James H. Cagle Guest Columnist
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” (Psalm 19:7)
“Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people and say, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see and not perceive: for the heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them.” (Acts 28:25-27)
“Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19).
To go through a conversion or be a convert of some sort is to experience an alteration, a change from one state to another, a change of heart or disposition evidenced by a new course of life and love to God; change from one side, party or religion to another. One is not a convert and has not been converted and experienced conversion unless there is a change from what they were to what they’ve converted to.
Every true, born-again believer is a Christian that became a Christian by becoming a convert of Jesus Christ. They have turned from sin to Jesus Christ and had their life completely changed. They are not what they use to be. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Bible everywhere attributes salvation to God. To save the sinner is the work of God. Salvation includes bringing about this change of mind and heart that is called a conversion.
“The law is perfect” and therefore the standard of judgment to show the sinner the awfulness of his sin and his need of the Savior. Paul said, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). Because the people of Jesus’ day had rejected what they saw and heard, they were not receptacles of the truth and, therefore, would not have the faith to believe and be converted and be saved. Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The reason the word did not profit some who heard it was that it was not “mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).
Conversion or salvation is not possible without repentance. Repentance is to “change one’s mind and purpose.” “Repentance, to be of any avail, must work a change of heart and conduct” (Cuyler). Conversion is the evident outward change that corresponds to repentance and faith as an inner change.