---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after…"
description: "\"“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than a ge..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg"
---

#  again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of…

![“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than a generation or two from infidelity, unbelief, massive idolatry, disobedience, and wrath. God help us.” quote by D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg)

> ““again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than a generation or two from infidelity, unbelief, massive idolatry, disobedience, and wrath. God help us.””

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even after spiritual revivals, societies quickly revert to sin, requiring continual vigilance and divine assistance.

**In simple terms:** Revival periods are short; faith wanes quickly.

Key Takeaway

Stay vigilant and seek God's help.

Themes

faith revival human frailty spiritual vigilance divine aid

Mood

reflective somber hopeful

Type

God help:1 Revival:1 Time:0 Covenantal Renewal:1 Revival Reformation:0 People God:0 Sober Lesson:1

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- personal prayer
- community building
- education
- counseling

Key Concepts

theology human nature covenant relationship

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards prevent spiritual decline?
- How can communities sustain renewal?

A Different Perspective

It may not account for cultural differences in religious experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Revival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revival/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [If our hearts and minds are not properly transformed, we are like musicians playing untuned instruments, or engineers working with broken and ill-programmed computers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lovelace/if-our-hearts-and-minds-are-not-properly-transformed-we-are-like/)

[Richard Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lovelace/)

> [Only a true faith that applies God’s Word to everything-incl uding economics-will lead to the revival and reformation our culture needs so badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/only-a-true-faith-that-applies-god-s-word-to-everything-incl-uding/)

[R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/)

> [“Often men have acted as though one has to choose between reformation and revival. Some call for reformation, others for revival, and they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/often-men-have-acted-as-though-one-has-to-choose-between-reformation/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [God is calling forth a generation that is passionate for His presence. A generation that knows who they are and Whose they are. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaeson-ma/god-is-calling-forth-a-generation-that-is-passionate-for-his-presence/)

Jaeson Ma

> [For many people, God is a frightening idea. Asking God for help doesn't seem very comforting if we think of Him as something outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/for-many-people-god-is-a-frightening-idea-asking-god-for-help-doesn-t/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Prayer is not a painful effort to gain from God help in the varying needs of life. Prayer is the desire to possess God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhu-sundar-singh/prayer-is-not-a-painful-effort-to-gain-from-god-help-in-the-varying/)

[Sadhu Sundar Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhu-sundar-singh/)

> [“Perhaps the most frightening cases are those where countless sins are committed by many, many people, and God does absolutely nothing about it. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/perhaps-the-most-frightening-cases-are-those-where-countless-sins-are/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/no-nation-can-be-strong-except-in-the-strength-of-god-or-safe-except/)

[Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/)

> [Things change and so do people but God's love will never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/things-change-and-so-do-people-but-god-s-love-will-never-change/)

[Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/)

> [If other people choose to believe because I do, great. I want to show people God's love through what I do and who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-aiken/if-other-people-choose-to-believe-because-i-do-great-i-want-to-show/)

[Clay Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-aiken/)

> [I don't save people. God saves people. I can point them in the right direction. I can say, 'There's that door. I think if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/i-don-t-save-people-god-saves-people-i-can-point-them-in-the-right/)

[Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/)

> [Love the people GOD gave you because you will need them back one day!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenzie-lynn/love-the-people-god-gave-you-because-you-will-need-them-back-one-day/)

[Kenzie Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenzie-lynn/)

> [Forgive people so that God may Forgive you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/forgive-people-so-that-god-may-forgive-you/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [I could not say I believe. I know! I have had the experience of being gripped by something that is stronger than myself, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-could-not-say-i-believe-i-know-i-have-had-the-experience-of-being/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It's hard to know, isn't it, whether the things we face are just because the world is full of sin and sinful people, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-goyer/it-s-hard-to-know-isn-t-it-whether-the-things-we-face-are-just/)

[Tricia Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-goyer/)

## More by D.A. Carson

> [“Looking closely at what these young people believe, one discovers that they have evidently never been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. The absence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/looking-closely-at-what-these-young-people-believe-one-discovers-that/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“If chastening were merely a matter of remedial education to morally neutral people, the timing and severity would not matter very much; we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/if-chastening-were-merely-a-matter-of-remedial-education-to-morally/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“The initial impetus to cross lines of race and heritage with the Gospel of Jesus Christ arose not from a committee planning world evangelization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-initial-impetus-to-cross-lines-of-race-and-heritage-with-the/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“The greatest intercessors have always recognized that far more connects them with the common lot of sinners than what distinguishes them—and in any case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-greatest-intercessors-have-always-recognized-that-far-more/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we then engage in something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/we-cannot-imagine-that-the-church-gathers-for-worship-on-sunday/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“Be patient; it is better to be a chastened saint than a carefree sinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/be-patient-it-is-better-to-be-a-chastened-saint-than-a-carefree-sinner/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“Where there is flagrant disavowal of the truths essential to the gospel, where there is persistent and high-handed disobedience to the commands of Jesus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/where-there-is-flagrant-disavowal-of-the-truths-essential-to-the/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“To appeal…to some ill-defined and sentimental notion of love as the ground for contravening Scripture may be a lot of things, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/to-appeal-to-some-ill-defined-and-sentimental-notion-of-love-as-the/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“genuinely righteous people invariably become more aware of their personal guilt and need for forgiveness than those who have become so foul and hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/genuinely-righteous-people-invariably-become-more-aware-of-their/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“By the time of the Mosaic covenant, the peace offering (Lev 17:11ff.) was the divinely prescribed means of maintaining a harmonious relationship between God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/by-the-time-of-the-mosaic-covenant-the-peace-offering-lev-17-11ff-was/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting-god-is-either/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“Christians do not restrict their moral horizons to immediate results; they make their ethical decisions from an eternal perspective (p. 52).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/christians-do-not-restrict-their-moral-horizons-to-immediate-results/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“Forbearance and genuine tenderheartedness are much tougher than niceness, and sometimes…tough love is confrontational (p. 54).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/forbearance-and-genuine-tenderheartedness-are-much-tougher-than/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

> [“IN THE MOST CRUCIAL EVENTS IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY, God takes considerable pains to ensure that no one can properly conclude that these events have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-the-most-crucial-events-in-redemptive-history-god-takes/)

[D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

[Explore all 56 D.A. Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/)

## More God help quotes

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“It was one of those great iron afternoons in London: the yellow sun being teased apart by a thoasand chimneys breathing, fawning upward without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/it-was-one-of-those-great-iron-afternoons-in-london-the-yellow-sun/)

[Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/)

> [God, help me to focus on Truth instead of the trial. Help me to give thanks instead of giving into fear. Help me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-daugherty/god-help-me-to-focus-on-truth-instead-of-the-trial-help-me-to-give/)

Whitney Daugherty

> [God helps those who persevere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quran/god-helps-those-who-persevere/)

[Quran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quran/)

> [“I merely don't like drafts, or servants falling and breaking their ankles, making them incapable of serving me." "I understand completely." Her gaze held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/i-merely-don-t-like-drafts-or-servants-falling-and-breaking-their/)

[Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/)

> [God makes things happen for a reason. So just remember, when something bad happens, God will always help you. (: so smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-makes-things-happen-for-a-reason-so-just-remember-when-something/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Learn from the Word of God. It will help you stay on course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/learn-from-the-word-of-god-it-will-help-you-stay-on-course/)

[Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/)

> [“Please, God, help me not to be afraid to love again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gillenwater/please-god-help-me-not-to-be-afraid-to-love-again/)

[Sharon Gillenwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gillenwater/)

> [We do not need to achieve some minimum level or capacity or goodness before God will help - divine aid can be ours every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-todd-christofferson/we-do-not-need-to-achieve-some-minimum-level-or-capacity-or-goodness/)

[D. Todd Christofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-todd-christofferson/)

> [“When we arrived at the wedding at Marlboro Man’s grandparents’ house, I gasped. People were absolutely everywhere: scurrying and mingling and sipping champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-we-arrived-at-the-wedding-at-marlboro-man-s-grandparents-house-i/)

[Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/)

> [God help you if you are an ugly girl, 'course too pretty is also your doom, 'cause everyone harbors a secret hatred for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/god-help-you-if-you-are-an-ugly-girl-course-too-pretty-is-also-your/)

[Ani Difranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/)

> [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“As a crack crime fighting, balls to the wall, kick-ass team they were the shit – as two people talking about their lives and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lewis/as-a-crack-crime-fighting-balls-to-the-wall-kick-ass-team-they-were/)

Taylor Lewis

> [I think there was a reason God helped me escape... and I don't take my freedom for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-murad/i-think-there-was-a-reason-god-helped-me-escape-and-i-don-t-take-my/)

[Nadia Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-murad/)

> [Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/loving-god-help-us-remember-the-birth-of-jesus-that-we-may-share-in/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

Browse all 658 God help quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than a generation or two from infidelity, unbelief, massive idolatry, disobedience, and wrath. God help us.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "D.A. Carson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "God help"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bb/d-a-carson-2-12097_god-help_again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after_1706.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal…” — D.A. Carson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "D.A. Carson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“again. Here is a sober lesson....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
