If I have no peace it is simply because in my present condition I can not receive peace, untill reconverted. Conversion is progressive, it is the spiritual translating from the heart language of Satan's character and life, to the heart language of God's character and life. Translating starts with a book and works from page 1 toward the conclusion of the book. In that, conversion is no different - it is an ongoing progressing or retrograding work.
Ed,Please go back to John 3, and read the entire chapter, and see if what Jesus is saying matches what you are saying.Jesus uses the term "born again". Changing the language to conversion or reconversion is not helpful, as these are not Biblical terms.Jesus says "Ye must be born again", not Ye must be converted. The word "conversion" implies a human element to the process.Being born again means a miraculous birth wrought by God Himself: John 1:12,13 is very specificJohn 1:12,13:12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.--------------------If we are born of God, this goes far beyond the meaning of conversion. A physical human birth happens once. Our new birth wrought by the Spirit of God happens once. But, being born again, God brings us to maturity over a lifetime. Sanctification is a work of a lifetime, but being born again is a one time process. We are born into His family, and in the whole book of John, Jesus gives us the blessed assurance that we are secure in Him.Stan
Assutance of Salvationdef. the reality of salvation
Also the word converted and the concept of conversion is certainly biblical and is used by Jesus Himself. (3) And said, "Verily I say unto you. Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God." (Mt. 18:3) Jesus said that to His disciples who were His most devoted followers and had been with Him for a period of time. Alsp, Mt 13:15, Mark 14:12, and His famous words to Peter, "and when thou art converted, strengthen the brethren." (Luke 22:32) There are more places in the NT as well as the OT where the word converted is used.
Stan, I agree that God does not treat His people like a yo yo, and removes our names from the book of life each time we have a bad thought, or commit some sinful behavior, and then replaces our names iwhen we repent. Parents do not disown their children every time they misbehave. God is more merciful than human parents. Sanctification is the process whereby God removes our rough spots so that we may truly represent Him. He does that work as long as we are willing to serve Him and do His will, even though we trip and stumble on the path at times. That is the good news of the Bible and there are a number of very clear EGW quotes that confirm this. However, that in no way serves as a license or excuse for sin. There will be no place in heaven for those who refuse to give up their favorite sins and idols. To think that we can continue in sin and at last be saved is a fatal presumption.
It's not God I don't trust, it's me that I don't trust. At times my heart and mind .....is not Faith, diligence, virtue, grace, peacefullness, desiring to know God, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, Agape agapous Philio driven .....then the life always follows the affections and desires of the heart and mind ........................... unless it educates it's self to operate on faith instead of feelings.I apostatized from God in the early to mid 80's and was not brought back till the start of the first Gulf war autumn of 1990. My candlestick had been removed, just like Solomon's had. I had been trained at wildwood 1970-72 at Wildwood as a believer and a missionary. The apostasy did enormus spiritual damage to me, and less extreme than Nebuchadnezzar's case, only a portion of my mind had been removed. The part that Biblically (knew) was married to God, because that's what I persistantly desired and acted on.Before Wiildwood God in 1970 at my initial baptism upon becoming an SDA Christian believer, had removed Satan's candle from my mind and put His Own there instead. All my wisdom and links and skills from Satan as a warlock were gone, and like Jordan when the priests carrying the ark - it all stopped like a giant thick metal plate had been put down between my past life and such that went with it as a warlock, and my new life.Then in the early - mid 80's, I decide to set my affections upon things God's boundries had been protecting me from, and in time started crossing boundries even though now NOT as a warlock. In time God was forced to fulfill His warning in Revelation .Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Here is what I posted on another thread tonight:Larry,Your points are well taken. I will admit that the word conversion is in the texts that you mentioned. Both terms are Biblical, but they mean different things.Conversion is a general term. Being born of God, or born again, as in John 1:12,13 and John 3 is a very specific term, unique only to Christianity. There can be no genuine conversion to Christ, if God does not do the miraculous work of the new birth. When we are born again as a new babe in Christ, we then start the process of being more completely converted. When Paul was miraculously regenerated on the road to Damascus, he was born into the family of God, but he required a long period of teaching before he became completely converted. This teaching was done by Jesus Himself in the desert of Arabia as Galatians 1 attests.True conversion will follow the miraculous new birth. I am more completely convinced of the truth of the Bible now than when I was given a new birth in Christ over 28 years ago.The book of John was written much later than the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The synoptics chronicle some of the specific teachings of Jesus warning the Jews of the impending destruction of Jerusalem.The emphasis in the book of John is more directed to Christians. That is why I believe it is significant how the first chapter of John gets right to the point of who Jesus is, and in verses 12 and 13 speaks very specific to the new birth:John 1:12,13:12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.-------------Without this miraculous birth, there can be no genuine conversion.Then in the entire chapter of John 3, Jesus gets right to the point with Nicodemus about the necessity of the new birth to be in the kingdom. He then spends the rest of the chapter giving very specific teaching about salvation. One can be converted to any specific ideology. False conversions to Christianity occur when there is no miraculous new birth.But, I have noticed that some just don't like to use the term "born again". But just because the term has been abused so often doesn't mean that it is not valid, and not Biblical.Intellectual SDA's of the Graham Maxwell type will not use this term. Most Roman Catholics and mainstream Protestant churches also turn up their noses at using this term. They don't want to be associated with those Bible thumping Baptists who emphasize the necessity of the new birth all the time.Stan
Not everyone has the same dramatic experience that many describe as being born again. There are those who have an intense emotional feeling when they take their stand for Christ. The danger is that they may believe that a certain feeling is necessary for the experience to be valid. That belief is promoted by some. Especially in certain denominations. Others have more of an intellectual acceptance of the truth, along with a decision and a determination to follow Jesus as their Savior, based on their faith in His promise that they are adopted into the family of God. They base their standing with God purely on faith rather than a certain feeling that they may or may not have had.
