Originally Posted by AC.
Again, I really like your answer - just one other point of clarification - like Spurgeon said the regenerated/convicted sinner becomes diligent in wanting to be obedient to God and recognizes Jesus as needful unto salvation. But often a natural result of the new life is a renewed sense of responsibility/accountability to a righteous God.

So often/always we actively reform - does the fact that we become active and diligent in the need for righteousness diminish the fact that we are also acknowledging our own righteousness is as filthy rags (and as a result are fleaing to Jesus?)

I often hear that we have to come to an end of ourselves before Jesus becomes fully needful, which would seem to indicate that there is a distance in time between conviction of sin and truly relying on Jesus for mediation (true faith)

or is this simply a matter of faith being in exercise or not?
1. Re: being active in seeking and practicing righteousness and acknowledging those good works are as 'filthy rags'. I believe they go hand in hand. Sanctification is 'synergistic' (cf. Phil 2:11,12; Rom 6,7). The recreated soul/nature of God's children seeks after God's righteousness both forensically (resting on Christ's active and passive obedience in their behalf) and practically (walking in holiness, Eph 1:4; 2:10; 4:1,17,24; 5:2,8,15; 2Cor 7:1; 1Thess 3:13; Heb 12:10; et al). One of the reasons why the regenerated sinner seeks after holiness and righteousness is that they are very aware that there is no good thing within him (Ps 119:5,32,40; Rom 7:18; 1Pet 4:2). grin

2. This phraseology, "we have to come to an end of ourselves before Jesus becomes fully needful, is very dangerous and is typical of many "Mystics" and/or "Pietists". What this often does is to thrust one into the endless and fruitless exercise of morbid introspection. The poor soul is directed to take his/her focus off of Christ and onto themselves, seeking for that 'necessary' emotional conviction and disparity of soul. The question needs to be asked, 'How much desperation is necessary before one can truly come to know they are trusting Christ for salvation?' My answer is, 'It isn't a matter of quantity but rather a matter of quality. Whatever the Holy Spirit deems necessary to bring a needy sinner to Christ is enough!!

3: Re: Time element between conviction and believing. As I indicated before, my view is that when true conviction comes there is an immediate reaching out in faith upon the Lord Christ. Whether the actual 'time' is 1 second, 30 seconds, 2 minutes or whatever doesn't matter. Conviction and believing are inseparable and occur together. They are two sides of the same coin.

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simul iustus et peccator

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