By conversion an individual became capable of living by the terms of the New Covenant. This was made possible through the indwelling of the Spirit of God. It enabled humans to change not only their behavior but to effect substantive changes in their innate disposition that are otherwise impossible.
Conversion removed the fatal flaw which subverted the Old Covenant. The new provided the people of God with a means for their living by the intent of God�s spiritual law as expressed in the Law of Christ. The basis of this royal law was the underlying spiritual policy reflected in the Ten Commandments of the Old Covenant. Jesus specified a fuller and more profound understanding of the Law of God for the Church. It was not simply a modification of the Ten Commandments but the all new institution of the royal law of God itself. The focus of the Law of Christ was upon cultivating right relationships while that of the Law of Moses was upon human performance of physical acts.
The apostles believed that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a person changed that person, through a process of radical transformation of the human heart, and "converted" him or her into a new creation engendered from above. If anyone did not have the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, then he or she was not a real Christian (Romans 8:9). This set apart the Church of God from Christianized Jews and Christianized Gentiles who believed in Jesus as the Messiah but developed and held to belief systems contrary to the apostles� doctrines.
While the salvation of the Christian is by grace, and through faith, the contractual conditions of laying a foundation for repentance from dead works and faith toward God must be met. This takes a lifetime. The later idea that all one has to do to be saved is "believe" is inconsistent with first-century teaching and an unfortunate myth. The early church understood salvation to be a process which took the entirety of a Christian�s converted life. The plight of those who only "believe" was, as recorded in Mark�s gospel, addressed by Jesus himself. "And in vain they worship Me," said Jesus, "teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7 NKJV).
Page last edited: 01/26/06 07:12 PM
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