BY ELD. J. D. PEGG.
CONVERSION is declared to be necessary in order to have eternal life. “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 18:3. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. Why is conversion so necessary ? “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7); and to “be carnally minded is death.”
God would have all his creatures obey Him, and do “by nature the things contained in the law.” We find that the law is spiritual, but we are carnal, sold under sin (Rom. 7:14); and when we would do good, evil is present with us (Rom. 7:21); and that it is because of sin dwelling in us. Rom. 7:20. A “law of sin and death” is found in our members, warring against the law of the mind, and “bringing us into captivity to the law of sin which is in our members.” Rom. 7:23. The law was powerless to help us; it only uttered its condemnation, and was “weak through the flesh.” In order for us to ever be able to keep it, a special work must be wrought in us. This work we call conversion. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8:3.
Sin is the work of Satan. It was introduced by him, and is cultivated and encouraged by him. “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. “Ye are of your father the devil,” was said of those who followed sinful ways. John 8:44. Sin, like the poison of the fiery serpent, has become incorporated into our every part; it is in us, and “reigns” there. We are powerless to cure ourselves of this great imperfection, and feeling our great need, we are led to cry, “Who shall deliver us from the body of this death ?” God has provided a remedy, not only for past sins, but that will deliver us from the power and poison of sin, “condemning sin in the flesh;” “that sin should no more reign in our mortal bodies.” “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. He who could command the tempest to cease its raging, and it obeyed; he who could command the devil to come out of the poor demented one, and he obeyed, and from a raging maniac became a harmless man wishing to ever remain with Jesus, —this same Jesus can say to the sin-stricken soul, “Be clean.”
That “law of sin and death in our members” is overcome by the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” so was Christ “lifted up;” and as the bitten ones looked, and were healed, so the sin-sick can also look to Jesus and be healed.
This is conversion. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17), and is “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Col. 3:10. Being now “strengthened with all might,” they are able to do the “righteousness of the law,” which before they could not do. The object of God in this work of conversion was not to do away with His divine law, but to take hold of us, and bring us up to the high position where we could obey it, and render an acceptable obedience from the heart. This is the “law written on the heart.” Heb. 8:8. This is all brought about by repentance and faith in Christ. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1.
Can we believe that God has provided a remedy for sin ? that Jesus can save to the uttermost all who believe in and trust him ? Dear reader, do you feel, as you look at the great load of sins you must overcome, that the task is a hard one, and that you cannot accomplish it ? Look at the wounds of a crucified Saviour,—crucified in order to give you the help you need. Look away from self to Calvary, and “come boldly to a throne of grace” to “obtain help” in time of need. Does not Christ invite you to be healed this way ? Does he not say that by receiving Him we have “power given us to become the sons of God” ? And if the “Son makes you free, you are free indeed.”
Dear reader, many are the burdens I have tried to carry myself in my past experience. Jesus felt wounded for my lack of faith; if I could have carried the burden, He was pierced in vain. I yielded, and if I am saved in the kingdom, it will be—
“Saved by grace alone. This is all my plea,—
Jesus died for all mankind, And Jesus died for me.”
How one who can trust and realize the love of God in the heart, can enjoy keeping God’s law ! His holy Sabbath—how pleasant to welcome it ! It would be the greatest source of grief to think of disregarding any of God’s commandments. This is one of the surest tests that our conversion is of God,—when we “love God and keep his commandments,” and find them not grievous.
Once when appealing to a man who had preached to others concerning the claims of the Sabbath, he replied: “The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” “I am so glad of that,” said I; “for the law of sin and death (if you are like Paul) was in your members warring against your mind; and if you are now free from this strife, and have the victory, you can now keep the law of God and find it pleasant.” He seemed confused; for he had thought this text taught the degrading of God’s law to our low level, rather than building us up to where we could be “sons” and “heirs” of God, and could keep His law acceptably.
Now, as the long evenings are upon us, why not meet at our places of meeting, and reconsecrate ourselves to God ? Let us not rest until we have the assurance that God for Christ’s sake has accepted us, and that He is our loving Father rather than a stern judge. The Lord is soon coming, and this is the “oil” which He wishes to find in our lamps. This is what we as the remnant people want. With the “commandments of God,” we must have the “faith of Jesus;” and with such a Saviour to go to as we have, who can refuse His love ?
The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Nov. 13 1883