http://www.samuelzwemerseminary.com/
The devil has made many counterfeits of conversion, and cheats
one with this, and another with that. He has such craft and artifice in his
mystery of deceits that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect.
Now, that I may cure the ruinous mistake of some who think they are converted
when they are not, as well as remove the troubles and fears of others who think
they are not converted when they are, I shall show you the nature of
conversion, both what it is not, and what it is. We will begin with the
negative. What conversion is NOT.
.
Christianity is more than a name. If we will hear Paul,
it does not lie in word—but in power (1 Cor 4:20). If to cease to
be Jews and pagans, and to put on the Christian profession, had been true
conversion—as this is all that some would have to be understood by it—who better
Christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea? These were all Christians by
profession, and had a name to live only; but because they had a name, they are
condemned by Christ, and threatened to be rejected (Rev 3:14-16). Are there not
many that name the name of the Lord Jesus, that do not depart from iniquity (2
Tim 2:19), and profess they know God—but in works deny Him? (Titus 1:16). And
will God receive these for true converts? What! converts from sin, when they
still live in sin? It is a visible contradiction. Surely, if the lamp of
profession would have served the turn, the foolish virgins had never been shut
out (Matt 25:12). We find not only professing Christians—but preachers of
Christ, and wonder-workers, rejected, because they are evil-workers (Matt
7:22-23).
Ananias and Sapphira, and Simon
Magus were baptized as well as the rest. How many make a mistake here, deceiving
and being deceived; dreaming that effectual grace is necessarily tied to the
external administration of baptism, so that every baptized person is
regenerated, not only sacramentally, but really and properly. Hence men fancy
that because they were regenerated when baptized, they need no farther work. But
if this were so, then all that have been baptized must necessarily be saved,
because the promise of pardon and salvation is made to conversion and
regeneration (Acts 3:19; Matt 19:28). And indeed, were conversion and baptism
the same, then men would do well to carry but a certificate of their baptism
when they died, and upon sight of this there were no doubt of their admission
into heaven.
In short, if there is nothing more to conversion, or
regeneration, than to be baptized, this will fly directly in the face of that
Scripture, Matt 7:13-14, as well as multitudes of others. If this is true, we
shall no more say, 'Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way' for if all that
are baptized are saved, the door is exceeding wide, and we shall henceforth say,
'Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads unto life.' If this is true,
thousands may go in abreast; and we will no more teach that the righteous are
scarcely saved, or that there is need of such a stir in taking the kingdom of
heaven by violence, and striving to enter in (1 Pet 4:18; Matt 11:12; Luke
13:24). Surely, if the way be so easy as many suppose, that little more is
necessary than to be baptized and to cry out, 'Lord, have mercy', we need not
put ourselves to such seeking, and knocking, and wrestling, as the Word requires
in order to salvation. Again, if this is true, we shall no more say, 'Few there
be that find it'; we will rather say, 'Few there be that miss it.' We shall no
more say, that of the many that are called, only 'few are chosen' (Matt 22:14),
and that even of the professing Israel but a remnant shall be saved (Rom 9:27).
If this doctrine is true, we shall no more say with the disciples, 'Who then
shall be saved?' [Matt 19:25] but rather, 'Who then shall not be saved?' Then,
if a man be baptized, though he is a fornicator, or a railer or covetous, or a
drunkard—yet he shall inherit the kingdom of God! (1 Cor 5:11 and 1 Cor
6:9-10).
But some will reply, 'Such as these, though they received
regenerating grace in baptism, are since fallen away, and must be renewed again,
or else they cannot be saved.'
I answer, 1. There is an infallible connection between
regeneration and salvation, as we have already shown. 2. Then man must be again
born again, which carries a great deal of absurdity in its face. We might as
well expect men to be twice born in nature as twice born in grace! But, 3, and
above all, this grants the thing I contend for, that whatever men do or pretend
to receive in baptism, if they are found afterwards to be grossly ignorant, or
profane, or formal, without the power of godliness, they 'must be born again'
(John 3:7) or else be shut out of the kingdom of God. So then they must have
more to plead for themselves than their baptismal regeneration.
Well, in this you see all are agreed, that, be it more or less
that is received in baptism, if men are evidently unsanctified, they must be
renewed by a thorough and powerful change, or else they cannot escape the
damnation of hell. 'Be not deceived; God is not mocked.'[Gal 6:7] Whether it be
your baptism, or whatever else you pretend, I tell you from the living God, that
if any of you be a prayerless person, or a scoffer, or a lover of evil company
(Prov 13:20), in a word, if you are not a holy, strict, and self-denying
Christian, you cannot be saved (Heb 12:14; Matt 15:14).
This
does not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, and therefore
cannot bring us to the kingdom of God (Matt 5:20). Paul, while unconverted,
touching the righteousness which is in the law was blameless (Phil 3:6). The
Pharisee could say, 'I am no extortioner, adulterer, unjust', etc. (Luke 18:11).
You must have something more than all this to show, or else, however you may
justify yourself, God will condemn you. I do not condemn morality—but I warn you
not to rest in it. Piety includes morality—but morality does not insure
piety.
It is manifest that men
may have a form of godliness, without the power (2 Tim 3:5). Men may pray long
(Matt 23:14), and fast often (Luke 18:12), and hear gladly (Mark 6:20), and be
very forward in the service of God, though costly and expensive (Isa 1:11), and
yet be strangers to conversion. They must have more to plead for themselves than
that they go to church, give alms, and make use of prayer, to prove themselves
sound converts. There is no outward service but a hypocrite may do it,
even to the giving of all his goods to feed the poor, and his body to be
burned (1 Cor 13:3).
It is too common
and easy to mistake education for grace; but if this were enough, who a better
man than Jehoash? While Jehoiada, his uncle, lived, he was very forward in God's
service, and calls upon him to repair the house of the Lord (2 Kings 12:2,7).
But here was nothing more than good education all this while; for when his good
tutor was taken away he appears to have been but a wolf chained up, and falls
into idolatry.
An apostate may be an enlightened man (Heb 6:4), and a Felix tremble
under conviction (Acts 24:25), and a Herod do many things (Mark 6:20). It is one
thing to have sin alarmed only by convictions, and another to have it crucified
by converting grace. Many, because they have been troubled in conscience for
their sins, think well of their case, miserably mistaking conviction for
conversion. With these, Cain might have passed for a convert, who ran up and
down the world like a man distracted, under the rage of a guilty conscience,
until he stifled it with building and business.
Others think that because they have given up their riotous
ways, and are broken off from evil company or some particular lust, and are
reduced to sobriety and civility, they are now real converts. They forget that
there is a vast difference between being sanctified and civilized. They forget
that many seek to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are not far from it, and
arrive to the almost of Christianity, and yet fall short at last. While
conscience holds the whip over them, many will pray, hear, read, and forbear
their delightful sins; but no sooner is the lion asleep than they are at their
sins again. Who more religious than the Jews when God's hand was upon them? Yet
no sooner was the affliction over, than they forgot God. You may have forsaken a
troublesome sin, and have escaped the gross pollutions of the world, and yet in
all this not have changed your carnal nature.
You may take a crude mass of lead and mold it into the more
lovely proportion of a plant, and then into the shape of an animal, and then
into the form and features of a man; but all the time it is still lead. So a man
may pass through various transmutations, from ignorance to knowledge, from
profanity to civility, then to a form of religion, and all this time he is still
carnal and unregenerate, his nature remains unchanged.
Hear then, O sinners, hear as you would live. Why should you
willfully deceive yourselves, or build your hopes upon the sand? I know that he
will find hard work, who goes to pluck away your hopes. It cannot but be
unpleasant to you, and truly it is not pleasing to me. I set about it as a
surgeon when about to cut off a mortified limb from his beloved friend, which of
necessity he must do, though with an aching heart. But understand me, beloved, I
am only taking down the ruinous house, which otherwise will speedily fall of
itself and bury you in the ruins—that I may build it fair, strong, and firm
forever. The hope of the wicked shall perish (Prov 11:7). And had you not
better, O sinner, let the Word convince you now in time, and let go your false
and self-deluding hopes, than have death open your eyes too late, and find
yourself in hell before you are aware?
I would be a false and faithless shepherd if I would not tell
you, that you who have built your hopes upon no better grounds than these before
mentioned, are yet in your sins! Let conscience speak. What have you to plead
for yourselves? Is it that you wear Christ's livery; that you bear His name;
that you are a member of the visible church; that you have knowledge in the
points of religion, are civilized, perform religious duties, are just in your
dealings, have been troubled in conscience for your sins? I tell you from the
Lord, these pleas will never be accepted at God's bar. All this, though good in
itself, will not prove you converted, and so will not suffice to your salvation.
O look to it, and resolve to turn speedily and entirely. Study your own hearts;
do not rest until God has made thorough work with you; for you must be converted
men, or else you are lost men.
But if these persons come short of conversion, what shall I say
of the profane person? It may be he will scarcely cast his eyes on, or lend his
ear to this discourse; but if there be any such reading, or within hearing, he
must know from the Lord that made him, that he is far from the kingdom of God.
May a man keep company with the wise virgins, and yet be shut out; and shall not
a companion of fools much more be destroyed? May a man be true in his dealings,
and yet not be justified before God? What then will become of you, O wretched
man, whose conscience tells you that you are false in your trade and false to
your word? If men may be enlightened and brought to the external performance of
holy duties, and yet go down to perdition for resting in them and sitting down
short of conversion; what will become of you, O miserable men, who live without
God in the world? What will become of you, O wretched sinners, with whom God is
scarcely in all your thoughts; who are so ignorant that you cannot pray, or so
careless that you will not? O repent and be converted, break off your sins by
righteousness. Away to Christ for pardoning and renewing grace. Give up
yourselves to Him, to walk with Him in holiness, or you shall never see God. O
that you would heed the warnings of God! In His name I once more admonish you.
Turn you at my reproof. Forsake the foolish, and live. Be sober, righteous, and
godly. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Cease to do evil, learn to do well (Prov 1:23 and Prov 9:6; Titus 2:12; James
4:8; Isa 1:16-17). But if you will go on, you must
die.
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