[BBC List] alarm - mistakes

[Mike Abendroth]

Alarm to the Unconverted

Joseph Alleine, 1671

MISTAKES about Conversion
 

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.

Conversion is not the taking upon us the PROFESSION of Christianity.
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).

Conversion is not putting on the badge of Christ in BAPTISM. 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).

Conversion does not lie in MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. 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.

Conversion does not consist in an external conformity to the rules of 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).

Conversion is not the mere chaining up of corruption by EDUCATION, human
laws or the force of affliction. 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.

In short, conversion does not consist in ILLUMINATION or CONVICTION or in a
SUPERFICIAL CHANGE or PARTIAL REFORMATION. 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.

 

Thanks.

 

For the King's honor,

 

Charis,

 

Mike Abendroth

 

 <http://www.bbcchurch.org> www.bbcchurch.org

 

Ephesians 3:21 auvtw/| h` do,xa evn th/| evkklhsi,a| 

 

2 Tim 1:2b  "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord."

 

"Faith is not our physician; it only brings us to the Physician ... Faith is
not our saviour. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on
Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us, and gave itself for us;
that bore our sins in its own body on the tree; that died and rose again for
our sins.  It is a sin-bearer that we need, and our faith cannot be a
sin-bearer. Faith can expiate no guilt; can accomplish no propitiation; can
pay no penalty; can wash away no stain; can provide no righteousness. It
brings us to the cross, . but in itself it has no merit and no virtue.
Faith is not Christ, nor the cross of Christ. Faith is not the blood, nor
the sacrifice; . Our faith does not divide the work of salvation between
itself and the cross. It is the acknowledgment that the cross alone saves,
and that it saves alone. Faith adds nothing to the cross, nor to its healing
virtue. It owns the fulness, and sufficiency, and suitableness of the work
done there, and bids the toiling spirit cease from its labours and enter
into rest. Faith does not come to Calvary to do anything. It comes to see
the glorious spectacle of all things done, and to accept this completion
without a misgiving as to its efficacy. It listens to the "It is finished!"
of the Sin-bearer, and says, "Amen."   

NOT FAITH, BUT CHRIST 

by Horatius Bonar 
(1808-1889) 

 

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