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Conversion Process |
Dear Brethren,
What is conversion? Conversion is the act of
changing from one state of being to another. A good example from nature is the
element, carbon. Carbon can exist as a lump of black coal, but after
undergoing much heat and pressure for a time, carbon can be
converted into a diamond. Diamonds are just carbon in its most
concentrated form. Coal is a soft, common, cheap fuel that is burned
up in a furnace, while diamonds are hard, expensive, desirable, and
always reflect their brilliance. It is the conversion process that
makes all the difference. Conversion for Christians is similar, and
it is a great deal more than a change of heart or change of
conviction.
It is the purpose of this Countdown article to show what Christian
conversion is, how it takes place in an individual, and what the end
result of conversion will be. A physical, temporal man is converted
by God - through many tests and fiery trials of our faith - into an
immortal Child of God in the Family of God (Acts 14:22, 1Peter 1:7,
4:12). It is almost too much to believe, but the Scriptures tell us
that it is true. God is reproducing Himself in man through the
conversion process. Here is how it takes place:
At one time, we did not exist at all - then we were conceived, and
nine months later, we were born. Now we exist as human beings. When
God calls us, He grants us repentance and faith, and then after
baptism, we receive the promise of the Father – an earnest of His
Life - His Holy Spirit in us (Acts 1:4-5). We are changed instantly
into Children of God – no longer mere children of the world. “Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is
of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of
God.” (1Corinthians 2:12) “Now we are the Sons of God.” (1John 3:2)
God’s Spirit in a Christian begins the conversion process, which
will culminate in our being born into the eternal Family of God at
the first resurrection. God’s Spirit is the gift of God unto eternal
life (Romans 6:23). It is God’s Will that we enter His Kingdom as
His Spirit-born Children. Jesus Christ described the process leading
up to our spiritual birth in the Kingdom of God to Nicodemus:
“Truly, truly, I say unto you, Unless a man be born [gennao] of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That
which is born [gennao] of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
[gennao] of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)
The Greek word, gennao, encompasses the entire life process in the
womb from the moment of conception, the forming of the embryo,
through prenatal development, to full maturity of the fetus at
birth. Jesus also uses gennao to mean the spiritual development in a
converted Christian that parallels the physical maturation period
within the womb. Conversion is a process that begins with a “newness
of life” at water baptism and the laying on of hands, and continues
uninterrupted until we are raised as spiritual beings in the
“likeness of Christ’s resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5).
This inconceivable truth is lost on the world. They think “Children
of God” is a platitude meaning simply that God created us. They
cannot grasp the awe-inspiring reality expressed in these Biblical
words that convey the fact that our mere humanity is being
transformed into Godliness. When a human being undergoes the
Christian conversion process, he enters a transformation from
temporary mortal life to eternal God Life.
Think about this, there are all kinds of life: There are many types
of plant life, and a great variety of animal life. What are we? We
are only one version of life - human life; and God is a different
version of life – the highest form of life - God Life. A con-version
from the earthly human-version to the God-version of Life, must take
place in us for us to be like Him. God reveals this in Genesis where
He talks about all the different versions or kinds of life. Notice
carefully how man-kind is to become God-kind.
“God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature after its
kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after their
kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after its
kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps upon
the earth after his kind… And God said, Let Us make man in our
image, after our likeness… So God [is creating] man in His own
image, in the image of God He [is creating] him; male and female
created He them.” (Genesis 1:24-27)
God created man-kind. He made them, man and woman, capable of
reproducing their species, their kind, only as an embryonic step in
His plan to reproduce Himself - the God-kind. God is in the process
of reproducing Himself by beginning with God-like children who are a
part of His Family – the Family of God. In order for man to make
that great leap, from man-kind to God-kind, God gives baptized
Christians a token of His Life - His Spirit. It is only when God’s
Life unites and changes our human life to be like His, that we are
made into His Godly children – and on our way to becoming fully
converted. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when [Christ] shall
appear, we shall be like Him.” (1 John 3:2)
Paul explained how the change in kind, from man-kind to God-kind,
takes place. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God… you have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we
cry, Abba,[daddy] Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our
spirit, that we are the Children of God.” (Romans 8:14-16)
Expounding further on Jesus’ analogy of being born and the mother’s
labor pains in giving birth, Paul tells how the purpose of all of
creation is for the conversion process of bringing many sons to
glory. “We know that the whole creation groans and travails in
[labor] pains together until now.” (Romans 8:22)
When we are literally born into the Kingdom of God, as full members
of the Spiritual Family of God, it will not be in these temporary
physical bodies. In the resurrection to eternal life, immortal
Spiritual bodies that cannot perish will replace our old physical
bodies. “It is sown a natural body; [and the conversion process will
be complete when] it is raised a spiritual body… “Flesh and blood
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.” (1Corinthians 15:44, 50) “The Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ, shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto His glorious body,” (Philippians 3:21)
Just like at the moment of our conception when we went from having a
non-existent status to being physically alive at the formation of
the embryo, the conversion from man-kind to God-kind begins in an
instant of time. From that initial instant onward, an earnest of
God’s Spirit in us continues the conversion process of going from
purely physical beings toward the goal of becoming eternal Spiritual
beings. The ultimate transformation occurs at our resurrection to
full God-life.
God, through the power of His Holy Spirit in us, works a complete
change in us. At the completion of the conversion process, there
will be absolutely nothing remaining of the physical and sinful man
that God initially called to salvation. Though we are now Children
of God, we must develop and complete the conversion progression.
Jesus said that we must go through the entire process to be in the
Kingdom of God (John 3:3). Continuing repentance and growing faith
are an integral part of this development (2Peter 3:18). Because we
are still human – we fall. It is only with God’s help (His Spirit
working in us) that we begin to overcome our sinful human nature,
and begin to put on God’s divine nature.
It is God’s Spirit, united with our spirit, which gives us the
beginning of Spiritual Life. But, just like a physical babe in the
womb, we must develop spiritually to full term, from mortal to
immortal (1Corinthians 15:53-54). “God has given unto us the
earnest of [His] Spirit.” (2Corinthians 1:22, 2Corinthians 5:5)
“You were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance.” (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30)
A word of caution here: Some people, upon being baptized, begin to
coast along because they erroneously think, “I have it made – I’m
converted now!” No. God gives us the picture of a newly conceived
babe in the womb that must grow and mature until the day of its
birth. If an unborn infant for any reason ceases to grow and
develop, it will die within the womb. In the same exact way, if
anyone deliberately refuses God’s help in overcoming sin, and
renounces His Way of Life - they will be stillborn - and not enter
the Kingdom of God. As converted Christians, we must continue to
grow in Godly righteous character until our day of maturation - the
day we have finished our course with joy (Acts 20:24). Only then
will we meet the criteria for our spiritual birth into the Family of
God.
At Baptism, and with the laying on of hands, we receive that
powerful spark of Divine Life that makes us embryonic Children of
God. Our spiritual growth process begins to convert us from being
purely carnal to entirely spiritual – a tremendous process that will
not be complete until the resurrection to Life.
“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.” (2Peter 3:18) “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as
His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
Life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us
to glory and virtue.” (2Pe 1:2-3) “Until we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
(Ephesians 4:13)
The conversion process begins with God’s Holy Spirit in us. “You are
not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you.” (Romans 8:9)
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Sermon: |
"Conversion
Process" |
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