What Is Conversion?
adapted from a sermon by CC Crawford
1. Are you converted to Christ?
a. Even if you are not a convert, no doubt you have thought about it.
b. Perhaps some present are not converted – not a Christian and maybe one reason...is that you are not
sure what conversion is.
c. It is more than repentance.
1) One can repent without ever being converted, but one cannot be converted without repenting.
2) Although repentance and conversion both mean to turn, conversion is more - it includes the whole
process of turning to God.
2. Jesus said, "Except ye be converted and become as little Children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" Mt. 18:3
3. Peter said, "Repent ye, therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" Acts 3:19
4. From the words of Jesus (Matt. 18:3) we learn that one must be converted before he can go to heaven.
5. From the words of Peter we learn that without conversion there is no blotting out of sins.
a. Since one cannot be saved without having his sins blotted out, and because all have sinned, we must
conclude that every man must be converted...or be forever lost.
b. So...the importance of our being right in answering this question, and people learning the answer to it, is obvious.
Body
I. There were five steps involved in the fall of man and the same steps are involved in man's reconciliation.
A. The difference is the preacher has changed, the message has changed and man now turns from Satan,
and goes back to God when he takes these steps.
B. In both cases the first four steps are man's part - the last was and is God's.
II. Let us look first at the fall of man.
A. The scene is Eve in the garden of Eden and along comes a preacher.
B. This preacher was a serpent who was preaching the doctrine of Satan - a message on disobedience, a lie!
1. She HEARD the word of Satan – his preaching to her that to eat of certain tree was the right thing to do.
a. But God had told them that if they ate of this one forbidden tree they would surely die.
b. But this preacher said, "Ye shall not surely die."
1) She heard the word of Satan but she was not condemned as yet.
2) She thought about it, it seemed reasonable so she:
2. BELIEVED
a. But the very instant that she believed the lie God didn't damn her.
1) He did not drive her out by her merely believing or by, "faith only" or at the point of faith.
2) She could have believed Satan and not have been condemned if Adam had come along and
convinced her that what she heard was a lie.
b. But he didn't and she decided to obey.
3. Her decision brought on her REPENTANCE - she turned from God toward Satan.
a. Here we have the third step.
1) She had heard the lie, believed it, and now has repented, but God has not yet cast her out.
2) Hearing, believing, and repenting did not damn her.
b. Nevertheless, at this point a change took place.
1) The first three steps amounted to a change of mind or attitude.
2) But she is not yet guilty, she is still in the garden of Eden
and she is not yet separated from God.
3) But, she:
4. OBEYED
a. The Bible says, "...she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her,
and he did eat."
1) Then! is when they became guilty.
2) It was this act of obedience to the lie that condemned them.
3) Before they did it they were not condemned.
b. After hearing, believing, repenting, and obeying, they became guilty and were:
5. CAST OUT; disinherited, separated from God.
a. After man took his last step, which was to obey, God kept His promise - they died or were
separated from Him and the garden where they had eternal life.
b. Now there is a second change - a change of relationship.
1) They were disinherited, put out from God's presence.
B. What we have just looked at was the fall of man.
1. As a result of their hearing, believing, repenting, obeying and being cast out, not only they but their
children as well were destined to die physically and to be no more upon the earth.
a. Their children includes you and me.
b. After the fall there was no hope.
c. Paul declared (concerning the time before Christ) "...At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:" (Eph. 2:12)
1) And this is the condition of every man who "puts forth his hand" and violates the commands of God.
2) It was our sins that separated us from God.
i. "All have sinned and come short..." (Rom. 3:23)
2. But God, being merciful, has provided a way in which we can have hope - through the sacrifice of one
who had no sin, Jesus Christ.
a. And so, now, man can be reconciled to God.
b. We have looked at the steps that were taken and when separation from God actually took place.
III. Now let's look at the conversion or reconciliation of man and see just how, and at what point it takes place.
A. The steps are the same but everything else is opposite the way it was with man's fall or condemnation.
(we will simply start over on chart)
B. Back there the preaching was the word of Satan, but now it is the word of God.
1. It is the truth, now, rather than a lie.
2. The truth saves instead of condemns.
C. The first step is to:
1. HEAR - to hear the message of truth from God.
a. The message of the devil was what they heard - it of course was a lie - it condemned them.
b. But to be reconciled to God man must hear the truth.
1) Jesus said, "They shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath
learned of the Father, cometh unto me." (John 6:45)
2) But that is not all.
3) Just as they believed a lie., man must:
2. BELIEVE - the truth.
a. Jesus said, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins:" (John 8:24).
b. Most denominations believe that at this point man is saved from past sins and reconciled to God.
1) Remember that the very moment that Eve believed she was not driven from the garden.
2) It took more than faith to damn mankind and it takes more than faith to save him.
i. The New Testament tells us that many of the chief rulers among the Jews believed but
because of the Pharisees they did not obey, lest they be put out of the synagogue
(John 12:42)
ii. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and
tremble" (James 2:19)
iii. So, in addition to man's hearing, and believing the truth he must:
3. REPENT - or turn from Satan toward God.
a. A man and women can decide that they are going to get married.
1) They set the time and place and make all the arrangements.
2) But they are not married until after the ceremony.
3) Likewise a man is not a child of God merely because he has decided to serve him.
b. A change takes place at repentance.
1) These first three steps amount to a change of mind or attitude just as with them back there
in the garden.
2) But man is not yet made innocent nor reconciled to God.
3) Eve was innocent until she obeyed.
4) Today, man is guilty until he:
4. OBEYS - the truth of God.
a. The action that sinless Eve took in "putting forth her hand" in obedience to the lie resulted in her
separation from God.
b. The eating of that fruit caused her to be separated.
1) When she ate she was condemned, not before.
2) After hearing, believing and repenting she could have turned again, toward God and not been
punished, but she didn't.
3) Sinless man committed an act of disobedience and it condemned him.
c. Now, the act of obedience, by sinful man, puts him back, or:
5. RECONCILES - him to God, being separated form sin and the devil.
(This is God's part)
a. The act of obedience which results in man's reconciliation is man confessing Christ and being
baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
1) This is how baptism saves us.
1 Pet. 3:21 - "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us..."
2) The act of disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit caused death - the act of obedience
(being baptized) results in life – as God promised.
3) Man was separated from God before baptism but afterwards he is reunited or reconciled to God.
i. Paul made this clear when he said, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,..." (I Cor. 12:13)
b. At this point there is a change of relationship.
1) This change of relationship takes place in the mind of God after our obedience to the divine
command to be baptized (Mark 16:16), to be buried with Christ in baptism (Rom. 6:4), putting on
Christ (Gal. 3:27), "...being then made free from sin..." (Rom. 6:17,18; Col. 2:12-14 READ).
IV. Conversion is the whole process of turning to God.
A. A preacher can teach someone the truth.
1. He may believe it and even have the intention of obeying, but it cannot be said that this man was converted.
2. It takes more...actual obedience.
B. Conversion is the WHOLE process of turning to God.
V. God's law of restoration is positive, divine, and unchangeable; just as much so as the laws
governing the natural universe.
A. Prayer will not alter a positive law.
1. An example in Numbers 12 shows that this is true.
2. Miriam, Moses' sister, was covered with leprosy.
a. She prayed to God to be cleansed.
b. Aaron prayed; and finally Moses prayed, but she was not healed.
WHY?
1) Because God had given a law for he cleansing of lepers, and He could not change it (Lev. 13-14).
2) She had to comply with that law to be healed.
B. Multitudes feel that they were saved when they prayed to God for forgiveness.
1. But prayer is a spiritual blessing for those in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
2. The alien sinner has a law whereby he can obtain the remission of sins and the Christian has a
different one.
a. The Christian is taught to "walk in the light" (1 John 1:7) and prayer is a part of that "walk" vs 9.
b. But where is the alien sinner told to do so?
Conclusion:
I. There are a number of ideas about conversion in regard to what it is, what all is necessary, just when it
actually takes place, and what man's part is and what God's part is.
A. Many would say that man does not have a part…but we have seen that man does have a part…
B. The most simple way to understand it is to go back and study the fall of man as we have done.
1. We have seen that they heard and believed a lie - whereas we must hear and believe the truth.
2. We have seen that they turned from God toward Satan and that we must turn and go the other way.
3. We have seen that God disinherited them, cast them out of the garden (where they had eternal life)
when they obeyed Satan and that God will give an inheritance and reconcile those to Him who obey
His word.
C. Through this simple study we have seen what man's part is and God's part as well.
D. We have seen that a change takes place when one hears, believes, and repents - a change of mind
or attitude.
1. But that the second change, the actual reconciliation does not take place until one "obeys from
the heart" (Rom. 6:17-18) at which point God forgives all past sins.
2. THIS IS CONVERSION.
E. We have pointed out that since the fall of man every accountable person has sinned, therefore was
separated form God and without hope.
1. But because of God's mercy in providing the sacrifice we can be converted or reconciled.
2. But without Christ there is no hope.
II. Final remarks:
A. Satan appealed to man's pride which was a factor in man's fall.
B. The opposite is true if man is to be reconciled. Man must humble himself, swallow pride and obey.
III. Invitation
A. Are you converted to Christ?
B. If all you lack is to obey, why not do it today?
C. Your decision and obedience would result in your soul's salvation and
bring joy to Christians and to God and the angels in heaven.
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