The Process of Conversion
Dear Friends and Members of IBC,
As a prelude to the Christian Life and Witness training course that takes place on Saturday 11th May from 11:00-14:30 in the IBC Hamburg office, we are going through a short mini-series on evangelism and conversion in our weekly ‘Word for the week’. Last week we considered how we are to have compassion for the lost. This week, we will think about the process of conversion.
Consider the following story. John grew up in a Christian family. He prayed ‘the sinner’s prayer’ when he was six-years-old, but didn’t quite understand what He was saying. He just loved the stories of Jesus and felt warm listening to them. When he was twelve-years-old, he went away on a Christian camp and after hearing a powerful sermon about what Jesus had done for him on the cross, he got down on his knees and tearfully made a decision to follow Christ. Yet his life wasn’t transformed and didn’t look much different than before. Some years later, when he was seventeen-years-old, he went on a short missions’ trip with a few friends and started feeling ‘on fire’ for Jesus. He came home and decided to spend serious time reading his Bible, sharing his faith with those around him, and serving in his local church. Now, when was John ‘converted’?
It is difficult to know the exact point when a person crosses from darkness into light (Ephesians 5:8). There is a point. No-one remains half in the light, half in the darkness, with two-thirds of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, walking somewhere between the narrow and wide path. Yet only God knows when that point is. In his challenging book, Beginning Well, Professor Gordon T. Smith defines conversion as “the response people make to the invitation, love, and work of God in Christ.” This response to the gospel may be quick, or it may be a long process. Some people may need to hear the gospel message multiple times before they respond. In fact, research has shown that the average time it takes someone to come to faith is four years, and that most people say they came to faith after conversations with a friend or family member (John Finney, Finding Faith Today).
In Acts 9:1-20 we read about Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, which demonstrates both a dramatic event and a slower process being present in someone’s conversion. We see the dramatic blinding of light, and Jesus questioning why Saul is persecuting him. And then we have the slow three-day journey to reach Ananias. We also see in the person of Ananias how important a friend or Christian leader can be in this conversion process. Furthermore, it is clear the extent that Paul has changed as a result of his conversion. In Acts 9:1, Paul is “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples”. But twenty verses later, “he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”
What we see in every conversion, are key elements that must be present, although not necessarily all at once. Someone who has been converted demonstrates a belief in what Jesus has accomplished on the cross, they repent of their sins, they receive assurance of forgiveness, and they commit to following Jesus. Outward signs that conversion has taken place, such as baptism, using the Holy Spirit gift that has been imparted to that person, and participation in church life, then follow.
As we seek to go out and be faithful witnesses, let’s be aware that some people may need to hear the gospel message many times, and they will need to see it faithfully lived out in our own lives. Let’s be persistent, seeking to present opportunities for people to respond to Jesus.
God bless you
James