r
mind that you will confess it, and be forgiven. Do not have any cloud
between you and God. Be able to read your title clear to the mansion
Christ has gone to prepare for you.

4. Conversion.

Confession leads to true conversion, and there is no conversion at all
until these three steps have been taken.

Now the word "conversion" means two things. We say a man is
"converted" when he is born again. But it also has a different meaning
in the Bible. Peter said: "Repent, and be converted." The Revised
Version reads: "Repent, and _turn_." Paul said that he was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but began to preach to Jews and
Gentiles that they should repent and _turn_ to God. Some old divine
has said: "Every man is born with his back to God. Repentance is a
change of one's course. It is right about face."

Sin is a turning away from God. As someone has said, it is _aversion_
from God and _conversion_ to the world: and true repentance means
conversion to God and aversion from the world. When there is true
contrition, the heart is broken _for_ sin; when there is true
conversion, the heart is broken _from_ sin. We leave the old life, we
are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of
light. Wonderful, isn't it?

Unless our repentance includes this conversion, it is not worth much.
If a man continues in sin, it is proof of an idle profession. It is
like pumping away continually at the ship's pumps, without stopping
the leaks. Solomon said:--"If they pray, and confess thy name, and
turn from their sin . . ." Prayer and confession would be of no avail
while they continued in sin. Let us heed God's call; let us forsake
the old wicked way; let us return unto the Lord, and He will have
mercy upon us; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

If you have never turned to God, turn now. I have no sympathy with the
idea that it takes six months, or six weeks, or six hours to be
converted. It doesn't take you very long to turn around, does it? If
you know you are wrong, then turn right about.

5. Confession of Christ.

If you are converted, the next step is confess it openly. Listen: "If
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Confession of Christ is the culmination of the work