Conversion: the turning around of a sinful, rebellious soul certainly does not lie in the will of unregenerate men. If your soul is ever turned to God and His Christ it will be accomplished by Omnipotence. Joseph Alleine in his Alarm to the Unconverted, said, “The devil has made many counterfeits of conversion, and cheats one with this, and another with that. He has such craft and artifice in his mystery of deceits that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect.” Great numbers assume conversion to be many things that it is not. It is not taking upon oneself the title ‘Christian’. Christianity is much more than a name. The Church at Sardis (Revelation 3:1) had taken upon them ‘a name to live,’ but Christ said they were dead. Those who ‘name the name of the Lord,’ but do not, ‘depart from iniquity’ are not converted. Neither is conversion putting on the badge of Christ in baptism; entire religious denominations are built on this assumption. We read in Acts eight that one Simon Magus tried this, but was found to be yet in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Conversion is radical and very extreme. The scriptural idea of conversion is turning one ‘from darkness to light.’ It is bringing men out of ‘death into life.’ It is a delivering of men from enmity towards God to a supreme love of Him. Conversion of salvation must be entirely of the Lord, because the task of accomplishing these things is impossible for fallen man who is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). The Apostle Paul describes conversion using his own personal experience in I Timothy 1:12-16, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” Clearly this inspired testimony takes no credit for itself, but rather gives all the glory of conversion to God alone; would to God that we had much more of this in our churches today. Again I quote from Joseph Alleine, “Conversion is a deep work – a heart-work. It goes throughout the man, through the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life.” God draws whom He chooses. The Spirit gives life. The Son sets free. And we’ve contributed nothing to it so that we forever give Him all the glory. ~~Terry Worthan, 1938-2022
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