Every man by his own natural will hates God. But when he is turned to the Lord by evangelical repentance, then his will is changed; then his conscience, now hardened and benumbed, shall be quickened and weakened; then his hard heart shall be melted, and his unruly affections shall be crucified. Thus, by that repentance, the whole soul will be changed, he will have new inclinations, new desires, and new habits. --George Whitefield

There is a vital connection between soul-distress and sound doctrine. Sovereign grace is dear to those who have groaned deeply because they see what grievous sinners they are. --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Josif Ton told me more about this covenant, and as he related the humble beginnings of the revival among Baptist, my heart burned with a desire to know more of the holiness of God.

Evangelical Christian groups in Romania-such as the Baptists, Pentecostals, and Brethren-are known as "the Repenters" by the secular world because of their emphasis on repentance at the time of conversion.

The center of the Romanian revival movement among Baptists today is in Oradea, a town in an agricultural region where there are many wine vineyards. The Second Baptist Church of Oradea was a sleeping giant. It had great potential but was spiritually stagnant. It's hard to believe the difference now.

The last time I preached there, more than 3,000 jammed every available seat on a Sunday evening. People stood in the aisles three and four abreast all the way to the pulpit and around the walls. The overflow rooms were crammed. Doors were open, and people stood outside in sub-zero temperatures. In another room away from the sanctuary, 100 people prayed for me while I preached.

However, prior to the awakening, the church did not even have Sunday evening services. The pastor at the time had a vineyard, and he and several church leaders sipped wine on Sunday evenings.

When that pastor resigned, the church called a man who was committed to prayer. At one point in his ministry this pastor was not allowed by the government to preach. During that time he gave himself to the ministry of intercession. After his arrival he immediately began to teach the church how to pray. He had everyone write a list of non-Christians, and the church began to pray specifically for these people.

This godly man also began to preach on the theme "The Repenters Must Repent." He preached repentance and taught prayer from December to the following June. Then the church entered into a covenant of repentance.

Every member covenanted to no longer partake of any alcohol. Also, they covenanted not to lie on their jobs, a characteristic of the people of that area. The believers committed themselves not to be conformed to the world. The Repenters repented.

The Holy Spirit was released with mighty power. Fewer than fifty had come to Jesus and were baptized in that church during the year prior to this godly pastor's arrival. The church baptized more than 200 people in the six months after entering into the covenant. The church continues to grow and has become one of the greatest churches in all of Europe.

We must learn that God is holy. If we are to experience the manifest presence of God's glory, we must repent. When Isaiah saw the glory of God in the Temple, he was driven to brokenness, confession, and repentance. Too many in the West desire to know the manifest love of God without the manifest holiness of God. We have lost the message of repentance. Now the church in the West is the sleeping Giant. The church in the East sends a strong message: The Repenters must repent!

Many have attached themselves to the church without becoming "repenters." We have preached a gospel without a distinct call for repentance. But throughout the Scriptures we are admonished to repent and believe. John the Baptist preached and baptized with a "baptism of repentance" prior to the ministry of reconciliation of Jesus.

In the United States several years ago, I was witnessing to a group of homosexuals. The leader claimed to be the pastor of a homosexual church and said that he had "accepted Jesus as my Savior" and yet continued in his homosexual life-style. He believed there was no need for repentance.

This lack of repentance is typical. Recent Gallup polls show millions of people in America having had "born again" experiences. Yet there has been very little impact on the moral fiber of the country. The great awakenings of the past have always affected the morality of the people awakened and the communities in which they lived.

The disciples of Jesus were first called "followers of the Way." Jesus was the way. When they decided to follow Jesus, they decided to follow an entirely new way of life. That is simple repentance, a willingness to leave the old way of life in order to follow "the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus says, "No man can serve two masters. He will love the one and hate the other."

Repentance is the liberation of the will by Jesus Christ to serve God. The will is in bondage to sin prior to conversion. Salvation takes place when a person realizes his hopelessness and absolute need of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When by faith he receives Jesus, he is made a new person He now has a desire not to follow his old ways but to follow Jesus. He is placed on a highway called holiness. It is a highway upon which he will travel for the remainder of his life by the power of God.