South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-09
JESUS IS BASIS
FOR CONVERSIONS
Joining Church and Taking
Part in Services Are Not
Sufficient.

Conversion was the subject OF
Rev. J. a Robinson Thursday even
ing at the First Church Of the
Brethren where the attendance has
been steadily increasing every day.
He claimed that there are many
people today who do not know what
conversion really is. He proceeded
to tell first what conversion is Oft
EN- falsely assumed to be
1t does not mean merely a good
feelins," said the Rev. Robinson,
FOR the feeling is the result of
conversion. When a person Joins
the church he Is not necessarily
converted, for many church mem
bers are still uncOnverted. Work
ing in the church is also not suffic-
lent ground for saying that we have
been converted. Ii Is often as
sumed that believing in Jesus Christ
is evidence of conversion. but this
also is a false assumption as the
devil believes in Christ but no one
would maintain that the evil spirit
is converted A man may be sorry
for his sins as was the rich man
who asked Jesus what he must do
10 be saved but still he may refuse
TO be converted. What, then, is con
version? Conversion is the assum-
ing of a new attitude towards God
and the manifesting of this attit Ide
always in our outward life
Means Are I7ourfol1
Understanding conversion as
have explained it, what are the
means Of being converted? They
are fourfold. The word of God is
the first and fundamental principle
We are converted through the word
OF the Bible. The second means is
the Holy Spirit who pricks our
hearts and comes into the individ-
ual life guiding our action towards
conversion. II is not infrequent TO
have conversions as the result OF
providential circumstances. If Cod
had not stopped saul of Tarsus
while he was on his way to Damas-
Gus to prosecute the Christians we
would never have had the Epistles
of Paul to read today. At the pres
ent time misfortune or the death
of one dear TO Us is often the means
OF converting sinners. Finally II is
the Church of Jesus Christ that
opens the way for the sinner
The basis for conversion is Jesus
Christ. first, last and always II is
the life of Christ, His death and es-
pecially His resurrection, for what
after all would have been the sig
nificance Of His life had He not
risen from death? The more OF
Jesus Christ we have in our ser
mons. the more conversions of men
Will we hove
Motives Arc Many.
The ministry. or motives, OF con-
version are many" said the preach
er The most common motive. but
also the lowest, is the fear of God.
In the home, in the state. and in
the church we get obedience 10 the
law by instilling fear in the hearts
OF the subjects. And today you
must preach hell and birthstone 10
get converts. If you can not get
tianity by preaching hell you viii
never win them by preaching the
love OF Christ
But there are higher motives
that may sometimes be appealed TO
with success. The conscience guilty
OF sin. the sense OF duty towards
Christ. and the feeling of gratitude
are batter motives but less effective.
The centurion, Cornelius. who &C
cepted Christianity because Christ
had cured his daughter. did so
through the sense OF gratitude. Ad-
miration Of Christ. aroused by His
beautiful life and His miracles. is
second only 10 the motive OF love.
Love is the highest ideal and once
/ il is accepted by a sinner it Is the
most powerful.