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.