Revival, while deeply transformative and essential for the church, must always be tethered to the gospel.
In times of spiritual renewal, there is a tendency to elevate personalities, emotions, or movements over the
centrality of the gospel. This is a critical danger in any revival movement. The Apostle Paul warned the
Galatians about this in Galatians 1:6–9, where he wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”

Paul was addressing a distortion of the gospel, a counterfeit that looked life giving yet led people away
from the true message of salvation. As the church experiences renewal, we must continually return to the
gospel of grace, guarding against any message that adds to or takes from the finished work of Christ.

Christ, Not Personalities

Revival movements can elevate charismatic leaders who slowly take the place of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:12–13,
Paul addressed division in the church, “One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’, another, ‘I follow Apollos’, another,
‘I follow Cephas’, still another, ‘I follow Christ’.” Christ alone must be exalted in every movement of the Spirit.
Even in renewal, we must not lift up men or methods above the gospel.

The Peril of Gospel Drift

When revival is not clearly focused on the gospel, it drifts from Christ. Second Timothy 4:3–4 warns that
people will not endure sound doctrine, they will gather teachers who say what itching ears want to hear.
Movements that lack a gospel focus become centered on self-glorification, self-help, or emotional experience
rather than the glory of Christ.

The Gospel of First Importance

The gospel is Christ-centered. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again for the forgiveness of sins.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 Paul says the gospel
is of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures. No revival, no movement, no experience is true unless it magnifies the
gospel and exalts Jesus Christ.

How Do We Guard the Gospel in Times of Renewal

The first step is to remain rooted in Scripture. The Bible is our ultimate authority, keeping our faith and practice
anchored in the truth. Second Timothy 3:16–17 teaches that all Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Any movement that does not align with the biblical gospel is not of God.

The second step is discernment. We must carefully evaluate movements, leaders, and teachings. Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans who received the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to test what they heard. This is our model, test everything by the Word of God.

The final step is keeping Christ at the center. Revival is not about us, it is about Him. Colossians 1:18 reminds us that
Christ is the head of the body, the church, the beginning and firstborn from the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy in Him. Any movement that loses sight of the supremacy of Christ is not true revival.

Call to Action

As we consider guarding the gospel in seasons of renewal, ask yourself, “Am I staying rooted in Scripture?
Am I prioritizing Christ and His gospel in all things? Is the renewal I seek grounded in the truth of God’s Word?”
Commit to return again and again to the gospel, remembering that true revival centers on Jesus Christ and His finished work.

Pray for discernment in this season. Ask the Lord to protect the church from messages that distort the gospel, and to raise up leaders who proclaim the truth of Christ above all else.