THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF CONVERSION

By Gary Ray Branscome

Even though Jesus Himself said, “No man can come to me, unless the Father who has sent me draws him,” instead of giving God total credit for their salvation (the credit that is due Him) men, in their blindness, continually try to take some credit for their own salvation (John 6:44). [See Jeremiah 17:9.] One reason for this is lack of faith. Men who are not sure they are saved want something they can do to be sure. However, that does not really work, because we are saved by what Christ did, not by what we do. As a teenager, I would listen to radio preachers, and time after time would ask Jesus into my heart etc., yet nothing I did gave me assurance of salvation. That assurance only came when I actually placed my faith in Christ. Before that I thought that I believed in Him, but did not really understand. Assurance only came when I realized that all of my efforts were “like filthy rags” in the sight of God, and that I could only be saved by looking to Christ for mercy (Isaiah 64:6). And, the words, “No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost,” tell me that it was God who brought me to that point, and God who gave me faith in His promise of forgiveness in Christ (1Corinthians 12:3).

The words, “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,” tell us that our faith is produced in us by God’s power (Ephesians 1:19). The words, “No man can come to me, unless the Father who has sent me draws him,” tell us that no one can come to God without that power (John 6:44). The words, “Giving thanks to the Father… For He has rescued us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son,” tell us that God has rescued us (Colossians 1:12-13). The words, “You were without Christ… having no hope, and without God in the world,” tell us that if God had not rescued us we would have had no hope of salvation (Ephesians 2:12). And, the words, “You are saved by grace through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” tell us that our salvation does not come from us, but is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

The words, “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in Him, but also suffer for His sake,” tell us that faith is something that God has granted to us (Philippians 1:29). The words, “God, who once commanded light to shine out of darkness, made His light shine in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” compare God’s act of filling our hearts with the light of faith, with His act of creating physical light (2Corinthians 4:6). The words, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the promised Savior is born of God: and everyone who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him,” tell us that we become God’s children [are born again] through God’s gift of faith in Christ (1John 5:1). [See Galatians 4:4-7.] The words, “To as many as received Him, He gave power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name,” tell us that God gives those who believe the power to become the sons of God [be born again] (John 1:12). And, the words, “Who are not born of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God,” tell us that our will plays no part in our becoming God’s children [i.e. being born again] (John 1:13). At the same time, the words, “I will never turn away anyone who comes to me,” tell us that God is not going to turn away anyone who wants to be saved (John 6:37).

Far from helping in our salvation, the Bible tells us that, “The minds of those who do not believe have been blinded by the god of this world, that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, might not reach them” (2Corinthians 4:4). Because of that blindness, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: and he cannot understand them,” (1Corinthians 2:14). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). And, “The carnal [i.e. fleshly] mind is hostile to God: for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).