How Does Spiritual Conversion Actually Work?

How Does Spiritual Conversion Actually Work?

• Part 18 in our Acts series!!
• Part 2 in our mini-series on “Salvation”
  • Last week: Is Anyone Too Far Gone for God? (Acts 8:26-40)
    • Answer: No! God can reach you on the desert road to nowhere
  • Today: We’ll look at the dramatic conversion story of Saul (Paul)
    • – and what we can generalize from his experience.
    • His case is so interesting, because 
      • One, we have it on record
      • Two, his later writings give us the answer to this question!
• I want to start by asking you how it worked for you
  • How did you come to faith in Jesus? 
  • Or, for some of you: have you come to faith in Jesus?
    • If you’re not sure, we’ll invite you at the end of this message

First, what do we mean by conversion?

• Sys Theo #8: “Elements of Salvation” 
  • Broadly speaking, salvation is the application of the work of Christ to the life of individual persons. At its core, the word means “deliverance”…
    • From sin
    • From alienation from others
    • From guilt and shame
    • And more!!!
    • Galatians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
  • “Conversion” is one of the elements of salvation
    • Other elements: intellectual assent, conviction, illumination,
    • Conversion marks the beginning of the Christian life. Conversion is the individual’s response to the gospel invitation. It can be considered as a single event with two inseparable aspects: repentance and faith (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21).
    • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
    • Actual conversion is instantaneous, but viewed from a human perspective, it may not be possible to pinpoint when it occurred. At some point, a person responds to the gospel in repentance and faith and is made alive by God. But the reality of that conversion may not be apparent until much later, as it begins to bear fruit.
    • Conversion doesn’t happen the same way for everyone. Today we’ll look at how it happened for Saul – let’s get to the text…

Acts 9:1-2 (NLT) 1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

• “Followers of the Way” – they weren’t called Christians yet. Still just Jews in the synagogues who believed that Jesus was the way!
  • It’s a way, not just a set of beliefs. 
    • ‘the way of salvation’ (16:17), 
    • ‘the way of the Lord’ (18:25) 
    • ‘the way of God’ (18:26)
    • Mk 14 (NLT) You teach the way of God truthfully.
    • John 14:6 (NLT) 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
• There are only two ways:
  • The Way that leads to life: the way of Jesus
  • The Way that leads to death: which goes by a million other names
  • Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
  • Conversion happens when you leave the way of death to follow the way of Jesus.

Acts 9:3-4 (NLT) 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

• Not just a light; later (Acts 22, 26) Paul says he saw Jesus
  • 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT) 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
  • The point: No one can be converted without seeing Jesus for who he is. 
    • When Saul saw this, he fell to the ground
      • Like other stories of people seeing God (Ezk. 1:28; Dn. 8:17; Rev. 1:17)
• Then the question: why are you persecuting me?
  • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Properly understood, this question would challenge his whole belief system and pattern of life.
    • IOW this was the fork in the road
      • We all come there when we meet Jesue
        • Will you continue with your old way that leads to death
        • Or will you repent and follow the way of Jesus?
    • For Paul, this was the beginning of CONVICTION

Acts 9:5-6 (NLT) 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

• For Paul, this was the beginning of INTELLECTUAL ASSENT
  • Learning the basics of the gospel and who Jesus is
  • Coming to terms with this new information
• Note: Saul is still a seeker here. This still happens today:
  • Jesus begins to reveal himself, sometimes in a shocking manner
  • Our way of living/thinking gets exposed
  • We just have to take the next step
    • Jesus doesn’t give Saul all the answers, just the next step
    • Q. If you’re a seeker, what’s your next step?
      • Read your Bible
      • Find a solid church
      • Meet with a mentor

Acts 9:7-9 (NLT) 7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

• This is the place everyone must come to before conversion: humbled, powerless, like a child
  • My favorite word for it: submission. 
    • Nobody likes that word. That’s why I like it.
    • You can’t come to Jesus unless you’re willing to submit to him
      • There can be only one king on the throne of your life
      • …and you can’t be it
  • Previously, Saul was so arrogant and in charge
    • Now he’s powerless and led by the hand to Damascus
• Matthew 18:3 (NLT) 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Here’s the rest of the story:

Acts 9:10-12 (NLT) 10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. 11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

• Again, humiliating for Saul
• He was going to Damascus to imprison guys like Ananias!?
  • Now he’s going to receive healing from this guy

Acts 9:13-16 (NLT) 13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” 15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

• What a turn around! 

Acts 9:17-19 (NLT) 17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.

• This is another essential element on the road to conversion: ILLUMINATION
  • In the biblical sense, “illumination” refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in helping individuals understand and apply the truths of Scripture. It’s the process by which God reveals spiritual truths and insights to believers, enabling them to grasp the meaning of Scripture and how it applies to their lives. 
  • The HS is always illuminating our understanding as Christians, but the first time it happens is groundbreaking: like scales falling from our eyes. Sets us up for conversion. In Paul’s words:
    • 2 Corinthians 3:14 (NLT) 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
    • 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NLT) 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
• Notice one more element important to conversion: A believer to share the good news
  • Why didn’t Jesus just do all of this on the road earlier?
  • He wants to use his people to share (that’s what Acts is all about)

Later in Acts Paul explains his conversion with one more important detail:

• He recounts that Ananias said this:
• Acts 22:16 (NLT) 16 ‘What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
  • This is called CONFESSION. Paul later explained it to the Romans:
  • Romans 10:9 (ESV) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So, according to Saul’s experience (and later teachings),

1. How Does Spiritual Conversion Actually Work?

Let’s summarize the elements:

• Conviction of sin, recognizing that your old way leads to death
• Intellectual assent, acknowledging that Jesus is who he says he is
• Illumination, letting the HS remove the scales from your eyes
• Culminates in Conversion, which boils down to two earthly responses:
  • Repentance: changing your attitude toward God 
    • And confessing it
  • Faith: trusting Jesus for salvation
• The spiritual benefits include things like
  • Forgiveness of sins,
  • Regeneration: being “born again”
  • Justification: being made right in the court of heaven
  • Adoption: becoming children of God
  • Reception of the HS, as we’ve seen throughout Acts
    • For continued illumination
    • And for empowerment to be his witness!

So, have you been converted?