Truly Converted

Conversion is one of the most important subjects in the Bible. Jesus said that conversion is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven, and the apostles continued to call people to turn back to God.

Jesus states the necessity plainly: without conversion, a person cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. The apostles repeat the call. Conversion is not an optional spiritual upgrade; it is the turning God requires.

Conversion is a change brought about by the Holy Spirit working through the word. The word produces faith, faith helps us see the seriousness of sin, and that conviction leads us to repentance and obedience.

There is more to conversion than hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized. Those acts begin a life of conversion, but Matthew 18:3 is addressed to disciples. Conversion is a continual process in which a Christian is being converted into the image of Jesus (Colossians 3:9-11).

In this lesson we will notice the characteristics of that change. The question is not whether a person can remember a past religious experience. The question is whether the present life is being reshaped by Christ.

There is to be a radical change, as if one is recreated. We must put off the old man with his former conduct and put on the new man, which is created according to God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24).

God’s purpose is to reshape a life marred by sin into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29), but that work does not come instantaneously. The Christian is new, yet still growing.

As long as one lives there will be a struggle between flesh and spirit (Galatians 5:16-17). At times, “flesh” will seem to prevail. That failure does not make sin harmless; it reminds us to return to the path.

We must learn to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). A truly converted person does not pretend the struggle is over; he learns to bring the struggle to Christ.

One no longer lives for himself but for the One who died for him. Conversion is not an “experience” on which we rely; it is an earnest desire and effort to live by faith in the One who died for us.

Each of us should ask: “What is my purpose in life? What are my chief objects and interests?” Colossians 3:1-4 directs our attention upward. The converted life is not aimless; it has a new center.

Really, it is to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first. It means seeking to be ruled by God’s will (John 14:21; 15:13-14; 1 Corinthians 14:37). It means desiring to know God’s righteousness rather than establishing one’s own (Romans 10:1-3).

To be righteous, one must practice righteousness (1 John 3:7-8). A converted person does not merely admire God’s will from a distance; he makes it concrete in decisions.

To delight in the commands of the Lord is to delight in knowing and doing them. It includes learning, studying, hearing, teaching, and practicing God’s will (Psalm 119:111; 19:8).

The question is not whether we can quote commands. The question is whether we have learned to see obedience as a joyful response to God’s goodness.

Our worship is an expression of love for the Lord. We should be filled with love and gratitude for what He has done for us. God is worthy of our worship.

Duty matters, but duty without love grows thin. Conversion changes worship from an appointment we endure into a response we offer.

Consider the example of the sacrificial Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). First, they gave themselves to the Lord—their hearts were changed. Then they considered that they belonged to the Lord along with all they owned.

If I belong to the Lord in body, soul, and spirit, all that I am and possess belongs to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Sacrifice is not a transaction by which we purchase grace; it is the visible shape of a heart that has changed.

The converted Christian is not claiming perfection. He is refusing to stop being converted. The old life is continually put off, and the likeness of Christ is continually put on (Colossians 3:9-11).

Lack of conversion is at the root of most, if not all, the problems in religion. Have you been truly converted by obeying the truth of God from the heart?

Conversion begins with turning to Christ and continues as Christ reshapes the whole life. A truly converted person keeps returning to the word, keeps choosing the kingdom, keeps delighting in worship, and keeps offering himself to God.