1st Sept: What Exactly Is Conversion?

Speaker: Chris Laws

This study is devoted to examining the ‘components’ common to all true Christian conversion experience. Here is essential information if we are to be useful in helping seekers.

The Fall. Sentence of death on everybody/ nature also. Irreversible.
What can be done? Who can prevent death? Or remove all sin from your life/world? It requires a work of God.
Conversion is more than a change of mind or allegiance.
      Ex-atheist Anthony Flew, prominent atheist (44 books, died 2010) changed his mind in his 80s, and believed in God.
Regretted his atheistic influence. But not converted, never turned to Christ.
      People speak of ‘converting’ to Islam. Just a change of mind.
Christian – look back at your conversion. Remember the turmoil, confusion? What exactly happened?
      Many think of it as simple ‘decision’. But BCF has 7 chapters on it.
      Conversion largely invisible – but the Bible gives us an analysis.

The English words “conversion” or “converted” appear just 10x in KJV New Testament.
Acts 3.19 Second sermon of NT church: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted.”
Acts 15.3 Paul and Barnabas on their travels declared to the churches  “the conversion of the Gentiles” – 1000s.
More often translated “turned to [the Lord]”. That is the Greek literally: to turn right round, turn your back on something/somebody.
      1 Thess 1.9 “Ye turned to God from idols.”
A wonderful summary of God's work. From the beginning costly.

NEW BIRTH
Christ has given us an extraordinarily profound statement: John 3.7 “Ye must be born again”.
Two words – a whole world. But man ridicules ‘born again’ Christians as childish.
Watch the www.TED.com clip 'From Conception to Birth' by Alexander Tsiaras (9 million views).
      At a few weeks old the embryo is growing at 1 million cells/sec.
      At birth 60,000 miles of blood vessels, 100 billion neurons.
      “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139.14).

A babe emerges. So much has happened before! So with the new birth. Look closer!
“Born again” trivialised today. But Christ’s teaching always profound.
“Born again” – renewal of the whole nature. Not made better but remade.
      We have to be remade by God. God must do something.
      “We are his workmanship, created [fabricated] in Christ Jesus…” (Eph 2.10).
      A convert is a marvel, a “new creation”. What God does will live for ever.

The Puritans had 20 – 30 stages. We will identify the 7 main ones.
As we do so, we can each ask – Am I converted, a true Christian?
      Nicodemus was full of Bible knowledge and yet unsaved at this stage.

1. CONCEPTION  
How does the process start?
1 Peter 1.23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God.” 
      Not a question of being born into a Christian family. Being born again.
     You can be born a Muslim, not a Christian.
Birth analogy: as Word of God preached/witnessed a seed is sown in the heart by God.
Arminians object: if God does it, then it is not my decision.
Yes it is my decision! But first the Holy Spirit must free my will from stubbornness, prejudice, Satan’s power.
He is going to bring me to life because I am spiritually dead.
      Eph 2.1  “And you hath he quickened [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
This is the start of something “incorruptible”, more remarkable than physical life because it will last forever.

2. AWAKENING  
Prodigal son: Luke 15.17  “And when he came to himself” = came to, woke up. “I will arise…I have sinned.” 
      Wesley: “I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.”
Acts 9.3-4  “Suddenly there shined about him a light from heaven…Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”
      Before, he didn’t see his spiritual danger. Now eyes open, awake. Mind grasped the situation.
2 Cor 4.6  “God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts.”
Acts 16.14  “Lydia…whose heart the Lord opened.”
      Concerned for first time. Aching void, reality of heaven and hell, judgement.
      Battle. Unwelcome. Try to put out of mind. Delay.
For first time you see the sin in your heart. “Lord, I was blind, I could not see...”
      Christian – don’t you remember God stirring you up?

3. CONVICTION       
Note that A + Cv go together, they are ‘twins’
Acts 2.37: The people “were pricked in their heart & said unto Peter & to the rest, men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Sometimes long/ short, sharp. Saul 3 days. Face up to oneself – realism.
Feel internal sin now. Ps 51.3 “I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.”
      Delay possible – divert mind/ won’t face up to sin.
      Doesn’t necessarily lead to repentance. Eg the scribes and Pharisees “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one” (John 8.9). [Gk convict = to bring error to light, expose].

4. REPENTANCE
Acts 2.37 “Then Peter said unto them, repent…”  Mark 1.15: “repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” 
What caused us to repent? Conviction. Our will is subdued. “What shall we do?...repent”  C > A + Cv > R.
      Inadequate repentance can delay the process.

5. FAITH
A ‘twin’ of repentance. Always go together. Mark 1.15: “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” Turn from sin to God.
Acts 20.21 Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
      Partial faith, or insincerity can delay the process.
Once sincerely meant, the next stages follow at once.

6. JUSTIFIED 
Rom 5.1 “Therefore being justified [declared righteous] by faith…”
God pronounces “not guilty!” We are deemed not guilty, and righteous.
Courtroom in Heaven, unseen by us. Father=Judge, Son=Advocate.
Note “by faith”. It follows as soon as there is real faith.
C > A + Cv > R + F > J

7. NEW BIRTH
Result is something conscious:
Rom 5.1 “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Justification leads to conscious new birth. Launched into life. John 1.13: “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
A new heart. God is our dear Father, love brothers/sisters, pray, etc
A great change: mind opened, will subdued, a new heart
C > A + Cv > R + F > J + NB  Seven stages. We may add another:

8. SEALING / ASSURANCE
Eph 1.13  “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
Infant knows parents, secure, fed. Initial assurance – but can speedily ebb.
BCF – “a true believer may wait long and fight with many difficulties before he become a partaker of it.”

HELPING SEEKERS/NEWLY CONVERTED   
For most, the conversion process take a while
Remember that some stages are carried out instantly, and others can involve delays.
      Always instant, by God – C, J, NB
      Delays possible, man resists – A, Cv, R, F, S
Hence seekers who can't find the Lord will be stuck somewhere in the second group.
      Sometimes they don’t realise they have been converted.

CONVERSION
True conversion is:
      1. Work of God that changes, transforms a person. Given a new mind, heart and will.
      2. A turning right away from sin and the world to God.
      3. The bestowing of eternal life.
There is always a change in life, leaving the world and following the Lord wherever He leads.
      No change means no conversion.

Conversion is more than a change of mind.