry. Thanks to the support of my wife I was also able to get degrees from Hawaii Pacific University (B.S.), The University of Southern California (M.S.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Thm.), and Tyndale Theological Seminary (PhD. and D.min). My deep desire is the see people grow in the knowledge of the Lord through deep, enriching, satisfying engagement with Scripture.

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