The Shepherd's Heart   June 3, 2008

What Makes A Good Conversion?

Last Sunday's message provoked several folks to do some serious thinking about what it really means to be a Christian. It certainly is an excellent question because we live in a day where certain groups call themselves "Christian" but do not seem to be in alignment in belief or in behavior with the teachings of Christ or His apostles. It has led many folks to be simply confused about the subject of conversion.

Some people think that conversion means when you "go forward" in an evangelistic meeting to "receive Jesus in your heart." They believe that saying the so-called "Sinner's Prayer" means that they are now saved. And truth be told, we have seen people genuinely changed by that experience and truly converted. But we have also seen people come forward in that emotional moment, prayed the prayer and promptly forgot about it. That experience of coming forward didn't really make a difference in their life - it did not convert them in a new way of thinking, feeling, or doing.

Is conversion merely a matter of intellectual affirmation followed by a ritual act of coming forward or is it something more? It has been my experience that most people made a commitment to follow Jesus over a period of years instead of a few moments. Their conversion was more of a process than an event. Dr. Richard Peace, Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Seminary, believes that the twelve apostles conversion experience was over a period of three years, not just one event. People come to Jesus Christ in several ways: Crisis moment, growing up in a Christian environment, a significant holiday, invitation to Church, reading the Bible, or desiring to make a change in life. What really matters in a genuine conversion is the conscious turning from sin to Jesus by means of repentance and faith. Let me provide some thoughts on a good conversion:

Conversion Means a Personal Awareness that We are Now Following Jesus The Bible certainly describes the concept of conversion with words like new birth, salvation, redemption, justification, regeneration, and union with Christ. Those truths are the work of God and we know them by faith. But conversion, as I understand Romans 10:9- 10, is a public declaration that Jesus is Lord and Savior. It's not just in your heart alone, it's real and that the person is aware that they are following Jesus.

Conversion Means a Lifelong Pilgrimage of Faith in Following Jesus Genuine conversion is more than believing a theological document like the Nicene Creed or a few concepts that tell us we are sinners and in need of a Savior. Genuine conversion is about being a disciple. That is, as a disciple of Jesus, you are turning to Jesus as a way of life. You are growing past simple "beliefs" about Jesus and you are willing to journey with Jesus for your entire life. Our faith may begin with knowledge, but genuine faith moves to a relationship of trust with our Master, and always results in our commitment to action. Genuine conversion engages the whole person, not just the head. Read James 2:14-26 and you get the picture that faith means more than intellectual belief.

Conversion means a Connection with God's Community: the Church We are called to be in relationship with other followers of Jesus. Without the body of Christ, there is no depth in our conversion experience. The local body of believers has been designed by God to help us learn how to live under the power of the Holy Spirit. Weekly worship, honest engagement with imperfect people, assisting, helping, and, at times, annoying each other helps us reveal our own willfulness and our dependence upon God in living to His glory with love and joy. I have not yet met a mature, spirit-filled Christian that lives isolated from the Church. Responsibility and accountability before Christ recognizes that you live under the authority of pastoral leadership in order to grow spiritually.

You see, conversion is about TRANSFORMATION in becoming a new person in Jesus Christ. It is not a conversion if there is no transformation in the way we think, feel, and act in this life. It is not a conversion if our beliefs are not transformed in loving God and loving others. According to Matthew 28:19,20, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants disciples. Not just a vague interest in things spiritual, but a willingness to enter a new way of living.

In the New Testament, there were good conversions and there were bad or aborted conversions. Read the fifth chapter of Acts, or the sixth chapter of Hebrews, or scan the letters of the Apostle John or the final letter to Timothy from St. Paul and you will see scores of people who intellectually believed but were not converted. This summer, as you journey with us at St. Anne's in worship and service, seek Jesus, grow each day deeper with Him, and be willing to be transformed in mind, body, and soul. Now, that is conversion!

With love,

Fr. Tony+