Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

conscious life of the Christian there are ups and downs, seasons of close communion
with God and seasons of estrangement from Him.
5. Over against those who think of conversion only as a definite crisis in life, it
should be noted that, while conversion may be such a sharply marked crisis, it may also
be a very gradual change. Older theology has always distinguished between sudden
and gradual conversions (as in the cases of Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Timothy);
and in our day the psychology of conversion stresses the same distinction. Crisis
conversions are most frequent in days of religious declension, and in the lives of those
who have not enjoyed the privileges of a real religious education, and who have
wandered far from the path of truth, of righteousness, and of holiness.
6. Finally, in our day, in which many psychologists show an inclination to reduce
conversion to a general and natural phenomenon of the adolescent period of life, it
becomes necessary to point out that, when we speak of conversion, we have in mind a
supernatural work of God, resulting in a religious change. The psychologists sometimes
intimate that conversion is but a natural phenomenon by calling attention to the fact
that sudden changes also occur in the intellectual and moral life of man. Some of them
hold that the emergence of the idea of sex plays an important part in conversion. Over
against this rationalistic and naturalistic tendency the specific character of religious
conversion must be maintained.
D. THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN CONVERSION.
It already appears from the preceding that conversion comprises two elements,
namely, repentance and faith. Of these the former is retrospective, and the latter
prospective. Repentance is directly connected with sanctification, while faith is closely,
though not exclusively, related to justification. In view of the fact that faith will be
discussed in a separate chapter, we limit ourselves to repentance here, and define it as
that change wrought in the conscious life of the sinner, by which he turns away from sin.
1. THE ELEMENTS OF REPENTANCE. We distinguish three elements in repentance:
a. An intellectual element. There is a change of view, a recognition of sin as involving
personal guilt, defilement, and helplessness. It is designated in Scripture as epignosis
hamartias (knowledge of sin), Rom. 3:20, cf. 1:32. If this is not accompanied by the
following elements, it may manifest itself as fear of punishment, while there is as yet no
hatred of sin.
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