Christian Cyclopedia

The doctrine of conversion is of paramount importance in the total body of Scriptural teaching and Christian belief, since it shows how the salvation won for us by Christ is brought into the possession of the individual sinner for his soul's eternal salvation.I. Necessity of Conversion. It is God's good and gracious will that every human being should be saved (Jn 3:16; 1 Ti 2:4; Tts 2:11); Jesus fulfilled the Law in our stead and provided a sufficient ransom from sin, death, and the devil (Jn 1:29). But it is not in the power of anyone to take for himself the fruits of Christ's redemption. Faith in Christ, deliverance from the power of darkness, and translation into the kingdom of the Son cannot be achieved by any human being for himself (Eph 2:1). The 1st disobedience brought dire consequences to the entire human race. Man lost his perfect knowledge of God (1 Co 2:7–9; 13:9–10). After the Fall man is still a rational being, with understanding and a will, able to acquire intellectual knowledge of the truths of the Gospel; but he cannot of himself acquire the spiritual grasp that accepts, believes, and trusts in what has been heard and learned (1 Co 1:23; 2:14). Man's will is free in worldly affairs ( ...

See Church Year, 16 B. ...