Am I Legit? Heart Authenticity

Real reform is a transformation in one's relationship with God.

In February 2023, a serene morning at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, transformed into an event that captured the global attention. What began as a routine chapel service stretched into a 16-day gathering of over 100,000 people, and the event is now known as the Asbury Revival. Critics questioned whether the event aligned with the biblical criteria of genuine reform. There was no explicit preaching of the gospel, conviction of sin, clear presentation of the cross, or call to repentance like historic revivals. Reports surfaced of angelic sightings, speaking in tongues, miraculous healings, and a "Cloud of the Spirit"—a heavy atmosphere interpreted as God’s tangible presence. God desires your authenticity!

Did this event it qualify as a "biblical revival" based on atmosphere and duration? In the end, what really changed to align with the Bible? While many celebrated the emotions, others noted that Asbury University is fostered in classical Wesleyan theology, which holds to doctrines such as sinless perfection and loss of salvation. The school also trains women for the pastorate. We these errors corrected?

The biblical record suggests a different standard when seeing the revivals of Josiah, Ezra, or even Pentecost. When we look at 2 Kings 23, we find that real reform is a transformation in one's relationship with God. It is not merely a feeling; it is an act of making changes to be obedient and reflect the character of Christ and the Bible. Real reform cannot contradict the Bible! Here are four surprising truths about the nature of real biblical reform.

1. True Change Begins with a Confrontation, Not a Ceremony.

In 2 Kings 23:2, King Josiah gathered the people to read the "Book of the Covenant"—almost certainly the book of Deuteronomy. This was not a religious celebration; it was a confrontation. Josiah had already been rebuked by God’s Word when a scribe read it to him, and he now sought to place the Word at the absolute center of the national attention.

We often think reform starts with outward action, but the biblical model shows it starts with listening and conviction from God's Word. Think of it this way. Most parents have told a child to clean their room, and five minutes later the child proudly announced, “It’s done!” The parent walks in, glances around, and…somehow it looks acceptable. Then the parent flips on the overhead light. And suddenly—disaster. Clothes are not put away, they’re just relocated. Toys are not organized, they’re strategically hidden. There’s a pile in the corner that wasn’t there before, and somehow the bed is doing more work than the closet ever did. What looked clean in the dim light is exposed for what it really is the moment the light comes on.

The Word of God is that overhead light. In the dim light of our own opinions, our lives look "clean enough." But when Scripture is opened, it exposes what we have learned to hide, excuse, or overlook.

Many people avoid reading or listening to the Bible because they are comfortable keeping the lights low spiritually. They convince themselves nothing is really wrong, but the Word exposes what they excuse. Some even prefer the darkness because they have learned to love the chaos of a messy, problematic life. Josiah simply turned the light on, and allowed the people to hear God’s voice through the reading of Scripture, and their heart’s changed. What is holding you back from doing the same?

2. Commitment Must Outlast Emotion (The Covenant Principle).

In 2 Kings 23:3, Josiah made a covenant before the Lord to walk in obedience with all his heart and soul. In modern English, we use words like "decision" or "promise," but these are far too weak to capture the Hebrew word berith. To make a covenant was to be "bound."

A covenant was so serious that the only way out was death. Either the parties remained faithful, or the covenant-breaker forfeited their life. Josiah’s commitment was so fierce that he was essentially volunteering to have his life taken if he went back on his word. This is the transition from mere affection to authority and belonging, because it is total heart surrender.

Consider the example of adoption. A family may have deep affection for a child long before the legal process is complete. But the day the judge signs the papers, everything changes. Affection becomes a binding covenant of authority. That child is no longer a guest; they are a son or daughter for life, under an unbreakable bond. That is the agreement Josiah entered into with God. True reform happens when we stop "admiring" God’s Word and start bending our hearts to it. Is your faith dear enough to you that you would be willing to die for it?

3. Reform Demands the Removal of Idols.

Once the heart is devoted, reform must move outward. Devotion to God always demands the removal of whatever competes with and contradicts Him. Josiah did not hesitate; he systematically destroyed the idols that had plagued the land. To understand the aggressive nature of biblical reform, we must look at the five categories Josiah targeted:

• Sacred Space Idols (Corruption in Worship): Josiah cleared statues of the demons of Baal and Asherah out of the Temple. Judah had shifted its attention off God and worshipped whatever it wanted. Man's will man's way truly became the focus. Today, this can be seen in seeker-friendly movement which places man at the center of worship, rather than God alone. While God loves the seeker, God will now bow his knee to him. Every knee must bow the knee to Almighty God.

• Institutional Idols (Corruption in Systems): Josiah removed priests who were not biblically qualified to serve because they were compromised and led the people in the worship of false gods. Modern reform requires identifying "heretic preachers" and institutional compromisem which are a dime a dozen on TV, radio, and the internet. This includes addressing the appointment of female clergy—a practice that violates the biblical qualifications for a pastor found in 1 Timothy 2 and 3.

• Sensual Idols (Corruption in Behavior): Josiah destroyed the houses of the qedeshim (homosexual cult prostitutes) operating in the temple, and stopped the sacrifice of children to Baal. Homosexuality, forbidden in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22) and in the New Testament (Romans 1:26–27), is now embraced by many churches waving a rainbow flag and preaching tolerance and diversity rather than the Gopsel of Jesus Christ, which saves from such sin. There was also no value placed on the sanctity of human life as Judah sacrifice live children on a fiery altar. America is no better. Some celebrate the murder of 1.14 million children through abortions in the U.S. in 2024. Such idols need to be torn down.

• Cultural Idols (Corruption in Tradition): Josiah removed the horses and chariots dedicated to the sun. These were present because Judah ignored God’s warning not to rely on the model of Egypt’s military might. He was their sole protector. Today, people trust in money, entertainment, politics, psychoogy, or cultural idols that numbs our conviction and allows Satan’s worldview to be accepted within the church. People want God's help, but they want it without God.

• Generational Idols (Inherited Compromise): Josiah traveled to Bethel and finally destroyed the altar Jeroboam built 300 years earlier that had been the symbol of Israel's rebellion. The behavior of wickedness had passed from king to king in Israel (Northern Kingdom) through 19 monarchies, without a single king turning to God. Assigning blame for bad behavior to upbringing or relatives is just an excuse. Anyone can choose to follow God and break down the sinful altars of past generations.

Devotion to God always demands the removal of whatever competes with Him. You cannot return wholly to the Lord while clinging to the very things He condemns.

4. Tearing Down is Only Half the Battle

After the idols were destroyed, Josiah reinstated the Passover (2 Kings 23:21-23). He understood that removing sin is only the first step; it must be replaced with the active obedience. This was not an innovation, but a return to what was written in the Book of the Covenant. In short, Josiah’s reform was about "Getting Back to the Bible."

This is the "Farmer’s Field Principle." A farmer may walk through his land and pull up every thorn, brush, and weed. But if he stops there, the field will not stay empty. Nature abhors a vacuum; the weeds will return. The clearing of the field is only the preparation for planting a crop. Josiah cleared the field of idols so he could plant the seeds of holiness through the Passover. Reform is not complete when sin is removed; it is complete when holiness is restored. If you cut off a source of temptation but do not replace it with prayer, Scripture, obedience, and fellowship, you have only created a void that sin will soon reclaim.

Conclusion: The Ripple Effect of a Surrendered Heart

History shows that when one heart truly reforms, a nation can follow. In 1904, a 26-year-old coal miner named Evan Roberts began praying for God to change his heart. He didn't have a marketing plan; he had a simple, four-fold message: obey Scripture, confess every known sin, remove every doubtful habit, and declare Christ openly.

The Welsh Revival of 1904-1906 resulted in an estimated 100,000 people being saved in a single year. The reform spread because one ordinary miner surrendered his heart to the Word of God, and that surrender became contagious.

Real reform is not found in an atmosphere of a room or the length of a service. It is found in a heart that has returned wholly to God. What specific sins are holding you back from being the next Josiah? True reform starts internally with a surrendered heart, but it must move outwardly into every area of your life to be real. It is time to flip on the light, pick up the Book, and see what needs to change.