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The foundation of the Christian life is an authentic conversion.

Conversion is the conscious experience of the grace of God. Conversion is the human response to God's saving work wherein we appropriate salvation. It is the conscious acceptance of salvation. The Lord makes conversion possible. Conversion is the act of choosing to follow Jesus. Put yet another way, conversion is the consequence of an encounter with the living Christ.

Greg Herrick of Bible.org writes: “Conversion involves hearing the pure gospel and mixing it with saving faith and genuine repentance. Thus conversion has two closely related aspects to it: faith and repentance. Faith itself involves understanding the message of salvation through Christ, agreeing with it, and personally trusting him to save you. An essential element of that trust is repentance from known sin. This involves a turning from sin to Christ for forgiveness. Thus saving faith is penitent and genuine repentance is believing; it is not just worldly sorrow (Acts 20:21; Heb 6:1; 2 Cor 7:10). Faith is not just mental assent and neither is biblical repentance. We are not dealing simply with historical facts in the gospel, though it indeed rests on these, but we are dealing with a person, “a consuming fire” as one biblical writer put it (Heb 12:29).

The above is taken from the article here: http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=730

Some people mistakenly think that conversion is the end of the line. In other words, once converted, they think that's all there is to it. Conversion for them simply means getting out of hell. They are satisfied with the minimum requirement to get into heaven. This is the wrong attitude. Conversion should be the starting point of the process of sanctification. To be converted is to experience the transforming grace of God as it turns a person away from sin, causing him or her to focus on Christ.

I do not wish to get into a discussion of Calvinism versus Arminianism and predestination versus free will. Let me simply note that God takes the initiative where salvation is concerned, but that does NOT exclude the critical place of human agency. Malachi 3:7 reads, “Return to me and I will return to you.” The gift of salvation and the invitation to return to God are offered to all, but not all will respond affirmatively.

Everybody is not going to have the same conversion experience. Take Paul, example. He had a sudden and dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (he recounts it three times in the Book of Acts). But then there’s the case of John Wesley who had a slow conversion that developed over years. He was raised in a Christian home and entered the ministry, but did not have a complete understanding of what being a follower of Jesus was all about until he was standing on board a ship sailing from the United States to England where he had what he described as “a warming of his heart”. That was his “aha” moment that came only after years of learning about Jesus and reading the Bible.

My conversion was a slow one over time as well. I grew up in a Christian home, had Jesus make himself real to me as a young child, and never doubted his existence. However, I never fully understood what it was to commit one’s life to Christ and live for him according to his will rather than live my life for myself and expect him to bless me until a car accident changed my life and made me question what God was doing in it.

Sometimes, when I heard people speak of their own conversions and how they could remember exactly the place, the day and the time of their conversion, I wondered if I really HAD been converted because I couldn’t isolate a particular moment when it all came together for me. But I came to realize that conversion experiences are as individual as the people who undergo them and my experience doesn’t have to be like everybody else’s to be authentic.

Different people will suggest different essential components of a true conversion. I offer the seven elements that my professor outlined with the understanding that other people would add more to the list:

1. Intellectual component: Belief

We have an understanding of who Christ is and accept in faith the fact that he has atoned for our sins through his death and resurrection. We believe the Gospel and this belief brings a change in our thinking about everything in life.

2. Penitential component: Repentance

This knowledge about Jesus and sin and salvation leads to our repentance. (See Acts 2:38). Repentance is not a merely remorse about sin, but a turning away from sin, rejecting it and embarking on a new pattern of life that leads away from sin.

3. Emotional component: Trust

The New Testament shows us three different emotional responses when a person comes to Christ: a) assurance of forgiveness when we have confessed our sins and know that God has given us right-standing with him b) radical dependence on Jesus as we trust him to guide us through life c) joy coupled with hope and thanksgiving because of Christ

4. Sacramental component: Water Baptism

Some people view it as essential. Others see it as optional. The Bible presents it as an integral act (see Acts 2:38, for example). The act of baptism itself is not a means of salvation and should never be misunderstood that way. Rather, it is the symbolic act by which we confirm externally what is happening internally, that our old selves have been buried and we have been resurrected as new creatures in Christ.

5. Volitional Component: Commitment to Christ

We choose to transfer our allegiance from all the things of the world to Christ alone. We choose to serve him instead of living only for ourselves. We are called to participate in the world for his kingdom purposes, not for our own earthly desires.

6. Charismatic Component: Reception of the Gift of the Holy Spirit

This is a controversial issue. There are two perspectives, one that says everyone receives the Spirit automatically at conversion, whether they realize it or not, and a second that suggests people receive the Holy Spirit subsequent to conversion. Whatever way you look at it, I think people MUST be aware of the fact that God fills them with the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will guide us in life. Without that awareness, people may attempt to live Christ-like lives in their own power instead of relying on the Holy Spirit’s power to resist temptation and overcome sin. We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to succeed.

7.Corporate Component: Incorporation into the Christian Community

Eugene Peterson in his A Long Obedience in the Same Direction says there is no way to avoid this. To be a Christian is to be part of the family of God. God has one only-begotten son, but he has a myriad of adopted children – us! So we must not expect to live our lives as only children apart from everyone else. Truly, we need the structure of the Christian community to help us grow in faith toward spiritual maturity. I’ll be elaborating on the importance of this in the next thread.

In my next post in this thread, I will present some examples from the Bible of specific conversions and what they illustrate for us. Always remember that, when talking about conversion, it's all about Jesus, faith and repentance.

Overcomer

What an important topic ….. and I agree, whatever we call it, unless at some stage of conversion there is such an encounter with the Living Christ, then it may not be in fact a real conversion.

This is especially the case in families who live in a Christian community where children grow up in a church, and there is an expected progression of baptism and confirmation, or profession of faith and baptism, usually done as a group of all the church children of similar age. ….. it is very hard for anyone to know (even the child him/herself) if there is real faith, and if a real conversion has taken place.

And then we have the problem of those who cannot remember any such encounter …. Are they Christians or not? …. The standard answer has always been “don’t worry about it – just live as if it is real” ….. sometimes this is the right answer …. But sometimes, it becomes obvious that there is no real relationship, no real love for God.

Michael Patton has stories on his blog from several people who have renounced Christianity, one is a man who was in ministry for 20 years, another is a young woman, who has “come out” of Christianity …. and they are saying it is all a lie. The common theme is that these people have lived for a while with a sense of unreality, and of trying harder, until at last they give up.

And then there are those who accept the facts of Christianity intellectually, they have weighed the evidence, and have become convinced of its truth …. Yet very often there is no sense of a ‘relationship’ …. If God is real, then He is distant.

A good case in point is John Wesley … raised in a Christian home, ordained as an Anglican minister, he went out to the American colonies as a missionary. It was on his way home, during a violent storm, when he realized he was scared of dying … and that the group of Moravian brethren on the ship were calmly singing hymns. He realized that they had something he did not have … and that began his search, until he had his “aha” moment.

I don’t ever remember not believing in God …. But when I was sixteen I was overwhelmed by the glory and the reality and the sheer awesomeness of God …. I encountered the Living Christ. So when I was involved in a car accident some years later, I was very angry with God, but I never doubted His existence, or His presence. That was part of my anger, I knew He was there, I knew He could have prevented this (I never doubted that either) … yet He chose not to.

Another pointer is repentance vs remorse …. Most people feel sorry when they do something wrong. And if such a person is convinced he/she has offended a holy God, then again most will feel sorry, even very sorry for their wrong-doing. But this is remorse …. And not necessarily repentance. I wonder how many people understand the difference.

I think real repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit …. Because it involves a radical inner change of direction …. And I question whether it is possible to do in our own power.

It would be interesting to hear some of your stories.

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dlcjoy wrote:



It IS an important topic and I have to admit that, until this summer, I really hadn't given it much thought. Nor had I realized how complex it is.

You have hit the nail on the head when you talk about some people thinking that going to church and going through rituals, etc. is all there is to being a Christian. There are nominal Christians. There are cultural Christians. And then there are real Christians who are in a relationship with the living Christ. They have had that encounter with Jesus that changes them forever.

dlcjoy wrote:



My goodness! I could have written that about myself! You and I have been having similar experiences at opposite corners of the world!

I, too, would enjoy hearing from other people about their conversion experiences. I think we will find some of the same elements, but they will all be unique to the person who has them.

Here's one story from a woman I knew years ago. She told me about an experience she had as a child of 10. She grew up in a home that was not Christian. One Sunday morning, she passed by a church. She heard singing coming from within it, liked the music and was curious. So she crept to the window and peeked inside. The congregation was singing, "Breathe on me, Breath of God" which is, of course, a song about the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As she listened, she felt this wonderful sense of joy and peace and safety. She had no idea what that was all about until she was in her '20s and someone started to tell her about Jesus. She realized that, back when she was a child, the Holy Spirit had touched her at that moment as she peeked into the church, and he had remained with her, protecting her (in a very difficult home situation where she was abused) and preparing her for the moment when the Gospel would be explained to her and she would understand and answer Jesus' call on her life.

I find that a wonderful example of how the Holy Spirit works to draw a non-believer to Christ, resulting in genuine conversion.

Then there is the "Dark night of the soul" as St. John of the Cross put it--I believe.
This "night" can last for many years. Mother Theresa comes to mind. From visions and selfless devotion with a strong sense of personal contact to.... nothing. Years of nothing but she carries on none the less. The more I learn the more I appreciate... MYSTERY!

I always believed in God and Jesus as best I can recall... but there were periods, esp. in my youth, where
I forgot.
Doubting one's salvation is the devil's work according to Hal Lindsay and many others. I agree with this. This is not to be confused with doubting one's sinfulness! Our faith really stands on the gift of grace, and the flip side, mercy. It is most humbling... Just some random thoughts, thanks.
S

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Serendipity

Yes, that is another common thing in the devoted Christian life (by devoted I mean a Christian that is fully committed to God - no matter what!)

And that is also where everything hits the fan ..... if faith is based on purely rational arguments, or habit, or family, or culture ..... then the person suddenly becomes aware that it is not real - for them.

At this point they will either begin to really search and come into a living faith, or they will turn away from the faith .... or they will no longer believe but keep up with the motions.

some very interesting reading at Michael Patton's blog on people leaving Christianity .... especially this one :

http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2008/08/leaving-christianity-for-all-the-wrong-reasons/

and what is mind boggling to me is that no one seems to be doing anything about it .... in an associated article Michael quotes :



that is why this series Overcomer has started is so vital .... conversion (even real conversion) is only the beginning of the Christian life .... not the only thing required.

in Christ

Dinah

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As promised, here are models of conversion offered in the New Testament which demonstrate the elements I outlined above:

In the Synoptic Gospels, we see that a Christian is a disciple or follower of Jesus. In Matthew 28, Jesus mandates his followers to be disciples. In Luke 5:1-11, we see that the call to be disciples begins with the belief that Jesus is no ordinary man (intellectual and emotional component), but represents God’s presence in the world even if they still don’t recognize the ramifications of that yet. In Mark 1:15, Jesus announces the kingdom of God is at hand and we see that the appropriate response is to repent (penitential component) and receive the Good News (volitional component).

It’s clear from these examples that conversion calls for a radical renunciation of sin and the old way of life. In the Luke passage, we see that the disciples left everything to follow Jesus. He became the priority in their lives. It is to be no different for us.

The Gospel examples show another aspect of what conversion involves. It isn’t just a call to discipleship. It is also a call to service. Jesus says, “I will make you fishers of men.” John, Peter and Andrew were called into direct ministry. Others, like Zaccheus (Luke 19), remained in their work and served Christ there.

Basically, no matter who we are or what we do for a living or how we spend our time, all we do is to be done unto the Lord (“Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it as unto the Lord, Ecclesiastes 9:10, KJV).

The Gospels also show us that the fruit of conversion is joy. It is inherent in the experience. It is the consequence of the experience. And it isn’t just the newly-converted who rejoiced. In Luke 15:10, we read that there is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we see conversion from a different perspective. In Acts 2:35-42, people ask, “What must we do to be saved?” Peter responds, “Repent and be baptized so that your sins may be forgiven and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter gives us here a listing of the elements of conversion. A person believes the Word preached about Jesus (intellectual component), recognizes his or her guilt and repents in response (penitential component). Baptism (sacramental component) shows his or her conscious expression of his or her new commitment that includes an awareness of the need for forgiveness and the realization that the forgiveness has been given (the trust or faith component). The new Christian receives the Holy Spirit (charismatic component). Reading further in the second chapter of Acts, we see that the new believer is incorporated into congregational (corporate component) life and there is “gladness” (v. 46).

Acts shows us a variety of experiences with regard to conversion. For example, in chapter 10, Cornelius believes the Word and is baptized by the Holy Spirit BEFORE undergoing water baptism. So we see that, while the same elements are involved in the conversion of everyone, the conversion experiences themselves are not identical. Every conversion has its own distinct character including yours and mine.

In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul describes conversion as turning from death to life, from condemnation to mercy, transformation of behaviour (volitional component), incorporation into the family of God (corporate component) and the infilling of the Spirit (charismatic component). In the sixth chapter of Romans, he speaks of our union with Christ and our transference of allegiance to him (volitional component) so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness.

In the third chapter of the Gospel of John, Nicodemus comes in the dead of night to talk to Jesus. From the conversation he has with Christ, we see that a convert is one who believes (intellectual and emotional component) and experiences a new birth by the Spirit (charismatic component). Union with Christ represents the fullness of conversion and joy is emphasized.

As you can see, there is no one passage in the New Testament in which all of the elements of conversion are related. You have to read the many examples of different people’s explanations and experiences of conversion to get a complete picture of it.

It was at this point that the professor encouraged us to look at our own conversion experiences. How did it happen? Was it a process over time? Was it a sudden “aha” moment? Who were the people who played a part in it? The professor noted that Francis Schaeffer was instrumental in his conversion. Cornelius, of course, would name Peter (Acts 10). I had many influences, but for me, it was actually the car accidents and ensuing chronic health problems that served as the catalysts for my full conversion after being a lukewarm Christian satisfied to have my salvation and completely ignorant of my need for the process of sanctification for many years. Perhaps, like me, your conversion came about through series of events over which you had no control. The question to ponder is: How did the Spirit of God work uniquely in my life?

I found it a blessing to sit down and respond to that last question. I saw God working in events and situations down through the years all with the purpose of bringing me into a deep, dynamic relationship with him. The trials I hated were the very things Christ used to draw me to him. Truly, I can now understand the verse that reads “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28, NIV).

Seeing the diverse ways in which individuals experience conversion, it becomes obvious that the elements which comprise a true Christian conversion are not stages or phases of conversion, even though individuals might consciously experience them as such. Paul Helm prefers to speak of them as strands in a conversion. In The Beginnings: Word and Spirit in Conversion, he wrote:

To talk of conversion in terms of strands rather than stages has the advantage of making clear that these strands are conditions in the logical rather than the causal sense. They are not conditions which have to be fulfilled in order for a person to be converted; rather they are what being converted means.

Seeing it this way brings a certain liberty, knowing that the path or progression of one's conversion does not have to follow a precise pattern, and it facilitates an awareness that one's experience is perhaps incomplete. If the combined elements of conversion are what being converted means and if one or more of those elements are missing, then the individual can clearly see that he or she needs to move in a certain direction. Or, as the Puritans expressed it, the individual can clearly see that he or she needs to discern and respond to the work of God's Spirit in a particular direction.

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I like the idea of conversion being about strands rather than stages. Thank you for that contribution, Gideon. It does explain it well.

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Gideon wrote:



Agreed. You could call it a springboard. It definitely isn't the end of the line, but only the beginning.

Gideon wrote:



Agreed again. And, yes, spiritual formation is all about viewing life Christianly as Smith puts it (I'm using his lectures for this program). Put Biblically, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) and are being transformed into Christ's likeness (2 Cor. 3:18) We can't remain the same person when we give ourselves over to Jesus. We change from the inside out.

I'm currently listening to a series on worldviews. The lecturer (James Grier) notes that becoming a Christian does NOT mean keeping your old worldview and adding Jesus to it. The Gospel demands the abandonment of what he calls "the kingdom of darkness" and commitment to Christ alone. In other words, we have to replace our old worldview with Jesus. It demands such a drastic change that it scares people and they will cling to the worldview they feel comfortable with even if it is shown to be lacking in many significant respects.