BREAKING UP THE FALLOW GROUND 

                      An Outline For Repentance 


     This ÿis ÿfor ÿChristians who have had trouble finding ÿthe ÿtrue 
peace that is promised with conversion.  ÿFor those who are frustrated 
because ÿthey are constantly struggling with weakness and ÿsin, ÿÿthis 
could well be the very help they've been praying for.  ÿCharles Finney 
saw ÿmore ÿtrue conversions in his life and ministry ÿthan ÿany ÿother 
American before or since.  ÿWe thank God for continuing to anoint ÿand 
use his writings.  ÿMany thousands have been helped by this article to 
break ÿthrough to God's precious forgiveness.  ÿRemember one thing ÿas 
you ÿread this - God loves you so much, ÿand is waiting for you to ÿbe 
thoroughly ÿcleansed by His grace through repentance.  ÿ- ÿÿKeith ÿand 
Melody Green 

     The Jews were a nation of farmers, ÿand it is therefore a ÿcommon 
thing for God to refer, ÿin the Scriptures, to scenes from their daily 
lives ÿas ÿillustrations.  ÿÿHosea ÿaddresses ÿthem ÿas ÿa ÿnation ÿof 
backsliders, ÿÿbut uses words that farmers and shepherds are ÿfamiliar 
with.  ÿÿHe rebukes them for their idolatry and sharply warns them ÿof 
the impending judgments of God. 
     A revival consists of two parts: ÿits effect on the Church, ÿÿand 
its effect on the ungodly.  ÿI will speak at this time of a revival in 
the Church.  ÿFallow ground is ground which has once been tilled, ÿbut 
now ÿit lies waste and has gotten hard.  ÿIt needs to be broken up and 
made soft again, before it is ready to receive seed. 
     If you mean to break up the fallow ground of your heart, you must 
begin ÿby looking at your heart: ÿexamine carefully the state of ÿyour 
mind ÿand ÿsee where you are.  ÿMany people never even seem ÿto ÿthink 
about ÿdoing this!  ÿThey pay no attention to their own ÿhearts, ÿÿand 
never ÿknow whether they are doing well in their walk with the Lord or 
not; whether they are gaining ground or going backwards; ÿwhether they 
are bearing fruit or are totally barren.  ÿNow you must draw off ÿyour 
attention from all other things and look into this right now!  ÿMake a 
business of it, do not be in a hurry.  Examine the state of your heart 
thoroughly, ÿand see where you are: are you walking with God everyday, 
or with the Devil? 
     Self-examination ÿconsists of looking at your life, ÿÿconsidering 
your ÿmotives ÿand actions...calling up your past and seeing its ÿtrue 
character.  Look back over your past history.  Take up your individual 
sins one by one, ÿand look at them.  This doesn't mean that you should 
just take a casual glance at your past life, ÿand see that it has been 
full of sins and then go to God and make a sort of general confession, 
asking forgiveness.  ÿThis is not the way.  ÿYou must take them up one 
by one.  ÿIt's a good idea to take a pen and some paper as you go over 
them, and write them down as they come to mind. 
     Go ÿover them as carefully as a businessman goes over his ÿbooks; 
and ÿas often as a sin comes to your memory, ÿwrite it down!  ÿGeneral 
confessions of sin are not good enough.  ÿYour sins were committed one 
by ÿone; ÿand as much as you are able, ÿthey ought to be reviewed ÿand 
repented of one by one.  ÿNow begin, ÿand start with what are usually, 
but ÿimproperly called 'sins of omission' ÿ(i.e. ÿthings you didn't do 
that you should have). 

INGRATITUDE (unthankfulness).  ÿTake this sin, for example, ÿand write 
down under this heading all the times you can remember where you ÿhave 
received ÿgreat blessings and favors from God for which you have never 
given ÿthanks.  ÿÿHow many cases can you remember?  ÿÿSome ÿremarkable 
protection ÿwhere your life was spared, ÿsome wonderful turn of events 
that saved you from ruin.  ÿWrite down the instances of God's goodness 
to you when you were living in sin, ÿbefore your conversion, for which 
you have never been half-thankful enough; ÿand the uncountable mercies 
you ÿhave ÿreceived ÿsince.  ÿHow long the list of ÿtimes ÿwhere ÿyour 
ingratitude has been so black that you are forced to hide your face in 
shame!  ÿGet on your knees and confess them one by one to God, and ask 
Him to forgive you.  As you're confessing these, they will immediately 
remind ÿyou of others...write these down too!  ÿGo over them three ÿof 
four times in this way, and see what an incredible number of times God 
has given you mercy for which you have never thanked Him! 

LACK OF LOVE FOR GOD.  ÿThink how grieved and alarmed you'd be, if you 
suddenly ÿrealized ÿa great lack of affection for you ÿin ÿyour ÿwife, 
husband, ÿor children; if you saw that someone else had captured their 
hearts, ÿthoughts and time.  ÿPerhaps in such a case you would ÿalmost 
die with a just and holy jealousy.  ÿNow, ÿGod calls Himself a jealous 
God. ÿÿHave ÿyou not given your heart to other ÿloves ÿand ÿinfinitely 
offended Him? 

NEGLECT OF THE BIBLE.  ÿPut down the cases where for perhaps weeks, or 
longer, God's word was not a pleasure.  Some people, indeed, read over 
whole chapters in such a way, ÿthat afterwards they could not tell you 
what they had been reading.  ÿIf that is so with you, ÿno wonder ÿyour 
life has no direction, ÿand your religion (relationship with God), ÿis 
such a miserable failure. 

UNBELIEF.  ÿÿRecall the instances in which you have virtually ÿcharged 
the God of truth with lying, ÿby your unbelief of His express promises 
and declarations.  If you have not believed or expected to receive the 
blessings which God has clearly promised, you have called Him a liar. 

LACK ÿOF PRAYER.  ÿThink of all the times you have neglected ÿprivate-
prayer, ÿfamily-prayer and group-prayer meetings; ÿor prayed in such a 
way ÿas ÿto grieve and offend God more, ÿthan if you hadn't prayed ÿat 
all. 

NEGLECT OF FELLOWSHIP.  ÿWhen you have allowed yourself to make small, 
and ÿfoolish excuses that have prevented you from attending ÿmeetings. 
When ÿyou have neglected and poured contempt upon the gathering of the 
saints merely because you "didn't like church!" 

THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU HAVE PERFORMED SPIRITUAL DUTIES.  Think of all 
the times when you have spoken about God with such lack of feeling and 
faith, ÿin such a worldly frame of mind, ÿthat your words were nothing 
more than the mere chattering of a wretch who didn't deserve that ÿGod 
should ÿlisten ÿto him at all.  ÿWhen you have fallen down ÿupon ÿyour 
knees ÿand "said your prayers" ÿin such an unfeeling and careless way, 
that if you had been put under oath five minutes later, ÿyou could not 
say what you had been praying for. 

LACK ÿOF ÿLOVE ÿFOR ÿSOULS.  ÿÿLook around at ÿall ÿyour ÿfriends ÿand 
relatives, and ÿthink of how little compassion you have felt for them. 
You ÿhave stood by and seen them going straight to hell, ÿand it seems 
as though you didn't even care.  ÿHow many days have there been, ÿwhen 
you ÿhave ÿfailed to make their wretched condition the subject of even 
one ÿsingle ÿfervent ÿprayer, ÿor to prove any real desire ÿfor ÿtheir 
salvation? 

LACK OF CARE FOR THE POOR AND LOST IN FOREIGN LANDS.  Perhaps you have 
not ÿcared ÿenough ÿabout ÿthem ÿto even attempt ÿto ÿlearn ÿof ÿtheir 
condition.  ÿDo you avoid missions-magazines?  ÿHow much do you really 
know or care about the unconverted masses of the world?  ÿMeasure your 
desire for their salvation by the self-denial you practice, ÿin giving 
from ÿyour ÿsubstance to send them the gospel.  ÿDo you deny ÿyourself 
even the hurtful expenses of life, such as tobacco, alcohol, expensive 
food, ÿÿclothes, ÿand entertainment?  ÿDo you defend your standard ÿof 
living?  ÿWill you not suffer yourself ANY inconvenience to save them? 
Do you daily pray for them in private?  Are you setting aside funds to 
put into the treasury of the Lord when you go up to pray?  ÿIf you are 
not doing these things, ÿand if your soul is not agonized for the poor 
and ÿlost ÿof ÿthis world, ÿthen why are you such a ÿhypocrite ÿas ÿto 
pretend to be a Christian?  Why, your profession of faith is an insult 
to Jesus Christ! 

NEGLECT ÿOF ÿFAMILY DUTIES.  ÿThink of how you have lived before ÿyour 
family, how you have prayed, what an example you have set before them. 
What ÿdirect ÿefforts ÿdo ÿyou habitually ÿmake ÿfor ÿtheir ÿspiritual 
welfare? 

LACK ÿOF ÿWATCHFULNESS ÿOVER YOUR WITNESS.  ÿHow many times ÿhave ÿyou 
failed ÿto take your words and actions seriously?  ÿHow often have you 
entirely neglected to watch your conduct and speech, ÿand having ÿbeen 
off ÿyour guard, ÿhave sinned before the world, the church, and before 
God! 

NEGLECT TO WATCH OVER YOUR BRETHREN.  ÿHow often have you broken ÿyour 
covenant, ÿthat you would watch over them in the Lord?  ÿHow little do 
you ÿknow ÿor care about the state of their souls?  ÿAnd yet ÿyou ÿare 
under a solemn duty to watch over them.  ÿWhat have you done to get to 
know ÿthem ÿbetter?  ÿHow many times have you seen ÿyour ÿbrothers ÿor 
sisters ÿgrowing ÿcold ÿin ÿfaith and have not spoken ÿto ÿthem ÿabout 
it...neglecting ÿone ÿspiritual duty after another, ÿand you ÿdid ÿnot 
reprove ÿthem in love?  ÿYou have seen them falling into sin, ÿand you 
let ÿthem go on.  ÿAnd you pretend to love them?  ÿWhat ÿa ÿhypocrite! 
Would ÿyou watch your wife or child going into disgrace, ÿÿor ÿfalling 
into a fire, and hold your peace?  

NEGLECT OF SELF-DENIAL.  ÿThere are many professing Christians who are 
willing to do almost anything in religion that does not require ÿself-
denial.  ÿÿThey think they are doing a great deal for God, ÿand ÿdoing 
about as much as He ought to reasonably ask, ÿbut they are not willing 
to deny themselves any comfort or convenience whatever for the sake of 
serving ÿthe Lord.  ÿThey will not willingly suffer reproach ÿfor ÿthe 
name of Christ.  Nor will they deny themselves the luxuries of life to 
save ÿa ÿworld from hell.  ÿSo far are they from realizing that ÿself-
denial is a condition of discipleship, that they do not even know what 
it is. ÿThey never have really denied themselves a ribbon or a pin for 
Christ ÿand the gospel.  ÿOh, ÿhow soon ones such as these will be ÿin 
hell!  ÿÿSome are giving from their abundance, ÿand giving a lot, ÿand 
will even complain that others do not give more; when, in truth, ÿthey 
are ÿnot giving anything that they need, ÿor anything that they ÿwould 
enjoy if they kept it.  They only give of their surplus wealth! 

     Now we turn to sins of commission... 

LOVE OF THINGS AND POSSESSIONS.  What has been the state of your heart 
concerning ÿyour ÿworldly possessions?  ÿHave you looked ÿat ÿthem ÿas 
really ÿyours - as if you had a right to use, ÿor dispose of ÿthem ÿas 
your own?  ÿIf you have, ÿwrite it down!  ÿIf you have loved property, 
and sought after it for its own sake, or to gratify ambition or to lay 
it up for your family, you have sinned and must repent. 

VANITY.  ÿHow many times have you spent more time decorating your body 
to go to church than you have in preparing your heart and mind for the 
worship of God?  ÿYou have cared more about how you appeared outwardly 
to men than how your soul appeared in the sight of God.  You sought to 
divide the worship of God's house, ÿto draw off the attention of God's 
people, ÿto look at your pretty appearance.  ÿAnd you pretend that you 
do not care anything about having people look at you.  Be honest about 
it!  ÿÿWould you take all this pain about your looks if ÿevery ÿperson 
were blind? 

ENVY.  ÿÿLook at the cases in which you were jealous of those who were 
in ÿa higher position than you.  ÿOr perhaps you have envied those who 
have been more talented, ÿor more useful than yourself.  ÿHave you not 
so envied some, ÿthat it has caused you pain to hear them praised?  It 
has pleased you more ÿto ÿdwell ÿupon ÿtheir ÿfaults ÿthan ÿupon their 
virtues...upon their failures rather than their successes.  ÿBe honest 
with yourself, ÿand if you have harbored this spirit of hell, ÿÿrepent 
deeply before God. 

BITTERNESS.  ÿÿRecall all the instances in which you have ÿharbored ÿa 
grudge, ÿÿor ÿa ÿbitter ÿspirit toward someone, ÿÿor ÿhave ÿspoken ÿof 
Christians ÿin a manner completely devoid of charity and love.  ÿÿLove 
"hopes all things", ÿbut you have given no benefit of doubt, ÿand have 
suspected the worst! 

SLANDER ÿ(gossip).  ÿÿThink ÿof all the times you have ÿspoken ÿbehind 
people's backs of their faults, ÿreal or supposes, ÿunnecessarily ÿand 
without ÿcause.  ÿThis is slander.  ÿYou need not lie to be guilty ÿof 
slander; to tell the truth with the intent to injure is slander. 

LEVITY (a spirit of excessive humor).  How often have you joked before 
God, ÿÿas ÿyou ÿwould ÿnot have dared in the presence ÿof ÿan ÿearthly 
dignitary or important official.  ÿYou have either been an atheist and 
forgotten that God existed, ÿor have had less respect for Him and ÿHis 
presence, than you would have had for a mere judge on earth. 

LYING.  ÿNow understand what lying is.  Any form of designed deception 
is ÿlying.  ÿIf you purpose to make an impression other than the naked 
truth, ÿyou lie.  Put down all those cases you can recollect.  ÿDo not 
call them by any soft names.  God calls them lies and charges you with 
lying, ÿso you'd better charge yourself correctly!  ÿThink of all your 
words, ÿÿlooks, ÿand actions designed to make an impression on ÿothers 
contrary to the truth, for selfish reasons. 

CHEATING.  ÿSet down all the cases where you have dealt with anyone in 
a way you, yourself would not like at all.  That is cheating.  God has 
said that we should treat all men in the same manner we would like ÿto 
be treated.  ÿThat is the rule.  And if you have not done so you are a 
cheat!  ÿGod did not say that you should do what you would expect them 
to ÿdo, ÿÿfor if that were the rule it would allow for ÿall ÿkinds ÿof 
wickedness in our actions.  ÿBut it says, "Do what you would want them 
to do to you!  ÿ(Have you cheated the government?  i.e., ÿunemployment 
insurance, ÿÿwelfare, ÿfood stamps, ÿsocial security, ÿstudent ÿloans, 
etc...gained by fraud?) 

HYPOCRISY.  For instance, in your prayers and confessions to God, ÿset 
down ÿall ÿthe ÿtimes in which you have prayed for things ÿyou ÿdidn't 
really ÿwant.  ÿHow many times have you confessed sins that you ÿnever 
intended to stop doing?  Yes, you have confessed sins when you knew in 
your heart you as much expected to go and repeat them, as you expected 
to live! 

ROBBING ÿGOD.  ÿThink of all the instances in which you ÿhave ÿtotally 
misspent your time, ÿsquandering the hours which God gave you to serve 
Him, ÿÿand ÿsave souls.  ÿPrecious time wasted in ÿvain ÿamusement ÿor 
worthless ÿconversation, ÿÿin reading worldly novels, ÿor ÿeven ÿdoing 
nothing; ÿÿcases ÿwhere you have misused your talents and ÿability ÿto 
think.  Think of how you have squandered God's money on your lusts, or 
spent ÿit ÿfor ÿthings which you really didn't need, ÿÿwhich ÿdid ÿnot 
contribute to your health, comfort, or usefulness. 

BAD TEMPER.  ÿPerhaps you have abused your wife, or your children, ÿor 
your family, or employees, or neighbors.  Write it all down! 

HINDERING ÿOTHERS FROM BEING USEFUL.  ÿYou have not only robbed God of 
your own talents, but tied the hands of somebody else.  ÿWhat a wicked 
servant is he who not only is useless himself, ÿbut hinders the ÿrest! 
This is done sometimes by taking their time needlessly.  Thus you have 
played into the hands of Satan, ÿand not only proved yourself to be an 
idle vagabond, but prevented others from working also. 

                 SOME IMPORTANT GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW 

     If you find you have committed a fault against anyone, ÿand ÿthat 
person ÿis within your reach, ÿgo and confess it immediately, ÿand get 
that ÿout of the way.  ÿIf they are too far away for you to go and see 
them, ÿÿsit ÿdown ÿand write them a letter (or better yet ÿcall ÿthem) 
confessing ÿthe injury you have committed against them.  ÿIf you ÿhave 
defrauded anybody, send the money, the full amount and the interest. 
     Go thoroughly to work in all this!  ÿGo now!  ÿDo not put it off; 
that ÿwill only make matters worse.  ÿConfess to God those ÿsins ÿthat 
have been committed against God, and to man, those sins that have been 
committed ÿagainst man.  ÿDo not think about getting off easy by going 
around ÿthe ÿstumbling-blocks.  ÿÿTake them up out of ÿthe ÿway.  ÿÿIn 
breaking up your fallow ground, you must remove every obstacle. Things 
may be left that you may think are little things, ÿand you may ÿwonder 
why you don't have your peace with God, ÿwhen the reason is your proud 
and carnal mind has covered up something which God has required you to 
confess and remove. ÿBreak up all the ground and turn it over. ÿDo not 
turn aside for little difficulties; drive the plow right through them, 
beam ÿdeep, ÿÿand turn the ground up so that it all may be mellow ÿand 
soft, and fit to receive the grain and bear fruit, "a hundredfold". 
     When ÿyou ÿhave gone thoroughly over your whole history ÿin ÿthis 
way, if you will then go over the ground a second time, ÿyou will find 
that the ÿthings ÿyou have put down will suggest other things of which 
you have been guilty, connected with them, or near them.  Then go over 
it a third time, ÿand you will recollect other ÿthings ÿconnected with 
these. ÿAnd you will find when you are finished that you can ÿremember 
an amount of history in specific detail, ÿthat you did not think ÿthat 
you could remember even if you had all eternity. 
     Unless ÿyou take up your sins in this way, ÿand consider them ÿin 
detail, ÿone by one, ÿyou can form no idea of the amount or weight ÿof 
them.  ÿÿYou should go over the list as thoroughly, ÿand as carefully, 
and ÿas solemnly, ÿas if you were preparing yourself for the ÿjudgment 
(1Corinthians 11:31). 
     As ÿyou ÿgo over the catalogue of your sins, ÿbe sure to ÿresolve 
upon ÿimmediate ÿand entire reformation.  ÿWherever you find ÿanything 
wrong, ÿÿresolve at once in the strength of God to sin no more in that 
way.  ÿÿIt ÿwill ÿbe ÿof no benefit to examine yourself, ÿÿunless ÿyou 
determine ÿto ÿchange, ÿin every aspect, ÿthat which you find wrong in 
heart, temper, or conduct. 
     Set ÿyourself to the work now; ÿresolve that you will never ÿstop 
until ÿyou ÿfind ÿyou ÿcan ÿpray.  ÿLet there be ÿthis ÿdeep ÿwork ÿof 
repentance and full confession, this breaking down before God, and you 
will have as much of the spirit of prayer as your body can bear.  ÿThe 
reason why so few Christians know anything about the spirit of ÿprayer 
is ÿbecause ÿthey ÿnever would take the pains ÿto ÿexamine ÿthemselves 
properly, ÿand so they've never known what it is to have their ÿhearts 
all broken up in this way. 
     It will do no good to preach to you while your hearts are in this 
hardened, waste, and fallow state.  ÿThe farmer might just as well sow 
his ÿgrain upon concrete; ÿit will bring forth no fruit.  ÿThis is why 
there ÿare so many fruitless professing Christians in the Church, ÿand 
why ÿthere is so much technique and tradition, ÿand so little ÿsincere 
feeling.  ÿÿLook ÿat the Sunday-school for instance and see ÿhow ÿmany 
programs ÿand ÿtrappings ÿthere are, ÿand how little of the ÿpower ÿof 
Godliness.  ÿIf you go on like this, ÿthe work of God will continue to 
harden you, ÿand you will grow worse and worse, ÿjust as the rain ÿand 
snow ÿon ÿan ÿold ÿfallow field make the turf thicker ÿand ÿthe ÿclods 
stronger. 
     Professing Christians should never satisfy themselves or expect a 
revival just by getting all excited, ÿblustering about, and talking to 
sinners.  ÿThey must get their fallow ground broken up.  ÿYou may ÿget 
into ÿan excitement without this breaking up; ÿyou may show a kind ÿof 
zeal, ÿbut it will not last long.  ÿIt will not take hold of ÿsinners, 
unless ÿyour hearts are broken up.  ÿThe reason is, ÿthat you go about 
mechanically, ÿÿwithout the Spirit, ÿhaving not broken up your ÿfallow 
ground. 
     And now, finally, will you break up your fallow ground?  Will you 
enter ÿupon ÿthe ÿcourse now pointed out and persevere until ÿyou ÿare 
thoroughly awake?  ÿIf you fail here, ÿif you do not do this, ÿand get 
prepared, ÿyou can go no farther with me.  I have gone with you as far 
as I can, ÿuntil your fallow ground is broken up.  Now, ÿyou must make 
thorough work upon this point or all I have further to say will do you 
little good.  ÿNo, rather it will only harden, and make you worse.  If 
you ÿdo ÿnot set about this work immediately, ÿI ÿshall ÿtake ÿit ÿfor 
granted that you do not want to be revived.  ÿIf you do not do this, I 
charge you with having forsaken Christ, with refusing to repent and do 
your first works (Revelation 2:5)! 

From Chapter Three of "Revival Lectures" By Charles G. Finney 

Edited and Paraphrased by Keith and Melody Green 

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