What Is True Conversion?

Brethren, we talk a lot about conversion in God's Church. To be converted means simply to be changed. For example, a conversion van is one that is changed over from a normal cargo van to a more plush van with various luxuries for road trips and camping and that sort of thing. Now, I always thought it would be cool to have a conversion van, but I just never had enough kids. I couldn't justify having a conversion van without more children. Now, this type of van isn't quite as popular as it once was, because gas prices, of course, skyrocketed over the last ten years.

But this is an example of physical conversion. Of course, we're not all that interested in talking about physical conversion. So let's talk about spiritual conversion today. What is true conversion in a spiritual sense? Are you truly converted? What have you been converted from, and what are you being converted to? How can you know that you're converted? Is conversion a one-time event, or is it a process that takes years and years? Let's talk about true conversion.

Now although conversion is, in a sense, a one-time event, which does take place upon acceptance of Christ as our personal Savior, it takes place upon repentance of our sins, upon baptism and the laying on of hands, we know that God promises to give us the Holy Spirit. If we truly have accepted Christ, repented, and been baptized, along with the laying on of hands comes the Holy Spirit of God. So we know it is a one-time event in that sense, but I think we all realize that conversion is a process.

Conversion lasts a lifetime. It's not one saved, always saved. At baptism, conversion is a process, and we grow and we learn and we stir up the Spirit of God more faithfully, hopefully, as we go along and we draw closer to God, and it's a conversion that takes actually a lifetime.

So today I'd like to share with you seven principles or seven parts of the conversion process. Seven parts of the conversion process. Number one, part of the process of conversion is developing a true understanding of godly biblical doctrine. It is the process of developing a true understanding of godly biblical doctrine. That's, in a sense, a starting point. A converted person is open and teachable to learning God's truth. Of course, it's because God is the one who does the calling. We don't need to go to John 6.44, but it clearly says that no man comes to the Son to Jesus Christ, except the Father which has sent me, Christ said, draws him.

So the Father is the one that has drawn all of us to be here today. God the Father has called you out of the world, and He has shown you His way of life. And He has opened your mind to a true understanding of godly biblical doctrine. It really does make a difference what we believe. And, of course, the Bible is the Word of God, and a person obviously has to believe in the Bible to be converted. To be truly converted, one has to believe in the Bible and has to follow it and obey it.

In John 16, let's go over there. John 16. Jesus Christ talks about the Holy Spirit and the fact that He was going to send the Holy Spirit after He was crucified and resurrected. He promised to send a comforter, the Holy Spirit of God. Now, we don't have time to go into everything about the Holy Spirit, that it isn't a person.

The Holy Spirit is not a third person of a trinity. The Holy Spirit is the very power and the essence of God Himself. God is Spirit. We must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Jesus Christ is also Spirit. We must also worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The one who became Christ, of course, was the one who created all things. He was there in the beginning with God the Father. Both the Father and the Son are composed of Holy Spirit. Christ said in verse 13 of chapter 16, however, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He's not the best translation here, but it's the way it's been translated. When the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority.

But whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come. It's simply just showing that the Holy Spirit is what God uses to open our minds, to guide us, to direct us, to convict us of truth, and to help us understand God's truth, and to lead us into more truth. The Spirit of truth is what it's called, because it will reveal truth to us.

A converted person is not so easily deceived and is one who is not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Now you don't need to go there, but that's what Ephesians 4, verse 14 tells us, that we should not any longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of man and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive.

Satan is the great deceiver, and he has his instruments, he has his ministers who are lying and wait to deceive. So it's very, very important that we are led into the truth of God by the Holy Spirit. God has to do the calling. God calls us, he opens our mind. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts and in our minds, and it leads us into the truth.

It opens our hearts and minds. Now there are very few people that are here on the Sabbath keeping God's law and believing what God clearly shows us in His word. This is a small group, and I know there are some others that keep the Sabbath and believe in the Holy Days. As long as they have God's Holy Spirit, they are part of the Church of God.

We should understand that and recognize that and count them as our brothers and sisters in Christ. But there are very few, out of roughly 400,000 people, that have come to understand the truth to the degree that God has given us to understand it. Now that doesn't mean that God hasn't given others some truth, because surely He has. And there are some fine people in many respects who keep some of God's laws. They understand quite a bit, many of them, and they are very faithful in many ways.

And we should not discount that or overlook that as well. At the same time, this Holy Spirit is to lead us and guide us into all truth. And there are some very fundamental doctrines that many people aren't observing and keeping, and especially this one, which is a sign. We're here today because this is a sign between God and His people. God is the one who's revealed the truth about the Sabbath to you and me. It is an important truth. It isn't one to be taken lightly, because it really does set us apart.

The vast majority of people don't believe they have to observe the seventh day, which God created and sanctified on that seventh day when He rested.

Most people just don't believe it. They're not convicted of it. And they're not convicted of the annual Holy Days. They believe those laws have been done away, that Christ came to do away with those laws, that they were nailed to the cross. Now, that's what many very religious people believe in the world, and frankly, they're deceived. Now, they don't understand the truth because God hasn't opened their minds to that truth. Or if He opened their minds, they didn't respond. They didn't accept. They didn't go any further with it. And their minds have been darkened again.

So it is very, very important that we realize that God is the one who opens our minds to these biblical truths. God is the one who opened your mind to the truth about the Sabbath and the importance of keeping it, and the importance of keeping God's annual Holy Days, and being faithful in observing those days that actually show us the plan of God. That's another part of the truth that God will lead us into, is understanding the plan of salvation. Many religious people don't understand God's plan of salvation. They don't understand what's going on. They don't understand much of the truth in regard to the plan of God. And that's obviously very, very important to know and understand God's plan of salvation. Many people do not understand the truth about the family of God, the God family. They believe in a Trinity, a closed Trinity. They don't believe that we will actually be born into the very family of God, those who have repented and been converted and changed. So these are all very, very important truths. These are not things to be taken lightly. We should be extremely grateful for the truths that God has revealed to us. It shouldn't make us haughty or proud, but it should make us very grateful, very thankful. And that is the first step towards true conversion. A part of the process of conversion is developing a true understanding of godly biblical doctrine. And a converted person will be open and teachable to learning new truth as God reveals it. But obviously it has to come from the Bible, and God has to be the one who reveals the truth. And God does so by the Holy Spirit.

A second part of the process of conversion is coming to see and to accept Jesus Christ for who He truly is. Jesus Christ, as I mentioned already, is the creator of all mankind. Scripture clearly tells us that in the New Testament. Colossians and Ephesians. It clearly tells us that Christ was the one who created us, the one who became Christ. John 1, and you can go back to that sometime later to review it. We're not going to take the time to do that today, but you know the truth about Jesus Christ and who He is. That's evidence that God is calling you and opening your mind to truth. But Christ is also the Messiah. He is our personal Savior. He is your personal Savior. He is your Lord, and He's your master. And you have to look at Him as such. That means you need to be surrendered to His will and to the Father's will, because Christ said, My Father and I are one. Make no mistake, we believe very much in God the Father and in His Son Jesus Christ. We honor both beings that are currently a part of the God family. Let's go to Acts 2 and consider what Paul said on the day of Pentecost in most likely 31 A.D.

Acts 2.

Let's begin reading in verse 22. Now, this was after the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, and the New Testament church was raised up at this time. There were only 120 people who were truly faithful and understood and were there initially. Of course, God opened this understanding to many more very quickly. This understanding to many more very quickly.

Then notice verse 22.

Men of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through Him in your midst. As you yourselves also know, God the Father worked through Jesus Christ, and these miracles occurred. Christ came in the flesh. The power that He had came through the Father and the Holy Spirit, not because of His flesh.

God worked through Him, and did miracles, wonders, and signs in Him. He was able to heal. He was able to do many things as the Son of God, but it was because the Father was working in Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, Him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. In other words, God knew this was going to happen. It was a part of His plan from the very beginning. You have taken by lawless hands, because God allowed it. You have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and you have put Him to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad. Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope, for you shall not leave my soul in Hades, or in the grave, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. Jesus Christ knew that He was going to die, He was going to be crucified, but that He would be resurrected to life. You have made known to me the ways of life, you will make me full of joy in your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. David, who was a man after God's own heart, was still in the grave. He was not in heaven, he was in the grave. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, to sit on David's throne. He foreseen this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh seek corruption.

This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. These miraculous things that were happening on this day of Pentecost, people were shocked and amazed at the power of the Holy Spirit and what was happening. Verse 34, for David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, The LORD said to my LORD, Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. So this is referring to God the Father speaking to Jesus the Christ the LORD. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ. Now, when they had heard this, the crowd that had gathered around, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? God was convicting them. God was calling them. That's why they understood.

That's why they said, What shall we do? They understood that Jesus Christ truly was the Messiah.

And they knew there was something they needed to do.

And so God told them in verse 38 through Peter, Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. In other words, because you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you will be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift.

We certainly can earn the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's something that God gives us when we respond to Him. God does the calling, but we have to do the responding.

Many are called, but few are chosen because only a few respond.

The vast majority do not respond to the degree that they need to in order to receive God's Spirit.

So this is a promise that you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you've accepted Christ as your Savior, if you truly repent of your sins, and if you go before God in another place, it shows that there should be a true minister of God who lays hands upon you. Then you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call. Again, God is the one who does the calling, but we have to do the responding. So many are called, but few are chosen. Now, when God begins to call a person and begins to convict them, such a person needs to respond, and he should feel compelled to be baptized.

He should feel a compulsion, in a sense, to be baptized. Now, sometimes it's different for those who grow up in the Church, and it's a little different process. Perhaps they don't feel so compelled. I know when I was called, I felt compelled to be baptized. I was 18 at the time. I was a young man. I was at a crossroads in my life. God was opening my mind to His truth and to His way of life, and I felt compelled to be baptized. It's something I knew I had to do, that I must do. It's something I wanted to do. I realized that God was calling me, and it was my job to respond to Him. Now, I never grew up in the Church, but I've talked to quite a few who have, and I've obviously seen a lot who have. And I don't know that they have the same compulsion as one who feels just plucked out of the world, and God opens his mind. But I know that someone who grows up in the Church also comes to the point where they really know they need to be baptized. A young man just talked to me a week or two ago about being baptized. He's grown up in the Church all his life, and he knows that this is something that he needs to do, should do, wants to do. So whether we grow up in the Church or whether God calls us later on in life, we should feel a certain compulsion to be baptized as God is calling us to Him. Now we know in John 3, verse 16, it says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life. And verse 17 says, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. God is in the process of saving people through Jesus the Christ.

That's the second part of this process, and I don't know that you can say one comes right before the other. They all happen together. These first two points, we come to accept Christ as our Savior, we come to accept biblical doctrine. It all happens together around the same time, I'm sure. So the second part of the process is coming to accept Christ for who he truly is as the Creator, the Messiah, our personal Savior, our Lord and Master. A third part of the process of conversion is being convicted and committed to living by godly biblical doctrine. Now this is different from the first point. The first point was God is basically calling people to understand biblical doctrine. The third point is that a person must be convicted and committed to living by godly biblical doctrine. The first point that I gave is more comparable to being called by God. You know, God opens our minds, He's calling us. But we don't have to respond.

We can choose to refuse God's calling. But when we accept the calling of God, then we become convicted and we become committed to living by godly biblical doctrine. Just knowing the truth is not enough. Just coming to an understanding of the truth is not enough. So unfortunately, some people will sit in church, in God's church, for years and years and years. But they won't be baptized. They have a knowledge, but they haven't stepped out in faith. They're holding back.

So just knowing the truth is not enough, but being convicted to the point of action and commitment is necessary for one who is being converted to God's way of life. Obedience is a key primary element for one who is truly converted. We have to be obedient children. We are the children of God and we are to be obedient children, not rebellious, stiff-necked children. That's where conversion comes in. Changing the natural stiff-necked approach that we all have to one degree or another into a submissive approach toward God.

So obedience is a key primary element for one who is truly converted.

We must have a desire to be righteous at all times. Psalm 106, verse 3 talks about the importance of being righteous at all times. This should be our goal. Psalm 106, verse 3.

Psalm 106, verse 3, blessed are those who keep justice and he who does righteousness at all times.

That should be our goal in life, to be righteous at all times. It should grieve our spirit. It should grieve our hearts and minds when we are not righteous.

When we sin against God, it should hurt. It should be painful.

It should lead us to repentance.

If we can go on sinning and not be affected by it, that is a very dangerous position to be in.

If we are taking sin so lightly, taking it for granted, and if we are not being affected by our sins, blessed are they that keep judgment and he that does righteousness at all times. Now, I know that there is not a single person in here that is perfect and that does righteousness at all times. There are times when we all slip in various ways. We all fall short of the glory of God because we are not yet God. We are called of God and chosen of God. If we are truly converted, but we are still in the flesh. The flesh is weak. Now, we can be made strong, of course, through the power of God's Spirit. But that is the process that we all go through each and every day of our lives, learning to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. And it isn't always easy for us. We all have weaknesses and Satan will try to tempt us in those areas where we're weakest.

And he will certainly try to lead us into sin. In 1 John 5, it talks about keeping God's commandments and how it is linked with the love of God. If we truly love God, we're going to keep his commandments. 1 John 5, verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments.

We are to have love for one another. God is calling us out of the world to be a church without spot, without wrinkle, or without any such thing. And we know that God is love, and that is our ultimate goal to become love as God is love. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and we keep his commandments. We set a right example for all people of God. When we keep his commandments, we love them by showing that we are going to set a good example for them by keeping the commandments of God. God tells us to keep his commandments, and so we love God. And so we keep his commandments. For this is the love of God in verse 3, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. Keeping the commandments of God are not burdensome. Coming here on the Sabbath is not a burden. If it is a burden for you, then I think you need to pray about it and seek the understanding of God in that regard. You need to order your life, perhaps, so that it isn't a burden for you. If you use your time wisely, the rest of the week, getting up and coming to church shouldn't be looked at as a burden. It is very important that we have a right attitude about these things, and certainly God says that his commandments are not grievous. They are not burdensome. I mean, I remember back, and you remember those of you who were here back in the middle 90s, 94 and 95, that there were certain ones who evidently thought God's commandments were grievous, and they were glad to be rid of them. Some of them, a few of them, especially one of them, they were glad to be shed of having to observe the Sabbath, to keep the Sabbath, to keep the annual Holy Days.

Now, I understand that there are some people that still may be of that fellowship who still keep the Sabbath. I don't know how many there would be at this time, but God knows people, He knows their hearts and minds. His commandments are not grievous.

His commandments are a great delight. They are a tremendous joy.

I can honestly say that the Sabbath is a great joy for me. I travel a lot. I speak in usually two places. In some ways, it's exhausting, but it's never a burden.

It's always been a tremendous blessing. Before I was in the ministry, I always enjoyed the Sabbath. You know, Friday night was a time to crash. After working hard all week, it was a time to crash. I'd lay down on the carpet and I'd be out. I'd be slobbering all over the carpet.

I'd just be laying there. I mean, I look forward to the Sabbath. My wife can attest to that.

There were times that life is hard. It gets tiring. I was just glad the Sabbath was there. I'd lay down after having a nice Sabbath meal.

I was out like a light. I'd usually get up early, but I usually wouldn't stay up late on Friday night. In Acts 5, it shows that God gives His Spirit to only those who obey Him.

Let's read that. This has always been a very important Scripture. God expects obedience from His children. He wants obedient children. He doesn't want rebellious, again, stiff-necked and hard-hearted children. Acts 5, verse 32, and we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. God has given to those who obey Him.

God grants His Spirit to those who are willing to be obedient to Him and faithful to Him.

So, a converted person learns to deny himself that which is evil.

And when he does something evil, he is convicted in the heart, and he feels badly about it, and he really seeks repentance. He is sorry with a godly sorrow for what he has done.

And he wants to be clean again. He wants to be washed and cleansed.

So, a converted person learns to deny himself that which is evil.

The fourth principle regarding the process of conversion is that part of the process of conversion is developing and having a repentant heart and mind. Now, we've already talked about that to some degree, but it's important that we understand this fully. We must have a repentant heart and mind. That's a part of the process of conversion.

If you don't have that going on in your life, then something's desperately missing. Because a part of the process of conversion is to have a repentant heart and mind.

In Acts chapter 3 verse 19, Acts chapter 3 verse 19, repent therefore and be converted. Repentance has to come along with conversion. I've given sermons and you've heard many sermons on repentance.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. That is what repentance is all about. When we repent, our sins are blotted out. Our sins are forgiven. When we repent, when we are truly sorry with a godly sorrow for our sins, then we have repented, and our sins will be blotted out. So before we're actually baptized, we must come to a point of repentance. Now, it is true that we don't know everything when we're baptized. There are certain things that we're blinded to at baptism. We don't understand many things, but what we know and what we understand when we understand sin, we repent of it.

So at the time of baptism, all of our past sins are forgiven. They're all forgiven. Even though we may not fully comprehend everything, they're still forgiven. God forgives them all. We are cleansed. But we may continue sinning to some degree, and that's where this process of repentance continues on in our lives. It's not one saved, always saved. It's a process that we have to continue with. If we sin against God, and we all have after baptism, we must repent to be cleansed.

Because at the time of baptism, that only took care of our past sins. That did not take care of any sins that would happen after baptism.

So again, we have to be in a state of repentance.

And a converted person can be weak, and he can sin against God. David was a converted man who sinned against God. And all people have, because when you're in the flesh, you've got a big problem.

But it is so important that we don't take our sins lightly.

Repent, therefore, and be converted.

So after baptism, if we sin, we must seek repentance. God grants us repentance, and in a sense, we are again converted. We are changed.

We are changed from being dirty and filthy before God to being cleansed once again.

When we sin against God, we become dirty.

But when we repent, then those sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 15, it shows clearly that God looks upon the heart.

Again, this point is God is developing within us a repentant heart and mind. In Acts 15, and we know this as the Jerusalem Conference, a very pivotal point in the history of the Church of God, in Acts 15, verse 7, And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. Now the Jews looked down on the Gentiles. So this was a hard pill to swallow because the Gentiles had always been against Israel.

But now God was grafting them in.

The Gentiles heard the word of the gospel and believed. So God, who knows the heart, God is the one who knows the hearts of every person, whether Jew or Gentile, whether Greek or slave or free or man or woman.

God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. They had faith in God. They trusted God. They turned to God. Cornelius turned to God, his whole household, turned to God. God granted them His Spirit. He looked on their hearts.

Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved in the same manner as they. We are all saved by grace.

We are all saved by grace. We're not saved by keeping the laws of God.

But we are bound to keeping the laws of God. It's very clear, Scripture after Scripture after Scripture shows that God wants obedient children. We can't cast off God's laws.

Christ did not come to destroy the law. He made that very clear in Matthew 5. Christ set the example by keeping the law for us.

And now Christ will live in us to help us keep the laws of God.

So God knows the heart. He looks on the heart. He's granted His Spirit to all those who in faith turn to Him, those who accept Christ as their Savior. He truly accepts Christ as their Savior, which means to obey Christ as well.

In Acts 28, it talks about the heart of many, many people, but not all people.

Acts 28, verse 27, quoting from the Old Testament, quoting from the Old Testament, For the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn so that I should heal them.

Therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it. God has opened up the way to all people. Jew and Gentile. In general, though, the heart of the people has waxed gross. Their ears are dull of hearing. God is still only calling a few who are Gentiles and a few who are Israelites, physical Israelites. We're all spiritual Israelites. But God clearly shows that a person must turn to him, they must turn their ears to him, they must turn their eyes to him, they must both see and hear. And when we read the book of Revelation, how many times did we go through that? He who has ears to hear, he who has eyes to see, let him see and let him hear.

In a sense, he's saying the same thing here in Acts 28, verse 27.

The two men still are dull of hearing and they have their eyes closed. Many are called, but few are chosen because they will not respond to God at this time.

In Matthew 18, verse 3, Christ said that you must be converted if you are going to enter into the kingdom of God. And you must become like a little child in your approach. Matthew 18, verse 3.

Well, actually, we can look at verse 1 as well. The disciples came to Christ saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Christ called a little child, said him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted, unless you are changed, and become as little children.

You see, adults have a lot of issues.

Little children don't have so many issues.

Unless you are converted and become as little children, and this is talking about a little child who is humble and submissive. Now, that's not... We know that's not always the case because human nature is there for a little child.

And human nature can certainly affect a little child, and he can become rebellious very soon.

But initially, there is a sense of innocence and of submissiveness. And that's what he's talking about here. You must become converted and become as little children. Otherwise, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. And therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. It shows that we as adults must be mindful of children, and that we must love children, and that we must be patient with children, and that we must help children grow, and become more like God through our example toward them. When we're mean and nasty to children, what kind of an example are we setting?

We're setting a horrible example. When we're mean and nasty, that isn't God's way.

God isn't mean and nasty. Now God sometimes obviously punishes, and sometimes He gets angry.

But for the most part, a child has to really drive you almost crazy to let something like that happen. Sometimes it happens. We're human. And sometimes we do get angry at our children, and we should be man and woman enough to apologize.

When it's clearly our fault, and when we were impatient, and we didn't show them the kind of love that we should, God is perfect. Obviously we're not.

You know, God has perfect anger, righteous anger, righteous indignation.

We're not so righteous.

In Psalm 51, this is a Psalm of repentance from David. Again, God looks on the heart.

Psalm 51.

Very powerful Psalm, Psalm 51. I'm sure it's among our favorites.

Psalm 51, because it gives us a great deal of hope to realize that God is very merciful, and God is very forgiving. When we sin and we come to Him, and we repent sincerely, then God is quick to forgive us. Psalm 51, verse 1. David says, Have mercy upon thee, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. This is the type of attitude that we must develop as converted men and women of God. We must have this kind of an attitude.

For I acknowledge my transgressions.

Admitting that you're wrong is one of the most difficult things for a human being to do.

Admitting that you're wrong and that you sinned. But that's exactly the kind of attitude that you need to have toward God. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. We realize that being human, we're not very far from sin.

And we can be easily tempted, and we can be sinning again before long. So our sin is always before us. In that sense, when we truly understand our makeup, who we are, Job says, I see myself, I abhor myself. I repent in sackcloth and ashes.

And Job had been a pretty righteous man up to that point. But he saw himself for what he truly was.

My sin is always before me, against you, and you only have I sinned. Now, in the final analysis, it is before God that we sin. Now, we may hurt other people. We may sin against our mate by being unfaithful.

But ultimately, sin is toward God. You know, God is the one who makes the laws. Human beings don't make the laws. You know, your wife or your husband, they don't make the laws.

God's the one who is the law-giver. So our sin is before God, and against you, and you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight.

That you may be found just when you speak, and blameless when you judge. David says in verse 7, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice.

Now, I don't think he's talking about literally bones that God broke.

But because of his sin, he was a broken man.

He had a contrite spirit.

That's what God looks to those who have a contrite spirit, and who tremble at the word of God.

Hide your face from my sins, blot out my iniquities. Verse 10, Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

This was after David had been converted. He had God's spirit at this time, because we know that. Notice what he says in verse 11, Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit away from me.

Do not take your spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you. Then David can be an instrument in the hands of God, and we can be instruments in God's hands when we have truly repented of our own sins.

Then we can help others see their sins.

So this fourth point, again, is realizing that a part of the process of conversion is developing and having a repentant heart and mind. Now let's go on to a fifth part of the process of conversion.

And that is to be actively producing the fruit of God's spirit.

We need to be actively producing the fruit of God's spirit in our lives.

This is indicative of the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit.

If we're not producing the fruit of God's spirit, then we likely don't have the Spirit of God.

Now we may be quenching the Spirit of God to some degree, and we may not be producing the fruit in abundance, but one who has the Spirit of God will produce the fruit of God's spirit.

To one degree or another, it may be to a lesser degree, but that's why conversion is a process. As we go on in life, hopefully we do become more converted.

You heard that phrase, more converted. Well, I think there's some truth to that.

We draw closer to God, we become more converted.

Again, we are converted at baptism. There is a one-time conversion process that happens right then and there. But then it continues on for a lifetime.

In Galatians 5, and I know you're familiar with this, I've given a series of sermons on the fruits of God's spirit.

Hopefully we know the fruits of God's spirit, something that we think about a great deal. The fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5, verse 22.

Galatians 5, verse 22, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering or patience. It is kindness or gentleness. Gentleness in the King James. Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or meekness, and self-control. These are the fruits of God's spirit. We should be producing the fruit of God's spirit.

And the more converted we are, the more in abundance we will produce the fruit of God's spirit.

Romans 5, verse 5. Romans 5 talks about the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts. Romans 5, verse 5. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. God's Spirit, again, is a gift. It's given to us. And it is the love of God that is poured out in our hearts through the power of God's Spirit. God is love. So we are to become a loving people.

Christ said, by this you will know my disciples the love they have for one another. Sometimes I think we've fallen a good bit short in the Church of God by not having more love, not being able to work out certain issues and problems amongst ourselves.

And that is a shame to us that we are not better at that. In Romans chapter 8, it's a fascinating chapter. Romans 6, 7, and 8, I go through, verse by verse, in baptismal counseling. Because these are very powerful chapters, and I want people that I baptize to understand these verses. 6, 7, 8, 9, they're all very, very, very important chapters.

Not that they're not all important, but I do use these in baptismal counseling. Romans chapter 8, I think, actually I think we'll start a little sooner. Let's start in verse 1, and let's think about these verses as we read them. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Clearly, we are called to come out of the flesh, in a sense. Even though we're still in the flesh, we're to come out of the flesh, and we are to walk according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Christ is indeed the Savior of mankind. Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death, because sin is the transgression of the law, and we've all done it. We're all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. That is what we deserve, so it's only through Christ that we are made free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. In other words, we don't keep the law perfectly, because we're in the flesh. We're weak. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. In other words, He came here in the flesh, born of the flesh, born of a virgin, a little baby, a child. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Overall, we need to walk according to the spirit. We will stumble and fall at times. We will sin at times.

But in the main, we need to be walking in the spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh.

I know when my mind is on the things of the flesh, I do fleshly things. How about you? If you allow your mind to dwell on the things of the flesh, you're going to produce fleshly results.

On the other hand, when I am tuned in carefully to God's Spirit, then I walk in the spirit. There is a difference in me. So it is very important that we are careful to manage the things that we do, the things that we see. And frankly, it's very easy not to do this. It's very easy to be a part of the world, because the world is invasive. The entertainment of this world is invasive. It's everywhere.

And sometimes we start thinking like the world when we're exposed to the things of the world.

Sometimes I think we think we're invulnerable. We act like we are, because we expose ourselves to things that hurt us spiritually. And we continue to do it, year after year after year. When will we learn? When will we grow up? When will we?

For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, for to be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. We must have the Spirit of God. We must have the Spirit of Christ in us, if we are to be children of God, if we are converted. If you don't have the Holy Spirit of God, you're not converted. It's that simple. You must have God's Spirit dwelling in you.

In Luke 22, Luke 22, Christ says he prays for us, he prays for the brethren, he prays for them, his disciples. He prayed for Peter. Luke 22, verse 32.

But I have prayed for you, Christ says about Satan, that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. When you have returned to me, Christ knew that he would deny, Peter would deny him three times. But he also knew he would return to him. Because he knew Peter, and he knew he was going to send the Holy Spirit. And he knew that Peter would respond to the Spirit of God. And he knew that he would return to him. And he said, when you return, strengthen your brethren. That's what God has called all of us to do, brethren. He's called all of us to strengthen your brethren. We should all learn to love each other, and learn to strengthen each other through our example, through encouraging one another, through admonishing one another, for being there for each other.

If God has chosen to call a person out of this world, and brought them to his truth and understanding, who are we to reject such a person?

To be truly converted in the spiritual sense means to change from living Satan's way of life to living God's way of life. That is what true conversion is all about. It's coming out of the world. It's coming out of Satan's way. It's coming out of Satan's influence. He's learning to live by every word of God. True conversion means that one is changing his or her carnal, fleshly ways of doing things to God's spiritual way of doing things. No longer walking in the flesh, but walking in the Spirit. Not making a lot of excuses for yourselves, but humbling yourself, and doing that which you know is right. That which you know is good and right.

Now, the second, third, fourth, and fifth steps that we've talked about today, in a sense, are comparable to one who is chosen of God. You can go back and look at the different steps. The first step is God doing the calling. Many are called, few are chosen. God opens our understanding when he calls us, but we have to respond. So that's the second, third, fourth, and fifth steps are comparable to one who is chosen. Many are called, few are chosen.

Now, the sixth principle is that part of the process of conversion is enduring and being faithful to the end. It's being faithful to the end. Being faithful today is not enough unless you die when you leave here.

Then you're faithful to the end. But being faithful up to December 24, 2011, isn't enough. You must endure to the end. The same shall be saved. Matthew 10, 22, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. That's what Christ says about his true disciples. You will be hated. If we're alive long enough, we'll see that happen during the Great Tribulation, during those last end days. You will be hated by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

He who endures to the end of your life, to the end of Christ's return, whichever comes first. The same shall be saved. And then in Matthew 24, verse 13, Matthew 24, verse 13, But he who endures to the end shall be saved. He who endures to the end shall be saved. Now remember, there are the called, the chosen, and faithful. That's where point six and seven come in. Point six and seven come in. You may be called, you may be chosen, but if you are not faithful and do not endure to the end, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Part of the process of conversion is enduring and being faithful to the end. Called, chosen, faithful. Which leads us to part seven. Point seven, part of the process of conversion is being changed to spirit at Christ's return. That's a part of conversion. See, it's not over yet, is it? There is a one-time conversion event that happens when you're baptized, when you receive the Spirit of God, when all your sins are washed away, you are converted. But then there's a process of conversion that lasts until the day you die, until Christ returns. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. In other words, we're not all going to die. Some will be alive at the return of Christ, but we shall all be changed. We shall all be converted. We shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We shall be converted from physical to spirit at this point. For this corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal, this flesh, must put on incorruption.

It must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, when this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. And we always read this at a funeral, basically the United Church of God. We read this at a funeral. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your victory? There is no victory for the grave. There is no victory for death, because those who have been called, chosen, and faithful will live for eternity. They will live forever.

There will be no second death for those who are in the first resurrection, or those who have come along afterwards, who have died once, and then after the thousand years, they are resurrected to life, and they accept Christ as their Savior, and they repent of their sins, they won't taste the second death. They also will be changed. They will be converted at that point. That's God's plan of salvation. It's a wonderful plan. Today we've talked about seven parts of the process of conversion. Conversion is a wonderful process that only God the Father and Jesus Christ can oversee. They are overseeing the process. We can be grateful for that. It's not left to us. Now, we do have a part to play in it, but when we have faith in God and we have faith in Christ, we will be given victory. We shall be conquerors in Christ. We shall be overcomers in Christ. So conversion is a wonderful process that only God the Father and Christ can oversee. They are overseeing it in your life. They are not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth. Now, people can fall away. People don't have to be faithful. They can fall away. There is such a thing as an unpardonable sin.

Once you've tasted of the heavenly gift and you've rejected it, this is a topic for another sermon.

But, brethren, our part is to surrender to the process of conversion. We need to surrender to this process that we've talked about today. We need to allow both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son to live in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.