Conversion we defined as the work of God where­by the regenerated sinner through the Spirit and Word is efficaciously turned about from the way of sin to the way of righteousness, from the service of the de­vil to the service of God, the fruit of which is that the converted sinner hates sin, eschews it and flees from it, and walks in the way of God’s precepts with his whole heart.

This definition we must bear in mind even when we treat of the mortification of the old man and the quick­ening of the new.

According to this definition, regeneration is first. It is true that in our confessions no clear distinction is made between regeneration and conversion. But this distinction is certainly Scriptural and proper; and in the development of theology subsequent to the composition of our confessions, this distinction was maintained. A man must be born again before he can even see the kingdom of God. And he must be born of water and Spirit before he can enter it.

Besides it is evident from the definition that we as­cribe the entire work of conversion to God. There is nothing of man in it.

And finally, the definition also maintains the truth that God in the work of conversion never treats man as a stock and block, always deals with him as a rational and moral creature. And therefore, God’s work of conversion bears the fruit that we turn, that we eschew evil and flee from it, and that we love God’s precepts and keep them.

This work of conversion is most beautifully and accurately described in the Canons of Dordrecht, 3, 4, 10-12, part of which we already quoted before.

In Article 10 we read: “But that others who are called by the gospel, obey the call, and are converted, is not to be ascribed to the proper exercise of free will, whereby one distinguishes himself above others, e­qually furnished with grace sufficient for faith and conversions, as the proud heresy of Pelagius main­tains; but it must be wholly ascribed to God, who as he has chosen his own from eternity in Christ, so he confers upon them faith and repentance, rescues them from the power of darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of his own Son, that they may show forth the praises of him, who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light; and may glory not in themselves, but in the Lord, according to the testi­mony of the apostles in various places.”

We may note here that the article ascribes the whole of conversion to God. There is nothing of man in it. To say that conversion is the work of man, or partly the work of man, is Pelagianism. We may al­so note that while the article emphatically speaks of conversion as the work of God, it nevertheless also speaks of the fruit of that work in us, the fruit being the same as the purpose for which God works conver­sion in His people, namely, that they may show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of dark­ness into His marvelous light, and may glory not in themselves, but in the Lord. Further, it is also evi­dent from this article that this work of conversion by God is rooted in, or based upon, eternal election. God chose them whom He converts. And none but the elect are ever converted. It is the work of God’s sov­ereign grace, bestowed only upon those whom He has chosen in Christ. It consists in this, that God bestows upon His elect both faith and repentance, and that He translates them from the power of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.

To Article 11 we already referred in a former con­nection. Nevertheless, it may be well to quote it once more. It describes the manner of conversion by God as follows: “But when God accomplishes his good pleasure in the elect, or works in them true conversion, he not only causes the gospel to be externally preached to them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by his Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God; but by the ef­ficacy of the same regenerating Spirit, pervades the inmost recesses of the man; he opens the closed, and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises that which was uncircumcised, infuses new qualities into the will, which though heretofore dead, he quickens; from be­ing evil, disobedient, and refractory, he renders it good, obedient, and pliable; actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions.”

From this article, and also from the article that follows in the same chapter of the Canons, it is very evident that no distinction is made between regenera­tion in the narrower sense and conversion. In other words, if we make the distinction which was made in a later period between regeneration and conversion, the article very plainly teaches that conversion is rooted in the work of regeneration. The regenerated are called and converted. Here too, as will be evident to all, the whole work of conversion is ascribed to God. Man is passive, not active. In conversion God opens the closed, and softens the hardened heart, infuses new qualities into the will and quickens it. That will is by nature evil, disobedient, and refractory; but God renders the will pliable, good, and obedient. He actu­ates it and strengthens it. But even this does not mean that conversion treats a man as a stock and block. On the contrary, it renders him truly free, and responsible in the highest sense of the word, so that “like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions.”

In Article 12 it becomes especially very clear that the Canons make no distinction between regeneration in the wider sense, and conversion. It teaches as fol­lows: “And this is the regeneration so highly celebra­ted in Scripture, and denominated a new creation: a resurrection from the dead, a making alive, which God works in us without our aid. But this is in no wise effected merely by the external preaching of the gos­pel, by moral suasion, or such a mode of operation, that after God has performed his part, it still remains in the power of man to be regenerated or not, to be con­verted, or to continue unconverted; but it is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and in­effable; not inferior in efficacy to creation, or the re­surrection from the dead, as the Scripture inspired by the author of this work declares; so that all in whose heart God works in this marvelous manner, are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. Whereupon the will thus renewed, is not only actuated and influenced by God, but in con­sequence of this influence, becomes itself active. Wherefore also, man is himself rightly said to believe and repent, by virtue of that grace received.”

It is especially to the last part of this article of the Canons that we wish to direct your attention. By the work of God’s regenerating Spirit man is conver­ted. Nor is it in his power or choice to remain uncon­verted. Nevertheless, again it is emphasized that through the work of conversion man does not become a stock and block, but by the continual influence of God upon him becomes himself active, so that he repents and believes.

This is emphasized once more in Article 16 of the same chapter of the Canons: “But as man by the fall did not cease to be a creature, endowed with under­standing and will, nor did sin which pervaded the whole race of mankind, deprive him of the human na­ture, but brought upon him depravity and spiritual death; so also this grace of regeneration does not treat men as senseless stocks and blocks, nor takes away their will and its properties, neither does vi­olence thereto; but spiritually quickens, heals, cor­rects, and at the same time sweetly and powerfully bends it; that where carnal rebellion and resistance formerly prevailed, a ready and sincere spiritual o­bedience begins to reign; in which the true and spi­ritual restoration and freedom of our will consist. Wherefore unless the admirable author of every good work wrought in us, man could have no hope of recovering from his fall by his own free will, by the abuse of which, in a state of innocence, he plunged himself into ruin.”

I call attention to this beautiful and thoroughly Reformed description of the work of conversion be­cause it plainly reveals how absolutely unconditional the application of the promise of God to the elect is. Neither to attain to the promise, nor to remain in the possession of the blessings of that promise, are there any prerequisites or conditions which man must ful­fill. It is God that regenerates the sinner by the ef­ficacious and sovereign grace, according as He chose His people in Christ Jesus. It is God that converts the sinner principally, so that he is translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, so that he is turned from darkness into light, from the way of iniquity unto the way of righteousness. And there are no prerequisites and no conditions which man must perform in order to receive this grace of con­version. But even after he has so been converted, he does not of himself turn, repent, mortify the deeds of the body, and walk in a new and holy life. It is no” so that the continued conversion of the regenerated and converted sinner is the work of man. Still less is it thus, that his striving is a prerequisite for him to continue in the kingdom of God. Also this is Arminian: for they teach indeed that our act of perseverance is a condition for God’s grace of preservation. But this is quite contrary to the teaching of the Canons in this chapter. Even after the will is renewed, it must be actuated and influenced by God. And only in consequence of this continuous influence does the will itself become active. Never is our activity a condi­tion of a prerequisite for the reception of God’s grace. The very opposite is true. For according to the Can­ons, “man is himself rightly said to believe and re­pent, by virtue of that grace received.” Our active turning is never a prerequisite, but always the fruit of God’s grace of conversion.

This must be plainly understood in order to obtain the right conception of what is meant by the mortification of the old man and the quickening of the new.

The word of God frequently speaks of the conver­sion of man. It employs different terms to denote this wonder of grace. In the Hebrew of the Old Tes­tament a term is used that simply means “to turn”. Sometimes it is translated thus, and in other pas­sages it is translated by the English term “convert”. Thus in Psalm 19:7: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” In Ps. 51:13 the psalmist vows: “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sin­ners shall be converted unto thee.” The house of Israel is called to turn themselves from idols and from all their abominations. Ezek. 14:6. And in Ezek. 83:11 we read the well-known words, also quoted by the Synod of 1924 of the Chr. Ref. Churches to sup­port their theory of common grace: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in 6he death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” The people of Israel are exhorted to turn to their God and to keep mercy and judgment. Hos. 12:6. They are called to turn unto Him with all their heart, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. Joel 2:12, 13. In all these passages, and many more in the Old Testament, the same word is used in the orig­inal for the idea of conversion. The New Testament employs two different terms, with slightly different connotation. The first word means approximately the same as our English word “conversion” or “con­vert”, and denotes a complete turning about. The se­cond term signifies a change of the mind, that is, of the whole inner man, and is translated “repentance”. Thus, the Lord says to His disciples: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 18:3. John preached the baptism of repentance, that is, of an inner change in the sinner. Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3. The apostles come to the people with the exhortation: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted.” Acts 3:19. And they preached that God hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and Savior, “for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. The church in Jerusalem glorifies God, acknowledging that He “also to the Gentiles granted repentance and life.” Acts 11:18. And Paul was sent to the Gentiles “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,” and that “they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” Acts 26:18, 20. Moreover, conversion in the broader sense of the word is called “sanctification, cleansing, purification, the putting off of the old man, and the putting on of the new man, the mortification of the deeds of the body, etc.” cf. II Cor. 7:1; I John 3:4; Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 8:13.

From all these different passages of Scripture, and from many others, we may readily gather what is the

Scriptural teaching concerning true conversion. It is a complete and radical turning about in the spiri­tual, ethical sense of the word. It is a turning from Satan to God, from standing in enmity against God to the love of God in Christ, from darkness to light, from sin to righteousness, from corruption to holi­ness. By nature we are in the power of darkness. And what this means is clear from Scripture and from all our Reformed confessions. It means, as our Heidelberg Catechism teaches us, that we are so cor­rupt that we are incapable of doing any good and in­clined to all evil, unless we are regenerated by the Spi­rit of God. It means that we are by nature carnally minded, and stand in enmity against God: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, . . . For to be carnally minded is death . . . Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not sub­ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:5-7. It means that we hate God, and that we hate one another: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diver’s lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hat­ing one another.” But it means still more: for we are not only in darkness, but, according to Scripture, we are in the power of darkness. Col. 1:13. This implies that we are slaves of sin, that we are in bon­dage to sin. It means that we have no right in our­selves to be delivered from sin. And it implies that we are so in the power of darkness that we can never deliver ourselves from sin. We must sin not by any outward compulsion, but by the inward impulse of our wicked heart and mind. We are chained to sin from within. As the Canons express it in 3, 4, 1, 3, the sinner is one that “became involved in blindness of mind, horrible darkness, vanity, and perverseness of judgment; became wicked, rebellious, and obdurate in heart and will, and impure in his affections.” And again, “Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrath, incapable of sav­ing good, prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto; and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are neither able nor willing to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature, or to dispose themselves to reformation.” And as the Scrip­tures have it in Eph. 2:1-3: “And you hath he quick­ened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of diso­bedience: Among whom also we all had our conversa­tion in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Such we are by nature, in our unconverted state. By nature the sinner is motivated by enmity against God, and as a result his whole life is directed in the way of dark­ness and sin. He loves the darkness rather than the light, and can do nothing else. His heart and mind and will, and all his desires and inclinations turn away from God, and are enslaved to the will of the devil. Hence, also his outward life and walk is turned into the direction of unrighteousness. He walks away from God and contrary to His precepts. But when God con­verts him, he is turned away from all this, in order to turn unto the living God. His hatred of God is changed into love. His darkness is turned into light. His love of iniquity is turned into love of God’s pre­cepts. And his members, which he yielded as instru­ments of unrighteousness, he now yields as instru­ments of righteousness unto God.

This conversion, this spiritual turning about, is radical and complete. It is a turning about of the entire man, with his internal life as well as with his external walk. It is by no means the same as a moral, external reformation, by virtue of which a man for some reason changes his external deportment, so that he who once was a drunkard now lives soberly, or one that lived in sexual abandonment now walks in chas­tity. But it is a turning about of the entire man, inward and outward. Or, if you wish, it is such a turning about of our outward walk that is rooted in and a manifestation of, an inward change of the heart and mind, of the will, and of all our affections. It is not a superficial change, but a radical turning about. It is a break with sin as sin, and turning to God for God’s sake, a love of righteousness for righteousness’ sake. Hence, it cannot be a turning away from some sins, and the keeping of some of God’s precepts. It is a hatred of all sin, and a fundamental delight in all the precepts of the Lord our God. This complete and radical turning about of the sinner is conversion.

H.H.