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Abundant Life in the Son: A Study of Salvation

this better, perhaps, by the following example. When the Lord steps into
our lives, He turns us on a new course. Before He steps in, we are like
untrained drivers at the controls, and we are on a dangerous collision
course. But when we turn to Him, we permit Him to take the controls.
In this way we see that people turn to God, and God turns people in the
way of truth and righteousness. It is correct to pray as the Psalmist did,
“Turn us, O God” (Psalm 85:4, KJV), and it is equally appropriate for God
to appeal to us to turn. We see this principle illustrated masterfully in
Revelation 3:20. The Lord stands at the door and knocks, but we must
open the door. God never forces His way into our lives.

The instrument God uses to bring about conversion is the preaching
of the gospel. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to convict us of sin and to
produce faith (Romans 10:17). We thus repent, believe in the Lord Jesus,
and are converted. In this process, God is glorified and we are redeemed.
We have neither limited God’s sovereignty nor our own free will.

The apostle Paul asserted that his message was of Christ crucified
(1 Corinthians 2:2) and the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection
(1 Corinthians 15:3–4). He proclaimed it not with a demonstration of his
own speaking ability but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The results of
this message reflected not the power of a man but the power of God
(1 Corinthians 2:1–5; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:13).

God and man are both involved in the process of conversion. God
brings knowledge of man’s lost condition and convicts him of sin, but
man must respond by repenting, believing, and turning wholly to God.

The Purpose of Conversion

The purpose of conversion may be viewed as twofold: it is to
turn away from our evil ways, sin, and eternal death (Ezekiel 33:11;
Matthew 7:13), and it is to turn to the narrow way that leads to eternal
life (Matthew 7:14). God’s highest purpose is to bring us out of sin to
himself. In conversion, we take the first step on the road to eternal life.
We thus begin a new way of life.

Conversion enables us to live according to new principles of life based
on God’s Word. Our goal at this point is to make our outward life conform
to the inward transformation that has taken place. Our standing in

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