Ritch Boerckel Systematic Theology Iritch@bethanycentral.org Week 10 Session 2309-692-1755 (w) The Gospel Institute

Soteriology — Lesson 4: Conversion

“Some may say ‘because I am elect, it doesn’t really matter how I live or what I do.’ Well the one thing I can say for sure about you is that you might be elect, but you are not yet converted.” – Dr. Joseph Pipa

I. Conversion

A. The Definition: “the turning of a sinner from sin, death and the devil to holiness, life and communion with God.” Robert Duncan Culver

“A person’s decisive turning from sin and Satan unto God through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Bruce Demarest

“Conversion viewed from the human point of view is the act of a sinner who turns from sin to the Savior, but which viewed from the divine side is regeneration. Conversion is something the redeemed sinner himself does, but never prior to God’s work of regeneration in his heart.” – Robert Duncan Culver

Mark Dever (audio): A Biblical Understanding of Conversion

B. The Necessity of Conversion

Matthew 18:3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus

“If a man is to be saved, he must turn from his sins. ‘Right about face!’ is the marching order for every sinner. There is no hope of forgiveness for him if he will continue with his face as it now is. He must turn from his sin if he would be saved.” – Charles Spurgeon, The Need and Nature of Conversion

C. The Condition for Conversion: Faith with repentance

Thomas Schreiner: Does regeneration necessarily precede conversion?

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Faith and repentance are viewed as two aspects of one act. Illustration: Repentance is exiting one room and faith is entering a new room. This is one act with two aspects to it.

“Turning from sin is like pulling the arrow out of the wound; turning to God is like pouring in the balm.” – Thomas Watson

1. Sometimes only “faith” is mentioned as a condition for conversion

(cf. John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc)

2. Sometimes only “repentance” is mentioned as a condition for conversion

Luke 24:46-47 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus

Acts 5:30-31 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent

Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

3. Sometimes “faith” and “repentance” are mentioned together

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

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Acts 20:21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God

“It has often been said that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. That coin is called conversion. Repentance turns from sin to Christ, and faith embraces Him as the only hope of salvation and righteousness. That is what conversion means in simple terms.” – John MacArthur, What Is Biblical Repentance?

D. The Nature of Repentance

“Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.” Grudem, 713

“Repentance is something that occurs in the heart and involves the whole person in a decision to turn from sin.” Grudem, 713

Three Essential Aspects of Repentance

“When the Apostle says to the Philippians, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,” (Phil 1:6) there cannot be a doubt, that by the good work thus begun, he means the very commencement of conversion in the will. God, therefore, begins the good work in us by exciting in our hearts a desire, a love, and a study of righteousness, or (to speak more correctly) by turning, training, and guiding our hearts unto righteousness; and he completes this good work by confirming us unto perseverance.” – John Calvin

1. An Intellectual Element.

“The repentant soul must understand God’s holiness, righteousness, and displeasure again sin (Deut 25:16, 1 Kings 14:22, Luke 16:15); must be aware of personal sin and guilt (Isa 6:5, Luke 18:13, Rom 3:20) and must be persuaded of God’s readiness to forgive. (Matt 6:14, Eph 4:32)” – Bruce Demarest, 254

Jeremiah 3:13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.

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2. An Emotional Element

There is an abhorrence of sin (Psa 119:104, Eze 20:43) and a sorrow over the grief that sin has caused God and others. (Joel 2:12-14, Psa 51:4, 2 Cor 7:10)

Jeremiah 31:19 For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Ezekiel 36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.

Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning

“A true penitent is a sin-loather. If a man loathes that which makes his stomach sick, much more will he loathe that which makes his soul sick! … Christ is never loved until sin is loathed. Heaven is never longed for until sin is loathed. When the soul sees its filthiness, he cries out, ‘Lord, when shall I be freed from this body of death! When shall I put off these filthy garments of sin and be arrayed in the robe of Your perfect righteousness! Let all my self-love be turned into self-loathing!’ (Zech 3:4-5). We are never more precious in God’s eyes than when we are lepers in our own eyes!” – Thomas Watson, The Nature of True Repentance

3. A Volitional Element

There is a determination of the will to forsake sin and live in obedience to God.

Jeremiah 18:11 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.Isaiah 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

“The Holy Spirit begins to operate upon the will; not by forcibly bending it, as an iron rod in the strong hand of the blacksmith, but by making it. … Hence, the yielding of

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the will is the result of a tenderness and emotion and affection which sprang from the implanted germ of life (regeneration), by which the will, which was at first inflexible, became pliant, by which that which was inclined to the left was drawn to the right. And so, by this last act, conviction, with all that it contains, was brought into the will; and this resulted in the yielding of self, giving glory to God.” – Abraham Kuyper, Calling and Repentance

Question: What dangers lie in the neglect of repentance as a necessary condition for salvation?

Question: Is an emphasis on repentance a promotion of “works-righteousness”? Why or why not?

“Both of these (repentance and faith) are not something that the sinner contributes to the price of his or her salvation. They are, rather, the supernatural result of God working new affections in their soul. Therefore, repentance is not something that the sinner is adding in addition to faith as a work, but both repentance and faith are seen as the infallible result of the new birth that is applied to sinners by the Holy Spirit. A biblical understanding sees faith and repentance not as something we create or perform or supply, apart from regenerative grace.” – John Hendryx, Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

R.C. Sproul Jr: Is Faith a Work?Ernest Reisinger: The Lordship Controversy and Repentance

E. Discerning between genuine repentance vs. false repentance

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Jay Wegter: True RepentanceJohn Colquhoun: The Difference Between True and Counterfeit Repentance

F. The Nature of Faith

“Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God.” Grudem, 710

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“Faith is not what some people think it is. Their human dream is a delusion. Because they observe that faith is not followed by good works or a better life, they fall into error, even though they speak and hear much about faith. ‘Faith is not enough,’ they say, ‘You must do good works, you must be pious to be saved.’ They think that, when you hear the gospel, you start working, creating by your own strength a thankful heart which says, ‘I believe.’ That is what they think true faith is. But, because this is a human idea, a dream, the heart never learns anything from it, so it does nothing and reform doesn’t come from this `faith,’ either. Instead, faith is God’s work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are.” – Martin Luther

Principle: We acknowledge that false faith is a present danger

James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Acts 26:27-28 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

G. Three Aspects of Saving Faith

“Three Latin terms often used to describe this enriched conception of justifying faith are notitia, assensus, and fiducia. Notitia refers to an intellectual understanding about Christ and his gospel. Assensus refers to an intellectual assent to the truth of what is proclaimed in the gospel. But beyond these crucial intellectual acts is fiducia, an act not of the intellect but of the will, which may be described simply as trust. Much more than being a mode of knowledge, faith involves a sincere trust in Christ and his gospel for salvation.” – David VanDrunen, The Nature of Justifying Faith

1. An Intellectual Element.

There are certain basic truths that must be understood and accepted to be true.

John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

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1 Corinthians 15:1-5 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

2. An Emotional Element

There must be an assent of the heart to the realities of the Gospel. These truths become convictions embraced by genuine faith.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Luke 24:25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

3. A Volitional Element

Faith includes a wholehearted trust and commitment to Jesus Christ that is evidenced by obedience and good works.

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

John 6:53-56 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Question: What is the relationship between faith and works?

These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel,

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stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life. – London Baptist Confession/Westminster Confession, Ch 16.2 Of Good Works

Paul Mizzi: Faith and Works

H. False Views of the Conditions for Conversion

“Faith alone justifies, but the faith which justifies is not alone” – John Calvin

“Justification is by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. Saving faith is not a ‘lonely’ faith, having no works following as companion.” – R.C. Sproul

1. Faith Plus Works

Romans 4:2-8 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Psalm 32:1-2)GotQuestions.org: Is salvation by faith alone, or by faith plus works?Bob Gonzales: Nothing in My Hand I Bring, Paul vs James?

2. Faith Plus Baptism

1 Corinthians 1:16-18 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

“Baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is the initiatory sign and seal into the covenant of grace. As circumcision referred to the cutting away of sin and to a change of heart (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:25-26; Ezk 44:7,9) baptism refers to the washing away of sin (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21; Titus 3:5) and to spiritual renewal (Rom 6:4; Col 2:11-12). The circumcision of the heart is signified by the circumcision of the flesh, that is, baptism (Col 2:11-12).”– Matt Slick, Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

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3. Faith Minus Repentance

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 24:46-47 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Luke 16:30-31 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

(cf. Acts 2:38, 3:19, 5:30-31)

9marks.org: According to the unanimous testimony of Scripture, repentance is absolutely necessary in order to be saved. Only those who turn from their sin, trust in Christ, and live lives that are characterized by righteousness will be saved on the last day. But then is repentance a “work” we must perform in order to earn our salvation? Not at all! Repentance and faith are really two sides of the same coin. Repentance is turning from sin. Faith is turning to, trusting in, and relying on Christ. Repentance is not a “work” any more than faith is: we simply renounce our sin and rely on Christ.

Recommended Resources:Joel Beeke (audio): True Conversion - Psalm 51:2-4,12-13 George Whitefield: Repentance and ConversionJ.C. Ryle: RepentanceJohn Samson: What is True Saving Faith?Bryn MacPhail: Does James contradict Paul regarding justification?Tim Challies: Visual Theology – The Order of Salvation (Ordo Salutis) (graphic)

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