The Nature of Conversion

Acts 9:1-20

When Saul was converted by Christ it was called a miracle. He met the Lord on the road
to Damascus as he was traveling to destroy the very church itself. Christ appeared to him
and "removed his heart of stone and gave him a heart of flesh, , just as we are told in the
book of Ezekiel. This is the very heart and nature of conversion. What does it profit a
person to be converted yet show no outward signs of the Spirit of God that has worked
the conversion? People today seem more obliged to lead a person in a “sinner’s prayer”
and take it upon themselves to bestow assurance of eternal security even though no fruit
has yet been borne by the person. Is this really a Biblical thing to do? Even John the
Baptist himself refused to baptize those whose conversion showed no inner working:

Mt 3:7-8 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism,
he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Has the church today become satisfied only with a prayer? Or do we crave to see the
working of the Spirit in those whom have truly been converted? Do we call anyone a
Christian who claims the Name of Christ? or do we “test the Spirits to see if they are
from God?” We must test any and all Spirits to see whether they are of God for we have
been commanded to do thus. The apostle Paul has given us this solemn warning:

2Tim 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having
itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that time is now here! Too many people have
become convenient Christians; that is, when it profits them to be so. There may be even
some among us this morning who have never been truly converted by having God by His
Spirit breathe the breath of life into his [soul] and become a living being. And be certain
that NO life happens until God first breathes life into it.
We must now consider what the nature of conversion is. We must see the process in
which God uses to bring dead sinners to life. I will be the first to admit that God may use
any means in accomplishing this task but Scripture speaks clearly that there are certain
things that will take place in that process. These are the very things that I intend to focus
upon. When we examine these things we can surely look within our own souls to see
whether the Spirit of God has truly converted us or rather we have simply been contented
to be an unconverted “good” person. There are four key things that I would like to point
out about conversion using the conversion of Paul as our example.

I. An unconverted soul is an enemy of God (vv.1-2). Note that the text states
that Paul was breathing out threats and murders to the disciples. This is the
condition of the natural man. He is an enemy of God and of God’s people. He
may at once seem at peace with religion but the moment he is confronted with
truth he becomes violent and vehemently opposed to the presenter of truth. Is
it any wonder when those faithful saints of God are persecuted, tortured, and
killed when they preach the gospel? Was not all fine and life good until the
truth of God’s Word came down from Heaven and pricked their hearts to
expose their own motives? The very fact that God’s people all over the world
suffer such atrocities simply because they belong to Christ testifies to the fact
that man is a natural enemy of God. And more than this, Scripture itself
testifies: and you will be hated by all for my name's sake (Mt 10:22). Those
who have never been truly converted by the Spirit despise the things of God.
They hate being around God’s people; they view worship and praise as a
chore; they perform “spiritual” duties of compulsion rather than love for the
Savior. They seek God’s blessing while despising His Name. These kinds of
actions can be summed up in three major areas:

A. They are dead in their sins (Eph 2:1-3). Paul uses the very specific word
to describe our unregenerate condition. This word is nekros, which means
a corpse, something tht is absolutely lifeless. Of course Paul is speaking in
spiritual metaphor but his comparison of a physical corpse to a spiritual
corpse serves as a vivid picture of how we stand before God. We can do
nothing of value in the spiritual realm until we have been made alive.
Jesus himself relates this truth to His disciples: Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in me (Joh 15:4). And even more than
this, Paul states in this passage that lost people carry out the passions and
the lusts of their flesh, whatever they may be. We are told that the reason
they do this, other than being dead, is that they follow the course of the
world’s evil system which is the path that Satan has marked out for them.
Even so this is their natural inclinations as we are told that men love
darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. We are told by our
Lord that men are evil. Never make the mistake of thinking that we are
naturally good and only learn to do evil things; but be convinced that we
do evil things because we ARE evil. This is expressed by the prophet
Jeremiah when he says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked. Who can know it?”(Jer 17:9). Because we are dead
we can do nothing of our own volition that would cause God to look on us
with favor. Dead people stink and every thing that arises from their bodies
gives off the stench of death. Spiritually, it is the same thing. Death also
carries the idea of separation. This can be the only natural conclusion we
can arrive at, for death has come because of sin and sin is the result of our
own natural hearts. Those who are lost (spiritually dead) are separated
from God. They do not naturally seek God or run to Him for forgiveness
when they do wrong. Remember how Adam and Eve reacted when their
eyes were opened to sin? They certainly did not seek to rectify the
situation with God but ran and hid hoping that the solution they had
concocted (the sewing of fig leaves for garments) would suffice them for
their lifelong. This is why Jesus came to seek and to save that which was
lost. Had He left it for us to come to Him we would still be hiding and
 hoping that the Holy God of creation would not find us. We would
certainly be in agreement with those who will experience God’s wrath:
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and
thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains,
"Cover us," and to the hills, "Fall on us." (Hos 10:8) It is because of our
reaction to goodness and our inclination to evil that God seeks us, and for
no other reason.

B. They are helpless to change themselves (Jer 13:23; Mt 12:35). A lost

person can no more change his evil actions to good anymore than a dead
man can get up and walk. Go on and speak to a dead man and see if he
responds; tell a man who has lived in his addictions to break off his chains
and reform his ways. I tell you, it will never happen! Many mistake a
person’s sin as something they fell into, but the opposite is actually true; a
person sins because that is what defines his very being. He cannot help but
do certain things. The actions that follow are simply the natural path of his
heart. The restraint of a particular sin is only hindered until an opportune
time to rear up and perform the outward action of the inward motive. To
put it simply, those who are thieves did not become thieves when they
stole; they stole because thievery was in their hearts. Adulterers do not
become such when they commit adultery; it was already in their hearts and
needed the avenue to work its way into action. The heart defines who we
are and what we do. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is a perfect illustration of
this point. He defines what God actually means by not committing murder
or adultery; it is a heart issue, not just an action issue. Jeremiah rightly
states this truth in the illustration of the nature of a person’s skin and the
leopard’s spots. A person does not cease being dead simply because he
attends church anymore than an Ethiopian ceases to be an Ethiopian
because he leaves his country. Powerless we are to convert our own
natures! But the worst part of this passage is the very next verse. To those
who remain in their natural state, God says, “I will scatter you like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert” (v.24). The fate of chaff is never a
positive thing in Scripture. It is, as the Lord tells us, burned up with
unquenchable fire. It is also represented in Scripture by those who are
false believers; those who simply act religious rather than entering the
relationship. We are told that in the judgment many who considered
themselves Christians, even did good works in the Name of Jesus will be
cast into the Hellfire which burns with fire and brimstone. The scary part
is that they ACTUALLY believed they were doing these things for Christ.
Their surprise at their own lostness is extremely genuine. They had no idea
that they remained dead and unconverted. Could this be possible among
our churches today? Absolutely! For this reason we should follow
promptly the apostle Peters advice: (2Pe 1:1-10). Peter exhorts his readers
to do this only after listing those qualities that he describes as being part of
the divine power of God. This divine power, we are told, is the result of
being partakers of God’s divine nature; that is not to say that we are little
gods but that His Spirit within us exhibits His qualities in our lives. If
these qualities are in us then those who see our lifestyle will know that we
belong to God. This is the same thing the apostle John communicates to us
in his first epistle: (1Joh 3:7-10). John states this in the contrast of
distinguishing between those who belong to God and those who belong to
Satan, for those who belong to God have a hope that causes them to purify
themselves so that they will not be ashamed at the Lord’s coming. If a
person is converted there should be certain qualities that are exhibited in
his life. This is the message of John and it is also the message of Peter.
How can one be a partaker of the divine nature of God and not be adding
to his faith all the things that he has listed. This is why Peter tells them to
make CERTAIN of their salvation. The language here is very clear. The
phrase in verse 9, “he has forgotten” is made up of two Greek words. The
first word I would like to comment on is the word lethē. This word is
where we derive our English word, lethargy. A person in a state of lethargy
is ineffective in everything he does. The sluggishness cause him to lag
 behind but also to weigh down others. The second word is lambanō and
has to do with actively receiving something. Thus, the idea in this passage
is receiving forgetfulness. But this forgetfulness is not the same idea that
we would forget something. It is the forgetting period of the power of the
divine nature; that which pertains to life and godliness (v.3). This is to say
that he has forgotten to receive the things of God that pertain to the divine
nature, which is how the Greek scholar A.T. Robertson words this. And if
this simply means a person who needs to be reminded of his salvation,
Peter would have no cause to follow up his thought by telling his audience
to ensure that they have been partakers of this faith.

C. They are not able to receive the things of God (1Co 2:14). Paul here
implies that the natural, or fleshly, or lost person cannot receive ANY
Spiritual truth. The ability is not there because of his natural state. This
word ‘receive’ is different than the previous word we examined. This word
means to deliberately accept an offer. In other words, even if one sits
under the sound of the gospel all his life and remains unconverted it is
because he was not able to take the offer of his own volition because that
which was spoken to him was of the Spirit. This explains why two men
can make a profession of faith on the same day, in the same church, at the
same time, in the same room, and one quickly falls away while the other
perseveres. It is because God has brought to life one while leaving the
other dead. The dead man could not receive anything of the Spirit because
he could not understand it, while God has graciously quickened the other
soul. Jesus’ words are here in remembrance when He says, “No man can
come unto Me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” And also the
apostle Paul reminds us, “So then, it depends not on human will or
exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” When examining the context of
1Corinthinans 2 we see a parallel between Peter and Paul. Look at the
preceding verses: Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but
the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely
 given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human
wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those
who are spiritual (1Co 2:12-13). Paul states his case in the positive (that
we might understand the things freely given us by God) where as Peter
states this same truth in the negative (whoever lacks these qualities has. .
.forgotten).

II. Conversion takes place after a sin confrontation (vv.4-7) No man has ever
been converted who has first not been confronted f by his own wickedness.
The same was true for Paul. Jesus does not bother trying to “reason” with
Paul. He goes straight to the heart of the matter when He asks, “Why are you
persecuting me?” Any person that claims to be converted without first coming
to grips with his sin is either lying or has willfully deceived even his own self.
Sin is not something that can be lightly brushed over. If the Son of God paid
such an awful and dear price then we must be able to reckon that price in our
minds; not to say that we must fully understand or grasp the full effects of the
atonement, but none the less, we MUST understand the reason behind the
atonement. If we have never realized that it was our darkest hearts that caused
the Lord of Glory to be crucified, if we have never realized that we have been
separated from God and He cannot look upon us because of sin, then it is not
arrogant to say that we have not truly been converted. To put this in simpler
terms, how can you be saved unless you know what you are being saved
from? A lot of people call Jesus “Lord,” but do they understand WHY they
do? Have they come to grips with their own sin? Has the Holy Sprit laid His
hand upon your heart and shown you face to face why He gave His very life’s
blood? It is something we should all give serious consideration to. While these
thoughts are fresh in our heads there are two main reasons I would like to give
of why a person cannot be converted without first being confronted with their
sin:
A. Man is willfully blind to his sin (Isa 5:18) Isaiah gives a very vivid
picture of those who are actively engaging in their sin. It is a picture of
 beasts that draw along carts without ever being aware of the load that they
are carrying. Men do the same with their evil and wicked deeds. They are
like brute beasts that despite feeling the burden of the load refuse to look
back and examine the cause of their slow pace. “Woe to them,” Isaiah
cries! They continue to draw along sin like a cart never really giving
thought to it. They have a destination and a course marked out to get there
and not matter how long it takes them they will arrive. They are going in
the way that seems right to them. But the Bible is very clear that those
who go their own way will only find destruction! The second death and
the Lake of Fire which will ascend the smoke of their torment for eternity
awaits those who go their own way.
B. Man has a twisted view of his sin (Gen 11:1-4). We need not look much
further than the book of Genesis to see this truth. In this particular passage
man had become so convoluted in his thinking that he actually thought in
his mind that he could become as powerful as God. This is the whole idea
behind the tower of Babel. We are told that because all humanity at that
time shared a common ground (their language) that they thought it best to
build a great city so that they should never be separated. In doing so they
violated two of God’s commandments to them: First, going back to
chapter 9 we see that the first thing that God commanded Noah was to fill
the earth. You very well can’t fill the earth if you and all your descendents
stay in one place. They knew God’s command and willfully disobeyed.
Second, they had reached the pinnacle of pride. Their declaration, “Let us
make a name for ourselves,” very well supports this idea. They wanted to
build to the heavens so that the whole world, even God, would see how
powerful they were. It is the very same lie the Serpent told Eve: You shall
be like God.” How much more twisted can one’s thoughts become? But
notice, too the outcome of their rebellion. God’s statement was that
nothing could stop then from doing what their hearts could imagine. This
is most certainly in regards to the depths of their sin. When a man crosses
a certain threshold within his conscience there is no turning back for him
 except the grace of Christ within his soul. There have been certain
boundaries that God has placed within all men, saved or lost, that must not
be tempted; and if temptation is succumbed to, the consequences would be
most devastating.
III. Conversion comes at the preaching of God’s Word and obedience to that
Word (vv.8-18). After hearing the Lord’s command, Paul arose from the
ground and immediately went to the place he was told. It is easy to overlook
this because we are so familiar with the story, but in his condition and the
confusion it has to be certain that he was still confused about everything that
had happened. As a matter of fact, he was in such a state of shock that he did
eat or drink for three days, but rather spent that time in prayer. No doubt he
had more questions than answers, but he got up from the ground and did as the
Lord commanded. So too, when a person sits under the preaching of God’s
Word and God comes bursting in with His light and knocks us from our horses
and leaves us dazed and wondering at the marvel that just happened, can we
respond to the grace set before us. The command is given to us in Scripture:
"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts
2:38). Paul was no different. There had to be a reckoning of his sin, there had
to be the Word of God spoken to him, and he had to respond to that word in
obedience. That is the ONLY way any of us can truly be saved. Two brief
things about this section that I would like to point out:
A. Paul’s understanding was enlightened (v.11). Scripture is not exactly
clear on why Paul was praying but I believe it is because he was now
beginning to understand who God was and what it was he was trying to
accomplish. No doubt that scores of Old Testament passages rushed back
to his memory of who the Messiah would be; and Paul may have possibly
encountered Jesus at some time or at least some of His disciples even
before Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. History records
for us that he was born around the same time as Christ and he studied at
the feet of Gamaliel who was a man of prominence in Jerusalem. But the
 idea I wish to convey here is that now he has moved from unable to
receive spiritual truths to being filled with them. When we are first saved
it is the same for us. We tend to see everything around us with brand new
eyes and a totally new perception. The Scripture describes a newly
converted person as a babe in Christ. As babies grow they are fascinated
with the world around them. They take in every thing they can absorb and
the more they learn the more they put into practice what they have learned.
Christians should be the same way. Once our minds and hearts have been
opened we should be thrilled about God’s revelation to us. We should
daily take in His Word and the things we learn and absorb, we are to be
putting into practice. If we find that we have not truly been enlightened by
God’s Word then we should be concerned that we may not be saved, for
God opens the minds so that His people can understand Him. This is the
method that He uses to transform us to the image of Christ.
B. Paul acted upon that enlightening (v.18). Note, that once Paul had
regained his sight he was immediately baptized. The confusion is gone and
he knows precisely what he must do. Again, we sometimes overlook this
piece of information. Baptism was a big deal for the early Christians. Once
Paul identified himself with Christ he could no longer go back to the
temple. This would be the equivalent today of a person giving up their
entire career in order to follow Jesus. In those days, proclaiming the Name
of Christ would actually cost you something. People lost their homes and
were put into jail, as we see Paul doing at the beginning of this chapter.
Despite knowing all this Paul takes the step of faith and identifies himself
with the Messiah. And unless we too have acted upon the knowledge that
God has given us we should not in the least think that we are in right
standing with God.
IV. Conversion brings about immediate change (vv.19-20). I hear many today
state then when they were converted that it was not that miraculous or that
everything continued to go on as normal. I fear when hear those things. I fear
because that is not what Scripture teaches about a true conversion; and not
only in this passage. Be sure that I am certainly not implying that
sanctification is an immediate process for it is life long. However, it is clear
that a person’s life will be radically different. Their thoughts will change; their
actions will change; their very motives will be transformed and they will go
from being a God hater to a God lover (2Co 5:17; Ezek 36:26-39). God has
promised to make us new. He has promised to deliver us from ALL our
uncleaness. How can one claim to be of God and still continue in the filth of
his sin; and especially after God has promised deliverance. Is God a liar? Can
He not make good on His promises? Or better yet, does He even need our
cooperation to fulfill His Word? You can believe that God will act in order to
glorify His Name. If you profess Christ and do no live up to that profession,
God will make that clear to you. You see, when true conversion takes place
everything about the inside is completely new. We have been raised from
spiritual death and we cannot help but being new creatures. The new birth can
be illustrated using the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus was dead. He was in
the tomb and had been there for four days. By then his body had already
started to decompose, and we know this because his sister told Jesus that the
odor coming from the tomb was pretty foul. Now, can you imagine Jesus
raising Lazarus and him coming out of the tomb with the same old rotten,
decomposing flesh that he still had. It would have been absolutely pointless to
raise him from the dead! Lazarus must have had brand new flesh and brand
new muscles and ligaments and joints. Physically speaking, he was a brand
new person. It is the exact same way with us once Christ has raised us from
the dead. It does no good to leave the same person in there or else it would be
a moot point to save us. As a matter of fact we are told that this is the OLY
way we can submit to God’s law. When God makes a new creation out of a
dead soul, then that is what precisely follows. I am under a charge to call men
to repentance. And so if today you have heard the voice of God convicting
you of your sin then give heed to that call. Do not be like the Israelites who
continued with a stiff neck and deaf ears. As the writer of Hebrews puts it so
rightly, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the
rebellion.”