from Colossians chapter three, Colossians chapter three. The word of God in Colossians three. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. ornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience, in the which ye also walked some time when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these. And the idea there is that's a command, that's a calling. Put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done, and there is no respect of persons. We read the Word of God that far this morning. On the basis of that and many other passages of God's Word is the instruction of the Heidelberg Catechism in Lord's Day 33. Lord's Day 33 is found in the back of our Psalters on page 19. Of how many parts doth the true conversion of man consist? Of two parts, of the mortification of the old and the quickening of the new man. What is the mortification of the old man? It is a sincere sorrow of heart that we have provoked God by our sins, and more and more to hate and flee from them. What is the quickening of the new man? It is a sincere joy of heart in God through Christ, and with love and delight to live according to the will of God in all good works. But what are good works? Only those which proceed from a true faith are performed according to the law of God and to his glory, and not such as are founded on our imaginations or the institutions of men. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, the subject of the sermon this morning is the doctrine of true conversion. This Lord's Day and the previous one serve as the introduction to the whole of the third part of the Heidelberg Catechism and the point And the subject of that third part of the Heidelberg Catechism is to teach us how we show our gratitude to God for his gracious salvation of us. The subject of the previous Lord's Day was the necessity of good works in the life of the Christian and what it is that motivates us to live that life. Now here we treat the related subject of conversion. As we'll come to see in the course of the sermon this morning, we can speak of conversion as initial conversion, something that happens once and in a moment. We can also speak of ongoing daily conversion throughout the life of the child of God. These truths The necessity of good works in the life of the child of God, conversion, both initial and ongoing and daily, are the theological foundation for what's to come. In the coming Lord's days, we're going to treat the Ten Commandments, the moral law of God. We're going to make application of that to our daily walk of life and the callings that we have to lives of good works. These two Lord's Days and the doctrines that are treated here serve as the theological backdrop for the practical instruction that is to come. Doctrine of conversion is a significant truth. It is the great need of all men that they be converted to God. For no man can enter into the kingdom of God except he's converted. Jesus Christ teaches that as the weighty significance of conversion. Matthew 18 verse 3, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Certainly that's the great need of those who are unbelieving, who are walking impenitently in some great sin, whether that be idolatry or adultery or drunkenness or some other sin. Their great need is to be converted from sin to God. But we make a mistake if we think the necessity of conversion is only in reference to those who are living impenitently in unbelief and in a way of sin. Conversion is the need of every man. Conversion is the need of the children conceived and born to believing covenant parents. And for we believers and our covenant children who have been initially converted, our great need is also for ongoing daily conversion. Conversion is not just a need for a moment in an instant, but is the ongoing need of the child of God who has been We need to be turned from our sins and turned to God. We need to be turned from all of our sins in every sphere of earthly life and every relationship in which we stand every day and all of our life long. We consider this Word of God this morning under the theme, what is true conversion? First, we consider the basic idea of that doctrine. Secondly, the two parts of it. And then thirdly, what is our expectation in the light of that for the Christian life? To understand the doctrine of conversion, we have to begin with a related doctrine, the doctrine of regeneration. We can't understand conversion without first understanding regeneration. The natural spiritual condition of every person conceived and born into this world is that they are totally depraved, spiritually dead in sin. And that's captured in the Word of God, including here in Colossians 3, with reference to the old man. This man is old because he's derived from our first father, Adam, in his fall. And this is the old man because for the child of God, When he's regenerated and receives the new man, this old man comes chronologically first. We're conceived with this old man. And this old man is a reference to our corrupt, totally depraved, sinful nature. Our natural spiritual condition is one of spiritual death. We're unable to do any good. but rather the whole bent of our nature is to sin. The Word of God in Colossians 3 speaks of that natural spiritual condition in verses six and seven, for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience in the which ye also walked sometime when ye lived in them. In a wonder of grace, God, by His Holy Spirit, regenerates us. At some specific moment in our life, God sends His Holy Spirit into the hearts of His elect people, and in doing so, raises them to life. So that we who were dead have been made alive with the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in regenerating us, the Holy Spirit implants within us a new man. This new man is new because we have this new man from the second head, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's new man again from a chronological point of view in the life of the child of God. We're conceived in spiritual death. At some point thereafter, the Holy Spirit regenerates us and gives us the new man. What that means is that for the child of God who's been regenerated, we have both the old man and the new man. Lord's Day 33 speaks of daily conversion as the mortifying of the old, the quickening of the new, and what is understood by that then is that the child of God, born again by the Spirit, has both. Still possesses that old man, while also now having the new man. What takes place when we're regenerated is not that having received the new man, the old man is taken away, destroyed, and entirely removed. The old man remains. Neither is it the case that when we're born again, that God transforms and reforms that old man so that where once it was, corrupt and totally depraved. Now it's reformed and made a bit better. That's not what takes place either. That sinful nature remains and remains a sinful nature all of our life long. But in regenerating us, the Holy Spirit gives to us a new principle of life so that alongside of that old man there now also is a new man. In giving to us that new man, the old man is dethroned. Where once that old man was the ruling, dominating power in the child of God, no longer is that the case. It remains in us. He's not removed. That sinful nature continues with us, but now it's the new man, it's the life of the Lord Jesus Christ that's enthroned on our hearts. Blowing out of that new man by the working of the Holy Spirit, our new holy desires to serve God in a life of obedience, all of which still has to pass through our sinful natures, which corrupts and pollutes everything that we do. This is the nature of the child of God born again. When talking about the child of God, we certainly must speak to the fact that we have an old man that's corrupt and totally depraved. But we may not stop there, as if that's the only thing we may say about the child of God. He's an old man with a corrupt, totally depraved nature. That's not the case. We have that old man, but we also have the new man. And in any explanation of who we are as children of God, we have to account for both. Both old and new. Only those who've been regenerated are then converted. Regeneration is foundational to God's work of converting us. The word for conversion in the Bible is a word that literally means to turn or to be turned. Conversion is the work of God in His grace in turning us. It's a radical change That takes place in the life of a child of God whereby we're turned away from sin and turned unto God. And both parts of that are necessary. You cannot speak of true conversion as only a turning from sin, some addiction perhaps, but not turning to God. Conversion is not genuine if a person claims to be turned to God, but not be turned from a life of sin. They go hand in hand. Genuine conversion is God's work turning us from sin and turning us unto himself. The biblical doctrine of conversion includes the idea of an initial, definite conversion. While regeneration is something that takes place in the life of the child of God below our consciousness, something that we're not conscious of, not aware of, When we talk about conversion, this is a work of God that takes place in the consciousness of the child of God, so that the child of God becomes aware of this turning. At some point in the life of the child of God, having been regenerated consciously, God also turns us in a moment. so that there's a definite moment in the life of the child of God where for the first time we're turned consciously from sin and turned to God in faith. Colossians chapter 3 makes reference to this initial definite conversion in verses 9 and 10 where it says in verse 9 that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man. And that's put in the past tense as a reality already in the life of the child of God. Even in the context where we're also exhorted, put off the old and put on the new. And there's a place for that command. There's also the reality of past tense in the life of the child of God. This is something that has happened. Initially, definitely, in a moment. For some of God's people, that takes place in a dramatic way. Think of the thief on the cross. Think of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. In a dramatic way, they were converted from sin to God. But it's a mistake to take those examples and to make that a rule for every Christian. Some teach that. That every child of God must be able to pinpoint the exact moment when we were converted. It has to be in some dramatic or mystical way so that then we can share our testimony with others of that specific moment when we were converted. But that's not the manner of God's working in all of his people. That may happen for some, like the thief on the cross or the apostle Paul, but that's not the rule for all. Some of God's people who were converted later in life were converted not in some dramatic way, but as they themselves would testify in a very subtle or even a very gradual way that was not dramatic in any way. And there is also the reality for the conversion of covenant children. As a general rule, God is pleased to convert covenant children already in their infancy. So that for us as children of God who grew up in a covenant home with believing parents We're not able to pinpoint that exact moment when first consciously we were converted from sin and to God. But not only can we speak of initial conversion, which happens in a moment, there's also the reality of ongoing daily conversion. That's what Lord's Day 33 is speaking of especially. It's evident from the fact that there's reference in Lord's Day 33 to more and more. There's a more and more element to conversion, which is referring then to ongoing and daily conversion. Not only are we turned once in a moment from sin to God, but we need to be turned all of our life long as we continue to carry with us that old man of sin. We need to be turned from sin to God. And then turned from sin to God again and again throughout our life and daily. Whether we speak of conversion initially or we're speaking of it in terms of a daily ongoing reality, conversion is God's work. Conversion is not the work of man. Conversion is not a cooperative work between God and man where each have their part. To teach that is Arminianism. Conversion is God's work. It's only God who's able to turn stubborn sinners. Jeremiah 31 verses 18 and 19 says, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. Speaking to God here. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. For thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented. It takes divine, sovereign grace to convert sinners. It's only by the power of God in His grace that we sinners can be turned from sin and delivered out of the bondage of it. And it's only by the power of God in His grace that we can be turned to Him and drawn to Him in faith. When we speak of conversion, we can speak of the manner in which God does that, and the manner of his working is such that he makes us conscious. This is the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit in us and through us in such a way that we're alive and active and conscious while all the while, that's the work of the Spirit in and through us. We're called to a life of daily conversion. We're called to mortify the old man and quicken the new man. But still, this is God's work. Even describing the manner of God's working in that way is not now to take away from the fact that this is the work of God in His grace. Conversion is, without question, God's work. Working in and through us? Certainly. But God's work, by the power of His grace, and for which then the honor and the glory belongs to God. God's work of converting us is a work that's grounded in the saving work of Jesus Christ, as is every aspect of our salvation. Jesus Christ is our head. He's our representative. So that what He endured in His life and death is ours in that we belong to Him. When Jesus Christ allowed His body to be nailed to the cross, and when He died and was buried, He broke the power of sin. Our old man was crucified with Jesus Christ in his death. Colossians speaks of that going back into chapter 2. Colossians 2 verse 14 says, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Chapter 2 verse 20, wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances? And then here in chapter 3 verse 3, for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. And the idea is not that we're spiritually dead still, we're alive, but our old man has died and that it's been nailed to the cross with Christ. And then the basis is also the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 verse 1, If ye then be risen with Christ. Our old man was nailed to the cross with Christ. Buried in the ground when Christ was buried. We arose with Jesus Christ to newness of life. So that his death and resurrection are the only basis for our regeneration, for our conversion initially, and for our daily being converted. In his death, is the death and the mortification of the old in his resurrection, the quickening of the new. As the Heidelberg Catechism explains ongoing daily conversion, it indicates that there are two parts to it. The mortification of the old and the quickening of the new. First of all, conversion is the mortification of the old. Colossians 3 uses different figures of speech to describe that reality. Verses 8 and 9, we looked at already the putting off of the old as if one would put off dirty clothing. And then in chapter 3 verse 5, it uses the word mortify. And the word means to put to death, to kill, to destroy. The idea of the mortification of the old man is not that we put our old man to death so that that old man is entirely gone and removed. The idea is not either that by putting our old man to death all our life long, it's dying this slow death and it's petering out as it comes to the end. The idea simply is that We seek to put to death, to put off sinful thoughts, sinful words, sinful actions, sinful desires. We sorrow over sin, hate it, turn from it. That's the nature of the mortifying of the old man. What that is, is spelled out in detail here the Heidelberg Catechism, we can distinguish three elements to the mortifying of the old man. First, the mortification of the old man begins in the redeemed mind or intellect of the child of God, whereby we're brought by God to a right knowledge of sin. By nature, we want to cover sin. We want to ignore sin. We want to sweep it under the rug. We want to justify ourselves and vindicate our actions. We want to push the blame for sin off to someone else rather than taking responsibility for it. Conversion begins with God's work in the redeemed mind of bringing us to a right knowledge of sin. So that we see our own sin as sin. We don't try and cover it up or justify it. But we understand that our sin is gross sin against God in violation of His law. Secondly, the mortification of the old man continues into the renewed heart of the child of God. And now we're being brought to sorrow over that sin. Not only do we know sin as sin, viewing it as God views it, but then we're led in our hearts to grieve over it. And to grieve with a godly sorrow. We're familiar with the Word of God in that it speaks of a true godly sorrow over against the sorrow of the world. The sorrow of the world is a sorrow that arises out of a selfish heart that's concerned only about the hard consequences that come upon me because of my sin. It's not genuine, God-directed sorrow. The sorrow of the mortification of the old man is sorrow over sin as sin. It's looking at our sins as God views those sins and grieving over them with genuine grief of contrition. And then third, the mortification of the old man continues into the renewed will of the child of God and are being brought to hate sin and desire to flee from it." Not saying anything yet about the actual turning from sin, but the mortification of the old man as that carries through into the will of the child of God is a hatred for sin and a desire to be delivered from it. begins in the mind with a knowledge of sin as sin flowing into the heart and genuine sorrow over sin continuing into the renewed will of the child of God so that we hate sin and desire to be delivered from it. And that's the test of genuine conversion. The actual outflowing of that into the life of the child of God in the striving against, fleeing from sin. This is God's work as we've said. The work of God that He works in us in such a way that He calls us to this. This is the daily calling of the child of God of you and me. Mortify the old man. Be killing lust. Be killing pride. Be killing selfishness, anger, drunkenness, and all the rest. Do not excuse sin. Don't try to justify it. Don't seek to push the blame for it off to someone else. Acknowledge it as sin. Sorrow over it. Hate it. Turn from it. Mortify the old man. Put off the old man with all of his sinful lusts every day. That's the one side of daily conversion, the mortification of the old. The other side of it is the quickening of the new man. And again, Colossians 3 uses different figures of speech to describe that reality. Chapter 3 verse 1 says, seek those things which are above. Verse 2, set your affection on things above. And then verse 10 and verse 12, the idea again of putting on as one would put off dirty clothing, put on clean. The idea of quickening means to make alive, but it doesn't mean here that we're to make our new man alive, that new man is alive. How can you make something that is alive more alive? The idea is that we live out of that new man. We live out of the new life that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, there are three elements to quickening corresponding to the three elements of the mortifying. First, quickening of the new man begins in the renewed mind of the child of God, whereby we're brought by God to know his mercy in the pardon of our sins for Christ's sake. The corollary to The mortifying of the old man in the right knowledge of sin that God gives us is that positively we know the mercy of God in the pardon of those sins and alone for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, the quickening of the new man continues in the heart of the renewed child of God and that we're brought by God to joy in him. And this is the corollary to our sorrow over sin. Conversion is being brought by God to sorrow of heart over our sins against God. And also, in quickening us in the knowledge of the forgiveness of our sins, we joy in God. And certainly our joy is in knowing the forgiveness of our sins. But our joy is not only in the blessings that we receive from God, but our joy is in God himself and the knowledge that we are reconciled to God, that God is our God, our Father in his covenant. This is joy, real joy. To know that God is our God. And that we're reconciled to him in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then third, quickening of the new man continues in the renewed will of the child of God in that we're brought to delight in a life of serving God. God works in us in such a way that We're led to hate sin, desire to be delivered from it, and positively he works in us new holy desires for godliness and a life of good works. Good works are the outflow, the fruit of genuine conversion. Lord's Day 33 not only describes the doctrine of conversion, but it also defines good works. Good works are not those works that we think are good. Good works are not those which mankind generally would acknowledge to be good. For a work to be a good work, It must be one that is in harmony with the will of God as that's revealed in his word. There are three elements to that as well. A good work is one that proceeds out of a true faith that rests in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. A good work is one that's done according to the standard of the law of God in harmony with his commandments. And it's one that's done with a desire for and a seeking of the glory and the honor of God and not our own. Out of a true faith in Christ according to the law of God and directed to the glory of God. Such good works are the fruit of God's converting of us, turning us from sin and turning us to Him. Here also the Word of God calls us to this life. Put off the old. Put on the new. Put off pride. Put on humility. Put off selfishness. Put on selflessness. Put off sinful anger. Put on patience. For husbands and wives, put on, as wives, submission to your husbands. And husbands, put on love for your wives. For parents and children, children put on Obedience to your parents. Parents, put on patience in dealing with your children. For employees and employers. Employees, put on faithful service. Not as men-pleasers, but to the Lord Christ. Employers, put on fairness to your employees. Put on mercy, forgiveness, and above all things, charity. Understanding the nature of God's work of daily conversion, mortifying the old, quickening the new, what's our expectation for the Christian life? Two important things. First of all, our expectation for the Christian life is that the Christian life will be an unending struggle. It's only one who really doesn't know anything at all about the Christian life who says the Christian life is easy. For a child of God who knows the Christian life, It goes without saying that the Christian life is hard. It's painful. It's difficult. From many points of view, it's unattractive. It's a life of ongoing struggle. From beginning to end, without any reprieve. It's the ongoing battle that rages within us between the old man and the new man, between the flesh and the spirit. It's the struggle against sin and temptation. It's the wrestling with the devil and his demons and with the unbelieving world around us. It's the seemingly unattractive life of taking up a cross, following the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered, denying oneself and living for others. We ought not have any misconceptions about the Christian life. It's hard, it's painful, it's sacrificial. Why is that the case? Why is it that God is pleased to convert us and sanctify us all our life long, but in such a way that we struggle and we're far from perfect? Why doesn't He sanctify us in a moment, make us holy as He could in an instant so that there's no more battle with sin? It's not a matter of what God's able to do. Certainly God is able to do that. But the will of God for us is such that we wrestle and we struggle all of our life long. And that through that, We learn. Through that we come to learn by our own hard experience the terrible power of sin. The filth of it. The wretchedness of our misery. God is pleased through this to humble us, to break that spirit of pride that remains within us so that we learn in our own hard experience the folly of trusting in ourselves and our utter dependence upon God. God is pleased through this life of struggle to exercise our faith, to test and to try us so that our faith in Him is strengthened So that more and more we come to see our only refuge is in Him. So that forsaking every other resting place, we rest alone in Him. He's pleased to work in this way so that more and more we long for heavenly glory. If life was not the wrestling with sin that it is, would we long for the perfection of heaven like we should? God has good purposes for us. Important lessons that we must learn in the battle of the daily Christian life. That first, our expectation is struggle. Secondly, our expectation is victory. There's the application of the victory of the cross of Jesus Christ to us now already in this life. There's a sense definitively in which we have put off the old and put on the new. We've been converted. We've been turned away from sin and the power and grip of it. And we've been turned unto God. And throughout our life long, by the power of His grace, God does convert us. And He works in us in this life in such a way that there's even growth. Heidelberg Catechism here, and many other places, speaks of a more and more. It's a phrase that's repeated often in the catechism. It's indicative of the growth that God works in us through this life. An increased knowledge of sin, an increased sorrow over our sin, hatred of it, desire to be delivered from it. A growing delight in God and in our salvation in Him. Strengthened desires to serve Him in a holy walk of life. There ought to be that growth in the life of the child of God. It's unhealthy if a child of God who's got the life of Jesus Christ in Him does not grow. Now that growth is gradual. It's almost imperceptible. We don't see it from hour to hour. We don't see it from day to day. We probably don't see it from year to year. But from the time that we're, say, 18 years old to the time that we're 80 years old, We can look back and we ought to be able to see there's been growth in our life. Now, that growth does not mean either that the Christian life becomes any easier. Doesn't mean either that we start to attain to the perfection that we're called to, far from it. At the end of our life, even after God has worked in us such growth, we still will say, I only have a small beginning of the new obedience. But there is growth. That's the power of the grace of God at work in us and the victory of the cross of Jesus Christ applied to us and worked out in our lives. But ultimately, of course, our expectation is for the final victory. As we wrestle till our dying breath with that old man, our desire is for the complete final victory. When that old man is entirely destroyed and removed. When we're only new man, so that there's no more struggle with besetting sin, there's no more lure to temptation in our hearts. There's no more struggling with the crucifying of sinful lusts and thoughts that arise in our hearts and our minds. No more stumbling and falling into sin. But when we will only serve God in perfection, when every desire of our heart will be love for God and gratitude for salvation, when every thought in our mind is for the glory of God, every word we speak The reaction we perform is perfect, in perfect harmony with the law of God. And this hope is certain. The victory of the Lord Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection has secured this victory. So that with certain confidence, we await the day When we will serve God in perfection. With the joy of salvation in your heart. With the hope of perfection before your eyes. Press on. In the struggle of the Christian life. Wrestle. Fight. Mortify. Put off the old. Put on the new. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven now has turned us. And we've been turned. And for that we rejoice in humble thanks Thankful that we've been delivered from the grip of sin, and that we are those who dwell in the confidence of thy favor shining upon us. And we pray that thou will continue to turn us, turn us from our sins, turn us unto thee, direct our steps in a life of obedience unto Thee. Hasten the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus and the final realization of the victory that's ours in Him. Graciously blot out in the blood of Jesus Christ all that we've done in sin here. Pray in His name, amen.