Be Careful
A genuine profession of conversion requires a personal dealing with God, resulting in a soul transaction with a living Saviour.
John R. Caldwell emphasizes the importance of leading individuals to a personal encounter with God through the Gospel message, ensuring that their faith is not just based on human reasoning but on a genuine transaction between their soul and God. He urges believers to commit their souls to the living Savior, Jesus Christ, as a result of truly believing in the truth of the Gospel, rather than just making a superficial profession of conversion.
Text
1 Corinthians 2:5
It is possible to press and reason with one, plying them with text after text, until we get them to admit - as they would admit the truth of a mathematical problem - that Jesus died for sinners, therefore He died for them, and therefore they are saved and have everlasting life. But let us take care that, whilst seeking to meet every difficulty, and make plain the truth of the Gospel from the Word of God, we are ever casting the soul of the enquirer upon God, so that, in receiving the Word, they receive it, not as the word of man, but as the Word of God to their own souls. (See 1 Thess. 2:13.) See that the "believing" is indeed a transaction between their soul and God.
What is the value of a profession of conversion if there be not a personal dealing with God Himself and committing of the soul to a living Saviour as the result of believing "the Word of the truth of the Gospel."
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Pressing for a Decision
- The Importance of a Personal Dealing with God
- The Value of a Genuine Profession of Conversion
- A transaction between the soul and God
- Committing the soul to a living Saviour
- A profession that results from a personal dealing with God
- A profession that commits the soul to a living Saviour
Key Quotes
“What is the value of a profession of conversion if there be not a personal dealing with God Himself and committing of the soul to a living Saviour as the result of believing 'the Word of the truth of the Gospel.'” — John R. Caldwell
Application Points
- We should prioritize a personal dealing with God over pressing for a decision.
- A genuine profession of conversion is the result of a soul transaction with a living Saviour.
- We must ensure that our profession of conversion is grounded in a personal dealing with God.