CHRISTIANITY FOR THE LAST DAYS

Thursday, August 13, 2009

AM I REALLY A CHRISTIAN ? - Principles of Victory In The Christian Life - Part II

TRUE CONVERSION

= Real Christians

Today it is quite fashionable in our modern American society for many to profess Christianity. This has contributed to a wide variety of opinions about what it means to be a Christian as well as significant confusion for the sincere hearted searcher for truth. Even people who pretend to kill other people in movies claim to be Christian.

This is not really the way Jesus Christ intended to be remembered. Many have never really been converted. Much of what claims association with Christianity is a misrepresentation of the character of Christ and God. The Lord Himself said that we would be able to recognize a Christian by the "fruit" or character traits manifest in the person's life. That includes each one of us. Let's continue examining the beginning of a true Christian experience.

When true conversion takes place in the heart, it is made manifest in a transformation of character, for those who are converted become Christlike. (Matthew 18:3/ John 15:5/ Galatians 5:24)

Pride no longer lives in the heart, sin seems abominable. The converted soul hates the thing that depraves his moral sensibilities. He hates that which crucified the Lord of life and glory. (Romans 6:6/ Matthew 5:5,18:4,16:24/ Ezekiel 36:31)

Those who are truly converted grow in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and as knowledge of Christ increases, they see more clearly where their own weakness lies; they realize the deep depravity of their natures. (Job 42:6/ John 5:31/ Matthew 13:3/ Psalms 92:12)

They understand the strength of sin, and know the power of their old habits. No deep‑seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not see and realize its own sinfulness. (Romans 7:14-20/ Galatians 5:17/ Ezekiel 20:43)

The Spirit of God does not create new faculties in the converted man but works a decided change in the employment of those faculties. When mind and heart and soul are changed, man is not given a new conscience, but his will is submitted to a conscience renewed, a conscience whose dormant sensibilities are aroused by the working of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 9:14)

Repentance for sin is the first step in conversion. Repentance is an intense hatred of sin in all its forms. Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. (Ezekiel 14:6/ Jeremiah 18:30)

It is one of the saddest evidences of the blinding influence of sin that months and years roll on and there is no awaking to repentance.

True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Repentance is genuine when reformation takes place. (Psalms 38:18)

He who is truly repentant, he who is regenerated, hates sin. All manner of selfishness is distressing to him. Indifference to God on the part of those around him grieves him.

Without true repentance, there can be no true conversion. Many are deceived here, and too often their entire experience proves to be a deception. This is why so many who are joined to the church have never been joined to Christ. Baptism may be repeated over and over again, but of itself it has no power to change the human heart.

All who profess the truth are not converted, although they may think they are. Some mistake transient emotions, ideas, and fancies, or resolutions formed in their own strength, for conversion. But faith is a living, abiding principle. Its object is truth,‑‑divine, eternal, changeless truth. Genuine, saving faith is inseparable from repentance and conversion, and will manifest the fruits of the Spirit. It is a continual, conscious trust in Jesus. (Matthew 7:20-23)

Many are received into the church who are not converted. All who are baptized are to give evidence that they have been converted.

While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God. (Matthew 13:24-30, 25:1-13, 26:21)

To be continued...

It is not the will of our heavenly Father that so many would be deceived concerning salvation and eternal life in these last days. While GOD loves everyone and will forgive anyone HE does not change our character against our will or without our cooperation.

A Christ-like character is the only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and a Christ-like character is the only kind of character that could be trusted in heaven.

We are given a life-time, (be it long or short) to cooperate with God in developing a Christ-like character for eternal life in heaven. It begins with the new birth experience.

Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life today and to begin the work of changing you for heaven. Confess your sins and acknowledge your need of Him. He loves you and wants the privilege of enjoying friendship with you forever.

T.K.

8 comments:

  1. T.K.
    While I found your blog enlightening, I think you are a little misleading. Only Christians that have studied God's word would understand how to be more Christlike. When I became saved, I was told all you have to do was believe in your heart John 3:16. Are you saying that John 3:16 is not enough to get to heaven?

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  2. Thank you for your comment anonymous. I do agree that Christians who have studied God's word would understand how to be more Christlike.

    However, I think there may still be some slight misunderstanding in many minds about the difference between conversion and Christian growth.

    Many people say they believe in God but they have not turned away from sin nor do they feel sorrow for sin...

    Sorrow because of the pain that sin brings to the heart of our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who was crucified because of sin.

    John 3:16 is not enough to get to heaven if that verse and the others before it like John 3:3-5 are not really understood.

    Take a look at this verse...

    (James 2:19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

    This verse suggests that there must be something more involved in getting to heaven than just believing since the devils also believe and we know they are not going to be in heaven simply because they believe.

    The blog post was to help make the Bible definition of conversion more plain and to lead a person to examine his or her relationship with Christ. The Christian growth experience will be dealt with in later blog posts.

    The conversion spoken of in the Bible is a radical transformation at the beginning of Christian experience.

    The conversion spoken of in the Bible is so radical that it sounds as if we are speaking about someone becoming a fully mature Christian in one instant.

    It is so radical and rarely seen, that many sincere church goers don't think such a thing is possible.

    True conversion is incorrectly misunderstood by many as "Christian growth" today in the 21st century. Because of this misunderstanding, many who have never been converted are accepted as members of the church.

    It is an experience that should have taken place at the start of the Christian life and is generally thought to be part of a process that will occur as the person continues to walk with Christ.

    Without true conversion, the proper motivation to cheerfully and lovingly continue with Christ and take up the cross will be absent.

    In fact, it is so radical that even many sincere people think that the conversion spoken of in the Bible is the same thing as growing more Christlike.

    So what do they believe true conversion is...?

    Accepting Christ or believing in God...

    This is a half truth...

    I do not believe that an unconverted person can become more Christlike. I do not believe that is what I stated in the post.

    The conversion experience that is described in the blog is the radical experience that a person has when he or she responds to the realization of what his or her selfishness has done and continues to do to the heart of God. It leads to a broken-heartedness because of the terriblesness of sin and not simply the consequences of sin. This broken-heartedness is the beginning of a fundamental turning away from the principle of sin which is selfishness.

    Selfishness is manifested in the breaking of God's law - the 10 commandments.

    I believe that not teaching a person who responds to an altar call that growing to be more like Christ is what it means to become a Christian is misleading. Hence, many who enter the church have never truly been converted.

    Repentance is not always explained as it should be to those who respond to the Holy Spirit.

    So they often respond with their emotions and/or feelings without an intelligent understanding of what it means to be born again or how to begin the Christian experience.

    This is not necessarily following Christ's commission to the church in Matthew 28:19. We often baptize people into the church before teaching them.

    This answer was a little long and I apologize if you are inconvenienced by its length. I hope I have been able to clarify some things.

    T.K.

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  3. T.K.
    The length of your message is not an inconvenience. Your clarified somethings, but I still have questions. You titled this article, Am I Really a Christian, and perhaps I'm missing the point. Perhaps I'm in this group of people you are talking about that truly has not been converted. You state that John 3:16 is not enough and you give a scripture to support your point, but I thought that the only thing to send your soul to Hell was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit

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  4. The title was chosen deliberately and I don't believe you have missed the point at all.

    The article is intended to encourage self-examination and to a stimulate desire for true conversion. If you feel that you are not converted...

    Let's pray...

    Heavenly Father, I am a sinner and have lived a selfish life and broken your commandments. I believe that you love me and have proved it by allowing your Son Jesus Christ to be crucified on the cross for my sins.

    I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins because He loves me.

    I believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected and will give me power over sin because He loves me.

    I believe that Jesus Christ will come again and deliver me from the presence of sin because He loves me.

    Please cause me to be born again right now and bless me with new motives, new desires and new purposes. Help me to grow more and more like my new Lord and Savior from day to day.

    In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

    Welcome to the family of God !

    You make a good point about blaspheming the Holy Spirit being the only way to being lost.

    In essence, that is really what it will come down to for every soul who is lost.

    Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit.

    It is through the Holy Spirit that God works to subdue our hearts unto Himself.

    It is through the Holy Spirit that the presence of Jesus is made real to us.

    It is through the Holy Spirit that God is able to transform and develop our characters for heaven.

    It is through the Holy Spirit that we are inspired and strengthened to resist sin.

    The Holy Spirit is given to lead a person into all truth and the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible...

    So..yes...rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit is the one thing that will cause a person to be lost and excluded from heaven.

    Let's pray that we will not reject the Holy Spirit when He is speaking to our hearts.

    T.K.

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  5. John 3:16 is not enough to get to heaven if that verse and the others before it like John 3:3-5 are not really understood.
    IT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME. My growth came much later. I KNOW WHO MY REDEEMER IS, and I thank God everyday for his kind mercies he continues to provide to me, for me and in me. Thank you for the prayer for salvation, I pray others that read the blog will pray the prayer. YOU SAID However, I think there may still be some slight misunderstanding in many minds about the difference between conversion and Christian growth. I agree with you when you say the transformation is immediate, but when we repent and ask God for forgiveness, the flesh is weak. It sometimes takes time (much prayer and sometimes fasting) to rid ourselves of those particular sins that so easily can entrap us. YOU SAID So they often respond with their emotions and/or feelings without an intelligent understanding of what it means to be born again or how to begin the Christian experience. When you discover this is happening, What do you do about it? Can you do something about it? Continue to expound and expose us to the truth. Remember the truth shall set us free..God bless and keep you is my prayer.

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  6. Hi Anonymous.

    Thank you for the lively exchange of thoughts.

    You say that John 3:16 was enough for you. Do you mean it was enough for you to come to Christ ?

    I would agree that bringing John 3:16 to the attention of a sincere hearted person would be sufficient motivation under the conviction of the Holy Spirit in many cases to help a person come to Jesus Christ and ultimately be born again.

    However, your question to me was as follows...

    ARE YOU SAYING THAT JOHN 3:16 IS NOT ENOUGH TO GET TO HEAVEN ?

    You say that John 3:16 was enough for you.

    Anonymous...Are you saying that John 3:16 was enough for you to get to heaven ?

    If John 3:16 was enough for you to get to heaven then why are you still on earth ?

    Please forgive my ignorance and for sounding ridiculous if I am not understanding.

    T.K.

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  7. If John 3:16 was enough to get to heaven then why are you still on earth? OMG...Are you serious??? Oh I get it, your joking. OK I'm laughing HA HA HA. But just in case your not joking, what I'm attempting to say is that John 3:16 For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life..Because Jesus went to Calvary, died on an old rugged cross, shed his blood for sinners like you and me and because I believe it and confessed it openly, I'm heaven bound. Because He died for sinners like you and me, I am so grateful, the very least I can do is desire to be more like Him. Read and study his word. Question people like you when you put something out there that on the surface is confusing...

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  8. Anonymous...

    Thank you for your comments.

    I have been trying to respond to your questions as clearly as possible. I apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding.

    For the record, I am going to end this comment with the original question that you asked me. That way you can see if my reply spoke to your question. Your original question to me follows this sentence now in all capital letters.

    ARE YOU SAYING THAT JOHN 3:16 IS NOT ENOUGH TO GET TO HEAVEN ?

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