d, "Except ye be
converted"? What hope can there be for the man who says God is so
merciful that he will not allow him finally to be lost when Jesus said
"Ye shall not enter into the kingdom, except ye be converted and become
as little children."

It will be necessary for us to read carefully verses eight and nine in
this eighteenth chapter of Matthew, if we would be impressed with the
importance of conversion. There are solemn words here. "Wherefore if
thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from
thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather
than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it
is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having
two eyes to be cast into hellfire."

I have been told that there are two ways of reading this text. The
first is as we have it in the King James version; the second would make
it read thus: "Verily, I say unto you, except ye convert yourselves and
become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven." Those who hold to this second reading say that there is a
difference between regeneration and conversion--that regeneration is
God's part of the contract, while conversion is ours; that conversion
is simply having the willing mind, while regeneration is God's
imparting to us his own life; and to convert one's self is simply to be
willing to be saved. And this is all-important, for even God himself
cannot save us against our wills. But I prefer to use, in my treatment
of the text, the generally accepted idea of conversion, and wish my
message to center around the following questions: What is conversion?
How may I be converted? Do I know when I was converted? How may I
know certainly?

I

What is conversion? I own a piece of property, and you desire to
purchase it. You pay me a price, and the property is transferred from
my ownership to yours. It is a converted piece of property. This is
just a hint as to what conversion is. We were sold under sin; and if
any should object to this expression, we have sold ourselves under sin.
Jesus came and in the shedding of his own blood paid the price of our
redemption. As a child of God, I am bought back from bondage to
freedom. To be converted is to be turned about. Going away from God,
I turn towards him. With my face set away from heaven, I deliberatel