6th September: 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 CONVERSION PROCESS The Fall. Sentence of death on everybody. Irreversible.
All attempts to improve fail. Who can change us? It requires a work of God.
The backlog of sin and guilt – who can remove them? Even the Pharisees knew: “God only” (Mark 2.7).

Conversion is about something that only God can do.
More than a change of mind or allegiance. Ex-atheist Anthony Flew believes in God but was not converted.
People speak of ‘converting’ to Islam. Not the same meaning.
Mass crusades tell people they are converted after saying the sinner’s prayer.
Christian – look back at your conversion. Remember the turmoil, confusion? What exactly happened?
The Baptist Confession has 7 chapters on it.
It is largely invisible – but the Bible gives us an analysis.

The word “conversion” or “convert” used just 10x in KJV New Testament. But a wonderful summary of God's work.
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.
Means to turn right round. Turn your back on something/somebody.
1 Thess 1.9 “Ye turned to God from idols.” (same Gk word).
By definition a convert is someone who turns away from the world. Eph 2.2 “Ye walked according to the course of this world.”

NEW BIRTH
John 3.7 “Ye must be born again” an extraordinarily profound statement. Two words – a whole world.
Watch the www.TED.com clip 'From Conception to Birth' by Alexander Tsiaras.
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.
‘Born again’ trivialised today. But Christ’s teaching always profound.

Think of the birth process… A babe emerges. So much has happened before!
So with the new birth.
“We are his workmanship, created [fabricated] in Christ Jesus…” (Eph 2.10).
Gk “born again” = born from above. God must fabricate us anew. Crafted, constructed by God.
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works” (Ps 139.14). Applies to the new birth.
What God does in conversion is a marvel – this “new creation” will live for ever.

As we look at conversion, every true believer will recognise the stages. Nicodemus was full of Bible knowledge and yet unsaved: “Ye must be born again.”

1. CONCEPTION
How does the process start? 1 Peter 1.23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed [sowing], but of incorruptible, by the word of God.”
As the Word preached/witnessed a seed is sown in the heart by God. The Sower sows the seed.
Not a question of being born into a Christian family, but of being born again.
You can be born a Muslim, not a Christian.
Arminians object: if God does it, then it is not my decision. Yes it is my decision! But first the Holy Spirit must free me from stubborn self-will, Satan’s power.
He is going to sow a seed of 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.
This is the sowing-the-seed-of-life stage. It is just the beginning.

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?”
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.”
Before, we didn’t really grasp our spiritual danger. Now awake. 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 are aware of the sin in your heart.
Christian – don’t you remember God stirring you up?

3. CONVICTION
Note that conviction and awakening 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.
See internal sin now. Ps 51.3 “I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.”
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].
Delay possible – divert mind/ won’t face up to sin.
Not good enough to pray the sinner’s prayer. Not enough to want Jesus to help me in my life. I must see my danger, my sinfulness and long for forgiveness.

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. “What shall we do?...repent” Conc ► Aw + Conv ► Rep

Inadequate repentance can delay the process. Am I ready to leave the world when I come to Christ? Have I counted the cost?

5. FAITH
A ‘twin’ of repentance. Mark 1.15: “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” Turn from idols 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. Not ready to yield my life to Him.
Trust in Christ’s readiness to forgive, not in my works. 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.
An event of enormous magnitude and significance.
Conc ► Aw + Conv ► Rep + Fth ► Jus

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 consciously becoming a child of God.
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.”
God is Father, love brethren, pray, love the Word, etc

Back to the beginning: John 3.7 “Ye must be born again”.
Conc ► Aw + Conv ► Rep + Fth ► Jus ► 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.”
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
Remember that some stages are carried out instantly, and others can involve delays.
Always instant, by God – Conc, Jus, NB
Delays possible, man resists – Aw, Conv, Rep, Fth, Ass
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. A powerful work of God that changes, transforms a person.
2. A turning right away from sin and the world to God.
3. The bestowing of eternal life. There is always a change, leaving the world and following the Lord wherever He leads you.
No change within means no conversion.
No turning from the world – converted?
The believer can never be lost.