Conversion

We have studied regeneration, and we now come to conversion.

Regeneration is the giving of a new nature, while conversion is the first act of the new nature - the new nature asserting itself.
Regeneration is an act of God alone, while conversion is an act of the sinner alone. It is the first thing the renewed person does.

• Conversion consists of both repentance and faith.
  • these are always found together, and are never separated. see Mark 1 vs 15, Acts 20 vs 21, and consider the following pairs of references - Acts 3 vs 19/4vs 4, !0 vs 43/11vs 18, 17 vs 30/17 vs 34, 26 vs 18/26 vs 20.
• Conversion is God's gift.
  • see what is said about repentance in Acts 5 vs 31, 11 vs 18, 2 Tim 2 vs 25.
  • see what is said about faith in Rom 10 vs 17, 1 Cor 12 vs 3, Eph 2 vs 8.
  • salvation really is the gift of God's free grace!
• Conversion is essential to salvation.
  • Jesus said so! Matt 18 vs 3.
  • Only those who have faith have life. John 3 vs 16-18, Heb 10 vs 39, 1 Pet 1 vs 5.
  • Without repentance, we perish! Luke 13 vs 3,5, 24 vs 47, Acts 3 vs 19, 5 vs 31, 17 vs 30-31.
• What repentance is
  • it is not mere confession of sin, or remorse. Prov 28 vs 13, Matt 27 vs 3-5, Heb 12 vs 17.
  • it is something DONE. It is TURNING. Acts 3 vs 19, 26 vs 20.
  • the turning is from sin to God. Acts 14 vs 15, 26 vs 18.
• What faith is
  • it is knowing certain facts. Rom 3 vs 19-28, 1 Cor 15 vs 1-5.
  • it is believing them to be true. Acts 17 vs 2-4, 18 vs 4,19.
  • it is resting upon them :-
    • all other supposed ways of salvation are abandoned. Phil 3 vs 3-8.
    • all confidence in good works is forsaken. Titus 3 vs 5, Eph 2 vs 9, Rom 3 vs 28.
    • the person believing the facts puts his personal trust in a Person - the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 15 vs 11, 16 vs 31, John 1 vs 12, 3 vs 16, 4 vs 42, Gal 2 vs 20, 2 Tim 1 vs 12.
• Some mistakes to avoid
  • Do not confuse genuine conversion with counterfeit conversion
    • genuine conversion involves the mind, the emotions, and the will.
    • the repentant person knows his lost condition, has a broken heart, and turns.
    • the believing person knows the divine remedy, feels his need of Christ, and receives and rest upon Him alone as He is offered in the gospel.
    • an emotional walk 'to the front' is not conversion.
    • believing the right things is not conversion.
    • fitting in with Christian behaviour patterns is not conversion.
  • Do not mix up repentance with 'penance'
    • The Roman Catholic church has a doctrine of 'penance'
    • it says that if you are sorrowful for your sin, confess it to a priest, and do the work imposed on you by him, - he may then absolve you.
    • the notion is that the sinner can pay for his own sin, and thus secure favour with God.
    • this is a direct contradiction of biblical teaching.
    • no priest exists today - but our Lord Jesus Christ.
    • repentance recognises that the sinner is justly condemned,. and without any escape, except that provided in the gospel.
    • it goes hand in hand with faith, and rests for its acceptance with God entirely upon the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Do not think that repentance and faith precede regeneration
    • it is widely taught that if you repent and believe, you will THEN be born again.
    • repentance and faith are seen as self-generated.
    • salvation and the new birth are seen almost as a reward for doing the right things.
    • this teaching is a subtle return to salvation by works.
    • it is plainly contradicted by God's Word - as we have seen tonight and in the two previous talks.
    • we must at all costs preserve the truth that salvation is a gift of God's free grace.
    • it is not faith that saved - not even faith in Jesus Christ.

It is JESUS CHRIST who saves - THROUGH faith!