How do you know?
On the back of my blog on conversion I have been asked the following question:
"I would like to know how you know if you have a real conversion."
I will make an attempt at an answer but it would be great to have others give their responses too.
Here we go:
A long time ago a very wise man called Jonathan Edwards said that the main sign of a true conversion was a change in our affections, that is a change in our desires. When we are converted God implants a new love within us for him. One of my favourite verses is Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
We know we are converted when our reason for being is loving God with all our heart, mind and soul. I would say we know we are converted when we start with God and we live the rest of life in relation to him. Our life circles around him. He is not an add on to life but is our life.
Dr E Stanley Jones whom I quoted in my original blog wrote, "The Way (of Christ) is not negative. You are not a Christian because you don't do this that or the other. You are a Christian when life is centred in Christ and not in yourself. You are emptying your hands to grasp a whole Christ."
What religious but unconverted people often do is add God into the various aspects of their lives but actually life really circles around gratification of their needs. God is part of life because they recognise that there is a gap that needs filling. God is part of their life because there is a fear of the consequence of not acknowledging his reality. God is part of their life because they want what the church offers.
The Bible shows us that the ability to put Christ at the centre rather than our ego is the result of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, to whom we have submitted our hearts. We are not converted through trying to work up love for God or supressing our love for lesser things, like ourselves, other people, or physical and emotional gratification.
We are converted by surrendering our lives into his hands for him to make the change.
In Romans 8:16 Paul says that if we do that the Holy Spirit will give us an assurance within that we are made new and that we are converted. It is extremely difficult to explain such an assurance to someone who has not experienced it. It is a bit like trying to explain what something tastes like to someone who has never tried it. You can make comparisons but the only way someone is going to know the assurance of the Spirit is as the Bible says, "taste and see that the Lord is good."
To sum up: You know when you are converted because
a) God is not a hobby or a duty but the love of your life
b) The Holy Spirit has revealed it to you
I've gone on long enough and I hope this helps to answer the question.
God bless
Carol
On the back of my blog on conversion I have been asked the following question:
"I would like to know how you know if you have a real conversion."
I will make an attempt at an answer but it would be great to have others give their responses too.
Here we go:
A long time ago a very wise man called Jonathan Edwards said that the main sign of a true conversion was a change in our affections, that is a change in our desires. When we are converted God implants a new love within us for him. One of my favourite verses is Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
We know we are converted when our reason for being is loving God with all our heart, mind and soul. I would say we know we are converted when we start with God and we live the rest of life in relation to him. Our life circles around him. He is not an add on to life but is our life.
Dr E Stanley Jones whom I quoted in my original blog wrote, "The Way (of Christ) is not negative. You are not a Christian because you don't do this that or the other. You are a Christian when life is centred in Christ and not in yourself. You are emptying your hands to grasp a whole Christ."
What religious but unconverted people often do is add God into the various aspects of their lives but actually life really circles around gratification of their needs. God is part of life because they recognise that there is a gap that needs filling. God is part of their life because there is a fear of the consequence of not acknowledging his reality. God is part of their life because they want what the church offers.
The Bible shows us that the ability to put Christ at the centre rather than our ego is the result of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, to whom we have submitted our hearts. We are not converted through trying to work up love for God or supressing our love for lesser things, like ourselves, other people, or physical and emotional gratification.
We are converted by surrendering our lives into his hands for him to make the change.
In Romans 8:16 Paul says that if we do that the Holy Spirit will give us an assurance within that we are made new and that we are converted. It is extremely difficult to explain such an assurance to someone who has not experienced it. It is a bit like trying to explain what something tastes like to someone who has never tried it. You can make comparisons but the only way someone is going to know the assurance of the Spirit is as the Bible says, "taste and see that the Lord is good."
To sum up: You know when you are converted because
a) God is not a hobby or a duty but the love of your life
b) The Holy Spirit has revealed it to you
I've gone on long enough and I hope this helps to answer the question.
God bless
Carol
posted by Rehoboth at
9:59 AM
2 Comments:
Thank you.
It's a long time ago since I was confirmed. I forget quite how I felt at that time. Please pray that I receive the Lords blessing and direction.
By
Bel, at 4:35 PM
Praying right now Claire
God bless
Carol
By
Rehoboth, at 6:55 AM
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