Conversion may be defined as a change of heart, or a change of outlook, which is true if it means a turning from the deceitful pleasures of sin to truthful joy in Christ, but it must not mean changing into a different kind of person altogether, and Christians will persist in trying to do just that. In defiance of the doctrine of creation, we fall for the terrible idea that the Christian character implies a uniform mediocrity. We submit to the tenet of moderation in all things, so loved by by Victorian schoolmasters, which is about as unChristian as any idea could be: we are not called to be moderate, we are called to be perfect. You have only to look at any of the saints to see how wrong that attitude is: whatever they were, Peter, Augustine, Bernard, Francis, Teresa, can scarcely be called moderate or inhibited. And God clearly chose Paul because he wanted to sanctify and use the religious courage, insight and integrity which was always inherent in Saul. So it is with any of the “twice-born” saints. (The Purple Headed Mountain, Chap. IX)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 03:07:12 +0000
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