It Never Ends December 28, 2014

Continuous Conversion 

³ “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children. . ." Matthew 18:3  ESV

These words of Our Lord are true of our initial conversion, but we have to be continuously converted all the days of our lives, continually to turn to God as children. If we trust to our wits instead of to God, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. Immediately our bodies are brought into new conditions by the providence of God, we have to see our natural life obeys the dictates of the Spirit of God. Because we have done it once is no proof that we shall do it again. The relation of the natural to the spiritual is one of continuous conversion, and it is the one thing we object to. In every setting in which we are put, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered but we have to “put on the new man.” God holds us responsible every time we refuse to convert ourselves, our reason for refusing is wilful obstinacy. Our natural life must not rule, God must rule in us.

The hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will not be continually converted, there are “wadges” of obstinacy where our pride spits at the throne of God and says—“I won’t.” We deify independence and wilfulness and call them by the wrong name. What God looks on as obstinate weakness, we call strength. There are whole tracts of our lives which have not yet been brought into subjection, and it can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (pp. 269-270). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Continuous conversion is a concept I had not considered before today's reading.  Conversion was an experience.  A one-time happening.  Paul was converted on the road to Damascus.  The Ethiopian eunuch was converted on the road to Gaza.  Because of the work of missionaries around the globe, people convert to Christianity.

But Chambers tells us that after our initial conversion, we "have to be continually converted all the days of our lives."  Christianity is not a one-and-done conversion experience.  All to often our "natural lives do not obey the dictates of the Spirit of God."  Almost without fail, these times of self-direction end in a less than prefect outcome.

So that begs the question, "How do we allow/enable this continual conversion."  I believe the answer to that lies in what conditions were present at our initial conversion.

The Bible tells us that no one can come to God unless he has been prompted by the Holy Spirit. (John 6:44)  Therefore for our conversion to be on-going we must be sensitive to and obedient to the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives.  Much the same way the Holy Spirit convicts the lost person of the sinful state of his life (John 16:8-11), the Holy Spirit convicts the Believer of transgressions.

At our initial conversion, we were aware of our separation from God and cried out for reconciliation.  Do we have that same desire for closeness after the joy of the salvation experience?  Do we yearn for that restoration five years after that alter call?  If not, make that an object of prayer.  Ask God to rekindle the love and passion and desire for Him.

Finally there was a thankfulness, joy, and relief when we realized we were listed in the Lamb's Book of Life.  A weight was lifted.  A spark ignited.  We should feel that same joy, thankfulness and relief when the evidence of God's continual conversion is present.  Because of the Spirit's prompting, we refuse to repeat that juicy piece of gossip.  Give God thanks.  We pay the extra income tax that might have gone unnoticed.  Give God praise for the strength He gave us to do the right thing.  If we recognize and celebrate the ongoing conversion in our lives, we will become eager for more and more evidence of this continual conversion.  Success breeds success.

Let's not allow conversion to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Our natural self must be converted time and time again.  As Chambers reminds us, "There are whole tracts of our lives which have not yet been brought into subjection, and it can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God."