CONVERSION by M. E. K.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 15, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 27.

CONVERSION.

By M. E. K.

IN the fourth chapter of Ephesians, verses 21-24, occurs one of the most striking illustrations of the way of conversion found in the Scriptures. Here are the words: "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." The very science of conversion is revealed in these words.

By "old man" we are to understand a natural man, anyone, before converted to Christ. The change from nature to grace, from sin to righteousness, is so great that it is illustrated by the idea of an old man who is made young again, or is all made over. The old man is full of sin. He is "corrupt." He has been seduced and molded by "deceitful lusts." He has been led to believe that there is happiness in those things, but he is deceived. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." The "pleasures of sin" are followed by quick remorse, loss of peace, unhappiness, misery, and often by disease and death. Finally "the second death" is the portion of all who do not repent.

Sin is a great deceiver; it promises everything and restores nothing. Happiness here and hereafter can only be attained by putting it away. It must be "put off." The word "consecration," as used in verse 22, means more than our words,—it means the whole bent of the mind and manner of life. All must go. The old man, selfish and corrupt, must take his departure forever. The new man—the new tenant, will not come in until the old man vacates.

In another illustration of the same truth (Rom. 6:6) Paul insinuates that the old man comes to his end by death. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Christ by his crucifixion and death made a way whereby all our sin may be destroyed. This includes the sinful nature which we inherit from Adam. It may be crucified with him and the body of sin destroyed, so that we no longer are his servants. So that we may say:—

"My sin, O the bliss of the glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!"

Not only is the former life put off—crucified and destroyed, but there is a change wrought, so that the new man appears. "Be renewed," says Paul, "in the Spirit of your mind." The mind is changed, converted, and becomes a new mind, hence, the new man.

But my friend, the scientist, tells me that character is fixed by formation and structure of the brain cells, that a long period of time is necessary to cause the formation of the brain in a certain way, and that a long time must be required to make a change in the brain; and hence in the character.

This idea of the scientist that character is denoted by the structure of the brain only adds a new beauty to the work of conversion. No doubt it is true that the very structure of the brain in the shape of all its minutest cells denotes the character of the man; that those cells have taken their peculiar shape because of his conduct; that all of the continuous actions of his life have left their impression, so that if we could understand it, we could see and read in the very shape and convolutions of the brain lust, hate, envy, selfishness and every sin.

A man starts out in life with but one object, to secure property. His whole soul is devoted to the cultivation of the plant of selfishness. How that plant under his careful tending does grow! He has nothing to give to the cause of God or for any benevolent purpose. He turns a deaf ear to the widow's prayer, or perhaps takes her little all through some carefully planned scheme, duly sanctioned by law; drives sharp bargains everywhere, and, like the horse leech, ever cries, Give, give. Even his own children, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, are scrimped in food, poorly clad, and dwarfed in mind, that his hoard may grow larger; and at every step in this direction his brain takes on a more decided cast to intensify and perpetuate his evil disposition.

But granting all this, can not God change it? "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" His power, who can measure it? He can change a thing gradually, or he can do it suddenly, as it shall please him. At the creation his Spirit moved upon the face of the deep, and order, beauty, and light came from chaos and darkness. So when God's Spirit moves upon the more wonderful deep of the human mind, and that mind, responding to the good revealed, submits to the better way made known, the whole is changed, the very structure of the brain is altered, so that as one might previously read in its very structure and shape every evil, he now may see every good. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:6. God would put something of the knowledge of his glory of character in our minds. He reads our minds more easily than we read the printed page, and no experienced printer could change the type and make a new proof so easily or quickly as almighty power can change the human mind from sin to righteousness.

True conversion brings this change, so that, as Paul himself said, "Therefore 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." 2 Cor. 5:17. So the new man, with a new mind, "which after God," according to God's wonderful working and character, "is created in righteousness and true holiness," takes the place of the old man. To use it is a miracle, but there are no miracles with God. It is easier to him than the performance of our simplest tasks are to us. Who does not desire to submit his mind to the influence of the Spirit of God, so that it may be changed, recreated in the likeness of the mind of the Son of God, and put on the "new man," "created in righteousness and true holiness," thus becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus? M. E. K. Battle Creek, Mich.