SOUL WINNING AND COVERING

What is conversion? It involves change.

Just because some may call themselves Christian and have their names written on a church membership list, does that guarantee that they are converted Christians?

Notice an important truth in the Bible: “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).

So we must understand this: A person is a Christian only if God’s Holy Spirit is dwelling in him or her.

Conversion begins with repentance

Notice God’s desire in Isaiah 55:7: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

In order for one to become a Christian, one must repent of sin. Notice what Christ said in Luke 13:3: “I tell you … unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

When Jesus started to preach His gospel message of the Kingdom of God, He said in Mark 1:15, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

So, one must repent and believe, but this action does not yet make anyone a Christian. This is just a first step toward Christian conversion. As we’ve seen above, one needs God’s Spirit.