No 2
Last time i talked about what is conversion, in fact to be more precise I talked about what conversion is not. This time l want to think about what is conversion.
Conversion is what God does in the life of the sinner turning them from wickedness to holiness, turning them from the flesh to the spirit and from death to life. It is not a change of mind only or even a change of purpose, rather it is a change brought about by God the Holy Spirit in which the sinner is brought into a new living relationship with God. He becomes united to Christ eternally and finds that all his sins are forgiven.
This salvation is not based on us trying to do good. In fact it is based on what Christ has done and is actually an act of God. ‘Salvation is of the Lord’.
Salvation is described in the Bible in a least four different ways.
1. Justification
2. Adoption
3. Redemption
4. Cleansing
So what do these four things mean? Lets look at each one.
1. Justification
This first word comes from the Law court. The criminal is brought into the dock and declared to be not guilty – He is condemned and only awaits judgment. This is the position that men find themselves in today. Christ himself said that men are already under the condemnation of God because they do not to believe in him. (John 3v18-19) However into the court room Christ appears and addresses the court declaring that he has been to the cross and suffered all the punishment for the accused crimes. The judge agrees that the penalty has been paid, yet the accused has not received a pardon yet. So Christ speaks to the accused and says ‘I love you and l have suffered for your sin will you accept me as your Saviour and believe that what l have done l have done for you’? The accused falls down in broken heartedness and says, ‘Yes, l really do believe that Jesus die for me’. On the basis of this simple statement of faith the judge calls for order and makes an astounding declaration that the accused is now publically declared to be – not guilty. This is justification. This new standing before the judge is not because the sinner is determined to keep his promise to live a better life or even an honest sorrow at the exceeding sinfulness of his sin and an honest intention to turn from his crimes, rather it is an act of the judge based upon the work of Christ and comes to the sinner only on his willingness to accept the offered pardon.
Now we move out of the court room into the home of the Father.
2. Adoption
In the home of the Father we notice that He rises from his seat to attend to a knock on the door. There he finds an orphan, who stands in all his rags and in a very dirty state, pleading for a piece of bread. The Father takes the child’s hand and brings him into his home, instructs his house-keeper to give the child a much needed bath and a new set of clean clothes. Finally he brings the child into his room and sets food before him and shows him a bedroom which he may call his own. The child is of course overjoyed and bewildered by the Fathers care, but then the Father calls the child down to his study because he has something to tell him. The child is apprehensive thinking that all this kindness must surely come to an end. The Father explains how much he loves him and says from now on l want you adopt you as my own son and to become a full heir to all my inheritance. When the child enquires of the Fathers love, the Father explains that he sent his only Son to pay for the crimes of the orphan – The Fathers Son died for the crimes of the orphan and now the Father calls the orphan to be his son and heir. We leave the scene with the Father embracing the child. We now move to an entirely new disturbing scene, we enter to slave market.
3. Redemption
In the slave market we find slaves lined up waiting for a cruel master who will take the victims away to a life of hard labour and tyranny. A kindly man steps forward he seems to be out of place, yet he comes with money and comes to buy a slave. The slave is chosen and taken away by his new master and when he comes out of the slave market the master stops the slave and says, ‘l have something to tell you’. He says, ‘l love you and want you to be free’. He takes the chain and breaks the shackle. Then he says, ‘l want you to be forever free you are not in any obligation to serve me you are free to go’. The slave turns and says, ‘Now that you have freed me, l want to be you life long servant – l am forever grateful for my liberty and l give you by life willingly forever’.
There is one more building to enter - this time its the temple of God.
4. Cleansing
In the temple we find God is worshipped and men come before the Lord to serve him, but outside there are many people who are banned. The banned are the sick, the lame and the unclean. However God has made provision for all men and the priest goes out among the people there he finds a poor unworthy, unclean, disabled and sick woman. What does he do? Does he say you are unworthy to enter into the temple (the woman knows that already) No he enters into the temple on her behalf and makes a sacrifice which renders the woman clean in Gods sight. She is now acceptable, she is welcome, she is now fit for the presence of God. She is ceremonially clean. What joy fills her heart. She enters the temple humble by irrepressible. She cannot keep from praising God and worshipping him.
This is what conversion is. It is forgiveness, acceptance, freedom and a state of fitness to enter the very presence of God.
Next time we might think about How a person can enter into this state of conversion.
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