Conversion in Both Testaments.
By C. P. Bollman
PRIMARILY conversion means "the act of turning or changing from one state or condition to another." Theologically it is defined as "a radical change of moral character; a change from the service of this world to the service of God; a change of the ruling disposition of the soul, and the appropriate effect in transforming the outward life." And in the Scriptures it is called a new birth. Said the Saviour to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." But the learned Pharisee, though "a master of Israel," incredulously asked: "How can a man be born when he is old?" "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." But Nicodemus still marveled; and then the Saviour told him that it was the work of the Spirit. Said the Master: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." But he could not comprehend it; neither can any one who has not felt in his own heart the transforming and renewing influences of the Spirit of God. The apostle Paul illustrates conversion by a death, burial, and resurrection; he says:— "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." Rom. 6: 2-7. The change which is wrought in the individual by conversion is thus described by the apostle: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice." Eph. 4: 22-24, 30, 31. There must be an entire change; the old man is to be put off, and the new man put on; and this new man "is created in righteousness and true holiness." Or, as we read elsewhere: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 5: 17, 18. If anything more is required to show the nature of the change, it is supplied by Romans 8: 1-17. The apostle there shows that the natural heart is opposed to the law of God (verse 7), but conversion brings the heart into harmony with the will of God; and instead of doing the works of the flesh (Gal. 5: 19-21), the individual now brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, which are in harmony with the law. Compare Rom. 8: 10-14 with Gal. 5: 22, 23. Thus we see that, as set forth by Christ and the apostles, conversion is a radical change which is wrought in each individual through the instrumentality of the Spirit of God. And with this agree the Old Testament scriptures. For instance, we read of David, that after he was brought to repentance of his sin (2 Sam., chaps. 11, 12), he prayed: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." Ps. 51: 12, 13. What the psalmist understood by conversion we learn from verses 1, 2, 9-11, of the same psalm. He prayed: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." "Ye must be born again," says the Saviour: "Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;" and "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature," says the apostle, while the psalmist prayed, "Create within me a new heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Who can doubt that these expressions all refer to conversion? Ezekiel, too, used similar language; he says: "Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Eze. 18: 30, 31. The case of Saul (1 Sam. 10) is another positive testimony that conversion is taught quite as plainly in the Old Testament as in the New, and fully justifies the Saviour's question to Nicodemus when he avowed his ignorance of this subject: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" There was that man, "a master of Israel," ignorant that the Scriptures, with which he had been familiar all his life, taught a change of heart! Said the prophet to Saul: "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man." 1 Sam. 10: 6. And again we read: "And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day." Verse 9. This can mean nothing less than that Saul was converted. Not one essential element is lacking. The prophet made known to him the will of God, then Saul signified his willingness to obey, and "God gave him another heart," or, as Samuel had said, he was "turned into another man;"—in short, to express it in New Testament language, he was "born again." And thus it is clearly shown that the doctrine of conversion is common to both Testaments, and that the agencies by which it is accomplished have ever been the same; namely, the word and Spirit of God. The fact that Saul did not retain his integrity, but grieved away the Spirit of God, and finally died by his own hand, does not, as some have imagined, disprove the genuineness of his conversion; it only disproves the delusive doctrine of "once in grace always in grace," and gives force to the admonition of the apostle, who says:— "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph. 6: 11-13. Paul even feared that after having labored for others he himself might lose the prize; he said: "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." To take any other course is to presume upon the mercy of God; it is to become an unfruitful branch, "whose end is to be burned;" for says the Saviour: "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15: 5, 6. There is nothing so hazardous in the Christian life as is the condition of being at "ease." It is to the lukewarm that the Saviour says: "I will spew thee out of my mouth." Rev. 3: 16. Then let any who feel that they are being separated from Christ, heed the words of the prophet: "Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. . . And we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hos. 6: 1-3. But if we do not "follow on" the decree will go forth, "cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke 13: 7.