CONVERSION ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE

By Gary Ray Branscome

The words, “Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel,” tell us that conversion involves both repentance and faith (Mark 1:14-15). And, the words, “God will not despise a heart that is humbled and sorry for sin,” describe a repentant heart as a heart that is “sorry for sin” (Psalm 51:17). However, the words, “Godly sorrow results in repentance leading to salvation, not regret: but the sorrow of this world brings death,” tell us that sorrow alone is not enough (2Corinthians 7:10). It is not sorrow that brings forgiveness, but faith in Christ. And, the words, “Nor is there salvation in any other” tell us that there is no other source of forgiveness (Acts 4:12).

When we compare the words, “The sorrow of this world brings death,” with the words, “Judas, who had betrayed Him, having seen that He was condemned, repented, and brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood… and after leaving hung himself,” we see that Judas had “the sorrow of this world,” he “repented,” he was sorry for his sin (2Corinthians 7:10, Matthew 27:3-5). However, his repentance was incomplete because it was not coupled with faith in Christ. It was the sorrow that “brings death”.

The “sorrow of this world” does not always result in suicide. Many times it leads those who are guilty to rationalize their sins. Instead of turning to God for forgiveness they make up excuses for their sins, as a way of easing their conscience. However, because they do not look to God for forgiveness they go into eternity unforgiven. My point is this, although being sorry for sin is part of repentance, without faith that repentance is incomplete. As it is written, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

It is a mistake to think of repentance as a one-time thing. While conversion is a one-time thing, just as the faith that begins at conversion will continue throughout our lifetime, the mental attitude that constitutes repentance, the attitude described in the words, “God will not despise a heart that is humbled and sorry for sin,” should continue throughout our lifetime (Psalm 51:17).

Those who are truly sorry for their sin will not want to repeat those sins. At the same time, because sin is in our very nature, there are many ways in which we all fall short. Sinful thoughts intrude into our minds even though we do not want them there. It is easy to fall into strife and contention. It is also easy for our sinful flesh to want to make excuses for those sins instead of looking to Christ for forgiveness. However, the words, “Men will account for every idle word that they speak, on the day of judgment,” tell us that instead of making excuses for such sins, we need to be sorry for them and humbly confess them to God, trusting in His promise of forgiveness in Christ (Matthew 12:36). As it is written, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). At the same time, that forgiveness does not come because we confess our sins to God, but because we are trusting in Christ, for it is “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son” that “cleanses us of all sin” (1John 1:7).

The words, “Whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins,” tell us that forgiveness comes to us through faith in Christ (Acts 10:43). The words, “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace,” tell us that the forgiveness that Christ won for us is ours through “grace” (Ephesians 1:7). And, the words, “We also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,” tell us that faith is the hand that receives that grace (Romans 5:2). Therefore, because forgiveness comes to us through faith in Christ, true conversion takes place the instant we come to faith in Christ. It is faith that changes us from someone who is not forgiven to someone who is forgiven.

The words, “Some of them… upon arriving in Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord,” describe conversion as believing the gospel that was preached (Acts 11:20-21). The words, “Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at the same scripture, told him the good news about Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came to some water: and the eunuch said, Look, here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? And Philip said, If you truly believe, you may. And he said, I believe,” describe conversion as believing the “good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35-37). And the words, “They said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house… and he and all his house were baptized,” describe conversion as believing the “word of the Lord” regarding Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31-33).

The words, “We have also come to believe in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified through faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: for the works of the law will not make anyone righteous,” tell us that our works [i.e. things done to make ourselves righteous] do not make us righteous, and, therefore, contribute nothing to our conversion (Galatians 2:16). At the same time, because true repentance looks to God with “a heart that is humbled and sorry for sin,” those who repent do not want to sin (Psalm 51:17). Moreover, the words, “After you heard the word of truth, and were also sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, after you believed,” tell us that once we come to faith in Christ we receive the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). And, the words, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and they are opposed to each other: so that you cannot do the things that you would,” tell us that the Holy Spirit works in us after we are saved to help us resist temptation (Galatians 5:17). Therefore, even though works cannot make us righteous, and contribute nothing to our conversion, they will follow faith, not as a part of faith, but as a fruit or by-product of faith. As it is written, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2Corinthians 5:17).