Encouragement
Though somewhere in the back of my mind I have always realized there was a difference between conversion and salvation, it was not until reading a devotion by Oswald Chambers did I realize the serious difference between the two.
Often times we reflect on someone when they except Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as being converted. But have they really experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ? Or have their eyes just been opened? We need to be careful when we use the word conversion. How many people who attend church regularly may have been converted to Christianity but have never really experienced the saving grace of Jesus?
Oswald Chambers writes in his book My Utmost For His Highest, “The only sign that a man is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our part as workers for God is to open men’s eyes that they may turn themselves from darkness to light; but that is not salvation, that is conversion – the effort of a roused human being. I do not think it is too sweeping to say that the majority of nominal Christians are of this order; their eyes are opened, but they have received nothing” (pg. 7). This could explain why so many who seem to come into a relationship with Jesus and freely worship God the Father, seem to fall away after a period of time.
Christians should be careful when discussing salvation with someone. We need to recognize the difference between a conversion experience and a salvation experience. Someone who has never been brought up in the church may readily be converted to Christianity or going to church but still has not fully understood about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of an individual’s difficulty in the world or in their personal lives, individuals will turn to the church for comfort. They are received for who they are. They find help in time of need to recover from drug addiction or alcoholism. They find peace in the church, they find acceptance in the church.
I once had someone tell me that I could not convert anyone, only God can convert. Though I knew what this person was trying to say, I asked them the question does God convert you to Hinduism, or Buddhism, or some other religious sect? A conversional experience is only the first step (and most likely God driven) in accepting that Jesus is the one and only Lord and Savior but a conversional experience does not solidify your place to be with God eternally. Think about it. The Scriptures tells us in James 2:19 the demons believe there is only one true God, but will they spend eternity with God.
As Christians who are developing a deeper relationship with the Lord each day, it is our responsibility to ensure those who attend church have not just had a conversion experience. We should be continuingly to encourage a deeper walk with God, so one may fully understand the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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