THE
DOCTRINE OF CONVERSION
T.P.
Simmons
Turning
from the divine to the human side of salvation we are brought to a consideration
of conversion. We note:
I.
CONVERSION DEFINED
1.
CONVERSION PROPER
By
conversion proper we mean the technical and theological sense in which the term
is commonly used. In this sense it
has been defined as follows:
"Conversion
is that voluntary change in the mind of the sinner, in which he turns, on the
one hand, from sin, and on the other hand, to Christ. The
former or negative element in conversion, namely, the turning from sin, we
denominate repentance. The latter or positive element in conversion, namely the
turning to Christ, we denominate faith." And again: "Conversion is the human
side or aspect of that fundamental spiritual change which, as viewed from the
divine side, we call regeneration."-A. H. Strong, in Systematic Theology, p. 460.
We
may go further than Strong goes in the last quotation, and say that
regeneration, or the new birth, in its broadest sense, includes conversion. It
is thus presented in such passages as Jas. 1:18 and I Pet. 1:23, where the Word
of God is distinctly represented as the instrument of the
Holy Spirit in regeneration. If the
new birth meant only the impartation of life, then there would be no need of the
instrumentality of the Word. So we
may say that regeneration has both a divine and a human side. The divine side we
may call quickening, and the human side we may call
conversion.
2.
CONVERSION IN ITS GENERAL SENSE
"From
the fact that the word 'conversion' means simply a 'turning', every turning of
the Christian from sin, subsequent to the first, may, in a subordinate sense, be
denominated a conversion (Luke 22:32). Since regeneration is not complete
sanctification, and the change of governing disposition is
not identical with complete purification of the nature, such subsequent turnings
from sin are necessary consequences and evidences of the first (Cf. John 13:10).
But they do not, like the first, imply a change in the governing disposition;
they are rather new manifestations of the disposition already changed. For this
reason, conversion proper, like the regeneration of which it is the obverse
side, can occur but once."-A. H. Strong, in Systematic
Theology, p. 461. In this chapter we have reference to the technical and
theological sense of conversion as given in the first instance above.
II.
THE LOGICAL ORDER OF QUICKENING AND CONVERSION
As
stated above, quickening and conversion seem to be the divine and human sides of
regeneration or the new birth. It is our purpose at this time, therefore to
consider the question as to which is logically first, the divine side or the
human side, in regeneration. To propose this question is to answer it for all
that are capable of logical thinking. The divine side is most certainly
logically prior to the human side. In consideration of this position let us note:
1.
PROOF STATED
(1)
Conversion Involves Turning From Sin, and Man By Nature Is Unable To Do This.
Man
by nature is able to reform his life to some extent. He can turn from some forms
of sin. But he is unable by nature to change the governing disposition of his
nature. This is proved by Jer. 13: 23, which reads: "Can the Ethiopian change
his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that are accustomed
to do evil." The sinner is accustomed to do evil. Therefore
it is impossible for him to turn from evil (or sin) until his governing
disposition is changed. This is just as impossible as it is for the blackest
Negro to make himself white, or the leopard to divest himself of his spotted
robe.
(2)
Conversion is Pleasing to God, and the Natural Man Cannot Please God.
No
one can doubt the first part of the above statement. The last part is proved by
Rom. 8:8, which says: "They that are in the flesh cannot please God." This
includes all to whom God has not given a new nature.
(3)
Conversion is a Good Thing, and no Good Thing Can Proceed from the Natural
Heart.
Paul
said that there was no good thing in his fleshly nature (Rom. 7:18). This is the
only nature man has until God gives him a new one. And since no good can come
out of that in which no good exists, conversion cannot proceed from the fleshly
nature. Therefore the giving of the new nature, or
quickening, must come before conversion. To affirm otherwise is to deny total
depravity, which means that sin has permeated every part of man's being and
poisoned every faculty, leaving no good thing in the natural
man.
(4)
Conversion Involves Subjecting Oneself to the Will or Law of God, and This is
Impossible to the Natural Man. That such is impossible to the
natural man is established by Rom. 8:7, in which we read: "The mind of the flesh
is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be."
(5)
Conversion Involves Receiving Christ as One's Personal Saviour, which is a
Spiritual Thing, and the Natural Man Cannot Receive Spiritual
Things.
This
latter truth is declared in 1 Cor. 2:14, as follows: "The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he
cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged." If the truth of Christ's
saving power through faith is not a thing of the Spirit of
God, that is, a thing which man can understand only through the revelation of
the Spirit then what truth is a thing of the Spirit of
God?
(6)
Conversion is a Spiritual Resurrection, and in a Resurrection the Impartation of
Life Must Always Precede the Manifestation of Life in Coming Forth.
Conversion
is represented as a spiritual resurrection in Eph. 2:4-6, which says: "God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved);
and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus." The raising up here represents conversion. So
the question we are considering is as to which is first, the quickening or the
raising up. There can be no reasonable doubt that the quickening is first in a
logical sense.
(7)
Conversion Involves Coming to Christ, and the Act of the Father in Giving Men to
Christ Precedes Their Coming to Christ.
In
John 6:37 we read as follows: "All that the Father giveth me shall come unto
me." This passage certainly places the Father's act of giving men to Christ
logically prior to their coming to Christ. This act of the Father is a
discriminative, effective act, for all that are given come and all men do not
come. Thus this act of giving could not allude to the mere giving of the opportunity of coming to Christ nor could it allude to
so-called "gracious ability which is supposed by its advocates to be bestowed
upon all men. This act can refer to nothing short of the actual giving of men
over into the immediate possession of Christ by quickening them into life. Men
come to Christ in conversion. Thus quickening must precede conversion.
(8)
Conversion Involves Coming to Christ, and no Man Can Come to Christ Except God
Give Him the Ability to do so.
In
John 6:65 we read: "No man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of my
Father." This passage, as the one just noticed, does not refer to the mere
giving of the opportunity to come to Christ, nor to the
impartation of so-called "gracious ability" for the same reasons stated above in
comment on John 6:37. This latter passage, like the former one, refers to a
discrimative act. The context makes this clear in the case of John 6:65. The
words of this passage were spoken in view of and as an explanation of the fact
that some believe not.
Neither
of these latter passages can refer to any kind of mere assistance that God might
be supposed to bestow on the natural man, for repentance and faith cannot
proceed from the natural heart, as we have shown. Both passages can refer to
nothing short of the quickening power of God, in which men are enabled to come
to Christ.
It
being true that conversion is the result of quickening and therefore, not a
condition thereof, it may be asked how we are to understand those Scriptures
that make faith a condition of sonship. See John 1:12; Gal. 8:26. We reply that
these passages refer to sonship through adoption and not to
sonship through regeneration. As we have already noted, adoption is a legal
term. It comes as an immediate result of justification. It is not the same as
regeneration. It confers the right of sonship. Regeneration confers the nature
of sons.
III. THE CHRONOLOGICAL RELATION OF QUICKENING
Because
quickening logically precedes conversion is not proof that it does so
chronologically, or as to time. We maintain that quickening does not precede
conversion in matter of time, but that they both are synchronous or
simultaneous. Let us note:
1.
ARGUMENTS IN PROOF OF THIS
(1)
A Chronological Difference Between Quickening and Conversion Would Involve the
Monstrosity of an Individual With Life from Above and Yet in
Unbelief.
In
the impartation of divine life we partake of the nature of God (2 Pet. 1:4). And
it is impossible that such a nature should be in unbelief. All unbelievers are
spoken of in the Bible as being dead. Hence it cannot be that there is ever a
time when there is life without faith.
(2)
The Scripture Declares That Only He That Hath the Son Has Life.
This
is declared in 1 John 5:12. Having the Son involves believing on the Son. Hence
none have life except believers. Or, to put it another way, all that have life
are believers; therefore there can be no period of time between quickening and
conversion
2. EXPLANATION
How
can there be a logical succession without a chronological succession. A number
of illustrations could be given to show that this is possible, even in the
physical realm. One apt illustration is as follows. Imagine
a tube extending from the Atlantic coast of the United States to the Pacific.
Now imagine also that this tube is filled with an incompressible fluid. If
pressure is exerted on this fluid on the Atlantic coast, it will be registered
instantly on the Pacific. Yet, logically, the exertion of the pressure must
precede the registering of it at the other end.
Then
we give the following beautiful illustration of the simultaneousness of
quickening and conversion. It is from Alvah Hovey, as given by A. H. Strong: "At
the same time that God makes the photographic plate sensitive, He pours in the
light of truth whereby the image of Christ is formed in the soul. Without the
sensitizing of the plate, it would never fix the rays of light so as to retain the image. In the process of sensitizing,
the plate is passive; under the influence of light, it is active. In both the
sensitizing and the taking of the picture, the real agent is not the plate nor
the light, but the photographer. The photographer cannot perform both operations
at the same moment. God can. He gives the new affection, and at the same instant
He secures its exercise in view of the truth."
3. OBJECTION ANSWERED
To
the foregoing position it may be objected that "godly sorrow worketh
repentance," and that one dead in sin cannot have godly sorrow. This is true.
But godly sorrow works repentance instantaneously, and is
synchronous with repentance. It is impossible to conceive properly of a man
having godly sorrow without possessing also a changed mind or attitude towards
sin. Thus godly sorrow, the same as quickening, logically precedes repentance,
but neither of them precede it chronologically.