Consider these words from Charles Spurgeon, from his sermon entitled, “The Pentecostal Wind and Fire” (MTP, volume 27):
Furthermore, there was not merely this immediate confession, but as a result of the Spirit of God there was great steadfastness. “They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine.” We have had plenty of revivals of the human sort, and their results have been sadly disappointing. Under excitement nominal converts have been multiplied: but where are they after a little testing? I am sadly compelled to own that, so far as I can observe, there has been much sown, and very little reaped that was worth reaping, from much of that which has been called revival. Our hopes were flattering as a dream; but the apparent result has vanished like a vision of the night. But where the Spirit of God is really at work the converts stand: they are well rooted and grounded, and hence they are not carried about by every wind of doctrine, but they continue steadfast in the apostolic truth.
Consider also these words from Iain Murray:
“There is an urgent need today for the recovery of the truth about conversion. A widespread controversy on this subject would be a healthy wind to blow away a thousand lesser things [emphasis added]. A renewed fear of God would end much worldly thinking and silence a multitude of raucous services. There has been much talk of evangelism, and many hopes of revival, but Spurgeon would teach us that the need is to go back to first things” (The Old Evangelicalism: Old Truths for a New Awakening, p. 68).
Here is a question worth pondering: Why isn’t there a controversy raging over conversion? Is it because we are all agreed on what it is? Is it because we do not think that the encouragement of false conversions through unbiblical evangelism is not important? Is it because we love ease and quiet and care more about what others think of us than we do for the glory of God and the eternal welfare of souls?
Why is there no controversy over conversion?
