True & False Conversion

by Charles G. Finney
Edited and paraprhased by
Melody Green & Martin Bennet
 
"But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand: you will lie down in torment." - Isaiah 50:11 (NIV)
We can see from this verse that the prophet was speaking to those who claimed to be religious, and who flattered themselves with the idea that they were in a state of salvation. But in fact, their hope was just a fire of their own kindling-torches created by themselves. Before I go any further in discussing the subject of true and false conversion, I want to say that it will only be of use to those who will be honest in applying it to themselves. If you hope to gain anything at all from what I'm going to say, you must decide to make a faithful application of it personally. Be just as honest as if you thought you were now going to stand before the Lord. If you will do this, then I hope to help you discover your true state with the Lord. If you are now deceived, I hope to direct you to the true path of salvation. But if you will not be honest, my preaching will be useless, and you will hear in vain.

I plan to show the difference between true and false conversion in the following order:

I. Show that the natural state of man is a state of pure selfishness.

II. Show that the character of the Christian is that of benevolence. That is, choosing the happiness of others.

III. Show that the new birth in Christ Jesus consists in a change from selfishness to benevolence.

IV. Point out some areas where saints and sinners, or true and false converts, are the same - and some areas where they are different.

V. Answer some questions.

VI. Conclude with some remarks.

I. The Natural State Of Man, Or The Way All Men Are Before Conversion, Is Pure, Unmingled Selfishness.
Selfishness is putting your own happiness first, and seeking your own good because it is to your benefit. Whoever is selfish places his own happiness above other things of greater value, such as the glory of God and the good of the whole universe. It is obvious that all people before conversion are in this state. Almost everyone knows that people deal with each other on the principle of selfishness. If anyone overlooks this, and tries to deal with others as if they are not selfish, he would be considered a fool.

II. The Character Of A Christian Is That Of Benevolence.
Benevolence is loving the happiness of others, or rather choosing the happiness of others. This is God's state of mind. We are told that God is love; that is, He is benevolent. Benevolence makes up His whole character. All of His qualities are only different expressions of His benevolence. Any individual who is converted is in this respect like God. I don't mean that no one is converted unless he is as purely and perfectly benevolent as God is - but that his prevailing choice is benevolent. He sincerely seeks the good of others for their own sake, and not because it will make him happy in the end.

God is purely and unselfishly benevolent. He doesn't make people happy for the sake of promoting His own happiness, but because He loves their happiness. It's not that He doesn't rejoice to bless them, but His own happiness is not His goal. The man who is unselfish finds joy in doing good. If he didn't love to do good, then doing good would be of no virtue to him.

Benevolence is holiness. It is what the law of God requires. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:37,39 NASB) Just as certainly as the converted man obeys the law of God, he is benevolent like God.

III. True Conversion Is A Change From Supreme Selfishness To Loving The Good Of Others.
True conversion is a change in the goal you are seeking, and not a mere change in the way you reach that goal. It's not true that the converted and the unconverted have the same goal, but differ only in the methods they use to get there. That would be like saying the angel Gabriel and the devil himself are both striving for their own happiness, only just trying to get there in two different ways. Gabriel does not obey God for the sake of his own happiness.

A man may change his methods, and yet still have his own happiness as his goal. He may not believe in Jesus, or in eternity, and yet he may see that doing good will be to his advantage in this world and bring him many (temporary) benefits.

Now suppose this man finally does see the reality of eternity and takes up religion as a way to find happiness there. Now, everyone knows that there is no virtue in this. It is not his service to the Lord that blesses Him, but his reasons for serving God that are important.

The true convert chooses as his goal the glory of God and the good of His Kingdom. He chooses this for its own sake, because he views this as a greater good than his own individual happiness. Not that he doesn't care about his own happiness, but he prefers God's glory, because it is a greater good. He looks on the happiness of every individual according to its real importance (as far as he is capable of valuing it), and he chooses the greatest good as his highest goal.

IV. Now I Want To Show Some Areas Where True Saints And Deceived Persons May Be The Same - And Some Areas Where They Are Different.
1. They may agree in leading a strictly moral life. The difference is in their motives. The true saint leads a moral life because he loves holiness - the deceived person because of selfish considerations. He uses morality as a means to an end, to bring about his own happiness.

2. They may be equally prayerful, as far as the outward form is concerned. The difference is in their motives. The true saint loves to pray - the person who is deceived prays because he hopes to obtain some benefit for himself from praying. The true saint expects a benefit from praying, but that is not his leading motive. The false convert prays from no other motive.

3. They may be equally zealous in religion. One may have great zeal because his zeal is according to knowledge, and he sincerely desires to serve the Lord for His sake. The false convert may show equal zeal, but for the sake of having his own salvation more assured, and because he is afraid of going to hell if he does not work for the Lord. He may also serve God to quiet his conscience, and not because he truly loves the Lord.

4. They may both love God's law - the true saint because it is so excellent, holy, just, and good; the other because he thinks it will make him happy if he loves it.

5. Both may agree on the penalty of the law. The true saint consents to it in his own case, because he feels it to be just in itself for God to send him to hell. The deceived person feels a respect for it, because he knows that it is right, but he thinks he is in no danger from it.

6. They may be equally self-denying in many things. Self-denial is not confined to true saints. Look at the sacrifices and self-denials of the Muslims, going on their pilgrimage to Mecca. Look at the discipline and self-denial of those lost in the cults and eastern religions. The true saint denies himself for the sake of doing more good to others. His sacrifices are not centered around his own gratification or his own interests. The deceived person may go to equal lengths, but from purely selfish motives.

7. They may both be willing to suffer martyrdom. Read the lives of the martyrs and you will have no doubt that some were willing to suffer from a wrong idea of the rewards of martyrdom. Many would rush to their own destruction because they were convinced that it was the sure road to eternal life.

8. Both may pay equal regard to what is right - the true convert because he loves what is right, and the false convert because he knows he cannot be saved unless he does right. He may be honest in his common business transactions, but if he has no higher motive, he will have no reward from God.

9. They may agree in their desires in many respects.

They may agree in their desires to be useful - the true convert desiring usefulness for its own sake, the deceived person because he knows that's the way to obtain the favor of God.

They may both desire the conversion of souls - the true saint because it will glorify God, the deceived person to gain the favor of God. He will be motivated by this, just as he is in giving money. Everyone knows that a person can give his money to the Bible Society or the Missionary Society from selfish motives alone - to gain happiness, praise from men, or obtain the favor of God. In the same way, he may desire the conversion of souls, and labor to promote it, from purely selfish motives.

They may both desire to glorify God - the true saint because he loves to see God glorified, and the deceived person because he knows that is the way to be saved. The true convert has his heart set on the glory of God for His sake. The other desires it as a benefit to himself.

They may both desire to repent. - The true convert hates sin because it hurts and dishonors God, and therefore he desires to repent of it. The false convert desires to repent because he knows that unless he does, he will be damned.

They may both want to obey God. The true saint obeys so he may increase in holiness. The false convert obeys because he wants the rewards of obedience.

10. They may also agree on the things they love.

They may both love the Bible - the true saint because it is God's truth. He delights in it, and feasts his soul on it. The deceived person loves the bible because he thinks it is in his own favor, and sees it as the plan for fulfilling his own hopes.

They may both love God - the one because he sees God's character to be beautiful and lovely in itself, and he loves Him for His own sake. The other, because he thinks God is his special friend who is going to make him happy forever, and he connects the idea of God with his own selfish interests.

They may both love Christ. The true convert loves His character. The deceived person thinks He will save him from hell, and give him eternal life...so why shouldn't he love him?

They may both love Christians - the true convert because he sees in them the image of Christ, and enjoys their spiritual conversation. The deceived person loves Christians because they belong to his own denomination, or because they are on his side. He also loves to talk about the interest he has in Christianity and the hope he has of going to heaven.

Both may love to attend religious meetings - the true saint because his heart delights in acts of worship, prayer, praise, and in sharing the Word of God - the false convert because he thinks a religious meeting is a good place to prop us his hope.

Both may find pleasure in private prayer - the true saint, because he draws near to God and finds delight in communion with Him. The deceived person finds a self-righteous kind of satisfaction in it, because it is his duty to pray in secret.

They may both love the doctrines of grace - the true saint because they are so glorious to God, the other because he thinks they are the guarantee of his own salvation.

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