THE INNER SIDE OF CONVERSION C. H. Spurgeon "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus: Thou hast chastised me,...turn me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed...I was ashamed, yea even confounded..." (Jeremiah 31) There is but ONE turning point which will secure salvation and eternal life; and that is what we call CONVERSION, which is the FIRST APPARENT RESULT OF REGENERATION, or THE NEW BIRTH. The man is renewed, the current of his life is turned; he is converted. The Bible must have been written by the Creator, for nobody but the Lord Who created men could know so much about them. This Book reveals the secrets of all hearts; it unveils our private thoughts. "The law of the Lord is perfect, CONVERTING THE SOUL." Concerning the man here described, we note that he is in a state of great sorrow for himself...not about the death or poverty, not about his lot in life, no, HE BEMOANS HIMSELF. What am I? Where am I O soul? Alas, I have lost myself. But happy is the man in such a state when he throws himself upon God, if my afflictions are yet too feeble, set omnipotent grace to work. Turn me, and I shall be turned. No one can help me, I appeal to Thee, You made me, You can make me anew. I pray Thee, exercise thine own power, and renew this poor broken, defiled creature. Fashion me according to Thy mind, that I may answer (conform) to Thy purposes. Now look at this man following that turning point: "Surely AFTER THAT I WAS TURNED, I REPENTED." Not many moments after Ephraim had said, "THOU ART THE LORD MY GOD", he felt he was turned. In quickening the soul from its death in sin, there must be a moment in whch the sinner is dead, and another in which he lives. The actual transition from death unto life must be instantaneous, though the signs (fruits, evidences) of it may be gradual. The dead man lives at once; the condemned man is in an instant pardoned THE MAIN POINT IS TO BE TURNED; to know the TIME AND THE PLACE is a secondary matter. Yet I say, some of us know when WE WERE TURNED, and the reason why we remember is that REPENTANCE CAME WITH THE TURNING. "The heart of stone was turned to flesh" and the rocky heart smitten by the divine rod, gushed forth floods of penitential grief. "I repented", says he, "I changed my mind about a thousand things: I loved what I had hated, I hated what I once loved; I loathed what had been called my pleasure; I longed for what I had despised as being dull and dreary. I felt deep sorrow for my sin and I quitted it to follow obedience and holiness." Repentance is a sweet and sure evidence of a DIVINE CONVERSION. Then came further instruction. The Holy Spirit comes with further instruction from the Word. But out of that came deeper regret and a more complete self-abasement. God takes us into His school, and He begins to show us the evil of sin-the great iniquity of rebelling against a God so good, so kind; against a law so just, so righteous; and then we begin to abhor ourselves. Especially does the Holy Spirit instruct us as to the Person, and work, and love, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this makes us loathe ourselves even more. Nothing makes a man smite upon his own breast with a deep sorrow for sin like knowing the grace of God as it is revealed in the life, suffering and death of the Son of God NOW AT THIS TURNING POINT,WE HEAR GOD SPEAK:"Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child...I do earnestly remember him...I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord." He bends over His crushed one, and cries, "This is my son". The sinner that despairs of self-salvation is "my dear son." We read in a place about joy in heaven among angels over returning sinners. BUT IT ACTUALLY SAYS: "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that REPENTETH." What a marvel that a thrice holy Lord should ever take pleasure in a repenting sinner! Yet a sinner on his knees is a delight to the heart of the All-merciful. I do believe that the great Lord would rather turn His eyes away from angels than fail to look upon a weeping pleader, crying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." (Isaiah 66:2) Notice, The Lord says, "Since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still." Think of that, God in earnest, what a wonderful concept here set forth. God in earnest over one moaning sinner. God earnest in thoughts of love, even when he bids the preacher tell the offender of the wrath to come. He says, Go thunder at him, and let loose the lightnings of the law upon him; and yet I earnestly remember him still. Go, providence and frustrate him and his plans. "I do earnestly remember him still." God is never more earnest to save a soul than when he is dealing roughly with him. How I wish I could put my thoughts into your hearts at once instead of having to dilute them by my words, and then see their strength watered down as they pass though your ears and your understanding, and at last filter drops into your hearts. May the Lord put His own thoughts into your souls by His holy Spirit, that you may know, in some measure, what His earnest remembrance means. SURELY: "I will SURELY have mercy upon him" saith the Lord. As surely as you have been ashamed in abhoring yourself, so SURELY does He put away your reproach. What great mercy, what full mercy, what eternal mercy is this. Yield your stubborn hearts, be captives in the embrace of Divine compassion. WHEN THE REBEL IS MOVED WITH REPENTANCE, THE FORGIVING LORD IS MOVED WITH PITY. "REPENTANCE IS A GRACE RECEIVED, NOT A WORK ACHIEVED." |
