The gospel’s power rests in Jesus’s ability to lead broken hearts and minds into His healing and hope. The conduit through which He heals and offers hope is relationships. If you, as a follower of Jesus, aren’t good at relationships, you’re working against the very purpose of your Lord. Regardless of how much you love Jesus, it’s just a bunch of noise if it isn’t reflected in your love for people. In “spirit-filled” circles, it seems (and I’m guilty of this) there are great strides to celebrate noise and call it revival. (1 Cor. 13:1) However, revival fails to fulfill its purpose when it is limited only to momentary events of God demonstrating His power. God comes near to change us from pious sterility to a loving, life-giving representative of His kingdom. If you keep returning to God’s presence for greater encounters while remaining unchanged, you are merely a revival junkie. How do you know if you are being changed? Look at the relationships around you. Are they getting healthier? Or do you find yourself spiritualizing your lack of connection and isolation? When the Holy Spirit draws near to revive a broken community, He works to fully reform each one’s behavior. He reforms behavior by making one fully aware of His nearness. His life in the believer will always provoke a fierce love for others, a love that is self-sacrificing, humble, and teachable.

God comes near to insert His nature into us. This is the essence of His incarnation and His indwelling Spirit. The transformation that we must anticipate is not only the removal of sinful behaviors but also the removal of selfish behaviors. This truth is foundational in John’s letter to the Church.

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone with this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure… In this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…”

(1 John 3:2–3, 10-11)