An answer to the misleading article in Precious Seed Nov.09, titled, “I don’t know when I was saved – is my profession of salvation genuine?” by R Collings.

Collings speaks of his own experience: “No dramatic conversion took place and no radical change of behaviour was possible…..’getting saved’ was perceived as a necessary event – but humanly speaking it was far from being momentous”

We have to remind Mr Collings of words spoken by him a few years ago at the New Year conference held in Cowley Road Gospel Hall, Uxbridge.

I was invited to open the conference in prayer, during which I gave thanks on behalf of all for the day in which we were converted. Mr Collings, the first speaker, opened his ministry by assuring the congregation that he had never experienced a conversion. His words were not misunderstood. Some of us commented on his statement during the tea interval and I discussed it with the other speaker, Mr M Radcliffe. We thought he had committed spiritual Hari Kari. We thought he had signed himself out of the Ministering Brethren Fraternity. But no! He was invited back again to Uxbridge and has continued his unconverted career ever since. The Uxbridge Brethren thought it a trifling matter that the preacher had not been converted.

Conversions do not need to be “dramatic”. Mine certainly was not. I sat in my seat and trusted Christ at the end of a Gospel Meeting. I remember the day and the hour because of other happenings at that time.

All conversions are sudden, dynamic, supernatural. This is without exception. Certainly the actual date is somewhat irrelevant but the experience cannot be forgotten. It is the moment when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the newly born soul.

Conversion is commanded in Acts 3. Repent ye therefore and be converted. Being saved is the ensuing and ongoing experience of the new born soul. One is not saved without the initial conversion.

Can an infant do this? Of course, if they are able to confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead. They will understand as did the Ethiopian that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. On the other hand we do not read in the New Testament of a single child conversion or even that infants were preached to.

Consider also the Lord’s words, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18: 3. Note that becoming as little children is placed AFTER conversion. Some may argue themselves deeper into hell by insisting that a different Greek word is used in this verse. Just remember hat the Lord spoke Hebrew (always, we believe) and speaks to us in English. So, the unconverted remains outside of salvation.

A decisive conscious action is required on the part of all who respond to the gospel call. It is repent ye and believe the gospel. It happens at a given moment on a particular day.

We cannot take seriously Mr Colling’s issue in the title to his article. In the 54 years since I was converted I have not heard ONE soul claim that one has to remember when one was saved in order to have salvation. This is a red herring on his part to hide his lack.

The reality of a profession of faith begins with a decisive conversion. A change will be witnessed in the life of such a one. As far as visible works of righteousness are concerned, the tares cannot be distinguished from the wheat until the harvest. A believer will of course love the brethren. He will also love his neighbour. He will love his enemies. The unconverted tares may put up a good show but they fail at the end.

Colling’s final paragraph is most deceptive. I quote: “obviously there must have been a time when, and a place where, you first believed but it is not a requisite of salvation that you can recall either of them”

So one can just drift into salvation? Mr Collings woke up one fine morning and thought “Oh, I must have been saved”.Plainly, on his own confession, he had no vital experience of coming to Christ. There was no moment when he recognized his need to get right with God.

We say this again. Time and place are not so important that they must be remembered. I remember my conversion because I made a note of the date at the time . It was 15^th October 1955, at approx. 9.05 pm.

I do not remember where, other than it was in the town of Ipswich.

The experience of conversion CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN. If you cannot remember it you have not had one.

So now we have it. Our assemblies consist of a mixed multitude of converted and unconverted souls. And of course one can be a conference speaker and remain a child of hell, as all are who have failed to repent and be converted.