THE UNCOMMON REFORMER (Part 1 of 2)
After his conversion and dramatic baptism in the Holy Spirit, he quitted practicing law to enlist in the cause of Christ. He knew with a deep sense that God had commissioned him to preach the gospel. He found out that he was unwilling to do anything else, had no disposition to neither make money nor thirst after worldly pleasures. His whole mind was taken up with Jesus and the gospel. He departed from traditional Calvinist theology and taught salvation by choice to all. Central to his preaching was justification by faith. He advocated a “second blessing of the Holy Spirit” (sanctification) and also believed it was possible for Christians to backslide and lose their salvation as opposed to the erroneous eternal security preached today by many.
Finney was an active revivalist who through prayer “took short-cuts to men’s hearts, and demolished the subterfuges of unbelief by God’s Word”. His steadfastness in prayer impacted so much that the Holy Spirit would brood on the audience till they turned to Christ. In fact, a notorious bar owner became the true word of God.
Just at this point, the gospel of salvation opened to his mind. He saw clearly the reality and fullness of Christ’s atonement as a finished work of grace. Without being distinctly aware of it, he had stopped where the inward voice arrested him, crept into the place and soon broke down crying out, “Lord, I take thee at thy word, Thou knowest that I search for thee with all my heart and thou hast promised to hear me.” Soon after, his mind became most wonderfully quiet and peaceful. It was justification by faith! Peace with God was purchased, all sense of guilt were gone. Excitedly, he spoke out vowing that if that peace meant salvation, then, he would preach the gospel!
This remarkable experience of salvation marked the beginning of a life of exploit for Finney, and this is an indispensable foundation for anyone that will be used of God. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (II Timothy 2:19).
