Conversion (Born Again Experience)

Lesson Content

‘Conversion’, ‘New Birth’, and ‘Born Again experience’ are all various terms used for the first step of salvation which is the forgiveness of sins. There are other steps of salvation also like water baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc. The term ‘salvation’ has also been used in the Word of God in several places to indicate Conversion or the experience of being Born Again. Every man born in this world is a sinner before God (Rom.3:23). It is not the will of God that a man should continue to be a sinner. God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim.2:4). Man is a sinner in two ways:

(a) Nature of sin — This is the nature already in a person when he is born (Psa.51:5; Eph.2:3).

(b) Works of sin — sins committed by actions (Col.1:21; Gal.5:19-21). He must be born again by the Word of God and thus must get deliverance from works of sin. (To be delivered from the nature of sin, however, he must take water baptism). The seven steps leading to the experience of Conversion:

1. Conviction of sin (Acts 2:37): When the people heard Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost they were pricked in their hearts and asked Peter and the other apostles: “Men and brethren, what shall we do [to be saved]?”. It was the conviction of sin in their hearts that prompted them to ask so.

2. Repentance (II Cor.7:10,11): This is an experience received by the contrition of heart caused by the conviction of sin.

3. Confession (I Jn.1:9; Prov.28:13): Confession has two aspects — one, a putting off and the other, a putting on. Firstly, with true repentance we must confess and forsake the sins committed in the past. This is the experience of putting off or the negative aspect. Secondly, we should accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and confess Him with our mouth. This is the aspect of putting on or the positive aspect (Rom.10:9,10).

4. Restitution (Ezek.33:15; Lk.19:8): If we have taken anything from anybody unjustly, it is not enough if we merely beg their pardon. The articles must be restored; because it is the commandment of God that

we should not covet anything that belongs to our neighbour (Exo.20:17). We find that when Zacchaeus was saved, he observed the law of restitution.

5. Reconciliation (Matt.5:23,24;18:35): By confessing our sins we receive forgiveness from God and are reconciled to Him. Likewise, we should also receive forgiveness from man and be reconciled to him. If we, from our hearts, do not forgive our brethren their faults, our Heavenly Father will do likewise unto us.

6. Justification (Rom.3:24; 4:24,25; 5:1,18): Christ was offered for our offences and raised again that we might be justified. For us who believe in Him Who raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead, that faith is counted as righteousness. Being justified means being accounted as one who has not committed any sin at all. It is because Jesus died and rose again that we are justified (Rom.4:21-25).

7. Cleansing (I Jn.1:7): This experience denotes our being wholly separa ted unto the Lord. At salvation we are separated from sin and from sinners. As the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and from the bondage of the Egyptians and were separated wholly unto the Lord in the day that they were redeemed by the blood of the paschal lamb, even so we who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus are separated from the works of sin and from sinners and we become the people of God. In this experience that we receive at salvation, the work of sanctification begins in us.

Moral

Adam committed sin and lost eternal life. When we repent, confess our sins and are saved, we receive eternal life.