The Beginnings WORD & SPIRIT IN CONVERSION

An unconverted Christian is an impossibility. This is the clear testimony of the Bible. Consequently it is of paramount importance for us to understand the beginnings of spiritual life, to know what God has said concerning conversion, what it is and what it is not. This book seeks to examine in some detail the essential strands: awareness of sin, faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. Other areas covered by Paul Helm include ‘legalism’, the relation of faith to assurance and the present need for accurate language in the church to maintain preaching and Christian experience within a thoroughly biblical framework.

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9780851514703

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Paul Helm spent many years teaching philosophy at the University of Liverpool, then at King’s College, London, where he was Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, 1993-2000. Among a number of books he is the author of The Beginnings,(1986) T

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"I can't remember when I was saved, maybe I'm not?" "You don't need to repent, only believe--right" Those are the types of questions Paul Helm undertakes to bring clarity to. In this extremely readable small book, he delineates three strands that are present in all true conversion: conviction of sin, repentance and faith. He argues clearly from the Bible and biblical examples that those three elements must necessarily be present in the life of an authentic Christian. Without all three, one is not a Christian. He then goes on to show that while they must be present to be a true believer, they are EXPERIENCED in varying chronological orders and degrees/extents. He makes the example that for someone having grown up in the Church all their life, they might "feel" that they have always believed and not "experienced" a dramatic contrast of unbelief-->belief in repentance that another would who came to faith later in life. So Paul Helm explains that while all three strands must be present, how we experience them can vary. There is a logical order in the process of conversion, he shows; however, our experience of that process is not what is conclusive of actual conversion. And this experience might possibly change over the times and seasons of our lives. Great book. Really makes you think about important issues. Thanks for writing it Paul. Jeff Ballein