Theology Thursday: Conversion
Theology can often be seen as unnecessary, divisive, or impractical when it is anything but. The Bible says the default mode of the human heart is idolatry – replacing the one, true God with something else in our lives. One way we fashion a false god is by imagining God as we wish he was instead of worshiping him as he really is. Theology is simply “the study of God” and is the pursuit of smashing the idols in our heads and deepening our relationship with God by getting to know him as he has revealed himself in Scripture.
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Conversion is a very important topic… Especially where we live, the Bible Belt. In the Bible Belt we seem to think that conversion=any interest in Jesus. This is not biblical at all and that type of mindset has done a lot of damage in our culture. A bad understanding of conversion leads to a lot of people having a false assurance of salvation. In our culture any time someone has any type of emotional response to something Godward we assume they got saved.
We forget the Gospels when many people were very interested and intrigued in Jesus. They were following him around to hear his teaching, watch his signs and miracles, and appeared to have legitimate interest in what was going on. Yet, Jesus often said things to them that made many of them turn away. He would often turn to the large crowds following him and say things like, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27
Jesus was not interested in casual followers. Jesus is still not interest in casual followers. When someone truly experience conversion everything changes.
Blind to the beauty of Christ —> NEW BIRTH —> see Him as the all-satisfying treasure of your heart.
As David Wells says it,
Conversion involves forsaking sin, with its self deifying attitudes and self-serving conduct, and turning to Christ, whose death on the cross is the basis for God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness… Conversion occurs when we turn from our waywardness and accept Christ’s death on our behalf.
In our culture many people who think they are saved (and we assume is saved) have merely added Jesus as another thing into their life, rather than totally reorienting their life around him. For many, there isnt a “turn away from our waywardness” but merely an “add Jesus on to what is already a good life.” This is dangerous. This is hell-bound.
New Birth(conversion)=New Life, not Imitation of Life.
Many people in our own church, in our families, and many friends we have are just like those who followed Jesus casually, listening to his teachings and watching his miracles. Now many go to church casually observing, enjoying the good music, occasionally motivated by the sermon, but no change happening. Conversion has not taken place.
The New Testament is very clear on what must take place for conversion to happen, for us to be born again. We must, as Mark 1:15 says, “Repent and believe the gospel.” If there is no repentance(turning away from our waywardness) there is no new birth, no conversion. John Piper says, ”Until God awakens us from spiritual death and gives us the life that finds joy in killing sin and being holy, we are slaves and cannot get free.” God makes us born again through repentance and faith or we will forever be slaves of sin.
How Do We Know if Conversion Has Happened?
1) Evidence of Repentance
“In the new birth, our dead, stony boredom with Christ is replaced by a heart that senses the worth of Jesus.” John Piper
“The Bible has a clear and devastating message about the state of our souls. And the reason it does is so that we will know what we need and shout for joy when God gives it to us.” Piper
At some point there is a change of heart. For many people they cannot point towards a specific day that they became a Christian. This is fine. We are not looking for a day of repentance, but for evidence that the repentance happened. If someone is saved there has to be a time in which the gospel didnt not delight the heart and then a time that it did. What I posted above is helpful in understanding this, I’ll post it again.
Blind to the beauty of Christ —> NEW BIRTH —> see Him as the all-satisfying treasure of your heart.
The greatest evidence of conversion is when a complete reorientation has taken place. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul points to in Philippians 3:4-11. Verse 7-8 sums it up when he says,
“But whatever gain I had a counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I might gain Christ“
There has to be a point in which the things of this world we treasured become strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
2) Fruit of Repentance
The best proof of our conversion is an obedient and fruitful life.
David Wells says,
Religious enthusiasms are easily generated. Their reality is not measured by the degree of excitement, but by the quality of endurance. The result of the test should be fruitfulness- the new character and the new direction of life that emerges.
Countless times in the New Testament Jesus says things like, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15. And “By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. John the Baptist urged his followers to “Bear fruit that befits repentance.” Matthew 3:8.
We know we have been born again (converted) when the desires of our hearts have changed and that has led to a significant change in our lives.
Goal of Conversion
The goal of conversion is nothing less than loving God with all one’s will, emotions, and thinking, whereas previously all of these faculties were engaged in self love. David Wells
If you have read this and you are having serious doubts of your conversion please shoot me an email (matt.svoboda@bridgesh.com) or reach out to a Christian friend you know. Repent and believe the gospel in order for the things of this world to grow dim and the beauty of Christ to become bright.
Eternity hangs in the balance. Many of you have had some type of religious experience in the past and yet you know in your heart nothing has really changed. You are not a Christian. The good news is that God offers you grace today. Turn from your waywardness and trust in the all satisfying Savior and what he has done on our behalf.
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Missional Resources
In our Gospel of Mark series Pastor Josh preached on Jesus and Mission last week. As you know, we talk a lot about mission. As we know, many of you still arent sure what “living on mission” is supposed to look like.
What does the life of a missionary look like right here in Spring Hill? What does it look like for a stay at home mom and the family that seems to busy for mission?
We just bought two resources to help you answer those questions! They are both $12.00 and they will be on the Resource Table this Sunday.
Here they are:
This is a great book for families. It is called “A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace Community, and Mission around the Table”
Families with full schedules can utilize this book greatly. It will help you see how living missionally really just means being intentional with things that are already in your schedule- like eating dinner.
This is a great book for all of you stay at home moms at The Bridge. It is called, “The Missional Mom: Living with Purpose at Home and in the World”
Your calling as a mom is an important one. Your calling as a missionary is equally important. This book helps give you a picture of what a Missional Mom can look like. Husbands, you can serve your wives big time by getting this for her. Call it a late Mother’s Day Gift. 
You can pick both of these up at the Resource Table this Sunday for $12!
Read MoreMission Trip: Madison, Wisconsin
We are REALLY excited about this trip. We are partnering with The Vine Church in Madison, WI. The Vine is a little over a year old trying to reach a very unreached city. Madison is only 5% evangelical, which is one of the lowest metropolitan areas in the US.
They are led by these three godly men:
These three guys are crazy. They have this belief that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and that through the gospel they can reach Madison, WI with the gospel. They, like us, have the desire to not just plant one church and grow as large as they can. These guys plan to plant several churches in the Madison area.
We are honored to get to come behind these men and this church. We support them financially, through relationship, and now we get to support them by coming behind them and helping them serve their city.
The Details:
Dates: July 24th-29th
Cost: Maximum of $400
Who Can Go: You! and you family. If you have been wanting to take your kids on a mission trip this is a great opportunity for that. This might also be a chance for you and your spouse to send them off to the grandparents. ;)
What We Wil be Doing: Serving Madison, WI and The Vine Church. We are going there to be a blessing to the city and the church. We will be doing several different service projects out in the community. This is a way to love on Madison with The Vine Church and help them build relationships with people in their city!
What To Expect: Sleeping arrangements will be made for us. We will be staying in people’s homes and potentially at a larger church in the area. This means bring your own sleeping stuff. Air mattress, sleeping bag, pillows, etc. We will be buying some groceries and stuff while we are there for breakfast and lunch things, but we will also be eating out 4 nights in Madison (really looking forward to this!). Once you pay the $400 per person it will cover everything. That will pay for the groceries and the dinners.
That money also goes towards blessing The Vine Church, helping pay for some of the service project materials, and travel expenses!
Let’s go be crazy with the guys in Madison who want to see their city transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ! Sign up at Connection Center in the lobby!
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