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Bro. Turner:
 Our
class is confused over the dual nature of man — body and mind
of Rom. 7:18-f. Conversion changes what?
Reply:
Conversion
IS something, rather than "changes" something! It IS
the turning from and turning to that takes place in man's
heart. Faulty theology tends to cloud definitions given in Bible
dictionaries and commentaries, so read them with care.
Many
believe man's heart is so corrupted by Adam's sin that he can
not turn to God — can not even understand God's
word. Such must first be "moved upon" or changed by
the Holy Spirit, working in some direct fashion IN him. In this
case conversion is something done TO man's heart. The carnal
mind is replaced by a spiritual mind, at God's decree and doing.
Consistency then demands that they say, "Once saved, always
saved." Efforts to accept the premise but hold to the
"dual nature" of a saint can produce some amazing
theologies.
We
believe man is neither good nor bad at birth (Rom. 9:11), but
responds to stimuli (Heb. 11:25). He is born in a world cursed
by sin. Our early life is marred by it, we live in its
environment, and our fleshly appetites not sinful per se, are
easily diverted to evil ends. But the crucial question is, are
we wholly beyond response to God's appeal through His word?
CAN man hear, believe, and call upon the Lord? Is God's
invitation genuinely universal, or only (so far as
"effectual calling" is concerned) to particularly
"elect" ones?
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We
believe man CAN have an "honest and good heart" and
"understand" the appeal of God (Lu. 8:15, Matt.
13:23). God's invitations are genuine — when He invites
who-so-ever will, He means it. There is cost to serving Christ
(Lu. 14:26-33), but we can "count the cost" and decide
to "give ourselves" to Him (Matt. 16:24).
The
"cost counting," the inner struggle between fleshly
satisfaction and moral responsibilities, between pride and
honestly facing our sinful condition — this is evidence of our
so-called "dual nature." It is present in the unsaved
man — he can be touched by and respond to heaven's call. And
it is present in the regenerated man — and I believe Rom. 7:
is proof of this. In Rom. 6: those "crucified" with
Christ were told, "Let not sin reign..." and
"neither yield ... to sin." Their desire to serve God
had still to contend with temptation.
The
flesh of man is not of itself sinful. That was the error of some
early gnostics, who therefore claimed Christ could not have come
in flesh. But fleshly appetites are so often the door for
temptation (Cf. Matt. 4: 1-11), that "walking after the
flesh" means a sinful manner of life. This "side"
of man dominates in the alien sinner, but when we have
"turned to God" we have determined that our desire to
serve Him will dominate. The flesh is still present, and
threatens our "new life." But our heart, our desires,
our spirit is now set on heavenly things (Col. 3:1-f). And the
blood of Christ cleanseth those who walk after the spirit in the
light of God's truth. (Rom. 8:1-f.; 1 Jn. 1:7-f)
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