From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Humility of Conversion – Part 1

“Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”         (Matthew 18:3)

Jesus’ phrase “are converted” translates a form of the Greek word that elsewhere in the New Testament is always rendered with the meaning of “turning” or “turning around.” The idea is that a person must make an about-face and head in the opposite direction. Peter used a form of the same word twice in his sermon shortly after Pentecost as he urged his audience to “repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away” and said of Christ that “God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:19, 26). Paul used this word in describing what the Thessalonian believers did — they had “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Conversion complements repentance. Repentance entails being sorry for sin and turning away from it. Conversion is the humble expression of the will that completely turns from sin to God. The psalmist alludes to these two sides of the salvation coin when he asserts “sinners will be converted to You” (Psalm 51:13). That Jesus used our key word here in the passive voice proves that the apostles or anyone else could not experience conversion by their own efforts. In order to flee from sin to righteousness, a person needs someone else to turn him or her around. Certainly in this process we must exert our will, but ultimately it is God through the Holy Spirit who has the power to accomplish conversion.

Ask Yourself:
It would be much easier and more convenient if this turnabout negated the need to continue turning away from sin on a daily, routine basis. But what does God accomplish in us by keeping us trusting Him, not yet experiencing (as we one day will) ultimate freedom from sin?