Conversion
as I have personally analyzed, is not simply a change from one belief to
another, or from lack of belief to having faith, but literal conversions do
take place and should be evident and manifested in the life of the one who has
been converted.
For
example Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless
you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).
The
conversion that takes place in this particular instance is one from a state of
pride, arrogance, haughtiness, to one of humility, a state which is
diametrically opposite to the previous state, and this pattern is consistent in
every aspect of conversion. Pride is definitely not part and parcel of a
converted being and the new environment to which he/she has been transferred,
because pride promotes strife and the admonition given to us is, “Adulterers
and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells
in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore
the admonition to all who have been converted is, “Yes, all of you be
submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:4-6,
1Peter 5:5).
Another
process of conversion is that of turning to God from sin. Here again we see
that it is a state that is diametrically opposite to the other, because sin and
God does not co-exist, and so the admonition is; “Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may
come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
To
turn from sin to God, transgressors have to be taught the ways of God, and sinners
shall be converted to God. This conversion is not merely a belief or having a
sanctimonious sentimentalism: It is a literal conversion from having a natural
carnal mind which is in enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of
God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God,
and also because the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of
God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned (Romans 8:7, 1Corinthians 2:14).
Therefore,
to be able to turn from sin to God the mind has to be converted literally from being
carnal and natural, to becoming spiritual and with having the spiritual mind the diametric opposite happens, which is, now having a mind that is in total harmony
with God, and capable of being subject to the law of God, and capable of
pleasing Him.
This
conversion also brings about the conversion of how the individual lives and
walks in his/her daily life, again a process that is quite literal as we have
been admonished saying, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do
not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).
The
scripture also quite distinctly says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is
dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans
8:10).
Therefore,
without being judgmental or pointing fingers, a truly converted individual, “no
longer should live the rest of his/her time in the flesh for the lusts of men,
but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing
the will of the Gentiles --- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness,
revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries: In regard to these,
they think it strange that we do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation,
speaking evil of us” (1Peter 4:2-4).
Conversion
is also a literal conversion from citizens of the kingdom of darkness into citizens
of the kingdom of light, for we have been clearly instructed saying; “giving
thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of
the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and
conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
This
conversion leads automatically to another conversation or a re-direction of our
loyalty and passion no longer to the things of the earth but to the heavenly
things. For we have been admonished saying; “If then you were raised with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth: For you
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians
3:1-11).
A
true believer in Jesus Christ should be able to examine him/herself as to
whether he/she has been truly converted, for we have been admonished to, “Examine
yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know
yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified” (2
Corinthians 13:5).
True
conversion therefore will result and manifest itself in three distinctive
ways;-
1. Repentance
Despite
the literal conversion that has taken place in a converted mind and the desire
of the individual to follow the right path, the individual will nevertheless
still fall short of the glory of God. For who can say, “I have no sin”, or, “I
have not sinned”! Anyone who makes such a boasting deceives him/herself, and
the truth is not in them. They have also make God out to be a liar, and the
truth is not in them. And as the saying goes "He who is without sin among
you, let him throw the first stone."
Therefore,
repentance plays a key role in the life of a converted individual because, they
will be conscious of their short comings, will quickly acknowledge them, not
making them habitual, and repent of them. The apostle Paul gave us an insight
on how we should go about repenting by stating: “Now I rejoice, not that you
were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made
sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For
godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but
the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing that you
sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of
yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what
vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2
Corinthians 7:9-11).
The first call of duty and sign of conversion to
anyone who has been converted is that we should repent, turn to God, and do
works befitting repentance, and not making sin a habitual practice. The
admonition therefore is, “My little children, these things I write to you, so
that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1John
2:1-2).
2. Transformation
The
second important sign of conversion is that of transformation which comes as
the result of not conforming ourselves to this world, and by constant renewal
of the mind as we have been admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God.” And, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (Romans
12:1-2, 2Timothy 2:15).
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