Psychological Processes In Conversion

CONVERSION CAN never be explained completely, for conversion is a supernatural act of God transforming the individual into the unfolding image of God. . .

-president of Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland at the time this article was written

CONVERSION CAN never be explained completely, for conversion is a supernatural act of God transforming the individual into the unfolding image of God.

In fact, as conversion involves not only simple behavior but also those processes of the mind that are beyond man's observation, most psychologists would suggest that the study of con version is irrelevant to psychological understanding. Thus, the fullest explanation of conversion will be theological rather than psychological. However, as conversion does involve the total behavioral patterns of man, it is possible to describe many of the behavioral aspects of conversion.

Adventists reject the popular tabula rasa or blank-mind-at-birth view of man, which presupposes that his destiny is shaped totally by his environment. Adventists further reject the paganistic view of man as inherently good. This is untenable, for, like the empiricist and/or evolutionary view, it presupposes that the simple provisions of a "good" environment will lead to the development of "the good man." Thus all that is needed according to either view is for protection from evil, and the natural result will be that the child will develop into a perfect or at least totally accepted social being.

Contrary to Scripture View

Such a concept is opposed to Scripture and observed evidence. Man is conceived with an inherent predisposition to follow a pathway in conflict with the immutable laws of God. Therefore, rather than goodness being achieved by passive protection from evil, it demands a most active transformation from what is natural. The natural is ultimately self-destructive. Transformation by contrast is that which is supernormal and not to be equated with the biological and acquired motivational forces of man.

While the behavioristic views of man deny his powers of purposeful decisions, many Christians reject such fatalistic interpretations because of their lack of consistency with the Word of God. The experimentalists persistent failure to demonstrate supporting evidence for their mechanistic theories of man tends to confirm the constancy of Scripture.

Adventists, accepting the principles of the Word of God, have a purposivistic view of man that strongly argues that man indeed is a being of choice and decision. This view in no wise denies the important role that environmental conditions play in the development of behavioral habits, attitudes, biases, and beliefs, but it emphatically denies that these are the sole determiners of the response patterns of man.

Choice is ever possible until such a time as an individual has irrevocably decided to reject the claims of Christ upon his life. The widespread evidence of choice is supported by observational evidence, which indicates conversion among those who have the most unfavorable backgrounds as well as the rejection of God's claims by those who seemingly have had a most suitable environment for such a decision to be made.

It is impossible to convert a prenate, or in fact a neonate or infant (if infancy is held not to extend beyond the second year of life), for conversion involves a level of conceptualization not possible in the early years of life. However, it is possible, and in fact most desirable, that before a child reaches the intellectual maturity where he can appreciate the claims of Christ, he be educated along lines that later will make it easier for him to accept such claims. This is why Ellen White urges that "be fore the child is old enough to reason, he must be taught to obey." 1 However, "right" actions are not in themselves final evidence of conversion, for conversion is a total surrender of the life to God. Thus she also counsels, "As soon as he is capable of understanding, his reason should be enlisted on the side of obedience." 2

Involved Intellect and Emotions

True conversion is very much an involvement of the intellect, for the necessary preparation for conversion is a knowledge and understanding of the word of God as revealed in Holy Scriptures (Rom. 19:17). Further, conversion involves a decision that can only be mediated by the neural processes of the frontal lobe of the cerebrum, and this decision will greatly influence behavioral patterns involving the whole central nervous system.

The whole process of conversion is established upon man's most powerful approach emotion—love. Conversion, perhaps more than anything else, is the reciprocation of the love of God by a human being. Thus conversion must of necessity be much more than an act of the intellect, for it involves the emotional processes of man. And this emotional involvement goes much beyond man's relationship with God to include his fellow man and the rest of God's creation. It will affect his total emotional structure, so that there will be a dramatic change in the demonstration of the negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, hate, and even sorrow.

Preparation for Action

Very closely linked with the emotional implications of conversion is the principle of action. The emotional response of the Christian to the love of Christ brings with it concomitant bodily changes mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. These changes stimulate and facilitate behavior by the secretion of 'adrenalin into the blood supply, increased heart beat, breathing rate, and improved muscle tone. Thus a genuine conversion brings with it an automatic preparation for action. To the committed Christian, this preparation for action will find expression in acts that not only are consistent with his commitment but are directed to the fulfillment of the commission of Christ.

It is vital that the newly converted Christian be given adequate opportunity for fruitful witnessing, for otherwise it is likely that the energy generated by the preparation for action will be dissipated in activities that militate against his new-found experience.

While it is true that conversion is a supernatural act beyond man's natural powers and further that it is the sustaining power of Christ that is essential to both the initiation and maintenance of the new-birth experience, yet Christianity is frequently referred to as a growth (see 2 Peter 3:18; Eph. 4:15). Christian development, then, is very much dependent upon the development of right and valued patterns of behavior.

Conversion is the surrender of the life to the claims of Christ, and with this motivation and this source of strength, the patterns of behavior will immediately begin to change. It is true that some habits change dramatically (e.g., the change of drinking habits), but the majority involve a slower change. Especially where reflex type action is involved, a process of habituation is clearly in evidence. For example, the man who has used much profane language before conversion may eliminate it immediately from his normal conversation, but almost certainly will take much longer to reach the stage where such language is not used when sudden adversive eventuations occur, such as the stubbing of a toe. However, as the regenerated one grows more and more into the image of Christ, and as he continues to pray for victory, there will be an ever-decreasing tendency to do those things that are in contrast with his commitment to Christ, and conversely, there will be an ever-increasing tend ency to do those things that positively demonstrate his link with Christ. This is no doubt why sanctification is called the work of a lifetime3 and is elsewhere referred to as progressive.4

Linked with the habituation principle is the Christian's patterns of socialization. Whereas prior to conversion there has been a tendency to find friends among those who are likewise uncommitted and to engage in social activities that are worldly in appeal, true conver sion will quickly change this. More and more the social activities will center around the commission of Christ and friendships will more and more be made with those whose lives are also connected with Christ. The Christian will have less in common with his former associates. Therefore, his atti tude to these former friends and other nonconverted individuals will change. Whereas before, he saw in them a source of desirable social intercourse, now he is burdened for their soul salvation, and his efforts are directed toward bringing to them the same sense of commitment he himself has experienced.

Conversion has an undeniable and observable influence upon the behavior of man. Conversion is more than simply the summation of certain patterns of behavior. Yet, all true conversions will involve overt changes in the life-style. These changes will be both sudden and gradual, and will reflect the transformation that Christ brings into the life at justification on the one hand, and the daily growth in Christian maturity that is the process of sanctification, on the other.


FOOTNOTES

1. Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents and Teachers (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1913), p. 111.

2. _______, Education (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1903), p. 287.

3. _______, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 560.

4. _______, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1888), p. 470.


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-president of Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland at the time this article was written

November 1975

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